World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, to help raise awareness of mental health issues. In this post, we have highlighted five books that tackle the stigma surrounding mental illness head on. 

1) Mental Health Matters – Volume 2 by Natalie Ann Hughes

Mental Health Matters – Volume 2 will give you an insight into mental health through poetry.

My own mental health battles have been difficult, I hope to grow as a person and make people believe in themselves. I also want people to relate because at some point we all struggle with mental health.

Mental health can make you feel like you’re living a constant nightmare that will never end. But things do get better, I’m living proof of that. I hope to share my poems with you because life is precious and, most importantly, you are precious. Sometimes in life we just survive instead of living. If you ever feel like this. I hope you realise how beautiful a place this world is. Remember. it’s raining but eventually the sun will rise.

While in the darkest of places, I found poetry a beautiful way to express emotions. so give it a go and read some of my poems: some happy, some deep. Whatever it is you’re looking for – a poem to cheer you up, a poem you can relate too – this book has it all.

2) Mental Health Workbook by Elizabeth Rector

Mental health is a critical component of everyone’s lives. If you have a brain and have ever felt feelings, then this is the workbook for you!
It is part coloring book, part entertainment, part journal, and part suggestions for when encountering difficult times and complex emotions. Its main goal is to be a fun, helpful and useful workbook that encourages the user.

3) Paul’s Story: A Son’s Struggle with Adoption, Schizophrenia and the Mental Health System by Mardie Townsend

“Mental illness? Who wants to read about that?” Despite one in four people experiencing mental ill health in their lifetime, it is not a popular topic for conversation.  Perhaps this book will change that!

Combining amusing anecdotes, insights from research and heart-rending personal reflections, this book recounts the triumphs, traumas, and tragedies of the life of Paul – adopted child, loved son and brother, schizophrenia sufferer – and of his family. Excerpts from Paul’s own journals and reflections from his family, highlight the ups and downs of Paul’s life. These include his struggle with having been relinquished for adoption, his difficulty accepting the diagnosis of schizophrenia, and the inconsistent and patchwork approach to support for people with mental ill health and underline the tragic waste of human possibility resulting from inadequate mental health care.

An absorbing, poignant and powerful read, this chronicling of Paul’s life and experiences and its impact on his family is incredibly emotive, tackling some difficult subjects with honesty, compassion, and humour. The personable writing style makes this work accessible to a wide audience and the sustained analysis and discussion relating to the need for a higher standard of care and improvements in the mental health system makes the work compelling. Ultimately, it is a heartfelt piece that raises important suggestions for society today.

4) Mental Hacks by Eleanor Wilkins

Hi, I am Eleanor. Not a psychologist, just an everyday person. I do consider myself different, however, in the sense that I am constantly thinking about how to use my mind to feel the best I possibly can. Some of the questions I have asked myself in the past have included:

How can I use my memories to my advantage?

How can I use the power of negative feelings to feel better?

How can I be a person who feels good 99.9% of the time?

How can I tap into the power of expectation and time?

How can I be unaffected by others?

How can I get back to the old me?

How can I get my brain on my side?

After observing the workings of my mind, I did receive my answers to these questions, and many others, and would like to share them with you in this book. Enjoy!

5) Mental Awakenings​ by Emmanuella Brown

After a dysfunctional childhood, Reneé Davis’ teens and early twenties were spent in self-destruct mode – she drank too much, partied too much and flirted with the dark side whenever she could. Upon reflection she says: “those days were peppered with bad decisions, and I did plenty of things that I'm not very proud of now.” Eventually hitting rock bottom and suffering several nervous breakdowns, Reneé began seeing a therapist and turned her life around. From quitting drugs and alcohol, to cutting out negative influences, to eating better and spending less money, Reneé says: “I got truly happy, and finally made peace with my painful past.”