“Gripping, empathetic, and honest, this account of what it’s like to care for the mentally ill as they sink into schizophrenia, depression, self-harm, delusion, anorexia, dementia and more, is both an education and a wake-up call. Sweeney writes with brilliance about a vulnerable population that deserves our respect and compassion.”

Author of Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnier Garmus

“I’ve worked in mental health for two decades now and have accumulated a trove of stories. To be given the chance to open the door into this unusual vocation feels a privilege. My hope with this book is to dispel a few myths, expose some realities, and share the laughs and heartbreaks that come when working in frontline mental health care.”

Elliot Sweeney

“I first read Elliot’s impassioned article in The Times, where he detailed a number of his frontline experiences as a psychiatric nurse and I was instantly taken by his idea for a memoir. The result is a beautifully insightful and important book. Elliot weaves in levity and humour into some very dark subject matter and highlights some of our society’s most vulnerable people as well as the incredible people who help care for them.”

Ciara Lloyd, book editor