Mental health has been concealed at the rear of a curtain of stigma and it has been discriminated for far too long. It is time to bring it out into the open. When it comes to mental illness, the awareness just isn’t there. Mental health has always been inferior in front of other health subjects.
Mind is an essential part of our body and thus it’s our duty to look after its health and cure the illness. We can say that brain is as complex as our lives. Why do you think brain has been claimed as the most intricate organ in our body? Mental health influences every aspect of our lives, even if we are not aware about it. It has an impact on how we think and feel, which guides us to take decisions and portrays how we act in front of people. Mental health also has a direct connection with an individual’s physical health, poor mental health can affect our physical health because of their cyclic dependence on each another, it also makes a person more exposed to certain chronic autoimmune diseases. Mental illness occurs when the brain, just like any other organ such as the heart, or the kidney, is not working the way it should. Mental illness is a collection of disorders such as depression, PTSD, bipolar, anxiety and immeasurably more. The symptoms for these things range from loss of energy and motivation to do daily activities, change in sleep patterns, too many mood swings, disruptions in thought and perception and overwhelming obsessions of fears.
“It’s just anxiety, everyone has it. I don’t need to visit a therapist for that!”
“Okay so what if I went through a trauma? I can manage it by myself. There is nothing like PTSD, I don’t need to visit a counsellor for that.”
“Even if I go to a therapist can you ensure me, I will feel better?”
“What will the society think if I go to a therapist? I will be labelled as ‘CRAZY’!”
“I am ready to spend money for other parts of my body but why would I spend money to just go and talk to a counsellor?”
“How can you expect me to open up in front of a total stranger?”
“Mental health is not something to be bothered about it gets healed within time”
These are the most recurrent kind of responses I have heard when people are asked to go and visit a counsellor/therapist/psychologist/psychiatrist. Though it is understandable as since a numerous decade the awareness relating to positive mental health has not been there and so people have never considered to think about it. But now people have started raising the awareness and the crowd’s perception regarding mental health is alternating. This developing stage is quite impressable but the courage to go and visit a therapist is still not there amongst loads of people.
Keeping yourself first is something which you should do, if we start thinking and relating to above questions, we can’t do anything about our mental health even after knowing the importance of it. Though it is believable that the change will happen but until that what can you do to gain knowledge about mental health and learn some tricks to deal with stress, anxiety, depression and further more?
You can read books relating to mental health! Sipping a coffee after a long day, being cosy getting under a blanket with a pleasant aroma of a candle and reading a book which solves countless number of doubts and gives you numerous solutions to solve your daily life mental stress in an appropriate way sounds pretty good and satisfying to me. For introverts like me, this would be the best course of action to get ‘me time’ and read about something which would be beneficial for my own self.
Must read books on Mental health!
Ameliorated psychological health means an improved level of quality of our lives. Many psychologists have accepted the necessity of continuing our mental health education with books which gives us A-Z knowledge about mental health from minor topics like daily stresses to major and heavy topics like depression.
Here are some of the best mental health books you should not skip as it helps you for your improved mental well-being.
- This is Depression
In the book “This is depression”, Dr Diane McIntosh who has been a psychiatrist for twenty years, shares her experience with patients who had once been diagnosed with depression. She paints a picture of the journey in your mind talking about how a person feels when they go through depression. She covers important topics like customary causes, diagnoses and treatments to cure it. The topics she talks about not only helps people in research but her use of real-life examples help people to relate and feel like they are not alone.
- We’ve Been Too Patient
In this book the author has collection of twenty-five stories that portrays and talks about the unfortunate bitter truths about people who fall in trap of mental illnesses. The book attempts to break the stigma that surrounds the mental health space. It talks about the affect of overmedications, involuntary hospitalizations, electroconvulsive therapy and other traumatic incidents. The discussions in this book help the readers educate themselves, empowers the doctor and support the people who are going through any mental illness.
- This Too Shall Pass
This book gives us information about how Julia Samuels (psychotherapist) converses with her patients for hours where she mentions about how hardships are dealt differently by everyone. Backed up with medical research and her analysis of the stories she explains how the definition of mental health is different for everyone.
- Black Pain
The author of this book, Terri Williams, who is also a mental health advocate talks about how black people are hurting. The author addresses how the topic of depression is taboo, especially for the Black community. With a down to earth discussion the author discusses how she tackled her emotional pain and how uniquely it affects black people. Motivates the men and women to seek the help when they need it without being ashamed. She summons up that we all are brave, none of us are cowards for facing our traumas in our own ways and finding solutions to it with the help of others.
- Own Your Self
Kelly Brogan who is a holistic psychiatrist gives us alternative solutions to medications. She explains how every mental illness cannot be fixed but processed, accepted and healed in some non-medicated ways. Backed up with research about ways to identify factors, find transformative emotional chances, and find methods to cure your mind from inside. Dr Brogan believes that when someone prioritizes self-care, those people will find themselves with sharper and clearer mental health.
- Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
This book talks about the experience of the therapist Lori Gottlieb, who ends up being a patient and gets a taste of her own medicine. After passing through an incident, she feels shaken and bewildered. She experiences both the sides of a therapy session. In the journey of self-discovery, she talks about truths and lies we tell ourselves causing the harm we would never know about. This book will make you feel heard along with the encouragement you will get to open up and reach out to the professionals who are there to listen.
- Your Happiness Toolkit
With thirty years of experience under the counselling field, Carrie Maxwell Wrigley focuses on providing the applicable steps for the people struggling with mental health issues. It talks about depression and what feeds and fights it. A self-assessment model made by her is provided for the people to identify their level of depression. In short it is a guide which can help anyone passing through psychological issues.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Made Simple
The concept of mindfulness has been taken to another level in this book. The author gives ten strategies which can improve individuals. Seth Gillihan, the author, helps us identify our negative thoughts and allowing ourselves to get rid of anxiety and depression. Each tool has a backed-up research it is also an easy read manual filled with simple steps which can lead to success.
- Be Calm
The clinical psychologist, Jill Weber talks about three sections in this book which are- feelings, behaviour and thoughts. Main anxiety feature of each section is taken up and talks about facing it and then dealing it in to find the inner calmness. It is an easy read book with solutions and knowledge which you can apply to any situation in your current and future life,
- Own Your Anxiety
The career of the stress coach Julian Brass’ has always been to guide people towards empowerment and in the face and situation of anxiety. The motive of the book is to concentrate on positive actions, motivation and thing which are in your control. It shows us a perspective where we don’t consider anxiety as a disorder and be ashamed of it. The author suggests us to look at our anxiety as the intimate aspect of who we are. The book tells us to shape our anxiety and not hide it. This book is the combination of the medical researches and author’s experience which leads the reader towards a happier and healthier life.
These are the top ten books I would suggest you to not skip. Maybe some of us are not in the phase or a situation to visit a professional but the least we can do for our mental health is y gaining information and reading such books which not only gives us the medical and proven researches to treat our daily life’s mental stress and anxiety but also gives the feeling of ‘you are not alone’. Reading about people who go through the same things as you do gives you the feeling of oneness and empowerment leading you to take steps towards being a healthy and strong mental well-being. We see everyone from their shiny exteriors but after reading the stories of people who suffer the same as you or even more can give you the confidence to walk up to someone and seek help because there are loads of professionals ready to listen to you and make you feel better it’s all up to you how you want to take the step towards your mental health.
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