Within the space of three months, Dr Katsarou-Makin suffered the loss of her husband. In this honest, and at times brutal, reflection on the stages of grief, she explores the changes to one’s character, its effects on those around them and the diffculties we face
as carers when confronted with the responsibility to manage and comfort our loved ones in this process.

In Factions of a Mind, Dr Katsarou-Makin examines our role as the carer, learning how to manage the responsibilities as well as the suffering and pain that comes with them, thoughtfully and honestly discussing our duty to care. As carers, our obligation to ‘care’ for the other has inexplicably meant that we do not equip ourselves with the tools and resources to ‘care’ for ourselves after their passing. Our inability to comprehend their loss and the stages of grief we are experiencing leave us vulnerable and open to further pain.