Author: mentalhealthbookclub

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Episode 11 – My Heart and Other Black Holes

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Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this podcast discusses suicide and depression. Whilst the podcast does not contain explicit language, please be aware that this book does and will so may not be suitable for younger readers.

Get the book here

If you feel suicidal call 999 immediatly.

Research Study

www.childcaregiverstudy.co.uk

Contact: [email protected] | Tweet

If you need to talk you can contact:

Samaritans on

Mental Health Resources:

Rethink Mental Illness

Mind The Mental Health Charity

  • Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Our lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)
  • Text: 86463
  • http://bit.ly/2p6rntK

Find out more about Depression and Suicide with Episode 12

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Book 6 – Autism, Anxiety and Me by Emma Louise Bridge

Book Blurb

Surely my way is not always wrong, just because it’s different from other people’s ways? I mean everyone’s way is weird to someone…

In her 24 years Emma has experienced a lot, and much of this has been coloured by her autism and social anxiety. Funny and self-aware, this collection of Emma’s diary entries capture her hidden thoughts and insightful explanations as to why the world can be such a puzzling place.

Wry observations on social rules, friendships, relationships, and facing changes give compelling insight into how Emma confronts challenges, and her determination to live life to the fullest. Helpful advice at the end of each entry also give practical strategies for coping with common issues.

Find our review in Episode 13

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Episode 10 – Anxiety, Grief and Depression

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Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this podcast discusses topics that some people may find difficult, including talk about suicide, bereavment, substance misuse and how people deal with grief and loss.

Our next book is My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga and you can find out more about the book  here.

Research Study

www.childcaregiverstudy.co.uk

Contact: [email protected] | Tweet

Useful contacts:

These organisations provide further information and support about bereavement:

Bereaved Through Alcohol and Drugs (BEAD)

Information and support for anyone bereaved through drug or alcohol use.

Bereavement Advice Centre

0800 634 9494

Supports bereaved people on a range of practical issues via a single freephone number.

Bereavement Trust

0800 435 455

Helpline for people who are experiencing bereavement.

Child Bereavement UK

Helpline: 0800 028 8840

Supports families and provides training to professionals both when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement.

Cruse Bereavement Care

0808 808 1677

[email protected]

Advice to anyone who has been affected by a death, including bereaved military families.

Child Death Helpline

0800 282 986

Helpline for anyone affected by the death of a child of any age, from prebirth to adult, under any circumstances, however recently or long ago.

Lullaby Trust

0808 802 6868

Provides support for bereaved families and anyone affected by a sudden infant death.

NHS Choices

Information on bereavement.

Royal College of Psychiatrists

Information on bereavement.

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS)

0300 111 5065

A self-help, voluntary organisation which aims to meet the needs and break the isolation of those bereaved by the suicide of a close relative or friend.

 

Information in this podcast was taken from:

WebMD grief and depression

40 life experiences you might have that cause grief

Mind Guide on Bereavment

Mind Guide on Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Mind Guide on Anger

Mind Guide on Suicide

What is Anxiety and Grief

Mind Guide on Loneliness

Mind Guide on Sleep Problems

Psychology Today – When does Grief become Depression

The difference between grief and depression

Mind Guide on Depression

The Five Stages of Grief

The TEAR Model of Grief

NHS Dealing with Loss

 

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Episode 9 – Anxiety Girl Falls Again

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Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this podcast discusses suicide and accidental death

Get the book here

If you feel suicidal call 999 immediatly

If you need to talk you can contact:

Samaritans on

Mental Health Resources:

Rethink Mental Illness

Mind The Mental Health Charity

  • Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Our lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)
  • Text: 86463
  • http://bit.ly/2p6rntK

Find out more about anxiety, grief and depression with Episode 10

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Book 5 – My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Book Blurb

Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who’s haunted by a family tragedy is looking for a partner.

Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other’s broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.

Find our review of this book in Episode 11

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Episode 8 – Schizophrenia

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Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this podcast discusses topics that some people may find difficult, including self-harm and suicide, include a section that illustrates an auditory hallucination.

Auditory Hallucination: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afbKXWCQMvE

This information was collected from:

The World Health Organisation:

Schizophrenia

Fact Sheet

ICD-10

Harvard Medical School Letter

Rethink Mental Health:

Schizophrenia Facts

Five Myths about Schizophrenia

ICD-10

Medscape:

Schizophrenia

Schizoprenic.com

Schizoprenia and Halucinations

Royal College of Pschatrists:

Schizophrenia

Psych Central – Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Mind:

Schizophrenia

This episode suports Episode 7

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Episode 7 – Made You Up

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Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this podcast discusses topics that some people may find difficult, this episode focuses on schizophrenia

Get the book here

If you feel suicidal call 999 immediatly

 

If you need to talk you can contact:

Samaritans on

Mental Health Resources:

Rethink Mental Illness

Mind The Mental Health Charity

  • Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Our lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)
  • Text: 86463
  • http://bit.ly/2p6rntK
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Book 4 – Anxiety Girl Falls Again by Lacey London

Book Blurb

So, what did Sadie Valentine do next?

After an emotional voyage through the minefield of anxiety and depression, Sadie decides to use her experience with mental health to help others.

Becoming a counsellor for the support group that once helped her takes Sadie’s life in a completely new direction and she soon finds herself absorbed in her new role.

Knowing that she’s aiding other sufferers through their darkest days gives her the ultimate job satisfaction, but when a mysterious and troubled man attends Anxiety Anonymous, Sadie wonders if she is out of her depth.

Dealing with Aidan Wilder proves trickier than Sadie expected and it’s not long before those closest to her start to express their concerns.

What led a dishevelled Aidan to the support group?

As Sadie delves further into his life, her own demons make themselves known.

Will unearthing Aidan’s story cause Sadie to fall back into the dark world she fought so hard to escape?

Join Sadie as she guides other sufferers back to mental wellness and battles her own torment along the way…

Find our review in Episode 9

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Episode 6 – Borderline Personality Disorder

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Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this episode contains discussion about suicide, panic attacks, anxiety, self-harm and depression.

Get the next book here

This Episode supports Episode 4 and Episode 5

If you feel suicidal call 999 immediatly

If you need to talk you can contact:

Samaritans on

Anxiety support groups:

Anxiety UK

  • Infoline: 08444 775 774 (Mon-Fri 9:30am – 5.30pm)
  • Text Service: 07537 416 905
  • Or visit their website http://bit.ly/1DRRCUb
 Better Help

Mental Health Resources:

Rethink Mental Illness

Mind The Mental Health Charity:

  • Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Our lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)
  • Text: 86463
  • http://bit.ly/2p6rntK

Information sources:

Mind

Re-think Mental Health

The American Psychological Association

. 2015 Jun; 14(2): 234–236.

Very Well Article: Borderline Personality Disorder is More Common Than You Think

Optimum Perfermance Institute Article: The history of BPD

MentalHealth.net: DSM-5: The ten personality disorders: cluster B

Gulf Bend Centre: Alternative Diagnostic Models for Personality Disorders: The DSM-5 Dimensianal Approach

Personality Assessment in the DSM-5 By Steven K. Huprich, Christopher J. Hopwood Pg 47-48

Psychology Today: Borderline Personality Disorder: Big Changes in the DSM-5

. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2007 Apr 26.

About Kids Health: Your effect on your childs attachement

National Insitiute of Mental Health: Borderline Personality Disorder

Psych Central: 7 Myths of Borderline Personality Disorder

Camden and Islington NHS Trust: Myth Busting

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Episode 5 – Dandelion Angel Pt 2

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Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this podcast discusses suicide, self-harm and parental emotional neglect

Get the book here

This discussion is about the first two mother daughter relationships in the book

If you feel suicidal call 999 immediatly

If you need to talk you can contact:

Samaritans on

Mental Health Resources:

Rethink Mental Illness

Mind The Mental Health Charity

  • Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Our lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)
  • Text: 86463
  • http://bit.ly/2p6rntK

Find out more about Borderline Personality Disorder with Episode 6

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Episode 4 – Dandelion Angel Part 1

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this podcast discusses suicide, self-harm and parental emotional neglect

Get the book here

This discussion is about the first two mother daughter relationships in the book

If you feel suicidal call 999 immediatly

If you need to talk you can contact:

Samaritans on

Mental Health Resources:

Rethink Mental Illness

Mind The Mental Health Charity

  • Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Our lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)
  • Text: 86463
  • http://bit.ly/2p6rntK

Find out more about Borderline Personality Disorder with Episode 6

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Episode 3 – General Anxiety and Panic Attacks

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Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

This information was collected from:

Rethink Mental Health Anxiety disorder: http://bit.ly/2p6rntK

Mind the Mental Health Charity: http://bit.ly/2whB1kY

NHS: http://bit.ly/2qESLQ1

Anxiety UK: http://bit.ly/2x7py6g

NICE Guidelines for anxiety: http://bit.ly/2h70hzK

 

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Episode 2 – Anxiety Girl by Lacey London

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Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this episode contains discussion about suicide, panic attacks, anxiety and depression.

Get the next book here

If you feel suicidal call 999 immediatly

If you need to talk you can contact:

Samaritans on

Anxiety support groups:

Anxiety UK

  • Infoline: 08444 775 774 (Mon-Fri 9:30am – 5.30pm)
  • Text Service: 07537 416 905
  • Or visit their website http://bit.ly/1DRRCUb
 Better Help

Mental Health Resources:

Rethink Mental Illness

Mind The Mental Health Charity:

  • Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Our lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)
  • Text: 86463
  • http://bit.ly/2p6rntK

If you want to find out more about Generalised Anxiety Disorder and panic attacks check out Episode 3

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Book 3 – Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

Book Blurb

Reality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. Made You Up tells the story of Alex, a high school senior unable to tell the difference between real life and delusion. This is a compelling and provoking literary debut that will appeal to fans of Wes Anderson, Silver Linings Playbook and Liar.

Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn’t she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.

Funny, provoking, and ultimately moving, this debut novel featuring the quintessential unreliable narrator will have readers turning the pages and trying to figure out what is real and what is made up

Our Review

Overall rating:

Sydney’s rating:

Becky’s rating:

After initially reading this book I did give a higher rating before downgrading it as a result of doing some research about schizophrenia. Whilst the book is an easy read I felt that there were several issues with the portrayal of the mental illness and the two main plot twists.

Alex is a seventeen-year-old senior with paranoid schizophrenia in high school who has just arrived at a new school after being kicked out of her old school after having an “episode” where she spray painted the gym floor as a result of her delusions that the communists are out to get her. Alex now has a chance to make a fresh start where no one knows her history.

Alex’s symptoms have been present since she was seven, which in reality is extremely rare – but not impossible which results in her schizophrenia diagnosis. However, at the time this book was written (2015) the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental disorders (DSM-5) which was published in 2013 had dropped the paranoid classification as all schizophrenia has an aspect of paranoia.

The description of Alex’s symptoms seems to glamourise the impact that schizophrenia has on the person with the condition. A lot of focus is placed upon the aspects of delusions and hallucinations but I believe it fails to describe the true impact that they would have upon an individual. There is an issue where the author confuses delusions and hallucinations which is extremely disappointing.

I also felt that the two plot twists that occur are extremely unsettling. Her parents appear to be supportive of their daughter, however, due to their own issues they continue to perpetuate one of Alex’s hallucinations which would then make it more difficult for anyone to notice if her symptoms were increasing.

The second issue is Alex’s belief that there is something going on between the School Principal and the horrible cheerleader (which unfortunately turns out to be true) and I think would have been better served as an illustration of the impact of delusions on the individual’s reality.

It is fantastic that a book with a young adult protagonist is dealing with such an important mental health topic but I don’t feel that this book provides any kind of an accurate portrayal.

Find our full review at: Mental Health Book Club Episode 7

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Book 2 – Dandelion Angel by C.B. Calico

Book Blurb

What do women learn from their mothers? Everything they want to be and everything they don’t. After all, not all mothers are created equal.
In C.B. Calico’s stunning new contemporary fiction novel, Dandelion Angel, we meet four German women brought together by the pain of their mothers. Each matriarch suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder—a condition their daughters never knew had a name when they were growing up. They wish they had. They wish someone had told them this was treatable, or that other girls were being raised like they were: isolated, confused, and completely unsure of their worth. 

Caren has known all her life that her mother, Ute, cannot be pleased. Yet, she tries. Even in her thirties, she will do anything to gain her approval; she’ll even risk her marriage. But, Ute’s own wounds, buried in layers of history and tragedy, go too deep.

To the outside world, Irja’s childhood looked like a dream. A famous actress for a mother, trips to Disneyland, she had it all. They didn’t see her mother’s rages, her tantrums and insults. Irja suffered it all, quietly, until her mother’s cruelty threatened Irja’s own son. With the instincts of a lioness, she finally breaks, and breaks free.
Jo gave up everything—including her spare time and small joys—to look after her needy, dependent mother. Only after her mother’s eventual death does she gain some solace.

Mandy calls herself Angel. Unimaginably wounded by the scars her mother carried from her East German upbringing, Mandy ran away from home young. Mute, stunted by a heartbreaking stutter, she squats in Berlin. At a crossroads, she meets the right cop at the right time and finally begins to heal. Angel emerges from the desperation of her life, just as the stubborn dandelion on her balcony breaks through a tiny crack in the concrete.

With a sensitive hand, Calico reveals the intertwined lives of these four remarkable women. A touching and fascinating work of commercial fiction, Dandelion Angel is a revelation of the tenacity of the human spirit as it focuses on the recovery of the daughters, rather than the abuse by their mothers.

Podcast Episodes:

Find part 1 of our review here

Find part 2 of our review here

Our Good reads and Amazon Review:

MHBC Review

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Book 1 – Anxiety Girl by Lacey London

Book Blurb

From the bestselling author of the CLARA ANDREWS series!

One in four people will be affected by mental health issues at some point in their lives, but it couldn’t happen to you, could it?

Sadie Valentine is just like you and I, or so she was…

After a series of unfortunate events in her life, Sadie finds herself in a dark hole that seems impossible to crawl out of.

Once a normal-ish woman, mental illness wasn’t something that she really thought about, but when the three evils, anxiety, panic and depression creep into her life, Sadie wonders if she will ever see the light again.

Set in the glitzy and glamorous Cheshire village of Alderley Edge, Anxiety Girl is a story surrounding the struggles of a beautiful young woman who thought she had it all.

Lacey London has spoken publicly about her own struggles with anxiety and hopes that Sadie will help other sufferers realise that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The characters in this novel might be fictitious, but the feelings and emotions experienced are very real.

Find our episode here

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Episode 1 – Introduction to the Mental Health Book Club Podcast

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Find out more at: www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions about suicide, and incidence of mental health issues.

Statistics on mental health issues from:

The Mental Health Founcation: Fundamental Facts about mental health 2016
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/fundamental-facts-about-mental-health-2016

Mind for better mental health: Mental health facts and statistics, Key facts and statistics on mental health problems and issues.
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/statistics-and-facts-about-mental-health/how-common-are-mental-health-problems/#one

McManus S, Bebbington P, Jenkins R, Brugha T. (eds.) (2016). Mental health and wellbeing in England: Adult psychiatric morbidity survey 2014. Leeds: NHS digital.
http://content.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB21748/apms-2014-full-rpt.pdf

The Impact of Mental Illness Stigma on Seeking and Participating in Mental Health Care
Patrick W. Corrigan, Benjamin G. Druss, and Deborah A. Perlick
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/publications/mental-illness-stigma.html

Time to Change, Let’s end mental health discrimination
https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/

Become a mental health campaigner with Mind
https://www.mind.org.uk/get-involved/become-a-campaigner/