Growing Pains
On sale
18th April 2019
Price: £9.99
‘A remarkable, powerful, tender and insightful book that will change lives’
Stephen Fry
‘A unique book . . . The stories [Shooter] tells are poignant and powerful testimonies to the resilience of the human spirit’
Marjorie Wallace, CBE
‘Through fascinating case studies, Dr Mike Shooter explores issues such as grief, bullying, family breakdown and self-harm. It’s a compelling and fascinating glimpse into his career, but is also full of insights into the minds of children, the struggles of growing up and the challenges of parenting’
Max Pemberton, Daily Mail
‘An excellent read for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, whether they work with children or adults’
MDEdge
* * * * * * * * * *
Child psychiatrist Dr Mike Shooter sheds light on the painful issues and universal experience of growing up, through the stories of his patients and their families.
Growing up isn’t easy. We can be at our most vulnerable and confused. And the right help isn’t always there when we need it most. For over forty years psychiatrist Mike Shooter has listened to children and adolescents in crisis, helping them to find their stories and begin to make sense of their lives.
Mike Shooter’s own life has been shaped by his battle with depression. It makes him question received wisdom. He knows labels won’t always fit and one diagnosis will not work for all.
His patients’ stories are at the heart of this book. Mike Shooter shares their journey as, through therapy, they confront everything from loss and family breakdown to bullying, grief and illness. We see how children begin to make breakthroughs with depression or anxiety, destructive, even sometimes violent behaviour.
Growing Pains is compelling and compassionate – a book to make us wiser and braver, and to help us see how children’s stories can find happier endings.
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Reviews
'Through fascinating case studies, Dr Mike Shooter explores issues such as grief, bullying, family breakdown and self-harm. It's a compelling and fascinating glimpse into his career, but is also full of insights into the minds of children, the struggles of growing up and the challenges of parenting.'
'A remarkable, powerful, tender and insightful book that will change lives. I cannot doubt that hundreds - I would hope thousands - of families can be helped by Mike Shooter's profound, careful and utterly convincing insights. He combines all the clinical and scientific expertise of a physician with the understanding, patience and openness of the best therapists. But he has something else too - his own very special gifts of wisdom, warmth, humour and kindness, which shine through on every page. Nothing here is reduced to a cookie-cutter syndrome. Dr Shooter understands Tolstoy's famous observation "All happy families are alike; all unhappy families are unhappy in their own way." If you had a troubled, dark childhood you will wish someone in your family had had access to Growing Pains and if you have children who don't seem to be able to be happy, I urge you to read it now.'
'This is a unique book which combines the wisdom of a psychiatrist who has helped heal the minds of young people in crisis for over four decades and his own experience of a damaged childhood and subsequent depression. The stories he tells are poignant and powerful testimonies to the resilience of the human spirit and will fascinate all of us who struggle to make sense of our own and other people's lives.'
'Brilliant book. Mike Shooter has through the lens of his own lived experience of depression given us a truly 3D picture of the struggles of growing up. This is the first book I've read that bridges the gap between evidence-based texts and what all of us privileged to work with children need - intelligent kindness, emotional intelligence and a listening, non-judgmental ear.'
'Provocative, engrossing and engaging. Compulsive reading and should be compulsory reading for all who have children and those who look after and deal with children and young people. Lessons from a life time of learning and sharing.'
'Mike Shooter's book is full of humanity. Following the journey through the stories of people he has seen during his career, we learn so much about the stresses and pains of young people's lives. We also learn about the ways in which thoughtful therapy can make a real difference. Mike places himself by the side of the young people he works with not least by sharing his own life challenges. A wise and ultimately uplifting book.'
'In his engaging and informative book, Dr Mike Shooter's wisdom and insight are significant as he works in some of the toughest areas of child and adolescent mental health problems.'
'How can we offer advice to others if we don't recognise our own flaws and weaknesses? Mike Shooter reflects on his own journey and the challenges of depression to draw from many a gentle message of hope that things can be better. I have never read a book where turning the page I found myself in tears. A book that was difficult to put down.'
'A highly readable book for families as well as carers and professionals to help to understand the experience of growing up - and a valuable contribution towards better outcomes for many young people experiencing difficulties today.'
'Reads like a compelling novel with complex characters and challenging plots ... Inspiring ... Growing Pains is a book I look forward to re-reading. I highly recommend it ... It will be one of only a few that live on the shelf above my desk for easy reference.'