Mental and Emotional Wellness Resources: Books

“Mindfulness for Teen Worry” will show you how living in the moment will dissolve worry and help you stay grounded in the here and now. You'll learn powerful mindfulness skills to manage the four most common worry struggles teens face: school pressure, coping with friendship and relationship problems, improving body image and handling family conflicts. You'll be introduced to simple, effective techniques to help you become more mindful - like harnessing the power of the breath and how to relax your body in times of stress. If you struggle with worry or anxiety that gets in the way of being your best, this fun and friendly guide will help you maintain a mindful life in a frenzied world. This book has been selected as an Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Book Recommendation - an honor bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties.

When Catherine Cho and her husband set off from London to introduce their newborn son to family scattered across the United States, she could not have imagined what lay in store. Before the trip's end, she develops psychosis, a complete break from reality, which causes her to lose all sense of time and place, including what is real and not real. In desperation, her husband admits her to a nearby psychiatric hospital, where she begins the hard work of rebuilding her identity. In this unwaveringly honest, insightful, and often shocking memoir Catherine reconstructs her sense of self, starting with her childhood as the daughter of Korean immigrants, moving through a traumatic past relationship, and on to the early years of her courtship with and marriage to her husband, James. She masterfully interweaves these parts of her past with a vivid, immediate recounting of the days she spent in the ward. The result is a powerful exploration of psychosis and motherhood, at once intensely personal, yet holding within it a universal experience - of how we love, live and understand ourselves in relation to each other.

In “Your Life, Your Way,” you'll learn how to deal with all the changes and challenges of the teen years. You'll learn doable skills grounded in mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and positive psychology to help you form positive friendships, manage difficult emotions, and get unstuck from bad habits. You'll also learn real tips for dealing with several life challenges, including: feelings of uncertainty, concerns about your looks, deadlines with school/college/work, family, worries about the future and relationship stress. Once you identify your own personal struggles, you can decide how you want to face them - as strong, assertive, kind, honorable, caring, fun, supportive, friendly, agreeable, bold, persistent, or giving. If you're ready to take charge of your destiny and face problems head on, this book has everything you need to get started today!

Millions of people in the United States are affected by mental illness every year, and the Covid-19 pandemic only further exposed the shortcomings of the American mental health system. Too many are confused, afraid, and overwhelmed, with many asking themselves the same questions: What does it mean when different doctors give me different diagnoses? What if my insurance won't cover my treatment? Will I ever feel better? Families and friends are often left in the dark about how best to help their loved ones, from dealing with financial and logistical issues, to handling the emotional challenges of loving someone who is suffering. “You Are Not Alone” by Dr. Ken Duckworth is comprehensive guide that centers on the poignant lived experiences of over 125 individuals from across the country whose first-person stories illustrate the diversity of mental health journeys. This book also provides a practical guidance on dealing with a vast array of mental health conditions and navigating care. This singular resource - the first book from the National Alliance on Mental Illness - is a powerful reminder that help is here, and you are never alone.

When a sudden mental illness struck his wife, Patrick Dylan found himself living with an eerie stranger. Scared and unprepared, he began a desperate battle to protect her from a mysterious disease, shelter their children from her bizarre behavior, and recover the woman he loved. For years, Patrick and Mia Dylan enjoyed an intimate marriage that exemplified partnership. They worked together to create a loving home for their two children, enjoyed a close relationship with their extended family, and offered mutual support during hard times. But on the morning of Mia's thirty-ninth birthday, everything changed, and within weeks, she had been admitted to the emergency room, the hospital, and the local crisis facility, but none of the experts could provide an answer. As her illness eluded diagnosis, the family's struggle was only beginning. A brave memoir in the tradition of "Brain on Fire," Dylan's "Safe, Wanted, and Loved" is a compassionate, honest, and gripping account of a family navigating mental illness.

“Devasting losses” fills a critical gap in our scientific understanding of the grief response of parents who have lost a child to traumatic death and the psychotherapeutic strategies that best facilitate healing. It is based on the results of the largest study ever conducted of parents surviving a child's traumatic death or suicide. The book was conceived by William and Beverly Feigelman following their own devastating loss of a son, and written from the perspective of their experiences as both suicide-survivor support group participants and facilitators. The text emphasizes the sociological underpinnings of survivors' grief and provides data that vividly documents their critical need for emotional support. It explains how bereavement difficulties can be exacerbated by stigmatization, and by the failure of significant others to provide expected support. Also explored in depth are the ways in which couples adapt to the traumatic loss of a child and how this can bring them closer or render their relationship irreparable. Findings suggest that with time and peer support affiliations, most traumatically bereaved parents ultimately demonstrate resilience and find meaningful new roles for themselves.

One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but. As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients' lives - a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can't stop hooking up with the wrong guys -- she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing to Wendell. With startling wisdom and humor, Gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and change.

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness and then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt shows how the "play-based childhood" began to decline in the 1980’s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the "phone-based childhood" in the early 2010’s. He explains how this "great rewiring of childhood" has interfered with children's social and neurological development - covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences. Most important, Haidt issues a clear call to action. He diagnoses the "collective action problems" that trap us, and then proposes four simple rules that might set us free. He describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood.

Written by a dream team of mental health experts and grounded in evidence-based therapy, “The Anxiety First Aid Kit” offers powerful tools for triaging stress and anxiety in the moments when you need it most. You'll find easy and doable ways to help you press pause on panic, and find your calm spot right away. You'll discover in-the-moment interventions to help you relax before your anxiety and stress go into overdrive. And finally, you'll learn how to make healthy and workable lifestyle changes to improve your mental health and increase resilience, so you can effectively deal with stressful situations in the future - no matter what life throws at you. Between pandemic-related economic fears, the frustrations of social distancing, indoor confinement, work and household double duties (now including homeschooling!), and the looming threat of serious illness, is it any wonder you're feeling completely stressed out and anxious? If you need immediate relief, this book has everything you need to manage stress and anxiety - right now.

10 powerful skills to help you deal with anxious thoughts and feelings - so you can get back to being a teen! In a world where you face academic pressure, social media stress, and countless expectations from every direction, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. No wonder anxiety in teen girls is at an all-time high! Luckily, there are proven strategies you can learn to feel better, cope better, and live your life with more confidence. In “The Teen Girl's Anxiety Survival Guide,” you'll find 10 strategies to help you cope with anxious thoughts and feelings in healthy ways. You'll learn all about how anxiety works, and why you feel it; how to overcome negative thinking; mindfulness skills for calming your mind and body; and how self-compassion can help you cultivate a more positive outlook on life. You'll also discover how to balance screen time and social media use; and strengthen relationships with family and friends, so you can get the support you need to be your best.

Dr. Thomas Insel – then Director of the National Institute of Mental Health - knew that the gargantuan American mental health industry was not healing millions in desperate need. He left his position atop the mental health research world to investigate all that was broken - and what a better path to mental health might look like. In the US, we have treatments that work, but our system fails at every stage to deliver care well. Even before COVID, mental illness was claiming a life every eleven minutes by suicide. Quality of care varies widely, and much of the field lacks accountability. We focus on drug therapies for symptom reduction rather than on plans for long-term recovery. Care is often unaffordable and unavailable, particularly for those who need it most and are homeless or incarcerated. Where was the justice for the millions of Americans suffering from mental illness? Who was helping their families? But Dr. Insel also found that we do have approaches that work, both in the U.S. and globally. Mental illnesses are medical problems, but he discovers that the cures for the crisis are not just medical, but social. This path to healing, built upon what he calls the three Ps (people, place, and purpose), is more straightforward than we might imagine. Dr. Insel offers a comprehensive plan for our failing system and for families trying to discern the way forward.

A deeply powerful memoir about bipolar illness that has both transformed and saved lives. Dr. Jamison is one of the foremost authorities on manic-depressive (bipolar) illness; she has also experienced it firsthand. For even while she was pursuing her career in academic medicine, Jamison found herself succumbing to the same exhilarating highs and catastrophic depressions that afflicted many of her patients, as her disorder launched her into ruinous spending sprees, episodes of violence, and an attempted suicide. Here Jamison examines bipolar illness from the dual perspectives of the healer and the healed, revealing both its terrors and the cruel allure that at times prompted her to resist taking medication.

To understand mental health, we need to talk openly about it. Because there's no single definition of crazy, there's no single experience that embodies it, and the word itself means different things - wild? extreme? disturbed? passionate? - to different people. In “(Don't) Call Me Crazy,” thirty-three actors, athletes, writers, and artists offer essays, lists, comics, and illustrations that explore a wide range of topics: their personal experiences with mental illness, how we do and don't talk about mental health, help for better understanding how every person's brain is wired differently, and what, exactly, might make someone crazy. If you've ever struggled with your mental health, or know someone who has, come on in, turn the pages . . . and let's get talking.

Parents seeking alternative methods for helping their families achieve optimal mental health will learn effective, safe, natural, and generally more affordable strategies and treatments in this guidebook. With up-to-date research, illustrative examples, and a practical approach for individuals and families, this handbook features an overview of mental health disorders, basic strategies for improving as well as preventing mental health issues, therapies that go beyond the fundamentals, and specific strategies for those struggling with ADHD, depression, anxiety, stress, and substance abuse. In addition to outlining the basics--such as the role of exercise and activity, restful sleep, nutrition, and supplements - the text details stress-management practices and discusses alternate techniques including homeopathy, massage and bodywork therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic and osteopathic work. A section on advocacy and resources is also available.

Don and Mimi Galvin seemed to be living the American dream. After World War II, Don's work with the Air Force brought them to Colorado, where their 12 children perfectly spanned the baby boom: the oldest born in 1945, the youngest in 1965. They were the ideal, hardworking family, living in domestic harmony. But behind the scenes was a different story: psychological breakdown, sudden shocking violence, hidden abuse. By the mid-1970’s, six of the ten Galvin boys were diagnosed as schizophrenic. What took place inside the house on Hidden Valley Road was so extraordinary that the Galvins became one of the first families to be studied by the National Institute of Mental Health. Their story offers a shadow history of the science of schizophrenia, from the era of institutionalization, lobotomy, and the schizophrenogenic mother to the search for genetic markers for the disease, always amid profound disagreements about the nature of the illness itself. And unbeknownst to the Galvins, samples of their DNA informed decades of genetic research that continues today, offering paths to treatment, prediction, and even eradication of the disease for future generations.

A revised and updated edition of the bestselling guide to understanding borderline personality disorder. After more than two decades as the essential guide to Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), this new edition now reflects the most up- to-date research that has opened doors to the neurobiological, genetic, and developmental roots of the disorder as well as connections between BPD and substance abuse, sexual abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, ADHD, and eating disorders. Both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic advancements point to real hope for success in the treatment and understanding of BPD. This expanded and revised edition remains as accessible and useful as its predecessor and will reestablish this book as the go-to source for those diagnosed with BPD, their family, friends, and colleagues, as well as professionals and students in the field.

When the world awoke on the morning of January 30, 2022, many were shocked to learn of the tragic death of former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst. For most people, the news was unfathomable. How could a young woman in the prime of her life - a pageant queen, accomplished attorney, Extra correspondent and tireless advocate for charity organizations - have been lost to the world so suddenly? “By the Time You Read This” shares the manuscript Cheslie wrote before her passing, her story in her own words - from the highest highs of passing two bar exams, winning Miss USA, and beginning an exciting career as an entertainment journalist to the lowest lows of heartbreak, betrayal, and persistent depression. When Cheslie's mother, April Simpkins, picks up the narrative, she shares for the first time what she experienced in the aftermath of Cheslie's suicide. When faced with such a devastating loss, how does a mother find a way to carry on? Whether you are someone who struggles to maintain your mental health, or you love someone who does, this book will share insight into a reality that impacts thousands of families every year - as well as provide hope for those who are left behind.

The last time Clancy Martin tried to kill himself was in his basement with a dog leash - one of over ten attempts throughout the course of his life; and like many who consider taking their own lives, he hid the attempt from his wife, family, coworkers, and students. In “How Not to Kill Yourself,” Martin chronicles his multiple suicide attempts in an intimate depiction of the mindset of someone obsessed with self-destruction. He argues that, for the vast majority of suicides, an attempt does not just come out of the blue, nor is it merely a violent reaction to a particular crisis or failure, but is the culmination of a host of long-standing issues. He also looks at a number of great writers who have attempted suicide and detailed their experiences and at what the history of philosophy has to say both for and against suicide. The result combines memoir with critical inquiry to powerfully give voice to what for many has long been incomprehensible, while showing those presently grappling with suicidal thoughts that they are not alone, and that the desire to kill oneself is almost always temporary and avoidable.

A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by “iCarly” and “Sam & Cat” star about her struggles as a former child actor and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother. Jennette McCurdy was 6 years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother's dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called "calorie restriction," eating little and weighing herself 5 times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers. She was even showered by Mom until age 16 while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income. In this memoir, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.

The American mental health system is in crisis, and those affected by its shortcomings are drowning without the tools and resources they deserve and need to thrive. In Born into Crisis, author Kenneth Nixon shares his story of growing up with a mother with severe mental illness and a family stuck in an enduring cycle of trauma. He knows firsthand the impact trauma can have on a person's life. Kenneth not only takes you on a powerful journey through his stories, he provides cogent and practical strategies for creating lasting change in our mental health system. Born into Crisis is more than just a story of resiliency. It's also a call to action.

If you are grappling with depression, you should know what researchers and treatment professionals alike have found: Depression is a collection of problems, not a single problem. Consequently, there is no single treatment that will help the majority of sufferers. Instead, there are dozens of valuable strategies for overcoming depression, each of them helpful for certain individuals. How do you know which strategies to try? By examining your own depression, identifying your symptoms and the risk factors that seem to have contributed, and then selecting the approaches found to help with each one. In this first-of-its-kind self-help workbook, a depression treatment expert provides concrete, step-by-step exercises to help you identify the origins, symptoms, and important physicalogical and lifestyle components of your depression, and to generate a Depression Map treatment plan specifically for you.

The riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry (1969-2023), taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was 5 year-old Matthew, who traveled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; 14 year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; 24 year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called “Friends Like Us.” In an extraordinary story that only he could tell, Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he's found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of “Friends,” sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humor, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.

A brilliant and brave investigation into the medical and scientific revolution taking place around psychedelic drugs. When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third. Thus began a singular adventure into various altered states of consciousness, along with a dive deep into both the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists. Pollan sifts the historical record to separate the truth about these mysterious drugs from the myths that have surrounded them since the 1960’s, when a handful of psychedelic evangelists inadvertently catalyzed a powerful backlash against what was then a promising field of research.

Anxiety is not "just fear" and it doesn't come from out of the blue. In fact, everything you think you know about anxiety is about to change. Join Amy B. Scher as she shares her proven methods to address emotional healing and heal the root of anxiety: changing harmful beliefs, calming your body, and releasing old emotional energy that holds you back. This self-help anxiety workbook guides you through a series of transformative tools and easy-to-follow energy healing exercises that can change your life quickly. Written with clear instructions and a supportive and fun tone, Amy will be by your side every step of the way as you use her dynamic energy healing methods for overcoming anxiety.Utilizing Amy's powerful self-created emotional healing techniques like The Sweepto release subconscious beliefs and Thymus Test & Tapto clear stuck emotions from the body, as well as her own version of the widely popular Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), you will learn how to let go of unresolved emotional baggage so that you can become the healthiest, most relaxed, lighthearted version of yourself.

A compelling and compasionate memoir about coming to terms with the unique pain of living with a sibling's mental illness; In “Mad House” we have an account of the devastating effects of mental illness on the lives of those who share their world: the healthy siblings of those afflicted. Clea Simon was shattered when her older brother, Daniel, a freshman at Harvard, began hearing voices, making it impossible for him to function. He later committed suicide. Schizophrenia next claimed her sister, Katherine, who has moved from one institution to another after refusing any help from her family. Simon, who spoke with hundreds of other siblings of the mentally ill and with experts in the field, confronts the issues healthy siblings face, from guilt (Why do I deserve to be okay?) to fear (Will illness claim me or my children next?) to anger at being neglected by parents overwhelmed by the needs of the mad child.

Teens will become their bravest and fiercest selves and overcome social anxiety disorder with this helpful, upbeat book written by an expert in the field; Social anxiety is tough, but teens don't have to figure it out alone. This empowering book will walk them through strategies that work. From practicing mindfulness to relaxing their bodies, readers can train their brains to help them gradually get back to doing more of what they love to do. These tools will help teens manage anxiety in the future and keep it from managing them. This book uses evidence-based skills from cognitive behavioral therapy to give teens a toolkit to help kids overcome their anxiety and move toward becoming their bravest, fiercest selves. Lively chapters will engage teens and caregivers alike.;

Social media outlets can strengthen ties between friends and family, but they can also be used for nefarious purposes - from inciting insurrection to shaming, bullying, and spreading hatred. Using personal stories, academic studies, and current events, this book explores the ways in which social media platforms are empowering dark forces to tear at the fabric of society.

When someone you know - when someone you love - dies from suicide the sense of loss and guilt can be overwhelming and it is natural to wonder how you can ever come back from that pain. “Suicide: When It Happens to Someone You Know” offers a deeply personal look at the thoughts, feelings, and grieving process in the aftermath of suicide. It shows that there is no magic elixir, no ideal path to feeling okay again but that the way back includes accepting how you feel, talking to people you trust, and taking care of yourself.

Amy Tran, creator of “Doodledwellness” on Instagram uses cute doodles to help you take control of your thoughts and emotions with psychology-based coping skills. Amy believes cultivating a safe space in your mind and achieving balance between your thoughts and emotions begins with supporting your mental health. In “This Book is a Safe Space,” she offers cute doodles, self-love affirmations, and encouraging reminders to help you develop positive self-talk. Amy's key to equipping you with mental health tools and tips is colorful graphics that are both visually appealing and engaging. Sometimes brain science and psychology can be hard to understand and difficult to navigate when building a safe space in your mind. Unlike other books about mental health, this book simplifies complex content by providing it in easily understood formats. Inside, you'll find: self-love affirmations, encouragement and practical advice; coping skills for navigating relationships and situations; and tips and reminders for strengthening your inner voice.