The Room on the Right
A Memoir of Abuse, Trauma, and Healing

The abuse from my parents began when I was four years old, my age when this photo was taken on Easter morning in 1960. Somehow, I survived my dysfunctional parents to become a physician, to lose an older brother to schizophrenia, and another to bipolar disorder. My world came apart after the Columbine massacre awakened the sleeping demons. Through counseling, I learned how to live with the darkness and memories of the past and stepped into the light.

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  • “What makes this memoir so compelling is Mieczkowski’s ability to bring readers into his world with vivid storytelling and emotional depth. His journey—from a young boy enduring neglect and abuse to a successful physician grappling with internal turmoil—highlights the complexity of trauma and the courage it takes to confront it. His descriptions of therapy sessions, flashbacks, and breakthroughs offer a powerful insight into the process of healing, making this book not just a personal story but also a beacon of hope for others who have faced similar struggles.”

    —Mehrdad Khatib, Goodreads reviewer

  • “The Room on the Right is a compelling look at post-traumatic stress disorder and the ways in which symptoms can come and go throughout one’s life. An accurate depiction of supportive psychotherapy, it shows readers what ‘therapy’ looks like: both the triumph and the heart-wrenching work that is involved in healing.”

    —Jennifer Lewis, PhD, clinical psychologist,

    Cincinnati VA Trauma Recovery Center

  • “Dr. Mieczkowski’s memoir pursues the truth with honesty. He tells it as he lived it. It isn’t pretty, but its real. The events are often heart-breaking, yet his authenticity and courage in the face of adversity make the story compelling. Readers willing to engage with difficult truths will away with greater understanding, compassion, and perhaps a little more courage for their own journey.”

    —Lynn Hoover, MSW, LCSW, member of AAMFT (retired)

    Author of: Threads That Connect Us

Headshot of author Lawrence Mieczkowski standing in front of a tree in the fall

About the Author

Lawrence Mieczkowski, MD, is an award-winning physician, speaker, and author. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University, he completed medical school at the University of Cincinnati and an internal medicine residency at UPMC Mercy. Since retirement, he has been an advocate for ending the silence of mental illness and dysfunctional medical care. His articles have been published on HuffPost, Doximity, and the CPTSD Foundation website. He is a volunteer speaker for the local chapter of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

He lives with his wife in Ohio.