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The Screaming Room
By Barbara Peabody. San Diego: Oak Tree Publications, 1986, 254 pages, $4.99.
The Screaming Room, by Barbara Peabody, is the personal account of a mother’s journey as she cares for her son who is dying of AIDS. It is the author’s dairy, which she kept during the year 1983 as she personally cared for her son until he passed away. This book is written in a clear and concise manner, making it a quick and easy read. This is partly due to the fact that it is written in the form of a diary and avoids using jargon and medical terminology that are not easily understood by the general public. This book may be suitable for those who have recently experienced the loss of a loved one.
Peabody’s book is written in the form of a diary with each entry dated. The first entry is December 4, 1983 as Peabody learns that her twenty eight year old son, Peter, has been diagnosed with AIDS and is very sick. The book follows Peabody’s journey as she makes the trip to New York City to visit her son and then takes him back to her home in San Diego to care for him through the last eleven months of his life. She describes her son as he was before he was sick, and exactly what the disease does to him each day. She describes his past as an energetic and life affirming young man, while each entry also describes the current day as Peter is unable to perform his own activities of daily living such as bathing, feeding, and toileting. She describes how his body deteriorates and how his mind is taken away from him. She describes how Peter does not want to discuss death because he feels that talking about it is a death sentence to him. Peabody describes her own emotions and that she is unable to express them to Peter and her family because she also believes that to say the words out loud is to pronounce him already dead. She describes Peter’s hopes for getting better and the plans he wishes to make, while stating that she is aware that he will never be well enough to ever experience them.
The Screaming Room is appropriate for adults dealing with loss. It can be effectively utilized in a psychotherapy relationship through bibliotherapy. Psychologists may wish to prescribe this book to clients who are having difficulty expressing their feelings about a recent loss. This book may give clients a starting off point to use when discussing their own experience. Individuals dealing with the loss of a close relative or loved one may find the book useful by understanding how another has dealt with the death of someone close to them. They may be comforted in knowing that others have felt similarly to the ways they are feeling as they attempt to cope. The subject matter of the book is very descriptive, and at times can be upsetting. It is not recommended for use with children or young adolescents due to its complete honesty and often graphic scenes. It is written at a junior high school reading level, making it accessible for most adults.
The Screaming Room has several strengths that make it an ideal choice for bibliotherapy. The reader is able to follow the author’s personal journey throughout her son’s illness. The book is written in the form of a diary, with many entries written as if they are happening presently with dialogue between the author, family members, and members of the medical community. The author’s thoughts and feelings are defined clearly. The author’s emotions are recorded and the reasoning for the way she feels is also evident. The book allows the reader to go inside the head and see the difficult journey Peabody went on as she watched her own child die. The book is honest with graphic accounts of exactly what happens to her son. Every medication change, medical test, psychological examination, and hospitalization is experienced by the reader. It is a truthful and personal approach to the issues of coping with death and loss.
Those using The Screaming Room in bibliotherapy must be mindful of its weaknesses. The book was published in 1986 but the occurrences of the book happened during 1983, when AIDS was not well known. Many of the accounts contained within the book regarding the origins of the disease, how AIDS is contracted, and who is susceptible to the disease are outdated and incorrect. The author’s account reflects the feelings of the times at which the book was written. Psychologists prescribing this book must be mindful when prescribing it to families of AIDS patients, specifically homosexual patients, due to the stereotypes of the early 1980’s society that are reflected. Psychologists must also be aware that the book must be read in entirety in order for it to be useful in psychotherapy. Since the book is written in chronological order from the time the author’s son was diagnosed with AIDS to the time of his death, it is imperative that the whole account be utilized in bibliotherapy. Though the book is an easy read for most individuals and goes quickly, psychologists must be careful to prescribe it to individuals with the time to sit down and read all 254 pages. It is also recommended that the book be used with people who have already experienced the loss of their loved one. It is not recommended for those who are still caring for a terminally ill person due to the graphic and sometimes upsetting accounts of the last few days of Peter’s life. The author gives a graphic depiction of her son’s very last moments and the tears and emotions of the entire family during this time. There is also a detailed description of the precautions used during 1983 when AIDS patients died. This scene may be upsetting for those who have not yet lost their loved one. They may not be ready to deal with the practicalities of death.
The Screaming Room, as used in bibliotherapy, may be beneficial to clients who have experienced the loss of a loved one and are having difficulty coping. Its easy to understand style and language make it an appropriate choice for most individuals. The format of the diary makes the book flow easily and gives an accurate and detailed account of the occurrences and emotions one goes through when experiencing firsthand the loss of a loved one. This book may be effectively utilized in bibliotherapy and may help clients to experience more deeply their own emotions as related to their loss. It may help them to understand that their thoughts and feelings are not unique and may help them to express them in a more productive manner.