My Lobotomy: A memoir

Howard Dulley's story is an interesting read. It is amazing he didn't die during the procedure much less continue to function so well throughout his lifetime.
It's sad to think that one woman could dislike a child so much that she would abuse him at home, and be allowed to submit him to the torture of a lobotomy, countless foster homes and institutions.
It was good but I felt like he was telling us and then telling us again.

Growing up in the 1950’s seems idealistic today. Its true that many children lived happy lives like the characters on “Leave it To Beaver” where even Eddie Haskell had coping skills.
But this was not a happy time for kids who were different. Those children might be emotionally disturbed like Dully whose mother died when he was still a preschooler and whose step mother mistreated him in many ways. Other children might be mildly autistic. Or they may just not have adjusted well.
There were millions of kids like that then and now. Dr. Walter Freeman preyed on those children and their families. Some of his victims came from wealthy and important families like Rosemary Kennedy. She may have been mildly autistic when the family sent her to Freeman because the Kennedys were afraid she would embarrass them. The operation Freeman performed on her left her severely retarded. She spent the rest of her life in a convalescent home. Rosemary was just 23 when Dr. Freeman operated on her.
Members of poor families often suffered the same fate. To popularize the procedure, Freeman toured the country offering operations for just twenty-five dollars. His victims numbered in the thousands.
Howard Dully was more fortunate than Rosemary and many other patients, many of whom died.
Dully had been getting in trouble often since his dad’s marriage to an obviously unstable woman. He received beatings from both his parents, and finally when his school performance and behavior did not improve, he was taken to the hospital for an “examination.” They didn’t tell him he was there for an unnecessary surgery that could have killed him or left him brain damaged.
Many years later, he started to research the lobotomy operation. He wanted to know why he was given the operation. He began interviewing other patients and asking questions. NPR presented a radio broadcast on his experiences.
Today Kings University classifies lobotomy has the “worst psychiatric procedure ever conceived.”
This book is a wonderful memoir. Lots of us who now call ourselves “kids who were different” no matter how bad our experiences were at school and at home can thank our lucky stars we were not given this procedure.
Kids who were different were often beaten and abused and wrongly blamed for things. But at least most of us didn’t endure this most horrible of treatments.
Dully is painfully honest, and as we share his memories we share much of his pain.

Howard Dully's unnecessary, barbaric lobotomy was the result of a perfect social and psychiatric storm: the apparent undiagnosed signs of a childhood behavior disorder, a destructive and rejecting step-mother, an emotionally detached father, the fact that psychopharmacology was not a psychiatric treatment of choice, and a misguided neuropsychiatrist who believed the lobotomy to be the magic key to solving myriad psychiatric disorders.

Howard Dully was lobotomized at age 12 and from that time forward, his social adjustment in the competitive world of work and love was significantly compromised. In Mr. Dully's book he accompanies the reader through the trials and tribulations he had to encounter, but he also shares the many successes in living he enjoyed as a result of his strong motivation to live life as fully as he could. My Lobotomy is a heart wrenching review of Mr. Dully's life from early pain to adult success and achievement.

After reading this book I was more upset with Howard's father than I was with his stepmother. His father is truly a discusting human being. How Howard can even claim to love this monster shows Howard does forgive and is a good person. I found the writing very simplistic (wish they would of hired a ghost writer at times) but the story is fascinating and horrifying. This procedure happened to people of all walks of live. Even Rosemary Kennedy was a victim of this "doctor". I'm glad this story was told and Mr. Freeman's name and life's work are now sullied forever.

Wow, unbelievable, the things that people in authority used to get away with. Poor Mr Dully. Unloved as a child, treated like a 2nd class citizen in his own family, and then as if that was not enough, having his brain scrambled as if that would fix him. Shame on his stepmother, and shame on his father for not standing up for his minor child. Fortunately, Howard did not suffer as much brain damage as many of those other unfortunate souls. However, the fact that he was unwanted and unloved in the confines of his own home is the also part of the tragedy. Thank you, Howard Duffy, for sharing your tragic life with us.

I bought this book. Mostly due to other reviews, I read on the internet. At first I found I was angry, then sad,then happy Mr Dully was able to find the answers,or some of the answers He was searching for. A reviewer stated that "some of it was poorly written??" By a Man who went through so much?? Please!! True Mr Dully was or is no O'brien. But this book is worth buying!! And I recommend it!! If You care at all about Man kind, And find any interest in the horrible history of Lobotomies,Give this book a chance!! Or if You want a book that might make Your childhood seem tame, Then buy this book and enjoy!!

Amazing and heart-wrenching true story of a young boy who was a victim of a lobotomy. Evil step-mother whose decision to lobotomize her stepson took him on a path no one should have had to endured. He was a normal young boy going through what young boys go through --- for some sick reason this woman hated this boy. So sad the lasting effects. How wonderful though the victim made a successful life for himself and chose to share his story which in effect has helped others. I thought it was very sad that the author was not able to extract some type of an apology from his father for allowing this to happen. It seems his father was just shoving it under the rug and didn't want to deal with it. The father wasn't able to deal with it, but it would have been so healing for the author to have heard the words "I am sorry son." Would not have changed what had happened, but it would have been like putting salve on a wound. And in addition "I love you son", would have been nice when his son told him he loved him!
I had an aunt with schizophrenia. She had had many shock treatments back in the 50s - 60s - when they did this treatment. My grandparents were considering a lobotomy. This is the reason I wanted to read this book. Thank God they did not. She lived the rest of her days successfully on medication.

I initially bought this book because I was looking for an autobiography on someone who was local to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mr. Dully tells his story in a way that makes you feel like he's telling it over beers in a friendly pub. His candor and easy narrative draws the reader in and holds attention.
This story will make you sad, angry, even shocked, but you will not pity Howard Dully. He tells of the horrors he endured at the hands of a dangerous doctor and angry stepmother.
The matter of fact way Howard has of telling his story is incredible. By the end, I even had sympathy for the supposed villans.
This book is not only an amazing bio, but also an important historic telling of a dark period in medicine.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a story of triumph over extreme duress, but also to fans of local history.

I was riveted while reading this story, written in a simple, sparse style that really carried the story well. Mr. Dully may not consider himself "hero" material, but he certainly qualifies as far as I am concerned. He recounts his life with precision and is also able to show evidence from other sources that his account is verifiably shocking. It has led me down the rabbit hole of mental illness and the various "treatments" performed over the past one hundred years or so. Fascinating.

Interesting perspective of the historical period and especially medical practices. Little slow moving as a general observation but felt exactly like what it was, someone's memories of their real life. Interesting to actually read it without knowing all the particulars of everyone's thoughts, actions etc. Solid read if only what he perceived as he experienced it. Much like our own lives .... 20/20 hindsight.

A horrifying story made not so horrifying, but fascinating, as the author tells his own story of a troubled youth, a wicked step mother, a disconnected father, years of wandering in a fog, and triumph as he learns to help others by telling his story. This book is also a rare look into the life of someone who was part of medical history. It is remarkable Howard Dully went through this medical procedure and came away with the ability to think so deeply and purely.

A very interesting psychological study and amazing tale of survival. Hard to believe that such cruelty did and still does exist in our world. There is such a thing as experimentation for the betterment of mankind, but there needs to be oversight to know when a therapy is shown to be ineffective and when it is time to cease the brutality. This book is another good example of what happens when power, control, and ego supersedes the altruistic purpose.

This book is outstanding! It's really well written. It is about a little boy, Howard Dully, that when he was 12 years-old Dr. Freeman, the doctor who invented the lobotomy, operated him. His stepmother was the one who started the process for Howard to be operated and his father agreed.This operation had terrible consequences. God knows how he overcame the problems he had in his life! This is a must read book.

The horrors of lobotomies!! I am horrified at the lengths your step-mother went to in order for Freeman to do that to you. Your father was careless in agreeing to go along with it. You were a typical boy, not something to be experimented on. I'm glad you finally found your way. I hate to think what would have happened to me if I had been alive then, as I suffer from mental illnesses. Excellent writing!!

An enlightening story of a hyperactive kid and a "mean step-mother" who didn't want to be bothered with him. Thank God times have changed and what she had done to this boy is now obsolete. He was born during a time when the mental health system was in the dark ages and tells a tragic story of this boy's life after seeing a psychiatrist. Very interesting!

right now, I'm in a biological psychology class, learning about the brain and how it works. we learned about lobotomies and Walter Freeman, and my professor told us about Howard Dully and his book. I was curious and first listened to his NPR interview, and was so intrigued I purchased this book for my Kindle. Absolutely worth every penny. Howard's story was heartbreaking and this memoir had me hooked til the end. After I was finished, I felt like I knew Howard and felt so proud of him for telling his story. I recommend this book to everyone. It's been a while since I've read a book that moved me so much.

Reading this book is a deeply emotional experience. I couldn't put it down. I almost didn't read it because the writing seemed simplistic in the beginning and I thought it was just a slowly developing life story. I couldn't have been more inaccurate. It is a very emotionally moving story. I will be thinking about this author's life and the questions he asks for a long time.

I liked this book because it is something that interests me. I kind of remember adults talking about or joking about Lobotomies, but I never really knew what it was. This book explains it very well, and I feel so sorry for Mr. Dully!

This book was a heartbreaking but satisfying read. The emotion that you felt while reading made the hours fly by! While there were definitely parts where you were very aware that the author is not an author by trade hearing the true events straight from Howard Dully was worth it. This book gives a very intimate view into someone's life and inspires empathy. Loved it.

A rambling dialogue is sometimes laborious and a bit scattered, but hey, the guy had a lobotomy and it is his authentic take on what's happened to him. Pretty obvious what happened to the author was an atrocity, but what is even more insightful is how his toxic and abusive home environment is proves more damaging than his lobotomy.

Reading this book is a deeply emotional experience. I couldn't put it down. I almost didn't read it because the writing seemed simplistic in the beginning and I thought it was just a slowly developing life story. I couldn't have been more inaccurate. It is a very emotionally moving story. I will be thinking about this author's life and the questions he asks for a long time.

I liked this book because it is something that interests me. I kind of remember adults talking about or joking about Lobotomies, but I never really knew what it was. This book explains it very well, and I feel so sorry for Mr. Dully!

This book was a heartbreaking but satisfying read. The emotion that you felt while reading made the hours fly by! While there were definitely parts where you were very aware that the author is not an author by trade hearing the true events straight from Howard Dully was worth it. This book gives a very intimate view into someone's life and inspires empathy. Loved it.

A rambling dialogue is sometimes laborious and a bit scattered, but hey, the guy had a lobotomy and it is his authentic take on what's happened to him. Pretty obvious what happened to the author was an atrocity, but what is even more insightful is how his toxic and abusive home environment is proves more damaging than his lobotomy.

I worked in psychiatry 25 years, my heart went out to this young boy who never stood a chance or,havd any support system to help him. I viewed many shock treatments but mostly were given to very psychotic patients, and never to young person with behavioral problems,. I think his step mother would have been the better patient. if anything she was the one with the most problems, I am so glad that Howard was able to overcome his hardships and talk and write about it. If no one could help him when he was young, God must have known something good could out of all his struggles

This book started right in my hometown area. I knew of all the places he lived and his dad worked. It was truly interesting to know his area of upbringing. It was truly an injustice what was done to him. I applaud him for working towards answers for himself. May the next years of his life be full of awesome adventures with a new appreciation of all he can shed.

I identified with the author although I never had any brain surgery or brain damage. But I was a misunderstood and mistreated 12 year old and teenager thrown into youth facilities because my parents did not know what to do with me. I stumbled through my young adult years until meeting the love of my life. Much similar to the trials of Howard Dully. I could not put this book down until I could learn if he turned out OK, or crashed and burned.

Very interesting read and inspired me to listen to the related NPR segment as well. I don't usually go in for memoirs and biographies, but this was very unique and fascinating. Recommended for anyone interested in psychology or the history of psycho surgery.

If you are looking for a better understanding of the human spirit and resilience, the impact of environment on development, and some basic history of the abhorrent lobotomy procedure, this is an excellent example. Thank you Howard Dully for sharing your story and for overcoming the odds.

I have always enjoyed true stories. The only thing I knew of lobotomies was when I was a teenager and watched the movie, France's with Jessica Lange.
I think the writing was "raw" a man bearing his feelings but feelings as a young boy experiencing them.
I am now going to go online to find the radio Broadcast.

how encouraging that mental health has advanced to the point that health care is no longer destroying or harming individuals! . This book is very sad and the only redmening factor is that he was inflicted young enough so that he was not permanently impaired by this man who should never been allowed practice !

With a writing style that would not be considered "classical", Mr. Dully tells a very personal story of one of the most horrendous, hideous medical procedures perpetrated in the name of science in modern history. There is no up side in this story.

A very interesting story, written with an easy to read, unsophisticated voice. Mr. Tully tells his story in a straightforward, unabashed manner that drew me in. The way he tells his story is as revealing as the story itself.

Your heart breaks reading about this boy who desperately needed an advocate - and then soars when he becomes, finally, a powerful advocate for himself and others. I wish he would write an article on what he told the guardians - it's probably information that needs to be taught in medical, nursing, and social work schools.

This is a poignant personal journey, and my heart goes out to the author for the candor with which he tells his story. His descriptions of his early childhool are heart-wrenching--not always for the brutality he endured, but for the neglect and "missed opportunities" for adults to show him love and care. The historical section about Dr. Freeman and his promotion of lobotomies was bone-chilling. There is some unevenness at times in the writing, but that's okay...we're here to listen to the story, and it is quite a powerful story.

As a student I found this book very informative. It is well written and easy to understand. It is very helpful reading the patients perspective and understanding what he went through. It is also inspiring. Great book!

I was captivated by the style writing in this book. Howard Dully wrote honestly and openly about the chronicles of his life. I felt like I was reading his personal journal. He allowed the reader to travel to his deepest, darkest family secrets. What a story?? I have read of lobotomies in textbooks, but Howard Dully gives a voice and a face to those who were victims of this barbaric, modern day treatment of mental disorders.

Extremely informative book. Loved it. Since I was born the same month as the author, It was easy to go through the times he wrote about. I have virtually never just quietly gone along with a doctor without much investigation, first. My daughter is a practicing therapist, and we have mental health issues within my family. There is very inadequate treatment for mental illness in this country. I cannot believe what your stepmother did to you!

This was a disturbing and irresistible book. I admire Dully's courage and fortitude and am so glad he has been able to triumph over his terrible childhood and the atrocious medical treatment forced upon him.

I was recommended this book. It is a accounting of disgusting emotional abuse of a child, in a time that he had no one to fight for him. It also shows the reader that, yes, we really needed reform in caring for mental patients back in the day. But we also need it now. I have seen "medical abuse" by parents even today. What was done to Howard is atrocious. But he was able to overcome it and become a good man!