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No Such Thing as Normal
'Mental illness has led to some of the worst times of my life... but it has also led to some of the most brilliant. Bad things happen, but good things can come from them. And strange as it might sound, my mental health has been vastly improved by being mentally ill.'
From depression and anxiety to personality disorders, one in four of us experience mental health issues every year and, in these strange and unsettling times, more of us than ever are struggling to cope. In No Such Thing As Normal, Bryony offers sensible, practical advice, covering subjects such as sleep, addiction, worry, medication, self-image, boundary setting, therapy, learned behaviour, mindfulness and, of course - as the founder of Mental Health Mates - the power of walking and talking. She also strives to equip those in need of help with tools and information to get the best out of a poorly funded system that can be both frightening and overwhelming. The result is a lively, honest and direct guide to mental health that cuts through the Instagram-wellness bubble to talk about how each of us can feel stronger, better and just a little bit less alone.
From depression and anxiety to personality disorders, one in four of us experience mental health issues every year and, in these strange and unsettling times, more of us than ever are struggling to cope. In No Such Thing As Normal, Bryony offers sensible, practical advice, covering subjects such as sleep, addiction, worry, medication, self-image, boundary setting, therapy, learned behaviour, mindfulness and, of course - as the founder of Mental Health Mates - the power of walking and talking. She also strives to equip those in need of help with tools and information to get the best out of a poorly funded system that can be both frightening and overwhelming. The result is a lively, honest and direct guide to mental health that cuts through the Instagram-wellness bubble to talk about how each of us can feel stronger, better and just a little bit less alone.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 7, 2021
109 people are currently reading
1778 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
June 12, 2022
I borrowed No Such Thing As Normal: What My Mental Illness Has Taught Me About Mental Wellness from the library on impulse as it includes a chapter on lockdown and the pandemic. The last self-help book I read on mental health, The Anxiety Sisters' Survival Guide: Manage Worry, Panic, and Fear and Become Hopeful, Connected, and (Anxiously) Happy, did not work for me as it seemed to be based in a pre-pandemic reality. I wondered whether this one would have more useful reflections on how to look after your mental health during a global public health crisis. It was more autobiographical than I expected, as Gordon is very much conveying her personal experience and lessons learned about mental wellness.
It certainly got me thinking about mental health and how generalisable advice about it can reasonably be. The Anxiety Sisters' Survival Guide: Manage Worry, Panic, and Fear and Become Hopeful, Connected, and (Anxiously) Happy tried to cover every possible anxiety symptom and treatment option, which became quite overwhelming. By contrast, Gordon seeks to distil her own mental health struggles into lessons that are broad, hopeful, and universally applicable. This is more effective in some chapters than others, I think. I did wonder what audience she was writing for. Those who, like her, have been dealing with mental illness for years will have heard all this many times before, so perhaps it is directed at people experiencing mental health problems for the first time or wanting to support someone suffering from them. While the basic advice is not new, Gordon delivers it succinctly and well: sleep, breathe, eat, exercise, don't doomscroll, etc. She does not pretend that any of this is easy and has a whole chapter on asking for help. Usefully, this includes the NHS treatment pathways (in England, at least).
I found Gordon's stance on mindfulness refreshing. I'm highly ambivalent about it, after more than a year of daily mindfulness meditation that, if anything, made me more anxious. Probably I was doing it wrong back then, but just sitting still, looking inside your mind, and dwelling upon everything wrong in there for ten minutes isn't great. As she puts it, mindfulness is good for mental wellness without being a treatment for mental illness. It may also work better if you have a less visual imagination than me. Another point I appreciated is that your illness does not want you to get well. Gordon personifies her OCD as Jareth the goblin king to achieve some sense of separation from it. This bit struck me as insightful:
I was less impressed with the Boiler Theory and repetition of 'get out of your own way' (how??). Also, the anxious should keep in mind that Gordon’s list of worries in chapter five may give you new ideas for things to worry about. On the other hand, 'what other people think of you is none of your business' is a great point. I find that being an introvert helps with not caring about other people's perceptions (other than people I love). The same chapter raises the interesting question of self-acceptance and self-awareness. Gordon is adamant that you should accept yourself, not try to please others, and 'learn that a healthy relationship is one in which you love each other unconditionally'. This made me wonder to what extent self-acceptance is possible when mental illness stops you from seeing yourself clearly. What version of yourself are you accepting? Moreover, unconditional love and self-acceptance could conflict with the importance of boundaries, emphasised in the prior section. I'm a little uncomfortable with absolute self-acceptance: we live in a society and should be willing to see flaws in ourselves. This section could maybe do with a bit more nuance.
The chapter on helping others makes some good points about small acts of service, writing to your MP, or volunteering if you can. Gordon also suggests that you can participate in mental health activism simply by 'sharing your own story' on social media. I'm much more dubious about this peculiar neoliberal idea that individual stories create systemic change - really? It also presupposes that everyone's experience of mental illness has a coherent narrative structure, which I highly doubt. Most importantly, why should it be anyone else's business? Perhaps it's the shyness and introversion, but I'm not comfortable sharing a lot of personal details of my mental health with total strangers. While for some this may be a positive experience, social media is often a toxic, adversarial, corporate hellhole. I'd be inclined to caution on this front.
Finally, to the topic I chose the book for in the first place: mental health in lockdown. In the introduction Gordon comments:
While calling them superpowers is making a lot of virtue out of necessity, I agree that prior experience of mental illness meant approaching lockdown with coping mechanisms (good and bad!) that could be shared with others who'd never needed them before. I was still in academia when the pandemic began and it was useful having some mental wellness tips to share with anxious students. In the final chapter, though, Gordon looks at her subsequent experience of the pandemic and acknowledges that her mental health has deteriorated. Obviously it has been an immensely stressful, even traumatic, period calculated to cause recurrence of mental illnesses. This makes for a sombre ending. In an effort to be hopeful, the final pages consist of a list of motivational slogans summarising the prior chapters. As the rest of this nit-picky review might suggest, I'm not hugely keen on such sloganeering. 'There is no such thing as normal' is one I find especially tricky. Without an understanding of baseline normality, how can we identify and treat mental illness? While it doesn't help to beat yourself up for not being normal, surely attempts to work on your mental health are about trying to get your brain to behave more normally? And although normality can encompass a broad range of experiences, doesn't denying its existence make mental illness even more isolating? To me it has a rather fatalistic ring. Then again, that could be the anxiety talking.
It certainly got me thinking about mental health and how generalisable advice about it can reasonably be. The Anxiety Sisters' Survival Guide: Manage Worry, Panic, and Fear and Become Hopeful, Connected, and (Anxiously) Happy tried to cover every possible anxiety symptom and treatment option, which became quite overwhelming. By contrast, Gordon seeks to distil her own mental health struggles into lessons that are broad, hopeful, and universally applicable. This is more effective in some chapters than others, I think. I did wonder what audience she was writing for. Those who, like her, have been dealing with mental illness for years will have heard all this many times before, so perhaps it is directed at people experiencing mental health problems for the first time or wanting to support someone suffering from them. While the basic advice is not new, Gordon delivers it succinctly and well: sleep, breathe, eat, exercise, don't doomscroll, etc. She does not pretend that any of this is easy and has a whole chapter on asking for help. Usefully, this includes the NHS treatment pathways (in England, at least).
I found Gordon's stance on mindfulness refreshing. I'm highly ambivalent about it, after more than a year of daily mindfulness meditation that, if anything, made me more anxious. Probably I was doing it wrong back then, but just sitting still, looking inside your mind, and dwelling upon everything wrong in there for ten minutes isn't great. As she puts it, mindfulness is good for mental wellness without being a treatment for mental illness. It may also work better if you have a less visual imagination than me. Another point I appreciated is that your illness does not want you to get well. Gordon personifies her OCD as Jareth the goblin king to achieve some sense of separation from it. This bit struck me as insightful:
[Mental illnesses] try to take over by turning you against yourself; by removing your energy, or by giving you too much; by cutting you off from the people who care about you and telling you that nobody actually does care about you. They remove all your sense of self-worth. They blot out all the hope. They tell you that nothing will help. And how do you even start to feel hope when you are under the influence of an illness whose main symptom is telling you that there is none? One of the biggest barriers to finding help is the belief that you are beyond it. Unfortunately, this is also one of the main symptoms of most mental health issues. We know, for example, that exercise can be one of the most effective tools for helping mental illness. The million, billion, TRILLION dollar question is, how do we help people with mental illness to want to exercise? How do we help people to do what is right for them, when they are under the malign influence of something that only wants what's worst for them?
I was less impressed with the Boiler Theory and repetition of 'get out of your own way' (how??). Also, the anxious should keep in mind that Gordon’s list of worries in chapter five may give you new ideas for things to worry about. On the other hand, 'what other people think of you is none of your business' is a great point. I find that being an introvert helps with not caring about other people's perceptions (other than people I love). The same chapter raises the interesting question of self-acceptance and self-awareness. Gordon is adamant that you should accept yourself, not try to please others, and 'learn that a healthy relationship is one in which you love each other unconditionally'. This made me wonder to what extent self-acceptance is possible when mental illness stops you from seeing yourself clearly. What version of yourself are you accepting? Moreover, unconditional love and self-acceptance could conflict with the importance of boundaries, emphasised in the prior section. I'm a little uncomfortable with absolute self-acceptance: we live in a society and should be willing to see flaws in ourselves. This section could maybe do with a bit more nuance.
The chapter on helping others makes some good points about small acts of service, writing to your MP, or volunteering if you can. Gordon also suggests that you can participate in mental health activism simply by 'sharing your own story' on social media. I'm much more dubious about this peculiar neoliberal idea that individual stories create systemic change - really? It also presupposes that everyone's experience of mental illness has a coherent narrative structure, which I highly doubt. Most importantly, why should it be anyone else's business? Perhaps it's the shyness and introversion, but I'm not comfortable sharing a lot of personal details of my mental health with total strangers. While for some this may be a positive experience, social media is often a toxic, adversarial, corporate hellhole. I'd be inclined to caution on this front.
Finally, to the topic I chose the book for in the first place: mental health in lockdown. In the introduction Gordon comments:
The world as we knew it was finally ending, and the most bizarre thing had happened: I knew it was going to be OK. Or, more accurately, I knew it was going to be messy, uncertain, stressful, fraught, frightening, lonely, and overwhelmingly sad - but that it would still be OK.
[...]
In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, we saw a curious inversion of norms. The people I knew who had always seemed to cope really well with life suddenly collapsed in shock, whereas those who had been through extreme mental health challenges seemed to be OK. More than that, they seemed to be providing support to those people who normally breezed through life without a care in the world. Now, everyone was looking to us for advice on how to deal with anxiety and uncertainty. And I realised, suddenly, that so many of the things I had long considered flaws and failures in myself were really more like superpowers.
While calling them superpowers is making a lot of virtue out of necessity, I agree that prior experience of mental illness meant approaching lockdown with coping mechanisms (good and bad!) that could be shared with others who'd never needed them before. I was still in academia when the pandemic began and it was useful having some mental wellness tips to share with anxious students. In the final chapter, though, Gordon looks at her subsequent experience of the pandemic and acknowledges that her mental health has deteriorated. Obviously it has been an immensely stressful, even traumatic, period calculated to cause recurrence of mental illnesses. This makes for a sombre ending. In an effort to be hopeful, the final pages consist of a list of motivational slogans summarising the prior chapters. As the rest of this nit-picky review might suggest, I'm not hugely keen on such sloganeering. 'There is no such thing as normal' is one I find especially tricky. Without an understanding of baseline normality, how can we identify and treat mental illness? While it doesn't help to beat yourself up for not being normal, surely attempts to work on your mental health are about trying to get your brain to behave more normally? And although normality can encompass a broad range of experiences, doesn't denying its existence make mental illness even more isolating? To me it has a rather fatalistic ring. Then again, that could be the anxiety talking.
February 15, 2021
I loved Bryony Gordon's other book, Mad Girl, and rated it 4/5 ⭐ so it's safe to say I had high expectations for her latest book. But sadly, this one fell flat...
Mad Girl was full of engaging and sometimes witty extracts about dealing with poor mental health, and made for a relatable read as someone who somerimes suffer with poor mental health.
However, unfortunately, this book lacked the originality, pizazz and personality that Gordon had in Mad Girl.
Instead, it felt like a sub-standad 'how to deal with poor mental health' tool kit book but with nothing we haven't heard before. Meditate. Sleep well. Question negative thoughts. You know the jazz.
Gordon also mentions that she started this book in lockdown, which to be honest, I was not surprised to read. I've found that a lot of public figures have released mediocre books this year, and feel like their publishers made them do it. "Seize the opportunity to write a book," they say. Even when the book adds nothing new to the conversation.
Mad Girl was full of engaging and sometimes witty extracts about dealing with poor mental health, and made for a relatable read as someone who somerimes suffer with poor mental health.
However, unfortunately, this book lacked the originality, pizazz and personality that Gordon had in Mad Girl.
Instead, it felt like a sub-standad 'how to deal with poor mental health' tool kit book but with nothing we haven't heard before. Meditate. Sleep well. Question negative thoughts. You know the jazz.
Gordon also mentions that she started this book in lockdown, which to be honest, I was not surprised to read. I've found that a lot of public figures have released mediocre books this year, and feel like their publishers made them do it. "Seize the opportunity to write a book," they say. Even when the book adds nothing new to the conversation.
September 30, 2021
É ok.... nao achei nada demais...
June 21, 2024
If I could give this zero star, I would. I've never been so triggered by a book before. This isn't a self-help book. It's a paid promotion of shit mental health services.
The author goes on to tell her bad experiences yet continues to promote the service that didn't help her, like the NHS and GP. Anyone can tell you,'You're not a criminal. You're just very unwell'. That doesn't make them a specialist or a doctor.
I like the approach of not just educating on why something is happening but providing solutions too, like changing diet, breathing exercises, exercise, and how to use social media in a healthy way. Also, decoding myths like mindfulness and medication will fix mental health. But that's pretty much it.
The author is clearly paid by the NHS to promote their services because anyone with mental health issues would tell you how they've been neglected by their health care. The author has 4 whole pages based on speaking to the GP, yet she tells a story of how they never helped her. She also wrongly promotes anti depressants knowing the health affects they have because, in her words, it's a 'sense of hope' at the risk of your physical and mental wellbeing? She also heavily promotes a company called IAPT, which she clearly works for because she says,'believe me, we ain't in this for the money'. The minute she tried heavily promoting CAMHS (the worst most neglectful child service ever look it up), I knew it was game over for the book. Anyone who has experience with CAMHS will tell you how they're not helpful and how neglectful they are. It's disgusting as an advocate that you'd promote such services. Before anyone tried to claim I haven't struggled with mental health I have and have experience with all these services plus seen experiences from others too.
She clearly has no consideration for those with mental health issues. Anyone who's had mental health issues knows how triggering the phrase 'duty of care is' yet she says this constantly whilst also sharing stories about how they didn't help her.
I don't like how she tries to be funny and relatable but just shows how much a psychopath she is. She made many deneralised statements as she went on about 'NHS is in a terrible state' yet heavily promoting their services, 'when holding a baby everybody would have a thought I want to drop the baby on the floor’ what kind of psychopath thinks that. That's just pure evil to its core.
It's clear she put no thought into this book and wrote it for the sake of it as every chapter promotes her other book 'Mad Girl' as if I didn't buy this book looking for help.
The author goes on to tell her bad experiences yet continues to promote the service that didn't help her, like the NHS and GP. Anyone can tell you,'You're not a criminal. You're just very unwell'. That doesn't make them a specialist or a doctor.
I like the approach of not just educating on why something is happening but providing solutions too, like changing diet, breathing exercises, exercise, and how to use social media in a healthy way. Also, decoding myths like mindfulness and medication will fix mental health. But that's pretty much it.
The author is clearly paid by the NHS to promote their services because anyone with mental health issues would tell you how they've been neglected by their health care. The author has 4 whole pages based on speaking to the GP, yet she tells a story of how they never helped her. She also wrongly promotes anti depressants knowing the health affects they have because, in her words, it's a 'sense of hope' at the risk of your physical and mental wellbeing? She also heavily promotes a company called IAPT, which she clearly works for because she says,'believe me, we ain't in this for the money'. The minute she tried heavily promoting CAMHS (the worst most neglectful child service ever look it up), I knew it was game over for the book. Anyone who has experience with CAMHS will tell you how they're not helpful and how neglectful they are. It's disgusting as an advocate that you'd promote such services. Before anyone tried to claim I haven't struggled with mental health I have and have experience with all these services plus seen experiences from others too.
She clearly has no consideration for those with mental health issues. Anyone who's had mental health issues knows how triggering the phrase 'duty of care is' yet she says this constantly whilst also sharing stories about how they didn't help her.
I don't like how she tries to be funny and relatable but just shows how much a psychopath she is. She made many deneralised statements as she went on about 'NHS is in a terrible state' yet heavily promoting their services, 'when holding a baby everybody would have a thought I want to drop the baby on the floor’ what kind of psychopath thinks that. That's just pure evil to its core.
It's clear she put no thought into this book and wrote it for the sake of it as every chapter promotes her other book 'Mad Girl' as if I didn't buy this book looking for help.
January 27, 2021
This book has a lot of great reviews, so I really wanted to like it ... but I just didn't. When reading 'self-help' books I usually go through with sticky notes and leave them on pages that made me feel inspired, to come back to when needed - I only used 3 sticky notes throughout this whole book. Honestly, it wasn't terrible ... I just didn't learn anything I hadn't already read in other books. It's like a manual, almost like a text book in fact, with lists of resources rather than anything insightful and practical.
February 23, 2024
Hier zaten wel erg veel open deuren in. Jammer.
January 25, 2021
This was a very well written, not preachy, well thought out book on mental health. A lot what Bryony has written is very true to how I felt in 2020. It was interesting to read it feeling as though I am almost “on the other side” and I wonder if it would have helped me last year, I think some of it definitely would. I really enjoyed reading it and I did it in a day (lockdown goes like this: wake up - read - work - lunch - read - work - dinner - read - bed, hence why I am reading so quickly) but I would definitely recommend it if you’re wondering if you have early signs of a problem. She definitely addresses the stigma around mental health well (I would like to learn more about psychosis now). Very good!
January 11, 2021
**listened via audio book**
I have read all of Bryony Gordon's books and I always find them a bit hit and miss - but I absolutely loved this book. It had a good balance of advice, facts, and insights into Gordon's life. I got so much from this book. I can't recommend this book enough - particularly the audio book as (like her other books) it is read by Bryony Gordon herself. I always say it, but when an audiobook is read by the author it makes such a difference!!
This book is not only great for those that have been through mental health blips in their life, but it would also be perfect for the family/friends of someone who is struggling - to help them understand/empathise.
I have read all of Bryony Gordon's books and I always find them a bit hit and miss - but I absolutely loved this book. It had a good balance of advice, facts, and insights into Gordon's life. I got so much from this book. I can't recommend this book enough - particularly the audio book as (like her other books) it is read by Bryony Gordon herself. I always say it, but when an audiobook is read by the author it makes such a difference!!
This book is not only great for those that have been through mental health blips in their life, but it would also be perfect for the family/friends of someone who is struggling - to help them understand/empathise.
May 16, 2021
Reflections and lessons learned:
“Bad things happen but good things can come from these...”
I’ve always been quite a happy fatalist - the apocalypse is coming and it will possibly be my random clumsy fault, but hopefully if I nod and smile, use positive language, keep going with pace and use multiple exclamation marks at the end of each sentence, everything will be fine won’t it!!!!
I share quite a few traits with Gordon but this book made me realise the thing that I already knew with acknowledgement - that my rational side is usually louder. My inner voice suggests that I may have committed an imaginary crime of a horrible extremity - usually first thing in the morning in a half asleep replay of the day before, my imagination momentarily conjuring up the possible images to accompany the thought... but then thankfully with an urge to experience a new day, my happy apologetic side would ask if it needs to come forward, we’d have the quick chat and they could go back to bed... as a follow up from a trait, that everyone must have on some level, this was useful to listen to the examples of intrusive thought and beneath the thought rationalising approach as that’s exactly what happens in a split second for me - the sensible voice is stronger.
Whilst only a short book, this touches on some of the classic approaches to dealing with when the other side starts to get a bit louder - mindfulness, breathing techniques, Mexican worry dolls (mine were Guatemalan but I don’t think that matters...) - how to analytically reflect (“If it’s hysterical it’s historical”) - the section on negativity bias being especially interesting to highlight. Is a lot of this new thinking? No, but it is incredibly important to vocalise at the right moment for people - definitely look forward to reading more from Gordon - might work backwards through the books now I’ve started with this one
“Good sailors don’t learn on calm seas”
“Bad things happen but good things can come from these...”
I’ve always been quite a happy fatalist - the apocalypse is coming and it will possibly be my random clumsy fault, but hopefully if I nod and smile, use positive language, keep going with pace and use multiple exclamation marks at the end of each sentence, everything will be fine won’t it!!!!
I share quite a few traits with Gordon but this book made me realise the thing that I already knew with acknowledgement - that my rational side is usually louder. My inner voice suggests that I may have committed an imaginary crime of a horrible extremity - usually first thing in the morning in a half asleep replay of the day before, my imagination momentarily conjuring up the possible images to accompany the thought... but then thankfully with an urge to experience a new day, my happy apologetic side would ask if it needs to come forward, we’d have the quick chat and they could go back to bed... as a follow up from a trait, that everyone must have on some level, this was useful to listen to the examples of intrusive thought and beneath the thought rationalising approach as that’s exactly what happens in a split second for me - the sensible voice is stronger.
Whilst only a short book, this touches on some of the classic approaches to dealing with when the other side starts to get a bit louder - mindfulness, breathing techniques, Mexican worry dolls (mine were Guatemalan but I don’t think that matters...) - how to analytically reflect (“If it’s hysterical it’s historical”) - the section on negativity bias being especially interesting to highlight. Is a lot of this new thinking? No, but it is incredibly important to vocalise at the right moment for people - definitely look forward to reading more from Gordon - might work backwards through the books now I’ve started with this one
“Good sailors don’t learn on calm seas”
January 12, 2021
This book is a m a z i n g.
If you have ever had struggles with mental health or illness I’d encourage you to read this, & if you have never struggled with mental health or illness then you need to learn...please read this.
One thing I love about @bryonygordon amongst many things (fan girl!) is that by sharing her stories & her experiences it has such a beautiful way, even through the paper of a book of making you realise you’re not alone. Her books are the first time I’ve related to something on such a personal level. Oh and she’s also a fantastic writer, I challenge you not to love it!
This is a keeper, a book I will cherish & reread, that will end up a little creased, a little dog eared, a little coffee stained and a lot loved. R E A D I T!
If you have ever had struggles with mental health or illness I’d encourage you to read this, & if you have never struggled with mental health or illness then you need to learn...please read this.
One thing I love about @bryonygordon amongst many things (fan girl!) is that by sharing her stories & her experiences it has such a beautiful way, even through the paper of a book of making you realise you’re not alone. Her books are the first time I’ve related to something on such a personal level. Oh and she’s also a fantastic writer, I challenge you not to love it!
This is a keeper, a book I will cherish & reread, that will end up a little creased, a little dog eared, a little coffee stained and a lot loved. R E A D I T!
April 13, 2021
I've just finished reading No Such Thing As Normal, it is aimed at those who struggle with mental health/those who are close to someone with mental health. It's very much a "here's what I've learned that might be helpful to others" kind of vibe, and she is very clear that she is not a MH professional, merely speaking from experience....so hence my interest as someone with ongoing depression and anxiety and a survivor of attempted suicide...so nothing new for me in it, but was SO good to reaffirm to me that THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS NORMAL! Thank you Bryony for putting this out there, every little bit to the conversation helps!
September 25, 2024
One of my first picks on mental health, so without much reference to compare, I would say, an easy read, well written, but at times with certain bias, which is not necessarily a negative, considering the title of the book. I recommend for any first time readers delving into and beginning your baby steps into the process of reading about mental health and wellness.
May 27, 2023
This was for the most part an interesting read though not one that breaks new ground. However I'm going with 4 stars because there's a section (from about p120) about boundaries and intrusive thoughts that really resonated. I ended up typing 2 pages of A4 on my own issues with those two and have plenty of information now to use for myself. For that alone it was worth the rating.
February 17, 2021
A great little mental health manual. Very readable and with good resources.
February 24, 2021
Loved this book. It’s written in a non judgemental, friendly, personal and understanding way. Would recommend to anyone struggling. The most unpatronising ‘self help’ book ever.
April 29, 2021
As someone who suffers from many different mental health issues, this book has helped me so much. It’s helped me understand that not everything is my fault and that my mental health issues are fixable.
April 17, 2024
Nothing new for me in here, but it's always good to have messages about improving your mental health repeated!
January 11, 2021
An honest and frank look on the thoughts and feelings you experience with mental ill health, as well as a handy guide at the back for further help and learnings.
As someone who suffers with OCD myself, it’s something you wouldn’t want anyone else to have knowing how debilitating it can be on your life but reading the thoughts that Bryony has and being able to relate to them makes it refreshing to realise you are not alone.
A must read for those who experience mental ill health or for those who don’t (lucky you!) but who want to understand what it can be like.
As someone who suffers with OCD myself, it’s something you wouldn’t want anyone else to have knowing how debilitating it can be on your life but reading the thoughts that Bryony has and being able to relate to them makes it refreshing to realise you are not alone.
A must read for those who experience mental ill health or for those who don’t (lucky you!) but who want to understand what it can be like.
May 6, 2021
3.5 - a nice mix of personal experience with solid tips/resources. Sections on approaching the GP and your employer about mental health were really useful. Not all the info was necessarily new to me but I like that it is a book I can easily pick up again when I need helpful reminders!
August 23, 2021
I received this for my birthday.
This book is a very useful tool to reassure people who are mentally ill as well as those who know someone who is. The book helpfully has a chapter on how to ask for help and tells you what you need to say to your GP and to nag your MP about the lack of mental health provision! I also liked the brief 4 page summary at the back of all the empowering things Gordon covers in the book.
It maybe isn't as ground breaking as her other books but Gordon writes with insight about coping with intrusive thoughts, addiction and how to seek help. She has certainly done her research as she asks top mental health providers how to access the help people need as well as the best way to breathe to calm down. She combines this with her own personal battles and mantras she has used. She always manages to add her unique humour to such a taboo subject. I love how she calls her illness Jareth and liked the way she compares us to boilers and how we all need to keep the auto pilot light on which is our self-esteem.
A very useful book, full of information and resources as well as compassion and useful empowering analogies.
This book is a very useful tool to reassure people who are mentally ill as well as those who know someone who is. The book helpfully has a chapter on how to ask for help and tells you what you need to say to your GP and to nag your MP about the lack of mental health provision! I also liked the brief 4 page summary at the back of all the empowering things Gordon covers in the book.
It maybe isn't as ground breaking as her other books but Gordon writes with insight about coping with intrusive thoughts, addiction and how to seek help. She has certainly done her research as she asks top mental health providers how to access the help people need as well as the best way to breathe to calm down. She combines this with her own personal battles and mantras she has used. She always manages to add her unique humour to such a taboo subject. I love how she calls her illness Jareth and liked the way she compares us to boilers and how we all need to keep the auto pilot light on which is our self-esteem.
A very useful book, full of information and resources as well as compassion and useful empowering analogies.
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August 13, 2023Well written .. what I needed at the time.
January 16, 2024
Amazing read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt that the author, whilst discussing her personal experiences of mental illness, speaks to a very large audience through the book and explains the suffering of so many, so well. She displays a heavy amount of empathy and understanding within her book and contains several take-home messages, which I would like to believe will help me going forward. Thank you, Bryony. I loved this read!! Very relatable and helpful!! I also think it helps to break down any stigma surrounding mental illness that may still stand and it discusses the frustrations faced within the UK when accessing treatment. Perfectly articulating the feelings of many, giving us a voice!!
February 12, 2024
Punchy. Funny. Honest. Practical (mostly).
January 13, 2021
The brain is a totally dick. I hear you Bryony! Loved this and the honesty of the writer.
February 5, 2021
Perfect for right now! Had me emotional at times as I could really relate!! Definitely recommend, especially throughout lockdown. Some very useful advice and resources!
August 15, 2022
This was a really genuine, empathetic, and realistic mental health guide and I really, really adore that the author included her own experiences with illnesses OTHER than anxiety/depression. Since the author is from the UK, it is from a UK perspective so a lot of the resources/getting help information wasn't as applicable in America, but it was still written in a way that it was easily adaptable.
January 23, 2021
I really identified with this book. I haven’t ever suffered from depression before the past year - my doctor calls it circumstantial depression. The authors struggles are different than mine - she struggles from anxiety and excessive worrying. I don’t. And yet, she resonated with me.
She is funny - while talking about a fairly serious topic. And she’s also real.
This book won’t be for everybody - I don’t think I would have even liked it at all 18 months ago. But, for people who struggle with depression or anxiety, well, I think you will like it.
The actual suggestions for ‘getting back to normal’ are fairly basic - feel the feelings, exercise, breathe intentionally, eat well...
... but she also gets that insomnia is far more than ‘drinking a cup of cocoa’ (as I have, literally, had friends suggest - although she worded it more along the lines of being awake in the middle of the night, reading articles about insomnia on Google - and how they explicitly instruct NOT to read such articles while suffering insomnia. She questions if the people who wrote these articles ever really struggled with insomnia - which, I think, anybody who has ever really struggled with depression/insomnia has DEFINITELY questioned about ‘professionals’ AND friends, who give well-meaning advice). She understands that ‘meditation/mindfulness’ - though a common suggestion from well-intentioned friends, is useless when you are really struggling. She talks about meditation/mindfulness being great for maintaining well-being... but, really, if you are struggling to live another day, it’s more harm than good. She just gets it. Far more than I do.
Again, not for everybody - but definitely an excellent read for those who are struggling with depression or anxiety. You don’t have to relate to *everything* to get a lot from this book.
She is funny - while talking about a fairly serious topic. And she’s also real.
This book won’t be for everybody - I don’t think I would have even liked it at all 18 months ago. But, for people who struggle with depression or anxiety, well, I think you will like it.
The actual suggestions for ‘getting back to normal’ are fairly basic - feel the feelings, exercise, breathe intentionally, eat well...
... but she also gets that insomnia is far more than ‘drinking a cup of cocoa’ (as I have, literally, had friends suggest - although she worded it more along the lines of being awake in the middle of the night, reading articles about insomnia on Google - and how they explicitly instruct NOT to read such articles while suffering insomnia. She questions if the people who wrote these articles ever really struggled with insomnia - which, I think, anybody who has ever really struggled with depression/insomnia has DEFINITELY questioned about ‘professionals’ AND friends, who give well-meaning advice). She understands that ‘meditation/mindfulness’ - though a common suggestion from well-intentioned friends, is useless when you are really struggling. She talks about meditation/mindfulness being great for maintaining well-being... but, really, if you are struggling to live another day, it’s more harm than good. She just gets it. Far more than I do.
Again, not for everybody - but definitely an excellent read for those who are struggling with depression or anxiety. You don’t have to relate to *everything* to get a lot from this book.
January 28, 2021
If there is just one book that you read this year about Mental Health, please make it this one! I can not recommend this enough to absolutely everybody...those who live with mental health struggles or for those who just want to educate themselves more about the subject.
One of the greatest things about all of Bryony’s writing is she is just so damn honest, making her books so relatable to the average reader. She tells her story without any filter, airs or graces. Her support and advice throughout this book makes this so much more than just a “self help” book, it becomes a companion. A comforter.
I want to personally thank Bryony for writing this book. I listened to the audio version because I am unable to focus on words on a page at the moment, so I allowed myself to be hugged by her voice instead! This was a book I needed; without knowing I needed it. Convincing myself I was doing OK and forgetting that living with a mental health struggle is a life long commitment, I didn’t expect this to resonate with me as much as it did! I have saved it in its entirety onto my phone’s library so when things are feeling too much, I can listen to any chapter I need to, to remind myself that I can get through whatever emotion I am feeling and I’m not alone.
I honestly believe that this book can and will save lives! Filled with agencies and charities that can help in any situation, humor as well as hard hitting facts, this is a book that stands out on the crowded self help shelves. An absolute must have, in any format!
One of the greatest things about all of Bryony’s writing is she is just so damn honest, making her books so relatable to the average reader. She tells her story without any filter, airs or graces. Her support and advice throughout this book makes this so much more than just a “self help” book, it becomes a companion. A comforter.
I want to personally thank Bryony for writing this book. I listened to the audio version because I am unable to focus on words on a page at the moment, so I allowed myself to be hugged by her voice instead! This was a book I needed; without knowing I needed it. Convincing myself I was doing OK and forgetting that living with a mental health struggle is a life long commitment, I didn’t expect this to resonate with me as much as it did! I have saved it in its entirety onto my phone’s library so when things are feeling too much, I can listen to any chapter I need to, to remind myself that I can get through whatever emotion I am feeling and I’m not alone.
I honestly believe that this book can and will save lives! Filled with agencies and charities that can help in any situation, humor as well as hard hitting facts, this is a book that stands out on the crowded self help shelves. An absolute must have, in any format!
March 2, 2021
'Mental illness has led to some of the worst times of my life... but it has also led to some of the most brilliant. Bad things happen, but good things can come from them. And strange as it might sound, my mental health has been vastly improved by being mentally ill.'
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From depression and anxiety to personality disorders, one in four of us experience mental health issues every year and, in these strange and unsettling times, more of us than ever are struggling to cope. In No Such Thing As Normal, Bryony offers sensible, practical advice, covering subjects such as sleep, addiction, worry, medication, self-image, boundary setting, therapy, learned behaviour, mindfulness and, of course - as the founder of Mental Health Mates - the power of walking and talking. She also strives to equip those in need of help with tools and information to get the best out of a poorly funded system that can be both frightening and overwhelming. The result is a lively, honest and direct guide to mental health that cuts through the Instagram-wellness bubble to talk about how each of us can feel stronger, better and just a little bit less alone.
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Well written, non-preachy book about mental health. Honest and completely relatable to my anxiety-riddled brain. Full of humour, facts and organisations/charities that can help whatever your situation.
#2021reads📚
📚
From depression and anxiety to personality disorders, one in four of us experience mental health issues every year and, in these strange and unsettling times, more of us than ever are struggling to cope. In No Such Thing As Normal, Bryony offers sensible, practical advice, covering subjects such as sleep, addiction, worry, medication, self-image, boundary setting, therapy, learned behaviour, mindfulness and, of course - as the founder of Mental Health Mates - the power of walking and talking. She also strives to equip those in need of help with tools and information to get the best out of a poorly funded system that can be both frightening and overwhelming. The result is a lively, honest and direct guide to mental health that cuts through the Instagram-wellness bubble to talk about how each of us can feel stronger, better and just a little bit less alone.
📚
Well written, non-preachy book about mental health. Honest and completely relatable to my anxiety-riddled brain. Full of humour, facts and organisations/charities that can help whatever your situation.
#2021reads📚
February 1, 2022
Mixed feelings about this. Initially I liked it: the almost conversational tone, the references to the early days of the pandemic, but the more I got through it, the actual style of writing became annoying (quotations that desperately wanted to sound profound, bullet point lists so long they lost their impact).
The advice in this book comes from privilege, despite being aimed at the average Joe. Without minimising Gordon’s experiences, the book stews over the lack of funding for NHS MH services, while in the same chapter praising private care she received, and fawning over a health retreat in Ibiza (that she experienced for free as part of her job as a journalist).
It’s written in a way that assumes the reader is nearing or has reached crisis point, and says that by picking up the book, they care enough to make a change to their mental well-being. That may be true for some readers, but the advice that follows was very surface-level, e.g. ‘try this breathing technique’ while in the previous acknowledging that breathing techniques are not always helpful.
It’s not an awful book. There were a lot of personal reflections that I enjoyed, sentiments I agreed with. There are some helpful sections about having those awkward conversations with friends/fam/employers, and the process of seeking help. Beyond that, it’s sort of just a regurgitation of what you probably already know.
The advice in this book comes from privilege, despite being aimed at the average Joe. Without minimising Gordon’s experiences, the book stews over the lack of funding for NHS MH services, while in the same chapter praising private care she received, and fawning over a health retreat in Ibiza (that she experienced for free as part of her job as a journalist).
It’s written in a way that assumes the reader is nearing or has reached crisis point, and says that by picking up the book, they care enough to make a change to their mental well-being. That may be true for some readers, but the advice that follows was very surface-level, e.g. ‘try this breathing technique’ while in the previous acknowledging that breathing techniques are not always helpful.
It’s not an awful book. There were a lot of personal reflections that I enjoyed, sentiments I agreed with. There are some helpful sections about having those awkward conversations with friends/fam/employers, and the process of seeking help. Beyond that, it’s sort of just a regurgitation of what you probably already know.
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