Psychiatric nursing, to some extent, is a calling. It’s not easy to delve into someone’s psyche and pull out the demons that are haunting him or her. The specificity of the intricacies of the mind and how it works is astonishing and a mystery at the same time.
I was fortunate to be enrolled in psychology classes that correlated with elements in the diagnoses of my psychiatric patients; allowing me to utilize these newly-acquired skills on the unit. During this time I worked with people with diagnoses of gender dysphoria (confusion),
dissociative disorders, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, and the disease of addictions. Moreover, I was also fortunate to work with specialists in these fields. The massive amount of knowledge I acquired because of these circumstances was magical.
After retiring from nursing, I felt I needed to find a way to share my knowledge regarding the brain’s involvement in this disease. Beyond the world of the psychiatric unit and of mental health professionals, there is an impenetrable stigma revolving around these issues. I wondered
how I could continue to inform the misinformed about the physiological causes of these “brain” diseases of mental health. Most people I spoke with clung to their beliefs; their minds closed to opening doors to new discoveries. I was unable to crack a dent in their long-held beliefs:
1) being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered was a personal choice,
2) mental illness could be cured by a snap-out-of-it logic,
3) a deal with it logic
4) and what was termed as attention-seeking behaviors of the mentally ill.
As I had so often counseled clients, I began journaling myself; releasing my frustrations by putting my feelings on paper. However, this tool was just a band aid, helping only myself by expressing my feelings that were nearing implosion. I personally understand the challenge of living with a sometimes, debilitating disease without the stigma attached to it as well. I’ve suffered with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, an immunological illness, for 30 years, yet I look fine.
The people closest to me do not have a clear under understanding, and I have to say, that in itself, is the most difficult aspect of the illness. Those who suffer with mental illness, a chemical imbalance within the brain, also suffer the stigmas associated with this illness.
I began writing a story about a transgendered patient I had cared for on the psychiatric unit. Being fully aware that I could not reach all people, I was resolved to reach as many as I could about the “neurological” causes of gender dysphoria and create a better understanding about the diseases of the mind. I decided to introduce these topics within intriguing murder mysteries. I thought I would reach more through my favored genre of reading with my messages sprinkled in and weaved throughout the story.
Splintered Souls is my first novel of a Kathryn Kane series I plan to write, incorporating a mental or brain disease within each story, adding to an interesting and intriguing mystery following Kathryn Kane as she moves up the ranks in Chicago’s FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, becoming an expert in her career of criminal profiling.
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Cynthia Klein (website | Facebook | Twitter) has degrees in Nursing and Behavioral Science, working in Psychology in Wisconsin and Illinois. Having strong feelings about social issues, she weaves them throughout her writing. Her love of reading began with Nancy Drew Mysteries and continues today. She lives in Chicago with her husband.
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Kerry Sullivan, a transgendered male-to-female hospitalized psychiatric patient has disappeared from the unit in the middle of the night. She is unlike the nurse’s typical depressed patient. She is horrified that she made the biggest mistake of her life! And Kathryn Kane, her nurse, is afraid that something dreadful has happened to her.
Detective Marc Malone catches the case and works to piece together why and who would be instrumental in Kerry’s disappearance.
At the same time, a bizarre pattern of events start unraveling in the Windy City. A series of single, brunette women are found murdered and thrown in Chicago dumpsters. Special Agent Patrick Makenna becomes involved with Detective Sam Waters when questions arise related to a three-year old cold case he’s been working on with a similar signature to these new cases. Does the abduction of Kerry have any connection to these serial murders?
Meanwhile, Kathryn is taking an unusual interest in both cases, even to the point of dreaming about the murders before they occur!
Kathryn is also single and brunette.
Will she be next in this game of death?
Will Kerry be found on time?
Or is she the killer?
From Chicago to San Diego to Las Vegas the race is on to find answers before madness strikes again.
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