Books

Reviews Elsewhere – The Existence of Amy by Lana Grace Riva

ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

Caught this 5-star review of a novel by Emma earlier this week and wanted to share, as it may be of interest to some of you. In Emma’s words:

5*s for this beautiful insight into Amy’s life, and how she copes with OCD and mental health issues.  I found it a kind, interesting and beautiful novel about the lives of people we all meet everyday, who we may not realise are facing such challenges, and how the actions of others can make a  positive difference.

I think it’s fair to say that a realistic representation of someone dealing with a mental health challenge is still pretty noteworthy. Hopefully, someday that won’t be the case, but right now when I see someone say that a novel is an insight into the daily lives of people in that situation, I’ll share it.

You can check out the book itself from Amazon.

If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it as well.

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As you read the rest of the article you’ll see how self-distancing conversations look a lot more like those conversations with friends I referenced earlier. Getting away from all of the “I” and “me” and fairly judging the situation quietly and calmly as if it was happening to someone else can put it into a perspective that we sometimes lose when we are thinking of ourselves, especially those of us who struggle with self-blame. Of course, then that self-blame turns to rumination which feeds into depression, and round and round we go. 

There is a better way, and the examples given can help if we are willing to practice them. Especially the idea of reminding ourselves that we’ve already been through tougher, and more stressful situations and come out the other side.

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While some find it easy to talk about mental health issues, for many men, it can still be difficult. Too often they are “toughing it out,” keeping their feelings to themselves. That means they are suffering in silence — something Australian charity organisation Movember has decided to point out in a new campaign. Its heartbreakingly…

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Quite honestly, what Nathan writes here is true for everyone who is writing about mental health, or as a survivor. Sharing my story has been worthwhile in many ways, but there’s no denying that there’s a sense of exposure and vulnerability that accompanies it. The more open I’ve been, the more I’ve felt this way….

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We have gotten better at discussing some mental health issues, but there’s still so much more to do. It’s still not safe for too many people to even admit they need help with anxiety and depression, even though right now we all need support. There is still a severe shortage of help available, and we still treat other mental health issues with something other than fear.

If not now, when? Those of us who can share our stories, should be doing exactly that. For all the people who can’t. And, maybe even more, we need to remind the world that these issues affect people everywhere, from all backgrounds. It’s not just Hollywood, and it’s not just on poor neighborhoods, it affects plenty of people that we probably come in contact with every day. People we know, people we love, people we work with, neighbors, friends, family, etc. are, or have been, struggling with their mental health.

Maybe once we convince enough people of that, they’ll care enough to do something about it.

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