Alice Addison

Starfish - A Year In The Life Of Bereavement and Depression Alice Addison

"Starfish" stems from Alice's mother's death. Alice was studying Medicine at university when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Alice, therefore, was in a unique position to care for her mother at home due to her training. The book delivers an honest, open account of caring for someone who is dying from a personal but also clinical point of view. It demonstrates just how much love for someone can hurt. Subsequently, when Alice's mother died, she attempted suicide. Alice was admitted to a psychiatric unit and the novel follows her as she struggled to live a life without her best friend, her mother. Alice was diagnosed with depression and was transported from working in hospitals to being a patient. She found this transition hard at the beginning and could not comprehend how to live. She received much support from various clinicians and slowly began to rebuild her life.