The Mental Health Book Club LOVED this book, both Sydney and Becky gave it 5*. Not only is it well written and edited, it is also honest and insightful. Jonny is open about his journey from being on the bridge and his encounter with Neil Langbourn, who talked him down on that fateful day, to the amazing mental health campaigner he is today.
Learning about Jonny’s campaigning in schools and in the
private sector as well as him accepting his MBE is inspiring. Jonny not only
addresses how far society has come in accepting mental health as equal to
physical health but he also speaks about how far we still have to go,
especially when it comes to men’s mental health.
Jonny also speaks of the impact of his Jewish culture and
sexuality had on his mental health. A topic that is not always addressed. He
discussed his relationship with his parents and his worry about worrying them,
and the difficulties that brings to his asking for help and support from the
people he loves.
Jonny gives advice on self-care through his own experiences
with mindfulness and positivity. It is heart-breaking to read at times but also
leaves you in awe of Jonny’s endless kindness and compassion.
This book is a fantastic read, especially for anyone who
ever wondered what dealing with mental health illnesses is like. Jonny has
schizoaffective disorder and is very open about his experiences with this long-term
illness.
The Mental Health Book Club Podcast really liked this book. Sydney gave it 5* and Becky 4*. Sydney felt a particular connection with this book as she shares a Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis. Rebecca also talks about her Bipolar, Anxiety and Depression diagnosis.
Rebecca’s honesty and sincerity comes through in her writing. She is so open about how her life has been and is affected by her mental illness. She discusses medication, treatments and hospitalisation as well as the daily struggles she faces. Her honesty is so moving especially as she discusses her attempt to take her own life.
The courage she shows as she navigates her illnesses is incomparable. The strength she shows as she faces grief, family and other life events is relatable to everyone. Even after publishes let her down she continues to move forward.
The raw emotion and honesty in this book will make it hard for anyone to put down. We were lucky enough to also get an interview with Rebecca to go alongside our review.
The Mental Health Book Club Podcast loved this book, both
Becky and Sydney gave it 5*.
This book is a fantastic read and is a must for schools, children’s libraries as well as children’s bookshelves. The books heart concept is perfectly represented by the cut-out heart which decreases in size as the book moves on.
It is fun, beautiful and a great teaching tool. The book
explains emotions in a simple and yet profound way. Children are able to
understand the variety of emotions we feel and understand how you might feel
them physically.
The book can be read alone by advanced readers, but more
usefully it can be read with an adult to help start a conversation around
emotions and their validity.
The Mental Health Book Club Podcast hosts Becky and Sydney both gave this book 3*.
The book is a frank and honest account of a man’s struggle
with his mental health after the birth of his child. It discusses the traumatic birth of his son and
his wife’s struggles with her own depression.
Being women without children, we did not feel we were Mark’s
primary audience and so we felt a little detached from the topic. However, we could
see that this book has to anyone in a similar situation and will provide hope
that it can get better. Anyone who has had a child will see some experiences
they can relate to.
Being a parent is hard and it changes so much, this book
explores this with a raw honesty that is rare amongst parents. Often parents
are expected to be happy as they have a new child, but this book shows some of
the darker times that can be had.
Not only does this book address men’s mental health but also
it raises the profile of an almost unheard of mental health illness, postnatal
depression in men. The book also touches on the use of alcohol to self-medicate
when depressed.
We had no idea men could get postnatal depression and this
book raises awareness and shows how Mark goes on to help other men that are
suffering. His dedication is an inspiration.
The Mental Health Book Club Podcast enjoyed this book, Becky
and Sydney both gave it 4*.
This book is a fantastic children’s book that deals with a
tough topic in an honest and heart-warming way. The book allows children to
understand some symptoms and treatments for mental illness through very
relatable characters.
Children can read with or without parents to help them
understand mental illness in a way which is on their level. The images are very
cute and child friendly.
Great book for anyone who has or works with children and
would like to help them understand mental illnesses.
It’s
easy to see others living our dreams. It’s easy to feel held back,
misunderstood and invisible, but there comes a time in our lives when we
just can’t take it anymore. This is when we need answers and the
confirmation that who we think we are can change.
After a
lifetime of comparing with others it takes courage to step out from
behind the rock and change. When everyone around you appears to shine
while you feel hidden and misunderstood, there comes a time to say
goodbye to the story of ‘I’m not good enough’.
‘When Everyone
Shines But You’ is a new non-fiction book by passionate writer and
blogger Kelly Martin. Kelly had lived the last thirty years not feeling
good enough, feeling like a failure, and watching as people her own age
and even younger ‘appeared’ to be passing her by in terms of confidence,
career, relationships and prosperity. As she neared 40, something began
to stir inside, an unresolved sense of ‘Is this it?’ and so a huge
quest began, to find answers and this book was part of that quest.
‘When
Everyone Shines But You’ takes the reader on a journey. In each chapter
the author sheds light on topics from rage and jealousy to money and
loneliness and so much more. This is not a ‘positive thinking’ book.
Kelly is a passionate advocate of the present moment. She discourages
any ideas of creating your own reality or the law of attraction. Instead
she brings the reader back to the present moment, in which permission
is given to be completely human.
Unlike most self-help books, in
which you are seen to be broken and need fixing, here you are given
permission to be who you are, as you are, warts and all, negative as
well as positive.
In fact, the author demonstrates that far from
trying to get rid of negative thoughts, feelings and emotions, they
must be accepted and understood as a natural part of who we are; that
they must be embraced and given care and attention, and in so doing,
they will allow us to experience who we really are, beneath the
conditioning imposed on us since early childhood, by parents, teachers
and all the authority figures in our lives.
We can’t force
change, but we can allow change to take place naturally. There is no
need to put on a happy face when feeling sad, or a peaceful demeanour
when feeling angry. This is change that comes from within and is a
journey where mindful living embraces ‘what is’ instead of trying to fix
what we think is broken.
No more trying to fix you.
No more saying affirmations when you are not feeling them.
No more trying to create your reality.
*Discover why positive thinking does not work.
*Explore your relationship with feelings such as rage, envy and sadness.
*See how mindful living can consistently bring relief.
*Recognise the gift in using frustration as a motivation to step forward.
*Give up the ‘fast food’ approach to personal growth and grow more naturally.
*Learn how to experience alone time as sacred instead of painful.
*Understand how trying to control your world has been re-enforcing your story.
The
author explains that there is a natural flow to life, and that by
allowing this flow we can achieve far more than by trying to control and
manipulate.
It is time for awakening to who you really are – not who you think you need to be.
In 2008, twenty year-old Jonny Benjamin stood on Waterloo Bridge, about to jump. A stranger saw his distress and stopped to talk with him – a decision that saved Jonny’s life. Fast forward to 2014 and Jonny, together with Rethink Mental Illness launch a campaign with a short video clip so that Jonny could finally thank that stranger who put him on the path to recovery. More than 319 million people around the world followed the search. ITV’s breakfast shows picked up the story until the stranger, whose name is Neil Laybourn, was found and – in an emotional and touching moment – the pair re-united and have remained firm friends ever since. The Stranger on the Bridge is a memoir of the journey Jonny made both personally, and publicly to not only find the person who saved his life, but also to explore how he got to the bridge in the first place and how he continues to manage his diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. Using extracts from diaries Jonny has been writing from the age of thirteen, this book is a deeply personal memoir with a unique insight on mental health. Jonny was recognised for his work as an influential activist changing the culture around mental health, when he was awarded an MBE in 2017. He and Neil now work full-time together visiting schools, hospitals, prisons and workplaces to help end the stigma by talking about mental health and suicide prevention. The pair ran the London Marathon together in 2017 in aid of HeadsTogether. Following the global campaign to find the stranger, in 2015 Channel 4 made a documentary of Jonny’s search which has now been shown in 14 territories.
We were so happy to speak to Matthew Williams about his book Something Changed: Stumbling through Divorce Dating and Depression. We discuss the impacts of divorce on a young family, what made Matthew start his blog and then change it into a book and what is coming next for him.
You can support the Mental Health Book Club and get early access to
episodes and extended episodes with as little as $2 a month to get
advance access to our episodes and a range of other awards. We hope to
be able to donate money to a range of mental health charities once we
reach certain targets.
This is our final episode in our kids week special. You will find our review of the book followed by another fantastic interview with Brady. It was such a pleasure to speak to him and we think that this book is a fantastic starting point to help people talk about mental health with children.
You can support the Mental Health Book Club and get early access to
episodes and extended episodes with as little as $2 a month to get
advance access to our episodes and a range of other awards. We hope to
be able to donate money to a range of mental health charities once we
reach certain targets.
If you feel suicidal call 999 immediately.
If you need to talk you can contact:
Samaritans on:
116 123 (UK) 116 123 (ROI) Find out more at their website http://bit.ly/2wMpKZ5
This is our second episode in our kids week special. You will find our review of the book followed by our fantastic interview with Emily. I was such a pleasure to speak to her and we think that this book is a fantastic starting point to help people talk about mental health with children.
You can support the Mental Health Book Club and get early access to episodes and extended episodes with as little as $2 a month to get advance access to our episodes and a range of other awards. We hope to be able to donate money to a range of mental health charities once we reach certain targets.
If you feel suicidal call 999 immediately.
If you need to talk you can contact:
Samaritans on:
116 123 (UK) 116 123 (ROI) Find out more at their website http://bit.ly/2wMpKZ5
Follow Rebecca Lombardo as she details two years of her twenty-five year battle with mental illness and what brought her to attempt to take her life in 2013. As she recovered from that attempt, she continued to write in the hopes that she would help purge some of the pain in her life. What she never expected was that she could help others as well. This book quite simply began as a blog and became a book; where she opens up about her real and raw emotions during those two years.
Set aside any preconceived notions you may have about what a book should be and put yourself in the shoes of someone struggling daily with a disease she could not control, despite the support of her loving husband. Even with the struggles, Rebecca attempts to offer the reader support and guidance as she begs them not to follow her path.
This book is the true story of one woman that fights a battle inside her mind every single day and attempts to document what she is feeling to help others while she helps herself. This is the second edition of It’s Not Your Journey.
At 44 years of age and happily married for 15 years, Rebecca can finally say that she is on her way to reaching her dream. Not only does she hope to help people that are struggling with depression, she hopes to help everyone realize that you are never too old to find your voice.
Mark Williams led a content life;
from a working-class background, he worked his way up into a promising
career and then met the love of his life. When his wife Michelle fell
pregnant, it seemed as though everything had fallen into place for them.
Except
Michelle’s labour didn’t go well. She was forced to undergo a
C-section, an experience which deeply traumatised both of them. And when
it was time to take their child home, Michelle seemed different. Gone
was the woman that he had fallen in love with, replaced with someone who
couldn’t pull herself out of a deep, dark depression.
But it
wasn’t just Michelle who felt the baby blues. Mark too felt as though he
had lost something, succumbing to feelings of stress, anxiety, and
depression. He had never heard of fathers going through postnatal
depression, but with a baby that wouldn’t stop crying and a wife he
could no longer connect with, he felt like he was losing himself more
and more each day. So he found solace in old habits, and found his
escape at the bottom of a bottle.
A touching story from a rarely explored perspective,Daddy Blues tells the tale of a man learning to deal with a problem he never knew he could have.
Trigger are proud to announce Theinspirationalseries partner to their innovative Pullingthetriggerrange. Theinspirationalseries promotes the idea that mental illness should be talked about freely and without fear. Find out more at www.triggerpublishing.com
In the aftermath of marriage breakdown how do we pick ourselves up and start again?
In
August 2014 Matthew Williams was forced to do just that. In Something
Changed he navigates us through his journey with wit and wisdom, taking
in divorce, dating and self-discovery while facing the dark spectre of
depression.
Hopes and fears, laughter and tears – all are
encountered along the way to learning some important lessons about love,
loss and life.
‘Have you ever noticed how life’s biggest
lessons are also the most painful? Maybe that’s just life’s way of
making sure we don’t forget them…’
We were so happy to speak to Karen Manton about her book Searching for Brighter Days: Learning to manage my Bipolar Brain from Trigger Publishing’s Inspirational series. We discuss more about her mental health journey from misdiagnosis to finally being given the correct diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. All that was missing was a glass of wine and a cheese board!
Trigger Warning: This podcast discusses Mental Health in Schools, self-harm in young people and the important work of the Shaw Mind Foundation.
We were so privileged to speak to Kate Majid, CEO of Shaw Mind Foundation. I found it really fantastic when Kate was talking about the importance of mental health in schools and how their petition was the first by a charity to prompt a parlimentary debate. This was another fantastic interview and I learnt so much. Hope you enjoy this episode.
We were so privileged to speak to Joanell Serra author of The Vines We Planted. Joanell’s characters are so relatable and real that they felt like they could be my relatives! Joanell’s work as a therapist really shines through and we cannot wait for her next book. We really could have spent a lot longer talking to Joanell and we hope you enjoy this episode.
Thanks to the lovely people at Happiful Magazine who have sponsored Sydney to attend the Mental Health First Aid Course this July. We will be bringing you some special episodes on the course as Becky has completed the young people’s Mental Health First Aid Course.
If you haven’t heard of Happiful Magazine before here is what they are trying to do: Their mission is to create a healthier, happier, more sustainable society. Aiming to provide informative, inspiring and topical stories about mental health and wellbeing. They want to break the stigma of mental health in society, and to shine a light on the positivity and support that should be available for everyone, no matter their situation. The e-magazine is free. Hard copies are available, see their website for more details.
Thanks to the lovely people at Happiful Magazine who have sponsored Sydney to attend the Mental Health First Aid Course this July. We will be bringing you some special episodes on the course as Becky has completed the young people’s Mental Health First Aid Course.
If you haven’t heard of Happiful Magazine before here is what they are trying to do: Their mission is to create a healthier, happier, more sustainable society. Aiming to provide informative, inspiring and topical stories about mental health and wellbeing. They want to break the stigma of mental health in society, and to shine a light on the positivity and support that should be available for everyone, no matter their situation. The e-magazine is free. Hard copies are available, see their website for more details.
Thanks to the lovely people at Happiful Magazine who have sponsored Sydney to attend the Mental Health First Aid Course this July. We will be bringing you some special episodes on the course as Becky has completed the young people’s Mental Health First Aid Course.
If you haven’t heard of Happiful Magazine before here is what they are trying to do: Their mission is to create a healthier, happier, more sustainable society. Aiming to provide informative, inspiring and topical stories about mental health and wellbeing. They want to break the stigma of mental health in society, and to shine a light on the positivity and support that should be available for everyone, no matter their situation. The e-magazine is free. Hard copies are available, see their website for more details.
Thanks to the lovely people at Happiful Magazine who have sponsored Sydney to attend the Mental Health First Aid Course this July. We will be bringing you some special episodes on the course as Becky has completed the young people’s Mental Health First Aid Course.
If you haven’t heard of Happiful Magazine before here is what they are trying to do: Their mission is to create a healthier, happier, more sustainable society. Aiming to provide informative, inspiring and topical stories about mental health and wellbeing. They want to break the stigma of mental health in society, and to shine a light on the positivity and support that should be available for everyone, no matter their situation. The e-magazine is free. Hard copies are available, see their website for more details.
We were so privileged to speak to Annie Belasco author of Love and Remission: My Life, My Man, My Cancer. Annie is such a fantastic and inspirational women who fought breast cancer and won but during that time suffered with her mental health. Becky describes this book as Bridget Jones meets cancer.
Thanks to the lovely people at Happiful Magazine who have sponsored Sydney to attend the Mental Health First Aid Course this July. We will be bringing you some special episodes on the course as Becky has completed the young people’s Mental Health First Aid Course.
If you haven’t heard of Happiful Magazine before here is what they are trying to do: Their mission is to create a healthier, happier, more sustainable society. Aiming to provide informative, inspiring and topical stories about mental health and wellbeing. They want to break the stigma of mental health in society, and to shine a light on the positivity and support that should be available for everyone, no matter their situation. The e-magazine is free. Hard copies are available, see their website for more details.
Thanks to the lovely people at Happiful Magazine who have sponsored Sydney to attend the Mental Health First Aid Course this July. We will be bringing you some special episodes on the course as Becky has completed the young people’s Mental Health First Aid Course.
If you haven’t heard of Happiful Magazine before here is what they are trying to do: Their mission is to create a healthier, happier, more sustainable society. Aiming to provide informative, inspiring and topical stories about mental health and wellbeing. They want to break the stigma of mental health in society, and to shine a light on the positivity and support that should be available for everyone, no matter their situation. The e-magazine is free. Hard copies are available, see their website for more details.
Riding in a rocket ship,
escaping from erupting volcanoes, and jumping on the backs of jelly
fish are all wild adventures, but for Bryan and Robbie it is just
another day of fun! When Robbie gets sick, Bryan learns about what
mental illness is, what mental illness can look like, and how to support
his brother be his best.
A Brotherly Lesson uses a relatable
story and vivid images to make mental health understandable for young
kids. The book is meant to be an introduction to mental illness,
emotions, depression, but also support, family, hope, and health.
All proceeds will go towards donating a copy to local elementary schools
Scrambled Heads is
children’s book about mental health. The book can support children who
are suffering with their mental health, but also their siblings, family,
friends, classmates and also children of parents who are suffering with
poor mental health. The book is easy to understand and explains mental
health in a fun way, to help break the taboo of talking about mental
health.
Sometimes my heart feels like a big yellow star, shiny and bright. I smile from ear to ear and twirl around so fast, I feel as if I could take off into the sky. This is when my heart is happy. Happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness . . . our hearts can feel so many feelings! Some make us feel as light as a balloon, others as heavy as an elephant. In My Heart explores a full range of emotions, describing how they feel physically, inside. With language that is lyrical but also direct, toddlers will be empowered by this new vocabulary and able to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. With whimsical illustrations and an irresistible die-cut heart that extends through each spread, this unique feelings book is gorgeously packaged.
Trigger are proud to
announce Theinspirationalseries, partner to their innovative
Pullingthetrigger range. Theinspirationalseries promotes the idea that
mental illness should be talked about freely and without fear.
Growing
up in a deprived area of North East England in the 1970’s, alcoholism
and violence played a huge role in Karen’s everyday family life. But
things were only to become more difficult when, at the age of seventeen,
she began her battle with anxiety and depression, an illness nobody
recognised.
At times feeling as though she was locked inside her
own mind, Karen tried to make sense of her heightened and intense
emotions. Her reality became a devastating, deteriorating state of
existence, and no one seemed to understand what was happening to her.
A
number of harrowing, recurrent and often bizarre episodes – including a
phantom pregnancy, a nightclub assault, and an unhealthy obsession with
a celebrity – eventually lead to Karen being sectioned under the mental
health act and taken into hospital. It then took years and many more
dramatic relapses before doctors would finally give her the correct
diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
This is a no-holds-barred,
inspirational true story of how, despite losses and difficulties along
the way, Karen Manton learned to manage her illness, stay out of
hospital, and find those ‘brighter days’.
Thanks to the lovely people at Happiful Magazine who have sponsored Sydney to attend the Mental Health First Aid Course this July. We will be bringing you some special episodes on the course as Becky has completed the young people’s Mental Health First Aid Course.
If you haven’t heard of Happiful Magazine before here is what they are trying to do: Their mission is to create a healthier, happier, more sustainable society. Aiming to provide informative, inspiring and topical stories about mental health and wellbeing. They want to break the stigma of mental health in society, and to shine a light on the positivity and support that should be available for everyone, no matter their situation. The e-magazine is free. Hard copies are available, see their website for more details.
In the heart of the California wine country, secrets seem to grow on the vines that Uriel Macon’s family has tended for generations.
Uriel, the winery’s young widower, steers clear of complicated relationships. He prefers the lonely comfort of his vineyard and his horses. Until he is reminded of his love affair with Amanda Scanlon, a relationship that ended when she abruptly left the country years ago under a cloud of mystery.
When, due to a family crisis, Amanda returns to Sonoma, she tries to mend the broken relationships left behind. In addition, she seeks the truth about her parents’ complicated history and her own parentage.
But Amanda’s unveiling of the past has devastating consequences. In the midst of California’s beautiful Sonoma Valley, the Scanlon family struggles to overcome harsh realities with dignity and grace.
Both Amanda and Uriel stretch to take care of their families, who are facing immigration issues, marital crises, and illness. While navigating these challenges, the couple must decide if they trust themselves to love again, or to finally let each other go.
A Sonoma local, author Joanell Serra’s debut novel is captivating, poignant, and uplifting, demonstrating how seeds planted long ago continue to grow. Sometimes into a strangling weed, sometimes offering a bountiful harvest.
In her mid-twenties with a stable job, Annie Belasco was on the hunt for a man. She wanted to settle down, have children, buy a house; in other words, be a normal Essex girl. But then one day, she felt a lump. Breast cancer. The two words that would derail Annie’s life and cause her immense trauma. Suddenly, she realised how short her life had really been, and the very idea of finding love seemed impossible. As her hair fell out and her mental health deteriorated, she began to question if she would actually survive. Struggling with an identity crisis and worryingly low moods, she wondered if she’d ever be able to live the normal life that had been within her reach only months earlier. Love and Remission tells the tale of a young woman in search of love, remission, and mental wellbeing.
After attending the book launch in London and listening to Natasha talk about mental health we were excited to read this book for the podcast and even bumped it up the list. We are pleased to say that this book did not disappoint and both of us found it hard to put down. This book provides a fantastic overview of mental health. This topic is sensitive, and Natasha handles that very well, interweaving her own journey with mental health, information from experts, science, and humour which means that this book will appeal to a wider range of readers.
On the podcast we identified six letters to discuss but that in itself was a difficult task! There was so much in this book that provoked us to ask more questions and talk about societal issues that impact everyone’s mental health.
If you are looking for a self-help book, then this is not the book whilst she gives tips at the end of each letter the advice is minimal and highlights that because we all have a brain it is okay to feel this way. This book is a great starting point to get people talking about mental health – in comparison, physical health is easily discussed by people.
The main messages that we took away from this book were:
Mental health is just as important to physical health
We all have a brain so mental health is something everyone should be talking about
It was an absolute pleasure to speak to Natasha Devon MBE author of A Beginners Guide to Being Mental: An A -Z from Anxiety to Zero F**ks Given. We talk about her work as a mental health campaigner, her own experiences with mental health and more.
‘Am I normal?’ ‘What’s an anxiety disorder?’ ‘Does therapy work?’
These are just a few of the questions Natasha Devon is asked as she travels the UK campaigning for better mental health awareness and provision. Here, Natasha calls upon experts in the fields of psychology, neuroscience and anthropology to debunk and demystify the full spectrum of mental health. From A (Anxiety) to Z (Zero F**ks Given – or the art of having high self-esteem) via everything from body image and gender to differentiating ‘sadness’ from ‘depression’.
Statistically, one in three of us will experience symptoms of a mental illness during our lifetimes. Yet all of us have a brain, and so we ALL have mental health – regardless of age, sexuality, race or background. The past few years have seen an explosion in awareness, yet it seems there is still widespread confusion. A Beginner’s Guide to Being Mental is for anyone who wants to have this essential conversation, written as only Natasha – with her combination of expertise, personal experience and humour – knows how
Clown & I is a dangerous, steamy and soulful memoir from Ryan Heffernan, a man with bipolar disorder. Ryan really should have lived in another time. International celebrities get sweaty and spanked and life can be grandiose. But personal ruination forever lurks in this confronting exploration of how one man tries to fit in and make sense of the elusive “real world”. Laced with love, lust, heartbreak, bad boozing and poverty, Clown & I is a one-of-a-kind entry from a man in this genre. It is a dreamy and philosophical global odyssey – a diamond sparkle, spiritual and sensual insight into bipolar, stormy personal relationships, and the hard, street truths of dicey mental health in a society that won’t always yield. But hope, beauty, dreamchasing, and Ryan’s wondrous son, are the undisputed emperors in his eccentric universe. This is one little boy laid bare…
You can’t stop the future. You can’t rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.
Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah’s pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.
Trigger warning: this podcast discusses childhood physical, emotional and sexual abuse as well as neglect. This episode may be distressing to some listners and may not be suitable for younger listners.
Call for Participants: Social Media, Young Adults and Wellbeing
Is social media important to you? Do you use it frequently? Is it an everyday part of your life?
We are very interested to hear from you about this.
We are doing research to learn about the way young adults 18 – 34 years use social media, what they use, how much they use it, and why they do.
We are curious to learn from you and your beliefs about the impact that social media has had on your life and those around you, how you feel when using it, and any good and bad things about using social media?
We hope to use your thoughts to help to make social media safer for young adults like you.
This survey is completely anonymous.
We expect that the survey will take around 15 mins to complete
This research project has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of The University of Melbourne. Human Ethics ID: 1750388
For more information about the project, or to complete the survey, please follow the RedCap Survey link below. You may open the survey in your web browser by clicking the link below: Social media use, young adults and well-being
If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact the researchers: Professor Lynette Joubertljouber[email protected] Paul [email protected]
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
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
Am I Normal Yet is a breath of fresh air talking openly about the issues surrounding mental health. Evie suffers from OCD and at sixteen not only does she have to fight with her own mental health but she has to deal with the inevitable teenage issues of college, friends and boys and let’s be honest being a teenager is hard enough without the additional issues Evie has to face.
This book has a strong theme of feminism running throughout and didn’t end in the very clichéd love conquers all view of the world that some books I have been reading recently have contained. If only recovering from mental health was so easy, dating and having another person in your life will often complicate matters and make you feel even more insecure than you may have been before.
You get to see the ups and downs associated with mental illness and the issues associated with medication and therapy, along with concerns about others reaction to a mental health diagnosis.
It is also interesting to read about the fact that the condition that Evie is suffering from can be considered “typical OCD” with Evie performing the stereotypical repetitive behaviours being commonly seen with OCD, doesn’t mean that it is any less severe and debilitating to a person’s life.
I must admit there was one part of the book I disagreed with as yes not all discussion about mental health has been useful that what it is doing is highlighting that more public discussion is needed. I would like to remain hopeful that if people were fully away of mental health conditions and their impact that they wouldn’t be using the terms incorrectly if their knowledge of the condition was complete.
Quote
Mental illnesses have gone too far the other way. Because now mental health disorders have gone “mainstream”. And for all the good it’s brought people like me who have been given therapy and stuff, there’s a lot of bad it’s brought too. Because now people use the phrase OCD to describe minor personality quirks.
“Oooh, I like my pens in a line, I’m so OCD.”
NO YOU’RE F*****G NOT!
I think that people have been mislabelling themselves as being OCD for years, long before mental health illnesses started to become more widely accepted in society’s broader conversation.
We at the Mental Health Book Club would highly recommend this book.
Imagine that your mind gets stuck on a particular thought or image (which is the obsessive thought)
Then this thought or image gets constantly replayed in your mind, over and over and over again no matter what you do . . .
It’s not like you want these thoughts – it feels like an avalanche, its overwhelming . . .
Along with these thoughts you start to have intense feelings of anxiety . . .
Anxiety is a normal emotion that people feel because this emotion tells you to respond, react, protect yourself and do something to reduce that anxiety. It’s our brain’s warning system indicating that you’re in danger.
But this can cause confusion because on one hand, you recognize the fear you are feeling doesn’t make any sense, it’s not reasonable yet it feels real
But your brain is lying to you causing you to question why this would be happening?
Why would you be experiencing feelings if they weren’t true? Feelings don’t lie . . .
Unfortunately, if you have OCD, they do lie. If you have OCD, the warning system in your brain is not working correctly. Your brain is telling you that you are in danger when you are not.
When scientists compare pictures of the brains of groups of people with OCD, they can see that on average some areas of the brain are different compared to individuals who don’t have OCD. Those tortured with this disorder are desperately trying to get away from paralyzing, unending anxiety.
Most of us have worries, doubts and superstitious beliefs. It is only when your thoughts and behaviour make no sense to other people, cause distress or become excessive that you may want to ask for help. OCD can occur at any stage of your life. If you experience OCD you may also feel anxious and depressed and you may believe you are the only one with obsessive thoughts.
An obsession is an unwelcome thought or image that you keep thinking about and is largely out of your control. These can be difficult to ignore.
These obsessions can be disturbing and are accompanied by intense and uncomfortable feelings such as fear, disgust, doubt, or a feeling that things have to be done in a way that is “just right.”
These OCD obsessions are time consuming and get in the way of important activities the person values, which is important as it determines whether someone has OCD — the psychological disorder — rather than having an obsessive personality trait.
You might believe that something bad will happen if you do not do these things. You may realise that your thinking and behaviour is not logical but still find it very difficult to stop.
Occasional thoughts about getting sick or about the safety of loved ones is normal
Even if the content of the “obsession” is more serious, for example, everyone might have had a thought from time to time about getting sick, or worrying about a loved one’s safety, or wondering if a mistake they made might be catastrophic in some way, that doesn’t mean these obsessions are necessarily symptoms of OCD. While these thoughts look the same as what you would see in OCD, someone without OCD may have these thoughts, be momentarily concerned, and then move on. In fact, research has shown that most people have unwanted “intrusive thoughts” from time to time, but in the context of OCD, these intrusive thoughts come frequently and trigger extreme anxietythat gets in the way of day-to-day functioning.
A compulsion is something you think about or do repeatedly (repetitive behaviour) to relieve anxiety. This can be hidden or obvious. Such as saying a phrase in your head to calm yourself. Or checking that the front door is locked.
People with OCD are aware that they will only experience temporary relief and that the compulsion is not a solution but the problem is for them is that they feel that they don’t have a better way to cope.
Compulsions can also include avoiding situations that trigger obsessions.
These compulsions are time consuming and get in the way of day to day life.
In most cases, individuals with OCD feel driven to engage in compulsive behaviour and would rather not have to do these time consuming and many times torturous acts.
What compulsions are not:
Not all repetitive behaviours or “rituals” are compulsions. Bedtime routines, religious practices, and learning a new skill involve repeating an activity over and over again, but are a welcome part of daily life.
Behaviours depend on the function and context:
Arranging and ordering DVDs for eight hours a day isn’t a compulsion if the person works in a video store.
Behaviours depend on the context. Arranging and ordering books for eight hours a day isn’t a compulsion if the person works in a library.
Certain activities such as Bedtime routines, religious practices, and learning a new skill all involve some level of repeating an activity over and over again, but are usually a positive and functional part of daily life.
Similarly, you may have “compulsive” behaviours that wouldn’t fall under OCD, if you are just a stickler for details or like to have things neatly arranged. In this case, “compulsive” refers to a personality trait or something about yourself that you actually prefer or like.
Like all other mental health conditions, OCD can only be diagnosed by a trained professional and there are no blood tests or brain imaging tests to diagnose OCD. The diagnosis is made based on the observation and assessment of the person’s symptoms.
OCD can start at any time from preschool to adulthood. Although OCD does occur at earlier ages, there are generally two age ranges when OCD first appears, between ages 10 and 12 and then between the late teens and early adulthood.
Related problems for people with OCD
Some people with OCD may also have or develop other serious mental health problems, including:
depression – a condition that typically causes lasting feelings of sadness and hopelessness, or a loss of interest in the things you used to enjoy
eating disorders – conditions characterised by an abnormal attitude towards food that cause you to change your eating habits and behaviour (we see that xxx has was misdiagnosed to begin with anorexia)
generalised anxiety disorder – a condition that causes you to feel anxious about a wide range of situations and issues, rather than one specific event
a hoarding disorder – a condition that involves excessively acquiring items and not being able to throw them away, resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter
People with OCD and severe depression may also have suicidal feelings.
DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (300.3)
A. Presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both:
Obsessions are defined by (1) and (2):
Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or impulses that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and unwanted, and that in most individuals cause marked anxiety or distress.
The individual attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, urges, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action (i.e., by performing a compulsion).
Compulsions are defined by (1) and (2):
Repetitive behaviours (e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly.
The behaviours or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing anxiety or distress, or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviours or mental acts are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent, or are clearly excessive.
Note: Young children may not be able to articulate the aims of these behaviours or mental acts.
B. The obsessions or compulsions are time-consuming (e.g., take more than 1 hour per day) or cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
C. The obsessive-compulsive symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or another medical condition.
D. The disturbance is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder (e.g., excessive worries, as in generalized anxiety disorder; preoccupation with appearance, as in body dysmorphic disorder; difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, as in hoarding disorder; hair pulling, as in trichotillomania [hair-pulling disorder]; skin picking, as in excoriation [skin-picking] disorder; stereotypies, as in stereotypic movement disorder; ritualized eating behaviour, as in eating disorders; preoccupation with substances or gambling, as in substance-related and addictive disorders; preoccupation with having an illness, as in illness anxiety disorder; sexual urges or fantasies, as in paraphilic disorders; impulses, as in disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders; guilty ruminations, as in major depressive disorder; thought insertion or delusional preoccupations, as in schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders; or repetitive patterns of behaviour, as in autism spectrum disorder).
Specify if: With good or fair insight: The individual recognizes that obsessive-compulsive disorder beliefs are definitely or probably not true or that they may or may not be true.
With poor insight: The individual thinks obsessive-compulsive disorder beliefs are probably true.
With absent insight/delusional beliefs: The individual is completely convinced that obsessive-compulsive disorder beliefs are true.
Specify if:
Tic-related: The individual has a current or past history of a tic disorder.
Mental, Behavioural and Neurodevelopmental disorders
Approximate Synonyms
Hoarding
Hoarding disorder
Hoarding disorder co-occurrent with lack of insight and/or delusions
Hoarding disorder w absent insight or delusional beliefs
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Clinical Information
A disorder characterized by the presence of persistent and recurrent irrational thoughts (obsessions), resulting in marked anxiety and repetitive excessive behaviours (compulsions) as a way to try to decrease that anxiety.
An anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, persistent obsessions or compulsions. Obsessions are the intrusive ideas, thoughts, or images that are experienced as senseless or repugnant. Compulsions are repetitive and seemingly purposeful behaviour which the individual generally recognizes as senseless and from which the individual does not derive pleasure although it may provide a release from tension.
An anxiety disorder in which a person has intrusive ideas, thoughts, or images that occur repeatedly, and in which he or she feels driven to perform certain behaviours over and over again. For example, a person may worry all the time about germs and so will wash his or her hands over and over again. Having an obsessive-compulsive disorder may cause a person to have trouble carrying out daily activities.
Disorder characterized by recurrent obsessions or compulsions that may interfere with the individual’s daily functioning or serve as a source of distress.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (ocd) is a type of anxiety disorder. If you have ocd, you have repeated, upsetting thoughts called obsessions. You do the same thing over and over again to try to make the thoughts go away. Those repeated actions are called compulsions. Examples of obsessions are a fear of germs or a fear of being hurt. Compulsions include washing your hands, counting, checking on things or cleaning. Untreated, ocd can take over your life researchers think brain circuits may not work properly in people who have ocd. It tends to run in families. The symptoms often begin in children or teens. Treatments that combine medicines and therapy are often effective.
John Greist Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin; International OCD Foundation Scientific Advisory Board
Maggie Baudhuin, MLS Coordinator, Madison Institute of Medicine, Inc.
The cause of OCD is complicated and no one really knows what factors might be involved, but here are some of the things that are thought to impact the development of OCD:
family history – research has shown that you’re more likely to develop OCD if a family member has it, possibly because of your genes but these have been shown to only be partly responsible
differences in the brain – some people with OCD have areas of unusually high activity in their brain or low levels of a chemical called serotonin
Research suggests that OCD involves problems in communication between the front part of the brain and deeper structures. These brain structures use a chemical messenger called serotonin. Pictures of the brain at work also show that in some people, the brain circuits involved in OCD become more normal with either serotonin medicines or cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).
life events – OCD may be more common in people who’ve experienced bullying, abuse or neglect and it sometimes starts after an important life event, such as childbirth or a bereavement
personality – neat, meticulous, methodical people with high personal standards may be more likely to develop OCD, as may those who are generally quite anxious or have a very strong sense of responsibility for themselves and others
time of onset – some experts think that OCD that begins in childhood may be different from the OCD that begins in adults. For example, a recent review of twin studies3 has shown that genes play a larger role when OCD starts in childhood (45-65%) compared to when it starts in adulthood (27-47%).
Studies find that it takes an average of 14 to 17 years from the time OCD begins for people to obtain appropriate treatment.
Stigma and things that reduce people seeking treatment
Some people choose to hide their symptoms, often in fear of embarrassment or stigma. Therefore, many people with OCD do not seek the help of a mental health professional until many years after the onset of symptoms.
lack of public awareness of OCD, so many people were unaware that their symptoms represented an illness that could be treated.
Lack of proper training by some health professionals often leads to the wrong diagnosis. Some patients with OCD symptoms will see several doctors and spend several years in treatment before receiving a correct diagnosis.
Difficulty finding local therapists who can effectively treat OCD.
Not being able to afford proper treatment if you are in countries that you need to pay or that the NHS has not been able to provide the services you need and you decide to go private.
The medical profession has often considered OCD bizarre and as such assumed it to be rare. Families are often reluctant to talk about OCD due to the stigma attached to mental illness. Clearly OCD will have an effect on the sufferer, but it can be difficult to understand the effect it can have on their families. OCD is all-encompassing and all family members are inextricably involved with the sufferer’s illness.
that helps you face your fears and obsessive thoughts without “putting them right” with compulsions working with your therapist to break down your problems into their separate parts, such as your thoughts, physical feelings and actions encouraging you to face your fear and let the obsessive thoughts occur without neutralising them with compulsive behaviours – you start with situations that cause you the least anxiety first, before moving onto more difficult thoughts called – exposure and response prevention https://www.psychguides.com/guides/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-treatment-program-options/
The treatment is difficult and may sound frightening, but many people find that when they confront their obsessions, the anxiety does eventually improve or go away.
People with fairly mild OCD usually need about 10 hours of therapist treatment, combined with exercises done at home between sessions. A longer course may be necessary in more severe cases.
medication if psychological therapy doesn’t help treat your OCD, or if your OCD is fairly severe – usually a type of antidepressant medication called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that can help by increasing the levels of serotonin in your brain
You may need to take the medication for 12 weeks before you notice any effect.
Most people require treatment for at least a year. You may be able to stop if you have few or no troublesome symptoms after this time, although some people need to take medication for many years. Your symptoms may continue to improve for up to two years of treatment.
Don’t stop taking SSRIs without speaking to your doctor first, as this can cause unpleasant side effects. When treatment is stopped, it will be done gradually to reduce the chance of this happening. Your dose may need to be increased again if your symptoms return.
Further treatment by a specialist team may sometimes be necessary if you’ve tried the treatments above and your OCD is still not under control.
Some people with severe, long-term and difficult-to-treat OCD may be referred to a national OCD service.
This service offers assessment and treatment to people with OCD who haven’t responded to treatments available from their local and regional OCD services.
To be eligible for this service, you must have been diagnosed as having severe OCD and have received:
treatment with at least two different SSRIs at recommended doses for at least three months
at least two attempts at psychological therapy, both in a clinic and at home
additional treatment with another medication, such as a different type of antidepressant called clomipramine, or an SSRI at a dose higher than normally recommended
Most people’s condition improves after receiving treatment from a national OCD service.
Living with OCD can be difficult. In addition to getting medical help, you might find it helps to contact a support group or other people with OCD for information and advice.
The following sites may be useful sources of support:
Psychosurgery is used to alleviate symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder in patients who do not respond to medications or behavioural therapy.
As per the International OCD Foundation, four types of brain surgery have proven effective in treating OCD. They are listed on the OCD UK website but it was unclear if these are offered
anterior cingulotomy. Which involves drilling into the skull and burning an area of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex with a heated probe. This surgery has provided benefits for 50 percent of those with treatment-resistant OCD.
. This surgery is similar to the anterior cingulotomy surgery, but doctors operate on a different area of the brain called the anterior limb of the internal capsule. The surgery has succeeded in giving relief to 50 to 60 percent of patients with treatment-resistant OCD.
the gamma knife. This treatment does not involve opening the patient’s skull. Rather, the skull is penetrated by multiple doses of gamma rays. While a single dose of gamma rays will not harm brain tissue, when multiple sources of gamma rays intersect, they create an energy level adequate to destroy targeted brain tissue. The gamma knife procedure has been helpful to about 60 percent of treatment-resistant OCD patients.
deep brain stimulation (DBS). Although this procedure requires opening the patient’s skull, it does not involve destroying brain tissue. Instead, electrodes are placed at strategic points inside the brain and wired to a pulse generator. The battery-powered generator, also called an implantable neurostimulator, sends pulses to the brain. It works in a similar fashion to a pacemaker. So far, only small studies have been conducted with deep brain stimulation, but the response rate is similar to the other surgeries.
Families and OCD Barbara Livingston Van Noppen, PhD Associate Professor, University of Southern California International OCD Foundation Scientific Advisory Board
1. Do not regard OCD as the person’s fault and try not to believe that you or anyone else may have caused it. If the person decides to seek professional help, be supportive of that decision and encourage their determination to recover. Help your family member find the right treatment. The best treatment usually includes medicine, cognitive behaviour therapy, and family education and support.
2. Encourage the person with OCD to persist with their treatment, even when this seems difficult, and show appreciation of any improvement, however small.
3. Learn how to respond if your family member refuses treatment
Bring books, video tapes, and/or audio tapes on OCD into the house. Offer the information to your family member with OCD or leave it around (strategically) so they can read/listen to it on their own.
Offer encouragement. Tell the person that through proper treatment most people have a significant decrease in symptoms. Tell them there is help and there are others with the same problems. Suggest that the person with OCD attend support groups with or without you, talk to an OCD buddy through online support groups, or speak to a professional in a local OCD clinic.
Get support and help yourself. Seek professional advice/support from someone that knows OCD and talk to other family members so you can share your feelings of anger, sadness, guilt, shame, and isolation.
Attend a support group. Discuss how other families handle the symptoms and get feedback about how you can deal with your family member’s OCD. To find a list of support groups in your area, visit www.ocfoundation.org
4. Remember that symptoms may wax and wane. Some days, the person may be able to deal with symptoms better than others. Each person needs to overcome their problems at their own pace, even though this may be a lengthy process.
5. Learn about OCD Education is the first step, the more you learn, the more you will be able to help. You can:
Read books on OCD
Join the International OCD Foundation
Attend OCD support groups
Research online
6. Allow the person to explain their problems to you. This will help them to feel less isolated and ashamed of their condition. The symptoms may seem unrealistic and irrational to you, but the fear for the person with OCD, is very real.
7. While supporting the person with OCD, try not to support the obsessions and compulsions. The International OCD Foundations calls this recognising and reducing “Family Accommodation Behaviours” Family Accommodation Behaviours are things families do that enable OCD symptoms. Families are constantly affected by the demands of OCD. Research shows that how a family responds to the OCD may help fuel OCD symptoms. The more that family members can learn about their responses to OCD and the impact they have on the person with OCD, the more the family becomes empowered to make a difference! Here are some examples of these problematic behaviours:
Participating in the behaviour: You participate in your family member’s OCD behaviour along with them. Example: washing your hands whenever they wash their hands.
Assisting in avoiding: You help your family member avoid things that upset them. Example: doing their laundry for them so that it is cleaned the “right” way.
Helping with the behaviour: You do things for your family member that lets them do OCD behaviours. Example: buying large amounts of cleaning products for them.
Making changes in Family Routine: Example: you change the time of day that you shower, or when you change your clothes.
Taking on extra responsibilities: Example: going out of your way to drive them places when they could otherwise drive themselves.
Making changes in leisure activities: Example: your family member gets you to not leave the house without them. This affects your interests in movies, dinners out, time with friends, etc.
Making changes at your job: Example: you cut back on hours at your job in order to take care of your family member.
Note: The worst thing to do is to give reassurance to the person that their fears are unfounded. If you do this, the person will not learn this for themselves and the disorder will persist. Encourage the person to challenge the obsessions and compulsions.
8. People with OCD are often aware of the humorous aspects of their obsessions and compulsions. This awareness can be used to help them distance themselves from the condition. However, resist mocking the person’s symptoms as this may cause additional stress, shame and embarrassment.
9. At home, people with OCD should be encouraged to maintain as normal a lifestyle as possible. Families should not try to adapt their ways of doing things to accommodate the person’s obsessions and compulsions.
10. Remember that OCD is tough for families to deal with. Continue to communicate with each other. Remember also that the family, friends and carers of people with OCD need help and support themselves. Make sure you continue to do things you enjoy and have people to talk to about your own feelings and concerns.
The Harrison School helps children and teenagers struggling with their mental health to continue with their education whilst being treated for the issues that they are experiencing. At the school, we meet Janina who has been diagnosed with depression and has been at the school for four years and is afraid to leave the schools safety.
Devante has been a witness to a life changing traumatic shooting in which the girl he cared about lost her life and he is finding life difficult. He attempts suicide but is stopped and decides to enrol at the Harrison School. Devante is diagnosed with acute stress disorder and he meets Janina. Their friendship helps them both on their journey to recovery.
As a result of a new addition to the Harrison School team is given a select group of students to look after and as a result starts to question Janina’s diagnosis. After investigation and new research it is decided that Janina is not mentally unwell but has been mis-diagnosed because the people around her failed to acknowledge her intellect. Showing that the labels we take on are fluid and can change over time.
Whilst at the Harrison School Devante begins to see that there are others in a similar situation to him, he is not alone and there are other people who are in a worst position than him.
This book shows the differences between different mental health conditions and their durations. It also shows the fluidity of mental health diagnosis and that labels are not necessarily everything and that treating teenagers as people has a huge beneficial effect.
Sadie has moved on from her bout with anxiety and depression and has changed her entire life. She has sold her swanky apartment and moved into a quaint cottage, she has a new job as a counsellor leading several anxiety anonymous support groups and Ruby has become a prominent part of her life. She seems like she has turned her life around and has beaten her issues with mental illness.
Her life becomes more interesting when Aidan Wilder walks into one of Sadie’s support groups. He intrigues her so much that she can’t stop thinking about him and wants to learn more. She makes it her mission to help this new mysterious man fight against his own demons. As the book progresses we start to find out more about what brought Aidan into Sadie’s life after a heart-breaking tragedy leaves him lost and struggling to continue with life.
Those around Sadie that care about her begin to worry about how involved she has become with a man she barely knows and as a reader I began to question how ethical some of her behaviour is whilst helping Aidan, and if she is perhaps at times overstepping and becoming unprofessional with him.
The other cause for concern as a reader is the way that Sadie believes that she is done with anxiety and that it will never be a problem for her again, whilst for most reality is rarely like that. I can understand her annoyance at those around her constantly checking up on her wellbeing and that people can feel this way but she fails to see their point of view. After all, in the last book she had made a suicide attempt – at that point it is justified for people to be concerned about you.
Again this is a quick read, the descriptions and discussions about grief are realistic and I look forward to reading the next instalment in the Sadie Valentine series.
Mental ill health doesn’t discriminate and can have an impact on a person’s life at any time even if from other people’s perspective you look like you have your life together. Sadie Valentine’s life begins to crumble around her.
She has broken up with her fiancée,
Lost the place she displays her artwork for sale,
Her best friend Aldo decides he is moving out of Sadie’s apartment and in with his boyfriend,
The image she created about her absentee father is shattered when she finds him,
Unsympathetic friends
Poor relationship with her mother
It all becomes too much for Sadie and she starts to experience anxiety that impacts every aspect of her life. As her world spirals, she is reluctant to seek help, keeping her mental health issues hidden even from Aldo. The book explores Sadie’s reluctance in detail and highlights the issues associated with being in denial and how the stigma surrounding mental health as not being a legitimate illness.
True to some of my own thoughts, I felt that the descriptions of anxiety, panic attacks and Sadie’s own internal monologue was realistic and people who have experienced anxiety can relate to the things she is feeling.
The ending of the book felt a little too perfect, and the time frame that these changes occur is very quick. By the end of the book, Sadie feels like she has overcome anxiety and is completely back to normal but the impacts of anxiety can be longer lasting and really can change later behaviour.
This book is a quick “beach read” but has an important message, that anyone can be impacted by mental health issues.
At seventeen Lori Schiller was the perfect child — the only daughter of an affluent, close-knit family. Six years later she made her first suicide attempt, then wandered the streets of New York City dressed in ragged clothes, tormenting voices crying out in her mind. Lori Schiller had entered the horrifying world of full-blown schizophrenia. She began an ordeal of hospitalizations, halfway houses, relapses, more suicide attempts, and constant, withering despair. But against all odds, she survived. Now in this personal account, she tells how she did it, taking us not only into her own shattered world, but drawing on the words of the doctors who treated her and family members who suffered with her.
In this new edition, Lori Schiller recounts the dramatic years following the original publication — a period involving addiction, relapse, and ultimately, love and recovery.
Moving, harrowing, and ultimately uplifting, THE QUIET ROOM is a classic testimony to the ravages of mental illness and the power of perseverance and courage.
All Evie wants is to be normal. She’s almost off her meds and at a new college where no one knows her as the girl-who-went-crazy. She’s even going to parties and making friends. There’s only one thing left to tick off her list…</span>
But relationships are messy – especially relationships with teenage guys. They can make any girl feel like they’re going mad. And if Evie can’t even tell her new friends Amber and Lottie the truth about herself, how will she cope when she falls in love?
Winner of the 2016 Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year Award for Fiction, Non-Traditionally Published.
On the edge of the Chicago medical district, the Harrison School for Exceptional Youth looks like a castle in a snow globe. Janina has been there since she was ten years old, and now she’s fourteen. She feels so safe inside its walls that she’s afraid to leave.
Devante’s parents bring him there after a tragedy leaves him depressed and suicidal. Even though he’s in a different place, he can’t escape the memories that come flooding back when he least expects them.
Dr. Gail Thomas comes to work there after quitting her medical residency. Frustrated and on the verge of giving up on her dreams, she sees becoming a counselor as her last chance to put her skills to the test.
When he founded the school, Dr. Lutkin designed its unique environment to be a place that would change the students’ lives. He works hard as the keeper of other people’s secrets, though he never shares any of his own. But everything changes late in the winter of 1994 when these four characters’ lives intersect in unexpected ways. None of them will ever be the same.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
