A safe place to talk openly about mental health & illness
Introducing Consciousness: A Graphic Guide by David Papineau and Howard Selina is the latest book in this series I've read. It explores what this thing is that we call consciousness. There are no answers, because consciousness remains pretty elusive, but the book doesn't aim to give you answers. One of the ideas raised was philosopher… Continue reading Book Review: Introducing Consciousness: A Graphic Guide
I Hate You – Don't Leave Me: Understanding the Borderline Personality by Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Strauss is the new third edition of a book that was first published in 1989. It's probably one of the more widely recognized books about borderline personality disorder (BPD). There was a note to readers at the beginning… Continue reading Book Review: I Hate You – Don’t Leave Me
Introducing the Freud Wars: A Graphic Guide by Stephen Wilson, with illustrations by Oscar Zarate, is part of the Introducing... series. I've previously reviewed two books in the series, Introducing Evolutionary Psychology and Introducing Psychology. I was expecting this book to humorous, given the topic, the cover art, and the other books in the series… Continue reading Book Review: Introducing the Freud Wars: A Graphic Guide
Introducing Psychology: A Graphic Guide by Nigel C. Benson is from the same series as Introducing Evolutionary Psychology, which I recently reviewed. It essentially takes the most interesting and relevant bits from an Intro to Psychology course and simplifies it, adding some fun graphics to boot. Explanations are bite-sized, chapters are short and sweet, and… Continue reading Book Review: Introducing Psychology: A Graphic Guide
Hello, Cruel World: 101 Alternative to Suicide for Teens, Freaks & Other Outlaws by Kate Bornstein was recommended to me by Skinny Hobbit. It's written for nonconforming "freaks and outlaws," whether that be in relation to gender, sexual orientation, or anything else that society likes to judge. It has fun illustrations, like a "get out… Continue reading Book Review: Hello, Cruel World
Introducing Evolutionary Psychology: A Graphic Guide by Dylan Evans and Oscar Zarate offers an easy-to-read intro to the human mind's evolution over time. The book manages to cram some substantial subject matter into simple explanations and ultra-short chapters, all accompanied by fun illustrations. The book begins with some foundational concepts like heredity, evolution, and natural… Continue reading Book Review: Introducing Evolutionary Psychology: A Graphic Guide
When Life Hits Hard by Russ Harris draws on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to explore dealing with grief. I'm a big fan of the author based on his other writings about ACT, and this book didn't disappoint. The book is divided into three sections: regroup, rebuild, and revitalize. Grief is framed as a process… Continue reading Book Review: When Life Hits Hard
The Healing Sexual Trauma Workbook by Erika Shershun draws on somatic psychotherapy to help survivors of sexual assault/abuse work through their trauma and find healing. The author herself is a sexual assault survivor. The book isn't specifically oriented towards either isolated traumatic incidents or complex trauma, but seems like it could speak to both. It's… Continue reading Book Review: Healing Sexual Trauma Workbook
I Will Not Be My Mental Illness: Let's Recover Together by Karina Pommainville-Odell, a fellow blogger, is an invitation for the reader to join the author in working on a better life with mental illness. The book's tone is friendly and encouraging, and positive in a realistic rather than over the top way. Chapters are… Continue reading Book Review: I Will Not Be My Mental Illness
In Braving Bipolar: A Family Journey and Guide, Stephanie Schlosser shares her experiences with bipolar disorder in order to support others who have the disorder, provide education and insights for those who don't, and challenge stigma. The book is broken into two parts. Part I gives a chronological view of how the author's illness developed… Continue reading Book Review: Braving Bipolar