Using a combination of verse, prose, and illustration, the author conveys her feelings and conclusions about her decades-long journey of healing from a mental disorder. Many people are dissatisfied with their looks; where this mushrooms into clinical obsession {'Body Dysmorphic Disorder'}, this can have wide-ranging life consequences which require diagnosis and treatment.
The Biblical image of the olive tree and its grafts is her inspiration, as she follows a two-phase journey of healing:
1) The faith step: following her father into a mental hospital she finds the key to survival, so closing the door on suicide.
2) The step of insight: working with her therapist through partial diagnoses to uncover the core disorder and receive healing through a symbol of grace.
The Biblical image of the olive tree and its grafts is her inspiration, as she follows a two-phase journey of healing:
1) The faith step: following her father into a mental hospital she finds the key to survival, so closing the door on suicide.
2) The step of insight: working with her therapist through partial diagnoses to uncover the core disorder and receive healing through a symbol of grace.
