Analysis Of Sickened: The True Story Of A Lost Child

In the book, Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Child (2003) Julie Gregory courageously writes about her childhood. The memoir describes the abuse that she went through from both her mother and father. She faced both neglect and physical abuse throughout her childhood. The abuse that Julie got came in many different forms throughout the book, however, the abuse that seemed to be most prominent was the medical abuse coming from her mother. Julie had to undergo invasive medical tests and was forced to take drugs because her mother truly believed something was wrong with her daughter. Her mother would give her a look every doctor’s appointment and Julie had to make sure she answers each question as her mother wanted. If not, her mother would make …show more content…
Julie had a young brother along with foster care siblings who also received abuse from the parents. The main point of the novel is the problem circling the mother. After Julie became educated on Munchausen by Proxy she understood what was wrong with her mother. The definition of Munchausen by Proxy is a “Mental health problem in which a caregiver makes up or causes an illness or injury in a person under his or her care, such as a child, an elderly adult, or a person who has a disability. Because vulnerable people are the victims, MSB is a form of child abuse or elder abuse” (Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, 2014). After learning this, she finally felt like she had an answer to the madness. Julie survived this child abuse and turned out to be a healthy, strong woman. It is extremely important when Julie becomes aware that she is not the problem. He mother was obviously the problem her entire childhood. This book shows us that a child will do whatever it takes to make their parents happy. Throughout the book Julie does whatever she can do to please her mother. She becomes strong and powerful within herself when she realizes the truth behind her …show more content…
Throughout her childhood the family was always moving from place to place. Along with moving came the different doctors and the different tests she was forced to take to please her mother. Also, the foster kids that come into the family’s life do not help the economic burden on the family. This environment does not help the neglect and abuse and only makes it worse throughout her childhood. Lastly, we talked about the psychodynamic theory and the resiliency Julia showed throughout her life. For the psychodynamic theory, we talked about how we learn from our parents and that those abused can in some cases become the abusers. The most important topic we discuss about this book is the resiliency that Julie shows throughout her life. She used school and a positive personality to get through each day of her childhood. She believed in herself enough to become the strong beautiful person that she is today. In conclusion, Julie Gregory showed us what it is like growing up with a mother with Munchausen by Proxy and an abusive father. She showed resiliency throughout her entire life and write an incredible memoir to explain to others what she went through as a child. She is a great example of what it means to be a strong human