Community Voices: Books About Mental Health
Books recommended by team members and other community members who answered our survey are below.
Let’s begin with NAMI’s books! “You Are Not Alone,” NAMI’s first ever book, was written by Dr. Ken Duckworth, is a comprehensive guide that includes stories from more than 130 people who have been there—including people with mental illness and caregivers—and understand how challenging it can be to find the help you need, when you need it. Their stories are what makes this book different from your typical mental health guide. The follow-up, “You Are Not Alone for Parents and Caregivers: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Your Child’s Mental Health” is the resource for every trusted adult helping a child or young adult manage their mental health. More here on NAMI’s books.
No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz
“This book provides a trauma informed lens for healing oneself while simultaneously encouraging self-love. Often times the areas of our life we want to change we view as “bad” when in reality, these are wounded and vulnerable parts that need love and not judgment. This concept has changed the way I view myself and others. I think it should be in everyone’s library.”—Debbie
I’m Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help by Dr. Xavier Amador
“Dr. Amador’s LEAP approach— Listen; Empathize; Agree; Partner—provides us with steps to help us to communicate more respectfully and effectively. It begins with listening to what our loved ones are saying without judgment. This method helps us talk with, instead of talk to, our loved ones. It helps us reach our loved ones, and connect and collaborate with them on a path forward.”—Stef
Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
“This collection of essays is a powerful testament to the power of community, the intersectionality of identity, and the importance of the disability justice movement. The work of disabled activists IS the work of mental health advocates. We must look to the leadership of disabled activists when looking at the history and future of the mental health movement. This book is a purposefully accessibly written read– I highly recommend!”—Elizabeth
Journeys Beyond the Frontier: A Rebellious Guide to Psychosis and Other Extraordinary Experiences by Dr. Mark Ragins
“It’s like attending an information packed support group. Lots of real world fascinating stories.”—Cynthia
“He writes from his unique history and compassionate perspective on how to treat those who live with psychosis.”—Jolissa
Profiles In Mental Health Courage by Patrick Kennedy
“This is a great book profiling 12 courageous people that share their personal mental health stories. This book makes dealing with mental illness more understandable, it provides hope and shows how courageous people must be to navigate the daily struggles to maintain and improve your mental health.”—Erin
Building A Life Worth Living by Marsha Linehan
“Great memoir about about Borderline Personality Disorder. Marsha Linehan lives with borderline personality disorder and is the creator of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy a modality with high success rates for BPD.”—Jolissa
The Buddha and the Borderline by Kiera Van Gelder
“Another great memoir about Borderline Personality Disorder.”—Jolissa
Grace for the Afflicted: A Clinical and Biblical Perspective on Mental Illness by Matthew S Stanford
“This is a compelling read that pulls modern diagnostic information to review well-known biblical stories and figures to illustrate what mental illness they were living with, including bipolar, dementia, suicide, trauma-related disorders, and more.”—Jolissa
The Primal Scream
“It tremendously raised my self-esteem and so many problems fell away as my self-esteem went up. I learned my self-esteem is separate from my rank in the world. I had a twenty year relationship with my significant other which I couldn’t have had without the therapy in the book.”—William