When Mental Illness Hits Too Close to Home

It might be your brother, sister, aunt, cousin, or daughter. Everyone, you included, is trying to ignore the 8,000 pound elephant in the room. This person is mentally ill, and needs help badly--help that they may resist. As author J.Gail's new book STOP LOOKING AT ME! demonstrates, pretending like the problem doesn't exist just makes things worse.

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) October 17, 2007 -- One day he is happy and carefree; a joy to be around. He smiles easily, is kind-hearted, and will give his last to help someone in need.

But the next day he is a cold, angry, sniping madman whose presence you cannot wait to escape! His personality becomes ugly at the flip of a switch--it doesn't take much to set him off. What he (and his family) doesn't know yet is that he may be bipolar, but no one is doing anything about it. What happens when one day, he becomes violent, or he places himself or another person in serious danger?

Having someone in your family or circle of friends with a potential mental illness can be difficult and frustrating. What do you do when you suspect that a close family member, like a brother, sister, daughter, or son, may be mentally ill? What if they are in complete denial about it?

These are the questions that are asked in STOP LOOKING AT ME!, a new novel by J.Gail, acclaimed author of books that she has labeled "reality fiction". All of her stories deal with issues that are a reality of life for most people. STOP LOOKING AT ME! is the story of a hyper-paranoid Long Island-born woman named Tracy Samuels whose Paranoia is getting worse by the moment and progressing towards Schizophrenia, but her friends and family members are afraid to confront her about her problem.

At one point in the book, Tracy meets an amazingly attractive man named Mike. Even though he lives a dangerous lifestyle, Mike strangely calms Tracy down and makes her think more positively about her deeply flawed life. But Tracy becomes highly paranoid about the possibility of one of her pretty and sophisticated friends stealing him away, so she refuses to introduce them to him. There is an unexpected twist at the end of the book that will be sure to not only thoroughly shock readers, but also tug at strings deep within their hearts.

The author admits that she wrote STOP LOOKING AT ME! because she can relate to Tracy's extreme character in a lot of ways.

"People say that I'm a little paranoid. After writing STOP LOOKING AT ME! I now kind of see what they are talking about--just about everyone who reads the book says to me 'that girl was crazy!' I don't always think Tracy is that out of line. She's just watching her back. However, there is definitely a line my character crosses that takes her into the realm of potential insanity."

In one shocking scene from STOP LOOKING AT ME!, Tracy assaults a stranger on the subway for looking at her too long.

Statistics show that approximately 1 in 7 people will be affected by mental illness. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recommends that family members get their loved ones into psychosocial therapies and psychoeducation to help the affected person learn about their potential illness (A Family Guide to Mental Health: What You Need to Know, www.nami.org). Sometimes it may even be a good idea for family members to arrange group therapy instead of singling the person out initially.

You decide. Is Tracy mentally ill, or is she just keeping her guard up to protect herself from a cold and cruel world?

STOP LOOKING AT ME! is a highly entertaining yet deep and reflective book. It touches sensitive chords regarding mental illness, specifically Paranoid Personality Disorder, and how it affects those who love someone with this type of mental disease. The book is available now at Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, target.com, and bookstores everywhere.

To schedule an interview or booksigning with J.Gail, or for more general information please contact Mr. Shamar Wilson at 888 715 9599. To order the book or find more titles by J.Gail go to http://www.jazolipublishing.com or call 888-715-9599.

Jazoli Publishing - "This is Real Life. It Ain't No Fairytale."

STOP LOOKING AT ME! by J.Gail
ISBN 0972697845
Available Now!
Truth Hurts Publications

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