Thank you Dr. Aftab for that lovely remembrance of Lisa. I am her adoptive father and was privileged to spend 53 years with her through her many travails. She survived multiple battles with inward demons until finally succumbing. She documented her life with sketches, drawings, and paintings that expressed her struggles with depression and anxiety. Yet in recent years she was finding new support from you and others. She was a favorite aunt of her twin nieces London and Kylie, with whom she shared her abilities in drawing, sculpture, and storytelling.
I agree. Her art was often the substance of nightmares, half-woman half-fish for example. But I thought I saw it lightening up in the last few years when she had been successful in finding good help from several practitioners. She completed a major piece that she had been working on or thinking about for years just before she took her own life. This depression after completing a major work has apparently often occurred to artists.
These are both really powerful tributes about two people I wish I'd known. I now have more reading to do- Stein's work. You write very effectively and warmly about them.
Lisa Wallace's writing and especially artwork are incredibly powerful. Thank you for sharing her work. RIght now I am seeing a patient who would appreciate the representation of her journey.
Reading her pieces, I feel some recognition as a medical patient who just seems to have to fight the system, but shares Wallace's ambivalence about the value of just "complaining" and being angry in patient forums. I wish it were not this way in Psychiatry, for smart, perceptive people who really are doing their best to live their lives.
I am so sorry to hear about Dan Stein's death earlier this month. Thank you for covering this, Awais. I met him about 12 years ago as I was beginning to get interested in philosophy of psychiatry and had some rich philosophical interactions with him--which I assumed would continue--such sad news.
You do a nice job sharing your connection to these people. I had not heard of Dr. Stein’s work but I think this has added another book to my shelf.
Was Lisa Wallace also on an NPR show within the last few years? Maybe it was This American Life or an older Radiolab… her story sounds familiar and I remember listening to this persons experience of being put on fluoxetine and olanzapine when they were brand new… and it did not go well for her… but perhaps that was someone else. Either way, Lisa’s visual you share here is perfect.
I am shocked and saddened to hear of Dan Stein's sudden passing. He and I had several correspondences over the past nearly 20 years, and I was privileged to have provided a back cover "blurb" for Dan's excellent 2008 book, “Philosophy of Psychopharmacology”. I think Dan's legacy will live on for many years, but he will be sorely missed.
I see you didn’t post Lisa Wallace’s age at the time of her death. So, how old was this lifelong psychiatric “patient”? 50? 60? She “complied” with decades of psychiatric “care” and died decades earlier than she should have.
I didn’t post her age because I don’t know her exact age or her birth year. She certainly died before her time. I’d refer you to Lisa’s own writings on how she felt about her care.
Thank you Dr. Aftab for that lovely remembrance of Lisa. I am her adoptive father and was privileged to spend 53 years with her through her many travails. She survived multiple battles with inward demons until finally succumbing. She documented her life with sketches, drawings, and paintings that expressed her struggles with depression and anxiety. Yet in recent years she was finding new support from you and others. She was a favorite aunt of her twin nieces London and Kylie, with whom she shared her abilities in drawing, sculpture, and storytelling.
It's good to hear from you, Mr. Wallace. My condolences and best wishes for the family, esp London and Kylie.
I agree. Her art was often the substance of nightmares, half-woman half-fish for example. But I thought I saw it lightening up in the last few years when she had been successful in finding good help from several practitioners. She completed a major piece that she had been working on or thinking about for years just before she took her own life. This depression after completing a major work has apparently often occurred to artists.
These are both really powerful tributes about two people I wish I'd known. I now have more reading to do- Stein's work. You write very effectively and warmly about them.
Lisa Wallace's writing and especially artwork are incredibly powerful. Thank you for sharing her work. RIght now I am seeing a patient who would appreciate the representation of her journey.
Reading her pieces, I feel some recognition as a medical patient who just seems to have to fight the system, but shares Wallace's ambivalence about the value of just "complaining" and being angry in patient forums. I wish it were not this way in Psychiatry, for smart, perceptive people who really are doing their best to live their lives.
I didn't have any relation to Stein, but I had read lots of what Lisa Wallace wrote and we were BlueSky friends. I'm so sorry to hear this.
Incredibly kind generous and open hearted to write such thoughtful elegies Awais. It is the kind of decency and caring of which we could use so much.
I am so sorry to hear about Dan Stein's death earlier this month. Thank you for covering this, Awais. I met him about 12 years ago as I was beginning to get interested in philosophy of psychiatry and had some rich philosophical interactions with him--which I assumed would continue--such sad news.
You do a nice job sharing your connection to these people. I had not heard of Dr. Stein’s work but I think this has added another book to my shelf.
Was Lisa Wallace also on an NPR show within the last few years? Maybe it was This American Life or an older Radiolab… her story sounds familiar and I remember listening to this persons experience of being put on fluoxetine and olanzapine when they were brand new… and it did not go well for her… but perhaps that was someone else. Either way, Lisa’s visual you share here is perfect.
Jamie
Thank you Jamie.
I suspect you are thinking of someone else; I’m not aware of Lisa being on an NPR show or something similar, but I’m not certain.
Thank you Awais. I miss Lisa’s clear and sharp voice.
RIP Lisa and Dan 😞
Beautiful tributes to remarkable people. I'm glad to have learned a bit about their lives and contributions via Psychiatry at the Margins.
I really appreciated coming across Lisa Wallace's writing especially.
Condolences.
I am shocked and saddened to hear of Dan Stein's sudden passing. He and I had several correspondences over the past nearly 20 years, and I was privileged to have provided a back cover "blurb" for Dan's excellent 2008 book, “Philosophy of Psychopharmacology”. I think Dan's legacy will live on for many years, but he will be sorely missed.
Ronald W. Pies, MD
What a wonderful way to end the year. Very heartening.
I see you didn’t post Lisa Wallace’s age at the time of her death. So, how old was this lifelong psychiatric “patient”? 50? 60? She “complied” with decades of psychiatric “care” and died decades earlier than she should have.
Evil and disgraceful.
I didn’t post her age because I don’t know her exact age or her birth year. She certainly died before her time. I’d refer you to Lisa’s own writings on how she felt about her care.
Such a moving essay on two exceptional people🥲