Fourteen (Additional) Memoirs/Non-Fiction Books about Achieving Mental Wellness
And the Healing Power of Story
As an elementary school teacher, my favorite lessons and conversations centered around kindness, love, compassion, and inclusion- topics that came up not only inside the classroom but on the school yard and beyond. I continue to teach these concepts as a volunteer for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) when I go into middle schools, high schools, and into parent education events to share a program called “Ending the Silence.” I always begin by sharing personal stories of my family’s history of mental illness, namely four suicides, bipolar, depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, homelessness, substance abuse, and addiction.
Sharing a personal story is a powerful, unifying tool connecting us, breaking down barriers, and healing wounds. Besides educating about warning signs to look out for, suicide prevention tips, and offering resources, I let the students, staff, and parents know they’re not alone, there’s hope, and that by asking for help they’re being brave because they aren’t giving up. I hope they see how mental illness affects the entire family and how it can continue down their family line unless they take action to cut their generational trauma. I want them to know they have the power within them to rewrite their own story.
