Losing Dad : Paranoid Schizophrenia: a Family's Search for Hope by Amanda LaPera

"Losing Dad, Paranoid Schizophrenia: a Family's Search for Hope," is the compelling true story of a family grappling with the stranglehold of severe mental illness. When a father develops paranoid schizophrenia at fifty-three, he descends into psychosis and grandoise delusions which lead him to abandon his family and travel to over thirty countries as a self-proclaimed prophet-of-God before returning to the United States of America, penniless and homeless. His colorful descent into psychosis allegedly featured four continents and thirteen wives as he faced down drug dealers and prostitutes, advised the Italian Mafioso and was hailed as a prophet in Africa. Losing Dad not only features Joseph's harrowing -- and still ongoing -- flight from reality amidst anosognosia, but also valuable information about severe mental illness, a list of resources, discussion of mental health laws, and personal perspectives as written by his family members. Included discussion questions are useful for reading groups, classroom case study, or professional education to better understand the societal and psychological impacts of mental illness, both as experienced by family caregivers and the community. The Foreword is written by Dr. Xavier Amador who states, "I highly recommend 'Losing Dad' both as an educational tool and as a heartfelt tale. Beautifully woven between the facts are the feelings. [Amanda LaPera] shows that behind every severe mental illness there is a human being." -- Xavier Amador, Ph.D., Founder, LEAP Institute, Author, I am Not Sick, I Don't Need Help! (Vida Press 2012) A portion of proceeds from sales of Losing Dad will go to NAMI-OC, an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a nonprofit dedicated to improving lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.