In light of World Mental Health Day on October 10th, I wanted to share a little about my struggles with mental health, as well as some resources and books that can be helpful. I’ve discussed self-care before and helping a loved one in need, but I feel it’s important to clear the stigma around mental health awareness.
As I’ve grown up, I’ve had more open discussions with loved ones and friends opening up about their own mental health journey. It’s safe to say that mental health impacts all of us on some level. Just like we know that we need to take care of our physical health, we must do the same for our mental health. Going to school for social work not only allowed me the tools and resources to help others at the time, but it was eye-opening for me to learn skill sets and resources to turn to. I have compiled a list of resources and self-help books that have greatly helped me. I’m hoping they’ll help you, too. And for those of you who may want to look into talking to a therapist, something that I have benefited from, you can read my tips for finding the right match for a therapist here.
Mental Health Resources
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)– If you’re having some mental health struggles but don’t know how or where to get help, the National Alliance on Mental Illness is a great place to start. The website provides tons of information on warning signs, different types of mental illnesses, and their symptoms. It even shows you all of the support groups in your city based on the type of mental illness you or a loved one is dealing with. NAMI is an excellent mental health resource, and I can’t say enough good things about them.
The Trevor Project– The Trevor Project is a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ teens. The Trevor Project provides 24/7 support for teens via phone, text, or chat, as well as calming exercises, support groups, and a helpful Q&A page for youth who might not quite be ready to talk to a counselor one-on-one.
Best Books on Mental Health
Self-Love Workbook for Women– I find workbooks like this one to be very soothing when I’m dealing with some mental health issues, and this one is specifically geared toward women and focuses on learning to love yourself.
The Body Keeps Score– This is a top-recommended read about mental health and dealing with trauma. This book is a read that just about anyone can benefit from reading!
The Mountain Is You– As someone who admittedly has self-sabotaged in the past, this book comes highly recommended by me. It gave me a lot of insight into why we self-sabotage and offered a ton of practical advice on doing the internal work of overcoming past trauma and how to stop being our worst enemy.
How to Do the Work– How to Do the Work teaches you how to recognize certain patterns you might be making due to past trauma and, ultimately, how to overcome them. I found this book super helpful, and I would suggest picking up a copy if it sounds like something that could help you as well!
Do you know of any mental health resources or books that I didn’t mention?
