In My Room

‘The room is a space for the mind, and a metaphor for the mind at the same time. Most of us will never find ourselves on a psychiatrist’s couch and yet our lives would be perilous if we did not make space for our mental health. In this space, we can hold up a mirror and acknowledge our search for meaning. By going to the room, life becomes more resourceful and rewarding. In showing up there, we show up for life itself.’

Jim Lucey has been working for more than 25 years with patients suffering from mental health problems. When people at their most vulnerable present to his room at St Patrick’s University Hospital, Dublin, they reveal their fears, traumas, and very real human predicaments. Most of the assessments described in this book took place in this room. While the patients’ stories are diverse, one common theme emerges – that of recovery. The psychiatrist and patients show us that recovery is possible, if we can find a way to engage.

Many of us find it difficult to speak of the mind, and care of the mind requires an ability to listen and to reflect. This inspiring book will give you many moments of reflection as you journey with Jim’s patients towards recovery, and will restore your faith in the human experience.

Reviews: 

'Using the art of clinical storytelling, Professor Lucey allows us to enter his room – an extraordinary space where theory informs practice and practice informs theory ...  In My Room provides valuable insights that will benefit every human being interested in better understanding mental health.  This is a beautiful book that should be read out loud at times, shared with others, and openly discussed' Charlotte R. Shore, RN, BSN, Newton Wellesley Hospital, USA and David A. Shore, PhD, Harvard University

‘What a sublime pleasure to read a book about a topic that isn't easily accessible and that is artfully and compellingly written … the lessons are visceral and the unputdownable narratives are about people playing for life stakes.’ Aidan Halligan, Former Deputy Chief Medical Officer of England, Director of Well North and Principal of NHS Staff College and Chairman of Pathway

‘It’s a really fascinating book, because you get to glimpse inside real stories’ Keelin Shanley, Morning Edition

'Mental illness is the elephant in the room for many families in Ireland. Professor Lucy goes a long way to demystifying the mysteries and of making the patient part of our society.' - Peter Costello, The Irish Catholic

'Lucy has taken the bold step of telling these stories to the general public in order to break down the barriers between patients with mental illness and healthcare professionals. While the patient stories are diverse, one common theme emerges - that of recovery.' - Senior Times

'In this captivating account, Lucey describes some of the patients who have arrived to his room at St Patrick's University Hospital in Dublin, and navigates through their illness with deftness, inteligence and warmth.' - Sunday Business Post

“The great message of In My Room for patients and their families is that recovery from mental illness is possible.” – Mark Edmund Hutcheson, Sunday Independent

Visit www.inmyroom.org.uk for additional resources, podcasts and more!

Professor James V. Lucey MD (Dub), PhD (Lond), FRCPI, FRCPsych is Medical Director, St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, Dublin and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin. He has more than 25 years’ experience in psychiatry. In addition to medical management he maintains his clinical practice at St Patrick’s where he works on the assessment, diagnosis and management of obsessive compulsive (OCD) and other anxiety disorders. He gives public lectures and is a regular broadcaster on mental health matters on RTÉ radio featuring on ‘Today with Sean O’Rourke’.