A rounded picture of mental illness paired with beautiful photography
Out of the Shadows is a thoughtful journey from inside the mind of someone who didn’t give up while struggling through complex mental illness eventually diagnosed as schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She writes from the perspective of one looking back on her journey with greater insight and personal growth. Broader-level insights and clarifications from Slabach have been placed in the footnotes and would be helpful to anyone trying to understand in an objective way how to deal with mental illness in oneself or others. To me, the final effect is a rounded picture of mental illness, told from the perspective of the one who is mentally ill while taking the perspectives of friends and family into account.

Every page of text is paired with a page of Kates’ beautiful nature photography, making this a nice gift or coffee table book, as well as an easy and enjoyable read for your personal enrichment.

Inside Look at Mental Illness
In Out of the Shadows, Kathy Beachy tells the story of her lifelong struggle with schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Starting in early childhood, she chronicles her battle with the “shadows” of non-reality, strong urges, unexplained mental blocks, extreme perfectionism, and controlling voices.

Kathy is a conservative Mennonite woman who grew up in the Beachy church, in the days before Internet research, self-diagnosis, and problem-solving were on the table. Her parents found their way through bewilderment and frustration to link Kathy with the resources and medications she needed, and the professionals who could help.

Her voice in the telling is simple, with concrete terms and bite-sized thoughts. I deeply appreciate that she was permitted to tell the story herself, with help from friends. I also appreciate that her story offers hope, but does not pretend everything was neatly fixed, or that the solutions she found will fit all others who struggle.

I recommend it for people who are struggling with mental obsessions, people who are walking with and loving others struggling with mental obsessions, and young adults (or older) who are interested in hearing an inside perspective on mental illness.

The nature photography is a lovely addition!