Mental Health Awareness Month
Ab(solutely) normal : short stories that smash mental health stereotypes
Carpenter, Nora Shalaway editor, author
2023
"Channeling their own experiences, sixteen exceptional authors subvert mental health stereotypes in a powerful and uplifting collection of fiction"-- Provided by publisher.
Broken (in the best possible way)
Lawson, Jenny, 1973- author
2021
Jenny Lawson explores her experimental treatment of transcranial magnetic stimulation with brutal honesty. But also with brutal humour. Jenny discusses the frustration of dealing with her insurance company. We see how her vacuum cleaner almost set her house on fire, how she was attacked by three bears, business ideas she wants to pitch to Shark Tank, and why she can never go back to the post office. Of course, Jenny's long-suffering husband Victor is present throughout.
Darius the Great is not okay
Khorram, Adib, author
2018
Clinically-depressed Darius Kellner, a high school sophomore, travels to Iran to meet his grandparents, but it is their next-door neighbor, Sohrab, who changes his life.
First, we make the beast beautiful : a new journey through anxiety
Wilson, Sarah, 1974- author
2018
Challenges cultural beliefs about anxiety from the perspectives of medical and spiritual leaders to explore how the condition needs to be viewed less as a burdensome affliction and more as a source of divine growth.
Heads up : changing minds on mental health
Siebert, Melanie, author
2020
This nonfiction book for teen readers is a guide to understanding mental health and coping with mental illness, trauma and recovery. It features real-life stories of resilient teens and highlights innovative approaches to mental-health challenges.
Hungry ghost
Ying, Victoria, author, illustrator
2023
After the sudden death of her father, sixteen-year-old Valerie Chu, who is hiding an eating disorder from her friends and family, reevaluates her life, her choices and her own body as she tries to find the strength to seek help.
Overthinking about you : navigating romantic relationships when you have anxiety, OCD, and/or depression
Raskin, Allison, author
2022
Dating is hard-but when you live with anxiety, OCD, and/or depression, dating can feel like a minefield. At last, a book that focuses solely on mental health and dating-an intersection that demands attention, given that one in five Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year. Overthinking About You is a memoir-driven self-help book that explores the complex connection between brain and heart, for an engaging, useful, and relatable read for anyone whose mental health has gotten in the way of successful romantic relationships.
Puzzled : a memoir of growing up with OCD
Cooke, Pan, author
2024
"A memoir of living with OCD before and after diagnosis"-- Provided by publisher.
A shelter for sadness
Booth, Anne (Children's fiction writer), author
2021
A picture book exploring the importance of making space and time for our own griefs, small or large.
Ten steps to Nanette : a memoir situation
Gadsby, Hannah, author
2022
"Hannah Gadsby's unique standup special Nanette was a viral success--and to some, her worldwide fame may have seemed like an overnight sensation. But like everything else about Gadsby, there's more to her success than meets the eye. In her first book, the queer Australian comedian, writer, and actress takes us through the key moments in her life that ultimately led to the creation of Nanette and her startling declaration that she was quitting comedy. She traces her growth as a gay woman from Tasmania--where homosexuality was illegal until 1997--to her ever-evolving relationship with comedy, to her struggle with late-in-life diagnoses of autism and ADHD, and finally to the backbone of Nanette--the renouncement of self-deprecation, the rejection of misogyny, and the moral power of telling the truth."-- Provided by publisher.
This is how I disappear
Malle, Mirion, 1992- author, illustrator
2021
Clara's at a breaking point. She's got writer's block, her friends ask a lot without giving much, and her demanding publishing job leaves little time for self care. She seeks solace in the community around her, yet she is often left feeling empty, unable to express an underlying depression that leaves her immobilized. This is How I Disappear is an empathetic portrait of a young woman wrestling with life in the twenty-first century.
The unspeakable mind : stories of trauma and healing from the frontlines of PTSD science
Jain, Shaili, 1974- author
2020
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a challenging condition with a collection of possible symptoms: nightmares, relentless harmful emotions (anger, fear, guilt), hypervigilance, flashbacks, and an amplified startle response. PTSD patients are at greater risk of suicide. About 80-percent of the afflicted also suffer from other psychiatric problems (depression, alcoholism, drug abuse). Some causes of PTSD are rape, combat exposure, child abuse, accidents, and fire. Psychiatrist Jain (the daughter of immigrants from India with a family history of trauma) incorporates anecdotes of her patients to help explain the etiologies, diagnoses, and treatments of PTSD. A sampling includes a woman who is sexually assaulted as a teenager and later endures her baby's SIDS death, a marine who served in Iraq and witnessed a street bombing that maimed or killed many civilians, and an individual badly injured in a car accident. The best treatment remains talk therapy (cognitive behavioral therapy), and medication (chiefly SSRI antidepressants) can be beneficial. Jain asserts that the importance of accessible treatment and early intervention for PTSD cannot be overstated, while also emphasizing the genuine healing value of empathy and simply listening.
Violet Shrink
Baldacchino, Christine, 1977- author
2020
Violet Shrink doesn't like parties. Or bashes, or gatherings. Lots of people and lots of noise make Violet's tummy ache and her hands sweat. She would much rather spend time on her own, watching the birds in her backyard, reading comics or listening to music through her purple headphones. The problem is that the whole Shrink family loves parties with loud music and games and dancing. In this thoughtful story about understanding and acceptance, Violet's natural introversion and feelings of social anxiety are normalized when she and her father reach a solution together.
What happened to you? : conversations on trauma, resilience, and healing
Perry, Bruce D. (Bruce Duncan), 1955- author
2021
Have you ever wondered 'Why did I do that?' or 'Why can't I just control my behavior?' Others may judge our reactions and think, 'What's wrong with that person?' When questioning our emotions, it's easy to place the blame on ourselves, holding ourselves and those around us to an impossible standard. It's time we started asking a different question. Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and ... brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry offer a groundbreaking and profound shift from asking 'What's wrong with you?' to 'What happened to you?' Our earliest experiences shape our lives far down the road, and [this book] provides ... scientific and emotional insights into the behavioral patterns so many of us struggle to understand.
White smoke : a novel
Jackson, Tiffany D., author
2021
Marigold is running from the ghosts of her past, so a move might be the fresh start she needs. When Mari, her mom, and little sister Piper move into the house on Maple Street, it seems the "ghosts" have followed. As the house closes in, Mari learns that the danger isn't limited to Maple Street. Cedarville has its secrets, too. And secrets always find their way through the cracks.