Introductions (optional!) :)

[Tania]

Thank you

[Martha]

Hi Everyone. My name is Martha. I have had OCD Intrusive Thoughts for over forty years and have just joined Goodreads. I have just published my book on Amazon KDP. It is a memoir of my journey with OCD, my therapy and my recovery. My main reason for writing it is to reach other sufferers and encourage them to seek help and become well. I have a longing to make mental illness just as easy to discuss as physical illness. My book is called Stuck in the Loop: My Showdown with OCD by Martha Jane Middow. Looking forward to getting to know you all.

[Martha]

Hi Martha, welcome! Thanks for sharing a bit about yourself, feel free to start a thread in Author's Corner (sorry can't link to it as I'm using the app) with a link to your work if you're looking for reviews

[Emily]

Leif wrote: "Hello. My name is Leif Gregersen. I am a book hoarder of sorts (I culled the herd a couple of years ago but still buy every book that interests me). I have written and published 8 books, two of whi..."

Hi Leif, nice to meet you so to speak. You sound very interesting & accomplished. Looking forward to hopefully checking out your work soon (I have a long reading backlog)

[Emily]

Hi, My name is Emily Gillespie. Feel free to message me or add me as a friend! I'm an avid reader, & love when fiction has realistic depictions of people with different mental health histories. I actually studied disability in school (MA in disability studies) and am involved in mental health activism in my community & in my non-profit job. I just wrote a novel that touches on trying to access the mental health system & the challenges surrounding this. See Dancing With Ghosts

[William]

Hi everyone, I'm William

I'm a psychotherapist in London. It's nice to be part of the group.

A little about my work: I specialise in depression and anxiety. In particular I practise something called Dynamic Running Therapy which combines running with regular talk therapy. I find getting out and getting moving is an excellent tonic though I recognise not everyone feels they can.

My new book, published by Penguin, has just come out. It's called "Run for your Life" and includes programs for various conditions as well as mindful walking/running and meditation.

I'd be happy to discuss it with anyone who finds it interesting and take suggestions of books/people who might further my work.

I'm guessing Irvin Yalom is a big hit here... Love that man.

Warmly, William

[Martha]

Welcome Emily and William!

[Jamaica]

William wrote: "Hi everyone, I'm William

I'm a psychotherapist in London. It's nice to be part of the group.

A little about my work: I specialise in depression and anxiety. In particular I practise something ca..."

Hi William :) I love running and just saw your book in my local bookshop last week, it is such a great idea! It was instantly on my booklist ! looking forward to chatting and hearing more from you, best wishes, Em

[Michael]

Greetings -
New to Goodreads, new to the group. Life's hard, so I read and I write and--by and large--I manage.

[Jennifer]

Hi, I'm Jennifer. New on this group, not the app. Ugh, well I'm a prisoner of Severe Depression, Severe Anxiety, PTSD, and a recent bereaved mother of my 2 yr old son.

I like to read, be outside, sleep (obviously), and take care of my fur-daughter, Tuxie, the ESA Tuxedo cat.

I guess there's nothing else to add. I accept friend requests most of the time.

[Martha]

Welcome Michael, sounds just like me, reading, writing and managing!

[Martha]

Welcome Jennifer and thank you for sharing. I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. Please do get stuck into the group as much as you want to / feel able to (same goes for you Michael!)

[Michael]

Thx Martha.

[Diane]

I am new to joining any discussion group and feel challenged by the technical aspects.
Is there any sub-group comprised of the children of mentally ill parents? As the daughter of a bipolar, manic mother, and author of Mom, Mania, and Me, I want to connect with others who have shared experiences.
I am receiving comments that my book is helping families heal. It is leading to discussions and hugs. YES!
I welcome any suggestions on how to be a better and technically astute member.
D, Dweller

[Diane]

Hi, I"m Diane Dweller and the daughter of a bipolar, manic mother. My book Mom, Mania, and Me, Surviving and Changing a Volatile Relationship is now launched. My goal in writing MM&Me is to help families understand the impact of mental illness on the whole family, especially any children in the home--and to help them communicate and heal.
Please share this with I any other adult childen of a mentally ill parent. DD

[Sylvie]

Hi, I'm Sylvie and I have adjustment disorder anxiety and depression. I came here today looking for a recommendation for a book to read. I'm trying to read myself out of my current mh crisis. I've just finished rereading Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson. What books have you found helpful, not necessarily mh-related?

[Martha]

Hi Sylvie! Sorry to hear you're in a low point. I've found re-reading a favourite helps me when I'm feeling particularly bad - what's your favourite book?

[Sylvie]

Hi Martha, I'm not sure if I have one absolute favourite. I really like The Taxi-Driver's Daughter by Julia Darling, and I recently read The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout which I enjoyed and Elizabeth Is Missing (can't remember who wrote it). What about yourself?

[Martha]

The Time Traveler's Wife is my all time favourite. I'd recommend that if you haven't read it already - it's reasonably long but I got quite absorbed into it so didn't really notice!

[Barry]

Hi, I'm Barry.

I'm an avid reader and have lots of interests that I don't have / make time for.

Outwardly I have a lot going for me but I have lived with depression for much of my life. A few years ago things got really bad but now I hope I largely have it under control. I go through phases where I just sink very, very deep and I just want the pain to stop, it breaks my heart because I 'know' that I have worth but I just want it to end.

Today was a bad day, but the sun will rise tomorrow. I don't know how often I'll contribute or join in with the group reads but I do know that now and again I need a safe space to share how I feel, with strangers who won't judge and may have some empathy and understanding as to how I may feel.

Likewise, I am very good at helping others, less myself and I will be honest I've managed to at least live with this, rather than let it beat me, so if anyone just needs someone to listen...

Probably said more than I wanted to, but hello everyone!

[Martha]

Welcome Barry, thank you for joining the group and sharing a bit about yourself. Don't worry, there's no minimum participation expected and we're a quiet bunch but this is exactly as you've said - a safe space to talk if you want it :)

[Sylvie]

Martha wrote: "The Time Traveler's Wife is my all time favourite. I'd recommend that if you haven't read it already - it's reasonably long but I got quite absorbed into it so didn't really notice!"
Yes, I've read it too, and liked it, and was amazed when they managed to make it into a film, bearing in mind the leaps in the narrative.

[Barry]

Martha wrote: "Welcome Barry, thank you for joining the group and sharing a bit about yourself. Don't worry, there's no minimum participation expected and we're a quiet bunch but this is exactly as you've said - ..."

Thankyou Martha

[Hannah]

Hi! I am Hannah. I am a reader and writer. I suffer from PTSD, an eating disorder, depression, OCD, trichotillomania, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder

[Martha]

Welcome Hannah, thanks for introducing yourself! What do you write?

[Hannah]

I write poems and short stories about my mental health experiences. I post a lot of my writing on a website called figment. I am currently working on a full book about living with mental health. I really try to share my unique perspective on the world

[Martha]

Sounds great! Good luck with the book. If you want to share any writing, there's a section called Author's Corner, but no pressure!

[Martha]

Sylvie wrote: "Martha wrote: "The Time Traveler's Wife is my all time favourite. I'd recommend that if you haven't read it already - it's reasonably long but I got quite absorbed into it so didn't really notice!"..."

I must admit I haven't seen the movie - as it's my favourite book I was afraid it would ruin it! The trailer on it's own put me off as it felt quite glossy and Hollywood-ised. I've not read any of the ones you listed, although I do have another Elizabeth Strout one - My Name is Lucy Barton, do you know if that's any good?

[Martha]

Hi everyone! Thought I'd used this thread as we've had quite a few new lovely people saying hello - how is everyone doing today? UK people, how was your bank holiday weekend?

[Marina]

Martha, I loved The Time Traveler's Wife and I didn't want to see the movie for the same reason as you. The trailer seemed all sappy to me, and I've heard the movie isn't that great. I don't think I'll ever see it.

[Marina]

Martha wrote: "Hi everyone! Thought I'd used this thread as we've had quite a few new lovely people saying hello - how is everyone doing today? UK people, how was your bank holiday weekend?"

Yesterday it was a bank holiday in Italy as well. I went to a "flower fair" with my boyfriend in the morning - he loves flowers, plants, botany, all the stuff :) It was nice because there were lots of different plants you could buy for a small price, but we ended up not buying anything. In the afternoon, on the other hand, I had to work a bit because I had a delivery deadline today, but I also managed to read, which was good.

Oh, and welcome to all the new members!

[Sylvie]

Martha and Marina, I think you are right not to see the film of the Time Traveller's Wife. It isn't that good, although films of books we love rarely are in my opinion. I didn't go to see the film Girl On A Train for the same reason.

[laut]

Hey, I'm laut, I have bipolar and have been through multiple trauma's and suffering the effect of those too. I'm also queer and a psychology student.

Unfortunately the trauma kinda makes it hard to read.. because reading was how I coped -escaping from life as a kid, so now it's a *big* reminder. Really wanting to get back into it.

[Suzanne]

Good evening, everyone! My name is Suzanne, and I live with Bipolar II, depressed type and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I have been diagnosed for nearly 7 years, but I struggled with the disorders for years before that. I am interested in this group so that I can find more books that handle mental illness/health well. I'm trying to diversify my reading, and ironically that includes adding mental health to the list.

[Martha]

Welcome Suzanne and laut!

[Martin]

Hi everyone, I'm Marty.

I just discovered this group and feel very much at home already! Which says a lot about the general safe and warm atmosphere here.

I live in the northeast of England. My best friend Fran lives 3k miles away in Maine in the US. Fran lives with bipolar disorder, and despite the geographic distance between us, I am her primary support and care-giver. In the six years we have been friends (we first met on Facebook) my life has opened up immensely. I've learned a great deal (and still have so much to learn!) -- about what it means to live with mental illness, about courage and honesty and friendship. Our friendship has been, in a word, tranformative.

Fran and I have written a book ("High Tide, Low Tide") about how to be a supportive friend to someone living with mental illness. We are passionate about connecting with others who, in so many different ways, are working to counter stigma, discrimination, and ill-informed opinions about mental health. Our journey has brought us into touch with so many wonderful people!

Okay that's enough to be getting on with! Hope to contribute to the group - please feel free to ask me anything!

~Marty

[Martha]

Welcome Marty, thanks for joining!

[Martin]

You're welcome, Martha :) Hope things are good with you.

[Mira]

Hello everyone, I'm a reader and writer. My debut novel, EVERYTHING HERE IS BEAUTIFUL, comes out from Viking/Penguin in January 2018! It's a messy family drama about two sisters who are very close, but whose relationship becomes more and more strained as the younger one struggles with a mental illness. Whenever I try to describe the book, I worry that people who have no experience with mental illness will think it's too heavy, or too depressing - I don't think it is, but it does deal with mental illness from many different angles, and the way it complicates family relationships. Other themes in the book include the immigrant experience, parenthood, unexpected family ties, conflicting identities, moral dilemmas, and the sacrifices we make for the ones we love. I do have personal experience dealing with loved ones' mental illnesses, and try to keep up-to-date on all the books out there (both fiction and non-fiction) that deal with the subject. I hope to find people with similar experiences and interests - I'm here as a reader, but also feel free to reach me through my author page.

[Martin]

Mira wrote: "Hello everyone, I'm a reader and writer. My debut novel, EVERYTHING HERE IS BEAUTIFUL, comes out from Viking/Penguin in January 2018! It's a messy family drama about two sisters who are very close,..."

Hi Mira - I think your novel sounds very interesting and I will be looking out for it when it comes out. My best friend (who lives with bipolar disorder) and I are keen to explore all aspects of mental illness and the effect it has on everyone, well and ill alike.

~Marty

[Martha]

Welcome Mira! Thanks for telling us about your book :)

[Mira]

Thanks, Marty. I have an author page where I have a shelf of mental-illness related reads. Feel free to check it out: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Martin]

Mira wrote: "Thanks, Marty. I have an author page where I have a shelf of mental-illness related reads. Feel free to check it out: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list..."

Hi Mira, you have some good titles on your list, for sure! Thank you for sharing. Would be honoured if you would consider adding our book to your list: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

[Mira]

Hi Marty, currently I only have books I've actually read myself on that shelf, but I would love to read your book!

[Renata]

Hi, I'm Renata. I live in Brazil and I'm dying to read more. Haven't nurtured this habit in a very long time. I decided to join the group because I wanted a place that would challenge me and embrace me at the same time. Nice to meet all of you. :)

[Martha]

Welcome Renata!

[Artsy]

Hi everyone. I joined this group to learn more about mental health/mental illness and to find books to read about it that can help me better understand myself and others. I have a few mental problems myself (Depression, GAD, SAD, OCD, and Trichotillomania) and know many others with other mental disorders, so i hope this group will help better my understanding of it all.

[Martha]

Welcome Artsy!

[Martin]

Artsy wrote: "Hi everyone. I joined this group to learn more about mental health/mental illness and to find books to read about it that can help me better understand myself and others. I have a few mental proble..."

Hi Artsy, welcome to the group :)

[Jay]

Hi there, my name is Jay, mental health advocate and author of The Flawed Ones, a story of mental illness, addiction and love. I have struggled with depression and addiction for more than a decade, and one of the things that I've been inspired most by are the people that i have met that have the same or worse mental conditions as I. I felt a huge responsibility to give them a voice, and that is what I try to do in my novel. Thanks again for welcoming me to your group. http://www.theflawedones.com