The Mindful Son: A Beacon of Hope Through the Storm of Mental Illness

A story of ultimate triumph achieved by a family devastated by mental illness over the course of thirty-seven years.

Praise for The Mindful Son:
＂Hickman looks at the world of mental health through a prism of unique experience.＂ Robert Hermes, Director, Wings Across Alabama

＂James’ book takes the reader through the roller coaster life of mental illness. [Readers familiar with mental illness] will find comfort in this remarkable journey.＂ James Walsh, Ex-Officio, Executive Committee National Alliance on Mental Illness, Alabama

＂This is a book that should be read by everyone involved in the treatment of persons with schizophrenia... James’ story is brimming with hope. I am proud to be working with him as a colleague at the mental health center.＂ Dr. Bill Goodson, psychiatrist, author, and one of the founders of the Huntsville-Madison County Mental Health Center.

The Mindful Son provides an insider’s account of the world of mental health from the perspective of the patient, the healthcare provider, and the family member of someone with mental illness. It demonstrates beyond question that recovery is attainable and that the most daunting obstacles can be overcome through determination and the right mindset.

The wisdom the author acquired through years of trial and error is now at the disposal of all who read this book. Anyone who seeks understanding of what having a mental illness is like will discover it here, in these pages. This autobiographical recounting proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that recovery from serious mental illness is obtainable, while providing concrete information on how this recovery can be sustained. Many dark days are recounted in these pages that end with the reader and author reaching the light together.

About the author: James Hickman is a Licensed Certified Social Worker in the state of Alabama and works as a mental health therapist for WellStone. He is also a Certified Peer Support Specialist in Alabama and has served as the Treasurer for the Alabama Peer Support Specialist Association.

James has served as the President of The National Alliance on Mental Illness in Decatur. He is a Co-Founder of Our Place, a consumer-run drop-in center in Huntsville. James has served on the Board of Directors of Wings Across Alabama, the primary voice for consumers of mental health services throughout the state. He has also served on the Advisory Board of the Alabama Disability Advocacy Program, the Consumer Advisory Board to the Associate Commissioner of Mental Health in Alabama, and the Advisory Board of NAMI’s Sharing Hope, a program designed to share information about mental health with ministers primarily in the Black Belt area.