Books About Mental Health

I always have several books in-progress at any given time. Naturally, mental health is a topic that I return to frequently. These are a few of the books I recommend.

• The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness by
  by Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and Jon Kabat-Zinn. I particularly love the meditations included with this book.
• Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included) by Pooja Lakshmin, M.D.
• Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn
• How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing by K.C. Davis. This one may seem like an odd inclusion, but it’s written by a therapist and it is wonderful.
• Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski. My review is here. They also wrote The Burnout Workbook: Advice and Exercises to Help You Unlock the Stress Cycle, but I haven’t picked it up yet.
• Running on Empty: Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect by Jonice Webb with Christine Musello
• The Body Is Not an Apology, Second Edition: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
• Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker
• Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia by Kate Manne
• What Happened To You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey
• The Dance of Anger: A Woman’s Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships by Harriet Lerner, Ph.D.
• Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment by Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D.
• Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships, 3rd Edition by Marshall B. Rosenberg
• Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive by Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph.D.
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
• Love 2.0: How Our Supreme Emotion Affects Everything We Feel, Think, Do, and Become by Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph.D.
• The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time by Alex Korb, Ph.D.
• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. I include this one with some trepidation. It is considered a seminal work regarding trauma. Unfortunately, it does include some explicit descriptions of childhood sexual abuse.
• Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss by Lisa Keefauver, M.S.W. The author has a podcast with the same name.
• The Power of Neurodiversity: Unleashing the Advantages of Your Differently Wired Brain by Thomas Armstrong

In another article, I mentioned that I find Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) most effective. It’s best to do that with a therapist who is certified in DBT, but the “official” DBT regime involves intensive group and individual therapy that isn’t accessible to most people in the U.S. In lieu of that, the information and skills are still wonderful, so I’ve included some resources about DBT.

• DBT Skills for Highly Sensitive People: Make Emotional Sensitivity Your Superpower Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy by Emma Lauer
• The Neurodivergent Friendly Workbook to Mastering DBT Skills: Empower Yourself with Practical Tools and Strategies for Navigating Life’s Challenges and Achieving Emotional Well-Being by Dahlia Banks
• DBT Workbook for Adult ADHD and Anxiety: A Practical Guide With Dialectical Behavior Techniques and Coping Skills to Overcome a Scattered Brain, Improve Focus, and Achieve Optimal Mental Performance by Janet Willow
• The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance by Matthew McKay Ph.D., Jeffrey C. Wood Ph.D., and Jeffrey Brantley, M.D.
• DBT Tools
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy