Today's World Suicide Prevention Day is significant because it falls on the same day as RUOK? Day. It is about speaking up to reduce the stigma around talking about suicide prevention safely. It is about standing up to make a positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing, and it is about being self informed and aware of support and services available to all those touched by suicide and those building a resilient community to prevent suicide. To mark this day, we are celebrating five of our authors whose books are going a long way to fight stigma and raise awareness of mental health. 

1) 'Where were you Jesus?' by Richard Magee 

In 'Where were you Jesus?' Richard Magee takes the reader along a journey of the descent into and the coming to terms with a life affected by schizophrenia. As a promising student the author approaches his late teens with optimism until dark periods encroach upon his daily life. As these periods increased in frequency and strength Richard gradually loses the ability to cope until, finally, feeling vulnerable in America, Richard returns home to Ireland only to be diagnosed with schizophrenia. 
From that point on he describes how the condition and the drugs used to combat it (not too effective in the early 90s) affected his ability to function and his overall health. He describes how the system tried to help him find work so that he could have some semblance of normality and a diversion from his thoughts. Written in an engaging and honest style this work may help others who are in some way afflicted by this serious condition.

2) 'My Beautiful Flower' by Jean Murray 

Jean Murray takes the reader through the changing face of Ireland from the post war years to the present day. And the journey, described with a lyrical Irish voice, is seen through the eyes of her family, through drink addiction, violence, poverty, success, love and fear and eventually the overcoming of depression. And at the centre of this autobiography is her daughter, Yasmin, the girl with disabilities whose own struggle shows her mother the way to freedom in life: Her beautiful flower.

3) By the Light of the Silvery Moon - Inside a Schizophrenic Mind by Anonymous

An ordinary girl arrives in London in the 1990s with unclear aspirations but with a determination to enjoy life. Following a turbulent relationship which includes the heavy use of recreational drugs the writer develops paranoid schizophrenia. This is her story, told with humour and insight, a story of coping with the disease and meeting the challenges of raising a son. Told with warmth and insight, By the Light of the Silvery Moon shows that there is hope and there is a future for those suffering with schizophrenia. The story is interspersed with photographs of the author's paintings completed as a component of art therapy.

4) View from the Bottom of the Well by Karen Thodsen
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Karen Thodsen's latest book chronicles Ffion's struggle against the onset of depression with great honesty and compassion. The feelings of complete helplessness and the desire to retreat from all human contact are movingly expressed, as Ffion falls deeper and deeper into her well of depression, until she reaches the bottom and can finally look up and see the light above. Even though the subject matter in this book is serious, there is still some humour that comes through dealing with children and teachers in Ffion's working life. View from the Bottom of the Well describes the desolation of depression in a clear and unsentimental way and will greatly enhance the reader's understanding of this very common illness.

5) A Brief Pshychotherapy for Personality Disorder by Don W. Ebrahim
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A Brief Psychotherapy for Personality Disorder introduces Traumatic Separation Theory as a new approach to treatment. It combines traditional with contemporary behavioural, biological, cognitive, and humanist concepts. Traumatic Separation Theory creates a shared paradigm with more intelligibility, which can explain and predict the categories, comorbidity, and coexistent psychopathology of Personality Disorder. It offers hope to all those diagnosed with Personality Disorder, and shows a way forward for therapists and professionals involved in offering treatment and support.
Richard Magee will be a guest on Liffey Sound 96.4 FM's 'Bookline' show on Sunday 13th September at 11am.

For further information please visit http://austinmacauley.com/upcoming-events