It's All In Your Head
Everyone does say that laughter is the best medicine. Your medications are just a supplement.
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Disclaimer: we are not medical professionals- we cannot give you a diagnosis or medication advice. Please speak to a health professional for this. If you are in crisis please contact one of the hotlines on our page.
Since many people have been requesting books on mental illness, I’ve taken the time to put together a basic list. This is not a comprehensive list; there are a wide array of self-help and mental health books out there, some of which are better than others. These are the ones I found to have the highest reviews, most popular, and/or most credible. If you have any suggestions, feel free to submit them!
**Any books dealing with mental health (I’ve found memoirs in particular) can sometimes be triggering, so read at your own discretion.**
Abuse and Trauma
Trauma and Recovery by Judith Lewis Herman
The Body Remembers by Babette Rothschild
Toxic Parents by Susan Forward (Self-Help)
The Verbally Abusive Relationship: How to Recognize it and How to Respond by Patricia Evans
Life After Trauma by Dena Rosembloom (Self-Help Workbook)
Addiction
More, Now, Again by Elizabeth Wurtzel (Memoir)
Over the Influence by Patt Denning (Self-Help)
Facing the Shadow by Patrick Carnes (Self-Help)
Anger Management
The Anger Control Workbook by Matthew McKay (Self-Help)
The Anger Trap by Les Carter
Beyond Anger by Thomas J. Harbin (Self-Help)
Rage: A Step-by-step Guide to Overcoming Explosive Anger by Ronald T. Potter-Efron (Self-Help)
When Anger Hurts by Matthew McKay (Self-Help Workbook)
Anxiety and Phobias
Dying of Embarrassment by Barbara Markway (Self-Help)
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund Bourne (Self-Help Workbook)
Beyond Anxiety and Phobia by Edmund Bourne (Self-Help)
Coping with Anxiety by Edmund Bourne
Don’t Panic by Reid Wilson (Self-Help Workbook)
Panic Attack Recovery Book by Shirley Swede (Self-Help Workbook)
Calming Your Anxious Mind by Jeffrey Brantley
Bipolar Disorder
An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison (Memoir)
Touched with Fire by Kay Redfield Jamison
Madness by Mayra Hornbacher (Memoir)
The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide by David J. Miklowitz
Electroboy by Andy Behrman (Memoir)
Borderline Personality Disorder
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (Memoir)
Get Me Out of Here by Rachel Reiland (Memoir)
I Hate You, Don’t Leave Me by Jerold J. Kriesman
Stop Walking on Eggshells by Paul T. Mason
Depression
Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel (Memoir)
The Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon
Against Depression by Peter D. Kramer
Undoing Depression by Richard O’Connor
Speaking of Sadness by David A. Karp
Darkness Visible by William Styron (Memoir)
Depressive Illness: The Curse of the Strong by Dr Tim Cantopher
Dissociation
Feeling Unreal by Daphne Simeon
Eating Disorders
Wasted by Mayra Hornbacher (Memoir)
Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi (Memoir)
Life Without ED by Jenni Shaefer (Self-Help)
Press Pause Before you Eat by Dr. Linda Mintle
Make Peace With Your Thighs by Dr. Linda Mintle (Self-Help)
Fasting Girls by Joan Jacoms Brumberg
Gaining by Aimee Liu
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
The Boy who Wouldn’t Stop Washing by Judith L. Rapoport (Memoir)
Coping with OCD by Bruce M. Hyman (Self-Help)
The OCD Workbook by Bruce Hyman (Self-Help Workbook)
Schizophrenia
Divided Minds by Pamela Spiro Wagner (Memoir)
The Day the Voices Stopped by Ken Steele (Memoir)
The Center Cannot Hold by Elyn R. Saks (Memoir)
Self Harm
A Bright Red Scream by Marilee Strong
Bloodletting by Victoria Leatham (Memoir)
Cutting by Steven Levenkron
Skin Game by Caroline Kettlewell (Memoir)
Women Who Hurt Themselves by Dusty Miller
Suicide
Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide by Kay Redfield Jamison
The Suicidal Mind by Edwin S. Shneidman
Why People Die by Suicide by Thomas Joiner
Synthesia
The Man Who Tasted Shapes by Richard E. Cytowic (Memoir)
Miscellaneous
Voluntary Madness: My Year Lost and Found in the Looney Bin by Norah Vincent (Memoir)
The Dialectal Behavioral Therapy Workbook by Matthew McKay (Self-Help Workbook)
Boundaries: When to Say Yes, how to Say No, to Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud (Self-Help)
Lucky by Alice Sebold (Memoir)
thepsychedelicasylum Asks:
mentalillnessmouse Said:
bestronganddrinktea Asks:
mentalillnessmouse Said:
This set of grounding techniques has a few ideas for both sensory and cognitive grounding. This link will take you to some basic grounding exercises—they’re more anxiety-focused than psychosis-focused, but there are still some pretty good ideas.
Research shows that regulating your breathing helps focus not only your heart, but the rest of your body and mind as well. Here’s a link to some common deep breathing exercises.
If you’re with somebody that you trust, sometimes having them talk to you can be helpful. Having somebody lead you through a breathing exercise verbally can also be extremely effective.
It may also be helpful to write down any potential triggers that you can identify. After an attack, if it doesn’t stress you to think about it, see if you can notice if anything in the surrounding environment may have brought on the attack or try to recognize patterns: do they occur more frequently when you’re running on little sleep? Is there a particular place (ie: public) that they occur more often?
Not all grounding techniques are going to be effective or as effective as the others, so it’s important to focus on finding the ones that work best for you.
I hope this helps—Good luck!
~Lil
This link at webmd.com has a forum for pretty much every type of major medication. You can read about side effects, how it works, how it interacts with other meds, and also read what others have said about the medication through reviews and ratings.
Anonymous Asks:
mentalillnessmouse Said:
The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive by Stephen Fry provides some great information about living with bipolar disorder.
The New Asylums (PBS Frontline): Examines why many individuals with serious mental illnesses are now in state prisons. (We watched this one in my Abnormal Psych class and I thought it was extremely interesting.)
The Bridge: A documentary about suicide and the Golden Gate Bridge. It features friends and family members of individuals who jumped from the bridge and also at least one person who jumped and survived.
Middle Sexes (HBO Documentaries): This film is an informative documentary that describes the issues faced by members of the transgender and transsexual community.
This website has links to a bunch of mental health documentaries you can download and/or watch online. I haven’t used this site, so I can’t speak for its reputation, but it can at least provide you with a list of additional titles.
Anonymous Asks:
mentalillnessmouse Said:
TW: Suicide
First, I want to thank you for reaching out to us for help. I am so, so glad that you have some means of contact with others and that you’ve asked for some resources.
IMAlive is a live online network that uses instant messaging to respond to people in crisis and is, I believe, available 24/7. I’d suggest trying this one first.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline also has a chat resource available. The link to the chat is located lower down on the right-hand side.
This is our list of additional hotlines and crisis centers, and we also have a list of more chat rooms.
I know things feel hopeless, but I promise you that there is always another option. You are worth so much. Please stay safe, anon.
~Lil
______________
The only 24/7 crisis chat I know of is RAINN http://rainn.org/
I’m not sure if that applies to you but please try it out. On our helpful resources page under “urgent” there are other chat resources but they are all offline for the weekend.
Perhaps try the samaritans email service as well?
Hang in there honey. Things get better.
-Safet
Abusive relationships don’t start out that way. Most abusive relationships start out with candy and flowers, courting and romance—basically, a “normal” relationship. The abusive slips in, slowly and maliciously. It may not seem so obvious to the person in the relationship that things are getting out of hand because they have slowly progressed to that point over time.
It can be hard to determine if you’re in an abusive relationship because it can be hard to see the behaviors for what they really are. It’s common for the recipient of the abuse to make excuses for the abuser’s behavior or they may simply deem it as a normal part of the relationship.
You might be in an abusive relationship if:
- You’re afraid to break up with them because they make or imply threats
- You feel tied down, like you have to check-in or account for your whereabouts
- You feel afraid to make decisions or bring up certain subjects because the other person gets too mad
- You are afraid to contradict them
- You tell yourself if you just try harder and love your partner enough that everything will get better
- You find yourself worrying and obsessing about how to please your partner and keep them happy—regardless of if you feel comfortable doing it or not.
- You feel like you are walking on eggshells all the time.
- You find the physical, verbal, mental or emotional abuse is getting worse over time.
- Your partner threatens to physically harm you and/or follows through on those threats.
- You are being cut off from family members and friends more and more because your partner doesn’t want you to have contact with them.
- You partner makes decisions about where to go or what to do with little or no input from you.
- You are being belittled and called names when the two of you are alone or in public.
- You are being embarrassed and humiliated in front of others, or your partner talks about you as if you are not there.
- You are having sex that is forced or rougher than you prefer.
- You are prevented from having access to your own money or the family’s money
- Money is used to control and manipulate you
- Your partner minimizes the abuse, tells you it didn’t happen or that you are crazy
- You are feeling intimidated by your partner when they hit objects, abuse pets, brandish weapons, or verbally threaten you
- Your partner dictates who you can see and when you can see them.
- Your partner routinely looks through your Internet history, your phone’s contacts, texts, and recent call lists.
If any of your friends have expressed concern that the relationship you’re in may be unhealthy, it’s not a bad idea to go through and honestly evaluate the relationship—outside observers may see the behaviors differently than you do.
If you are feeling this way in your relationship, talk to someone. Call a hotline. Talk to a friend or family member you can trust. See a counselor or mental health provider. We have a great list of hotline numbers available that are aimed specifically at domestic abuse. The National Domestic Violence website has some other great resources.
Love should never be about fear or anxiety. It’s not your fault, and you deserve somebody who will love and respect you always.
Anonymous Asks:
mentalillnessmouse Said:
Our Resource Page has a lot of great links about most of the things you mentioned, including how to best support somebody with a mental illness. One resource in particular that might be particularly helpful is the article about telling somebody about your mental illness.
There are a few other “Advice Animals” and memes out there on Tumblr that deal specifically with anxiety disorders. Anxiety Cat and Social Anxiety Mouse both specifically relate to anxiety and you may also find some helpful resources there as well.
~Lil
This site will take you to a list of all the different forms of therapy that can be offered. These include traditional forms such as Psychotherapy, CBT, and DBT, as well as alternative/not as common forms of therapy such as Art Therapy, Movement Therapy, and Lifespan Integration. It’ll give you a brief background/history, what it’s commonly used for, and how it typically works.
This might be helpful just to browse or when considering what type of therapy to go into, as each has its particular strengths and focus areas.
In the case that you need medication and cannot afford it, check out needymeds and the medicine program which offer free or really discounted meds for people who need them. Also, check out this post.
For therapy, look around your area for group sessions, which tend to cost less than one-on-one sessions with a therapist/counsellor.
Use psychology today or therapist-finder to find therapists in your area and ask them about their rates. There are some therapists [especially those who are doing well financially] that will offer “sliding rates” where they will accept cash payments on a scale that depends on your current financial situation. Not all therapists or counselling providers offer this though so check around and call local crisis centers or your insurance provider [if you have one]
If you do not have issue with going to a church or religious institution for counselling/therapy…. your church or synagogue [or other institution] could put you in touch with a pastoral counselling program. Certified pastoral counselors, who are ministers in a recognized religious body, have advanced degrees in pastoral counseling, as well as professional counseling experience. Pastoral counseling is often provided on a sliding-scale fee. For more information check out the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.
Another thing to try are community health or community mental health centers. Like the above-mentioned places, fees are on a sliding scale based on income.
Try to connect with groups like mentalhealthamerica, which provide services and resources at a low cost. They also help people navigate the health system and problem solve.
Also keep in mind that at large research universities, they often have counselling available for students and others at low costs or, again, on sliding scales.
Check out a women’s shelter or crisis center in your area for additional specific resources and information on free support or self help groups. These shelters and centers should also have information on people of low income or in bad financial situation.
Stay strong you all!
There is help and hope out there. And there are always free online support groups [and our ask box is always open]
be kind to yourselves <3 and don’t hesitate to ask for help! you’re all worth it ~
-safet
Here are also some USA based resources I have found:
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is a federal agency responsible for administering Medicare, Medicaid, State Children’s Health Insurance (SCHIP) and several other programs that help people pay for health care.
- Healthcare Services Locator The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides a Health Center Database for a nationwide directory of clinics to obtain low or no-cost healthcare.
- The Partnership for Prescription Assistance The Partnership for Prescription Assistance helps qualifying patients without prescription drug coverage get the medicines they need through the program that is right for them. Many will get their medications free or nearly free.
- Benefits for People with Disabilities The Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability programs are the largest of several Federal programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities.
- Eating Disorders Recovery Support, Inc.: Their Teatment Fund is available to all California residents who are in need of financial assistance in order to pursue or continue treatment for an eating disorder.
- Kristen Haglund Foundation: Offers grants to individuals in financial need for treatment of eating disorders.
- Manna Scholarship Fund: Another Foundation offering scholarship funds for eating disorder treatment.
- MentorConnect: The first Global EDs mentoring community where those who are solid in their healing mentor those who are still in the healing process, free of charge.
- Moonshadow’s Spirit: Offers financial assistance to individuals who are seeking inpatient or partial hospitalization eating disorder programs.
- Multi-Service Eating Disorder Association (MEDA): Provides National Phone Consultations to individuals concerned about their eating/exercise behaviors, and to loved ones of those struggling with eating disorders. A clinician who specializes in eating disorders will gather information, discuss questions or concerns and provide referral resources. Call 1-866-343-MEDA to schedule an appointment.
- Project HEAL: A non-profit created by three young women intended to offer support for those who want to heal from their eating disorders. Scholarship applications for treatment are available.
Other resources:
In the case that you need medication and cannot afford it, check out needymeds and the medicine program which offer free or really discounted meds for people who need them. Also, check out this post.
For therapy, look around your area for group sessions, which tend to cost less than one-on-one sessions with a therapist/counsellor.
Use psychology today or therapist-finder to find therapists in your area and ask them about their rates. There are some therapists [especially those who are doing well financially] that will offer “sliding rates” where they will accept cash payments on a scale that depends on your current financial situation. Not all therapists or counselling providers offer this though so check around and call local crisis centers or your insurance provider [if you have one]
If you do not have issue with going to a church or religious institution for counselling/therapy…. your church or synagogue [or other institution] could put you in touch with a pastoral counselling program. Certified pastoral counselors, who are ministers in a recognized religious body, have advanced degrees in pastoral counseling, as well as professional counseling experience. Pastoral counseling is often provided on a sliding-scale fee. For more information check out the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.
Another thing to try are community health or community mental health centers. Like the above-mentioned places, fees are on a sliding scale based on income.
Try to connect with groups like mentalhealthamerica, which provide services and resources at a low cost. They also help people navigate the health system and problem solve.
Also keep in mind that at large research universities, they often have counselling available for students and others at low costs or, again, on sliding scales.
Check out a women’s shelter or crisis center in your area for additional specific resources and information on free support or self help groups. These shelters and centers should also have information on people of low income or in bad financial situation.
Stay strong you all!
There is help and hope out there. And there are always free online support groups [and our ask box is always open]
be kind to yourselves <3 and don’t hesitate to ask for help! you’re all worth it ~
-safet
Here are also some USA based resources I have found:
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is a federal agency responsible for administering Medicare, Medicaid, State Children’s Health Insurance (SCHIP) and several other programs that help people pay for health care.
- Healthcare Services Locator The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides a Health Center Database for a nationwide directory of clinics to obtain low or no-cost healthcare.
- The Partnership for Prescription Assistance The Partnership for Prescription Assistance helps qualifying patients without prescription drug coverage get the medicines they need through the program that is right for them. Many will get their medications free or nearly free.
- Benefits for People with Disabilities The Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability programs are the largest of several Federal programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities.
In the case that you need medication and cannot afford it, check out needymeds and the medicine program which offer free or really discounted meds for people who need them. Also, check out this post.
For therapy, look around your area for group sessions, which tend to cost less than one-on-one sessions with a therapist/counsellor.
Use psychology today or therapist-finder to find therapists in your area and ask them about their rates. There are some therapists [especially those who are doing well financially] that will offer “sliding rates” where they will accept cash payments on a scale that depends on your current financial situation. Not all therapists or counselling providers offer this though so check around and call local crisis centers or your insurance provider [if you have one]
If you do not have issue with going to a church or religious institution for counselling/therapy…. your church or synagogue [or other institution] could put you in touch with a pastoral counselling program. Certified pastoral counselors, who are ministers in a recognized religious body, have advanced degrees in pastoral counseling, as well as professional counseling experience. Pastoral counseling is often provided on a sliding-scale fee. For more information check out the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.
Another thing to try are community health or community mental health centers. Like the above-mentioned places, fees are on a sliding scale based on income.
Try to connect with groups like mentalhealthamerica, which provide services and resources at a low cost. They also help people navigate the health system and problem solve.
Also keep in mind that at large research universities, they often have counselling available for students and others at low costs or, again, on sliding scales.
Check out a women’s shelter or crisis center in your area for additional specific resources and information on free support or self help groups. These shelters and centers should also have information on people of low income or in bad financial situation.
Stay strong you all!
There is help and hope out there. And there are always free online support groups [and our ask box is always open]
be kind to yourselves <3 and don’t hesitate to ask for help! you’re all worth it ~
-safet
Here are also some USA based resources I have found:
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is a federal agency responsible for administering Medicare, Medicaid, State Children’s Health Insurance (SCHIP) and several other programs that help people pay for health care.
- Healthcare Services Locator The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides a Health Center Database for a nationwide directory of clinics to obtain low or no-cost healthcare.
- The Partnership for Prescription Assistance The Partnership for Prescription Assistance helps qualifying patients without prescription drug coverage get the medicines they need through the program that is right for them. Many will get their medications free or nearly free.
- Benefits for People with Disabilities The Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability programs are the largest of several Federal programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities.
- Eating Disorders Recovery Support, Inc.: Their Teatment Fund is available to all California residents who are in need of financial assistance in order to pursue or continue treatment for an eating disorder.
- Kristen Haglund Foundation: Offers grants to individuals in financial need for treatment of eating disorders.
- Manna Scholarship Fund: Another Foundation offering scholarship funds for eating disorder treatment.
- MentorConnect: The first Global EDs mentoring community where those who are solid in their healing mentor those who are still in the healing process, free of charge.
- Moonshadow’s Spirit: Offers financial assistance to individuals who are seeking inpatient or partial hospitalization eating disorder programs.
- Multi-Service Eating Disorder Association (MEDA): Provides National Phone Consultations to individuals concerned about their eating/exercise behaviors, and to loved ones of those struggling with eating disorders. A clinician who specializes in eating disorders will gather information, discuss questions or concerns and provide referral resources. Call 1-866-343-MEDA to schedule an appointment.
- Project HEAL: A non-profit created by three young women intended to offer support for those who want to heal from their eating disorders. Scholarship applications for treatment are available.
Other resources:
