"Raising children takes a strong will, flexibility, and a love like no other. No one can predict the paths our children will take or what circumstances they may find themselves as they grow, change, and have experiences without us by their sides. We would like to think, as parents, that we know our children and have everything under control. Life, however, makes plans that are often very different from our own. J. Mark Stacy is no stranger to the hardships of raising children. Stacy’s daughters are battling both drug addiction and the beast known as schizophrenia.

A Schizophrenic, Tapped & Skipped: Hope in the Midst of Madness, by J. Mark Stacy, is the no-holds-barred true story of one woman’s battle to remain hopeful in the face of overwhelming pain, fear, and utter destruction. When her daughter begins to show signs of schizophrenia as a teenager, their devastating journey begins. In addition to the battle with a crippling mental illness, the family must find a way to fight back against drug addiction.

Stacy’s book left me speechless. Her writing is raw; she holds nothing back as she shares her family’s story. From her initial shock to her own breakdowns, Stacy does not hesitate to tell readers how incredibly painful her daughters’ battles have been for everyone involved. Her work brings much-needed light to the struggle to treat mental illness and drug addiction. Prior to reading Stacy’s story, I had no idea how incredibly difficult it is for young adults battling debilitating schizophrenia to seek help from facilities. It goes without saying that Stacy’s book will be instrumental in changing the way mental illness and drug addiction are viewed by those of us who have never dealt with it firsthand.

Faith plays a huge part in the way Stacy is able to care for both of her daughters. As the years pass, readers see exactly how much she relies on her faith to do everything from simply riding in a car with her daughter to leaving her to live on her own. Stacy is able to give readers hope through her experiences, as crushing as they may seem.

The heart and soul that has been poured into this work is simply phenomenal. I highly recommend A Schizophrenic, Tapped & Skipped: Hope in the Midst of Madness to any family battling drug addiction or the effects of mental illness. Stacy is an ally who offers a revealing picture of her life while at the same time showing readers that hope does, indeed, exist."

-Literary Titan

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