The Illness

About the Book

The Illness is a novel that every family must read in order to give them the coping mechanisms that are needed in life. It is intoxicating and intriguing, and it explores life from the perspective of everyday families through mental illness, disabilities, and addictions. The book shows how everyday people cope with life and keep everything together by not letting the everyday battles that they face control or ruin their lives. At least that’s what they think. The story is told in first person limited omniscient and is seen through the eyes of the narrator. His experience with each character and how he or she is dealing with life is unexpectedly told through his experience at work. However, the narrator has his own battles, and the major battle is the illness. The illness controls his every thought process and how he himself perceives the world.

About the Author

My name is Dr. Hearley Smith, and for as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with the mind and how it operates. Throughout the years, mental illness and the effects that it is having on society is becoming more evident. With the number of violent and aggressive crimes that have been happening in the United States, addiction on the rise, and the increase number of different illnesses that have been prevalent, I decided to do something that would help and have an impact on society. Throughout my seventeen years of experience, I have seen a number of individuals who suffer from mental illnesses. In addition, I have also seen how mental illness has had a major impact on families and individuals. After diagnosing a number of disabilities, such as emotional disturbance and autism, I realized how families and individuals can be affected in everyday living. Many families had concerns about an illness or suspected that something was wrong, but they were not sure how to receive help. Many did not seek help until it was too late, not because they did not want help, but because they did not recognize the signs leading to mental illness. After working with several families and developing strategies to improve their lives and the individuals that suffered from mental illnesses, I decided to write The 4 Step Process to Mental Illness, A Home Guide. The guide is an educational tool that helps families determine if they should seek professional or additional help. The Four-Step Process I created has been used to help families and those suffering from mental illnesses. In addition to the Home Guide, I wrote The Illness. The Illness is a powerful book that explores disabilities and addictions through the eyes of different families and it shows how we can control our addictions and struggles instead of them controlling us. It sends a powerful message of what happens when we are not in control.