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Surviving Ophelia: Mothers Share Their Wisdom in Navigating the Tumultuous Teenage Years

by: Cheryl Dellasega

: Surviving Ophelia: Mothers Share Their Wisdom in Navigating the Tumultuous Teenage Years
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 649
EAN: 9780345455383
ISBN: 034545538X
Label: Ballantine Books
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 272
Publication Date: October 01, 2002
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: October 01, 2002
Sales Rank: 67562
Studio: Ballantine Books



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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
Why are the teen years fraught with crisis for so many girls? Why do so many mother-daughter relationships deteriorate drastically at this time? When her own teenage daughter began to spiral out of control, therapist Cheryl Dellasega, Ph.D., launched a nationwide search to find answers— and hope. In this inspiring, compassionate book, Dellasega shares the strength and the wisdom of mothers who have seen their daughters through the tumult of adolescence.

Drawing on the experiences of scores of mothers and daughters, Dellasega takes a hard look at the lives of girls in crisis—once happy, carefree children who are now struggling with eating disorders, unplanned pregnancies, substance abuse, and severe mental problems. These are stories of girls on the edge, and mothers who are trying everything to save them. Yet even in the most desperate situations, Dellasega hears the same clear message: the key to survival is the support and the understanding of others going through the same thing.

Surviving Ophelia is a book that provides the community that mothers of troubled teenage girls need more than anything. Powerful and heartfelt, this book captures both the pain and the strength of mothers who are living with the daily challenge of raising teenage daughters today.

Amazon.com Review:
Surviving Ophelia by Cheryl Dellasega, a clinician at Penn State's College of Medicine and a mother of three, provides a community for mothers who, like she, have the often bewildering and unnerving task of raising a teenage girl (an Ophelia) in trouble. By describing her own heartbreaking experience and compiling the stories and poems of hundreds of mothers across the country, Dellasega paints a picture of lost teenage girls and their mothers' fights to save not only their relationships, but often their daughters' lives. The book succeeds because the mothers describe distressing times candidly and openly, not in hushed tones often used when relaying deep family issues.

In response to Mary Pipher's bestselling Reviving Ophelia, these mothers share their thoughts and feelings on a multitude of topics including eating disorders, fitting in, depression, institutions, rebellion and boundaries, the absence or presence of fathers, and the 'crazy soup emotions' of love, anger, and frustration. Surviving Ophelia is evidence that each teenager's situation is unparalleled, and Dellasega does not offer any finite solutions to the tumultuous teen years. Instead, the author and mothers provide parenting ideas, from the practical to the radical, and measure their own success and failure. In one letter titled, 'Tears from a Rose,' mother Rose states, 'What I do for a living, what my real name is, and where I live seem irrelevant. What defines me is the hell I've lived through, and what I've learned along the way... I'd like to help other parents avoid some of the traps I fell into and find some of the helpful things I discovered.'

The end of this book provides an appendix where mothers can find help for themselves and for their troubled daughters. It also includes letters from some of the mothers' daughters. These Ophelias describe challenges from their own points of view and share how they're feeling currently. --Rhonda Langdon



Customer Reviews
Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - No solutions here, but some small comfort
After reading all the stories contained in this short book, I felt a little comfort in knowing (as ... Read More


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - Worthwhile Read
This book was recommended to me by a friend and I am glad I read it. I applaud all the contributors ... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Frightening & comforting
I can't wait for the next book in the Ophelia series. They have been such a comfort to me during my daughter's ... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - A brilliant, affirming book
This book is a must-read for any parent with a challenging teenage daughter. I cried while reading sections of ... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Releif to Know I Am Not Alone
What an extraordinary book! I received this book in the mail when the pain over my 17 year old daughter leaving ... Read More

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Copyright ©2003, Mark Carey.