Tag mental illness

For Ruby Wax, Mental Health Challenges Are Not an Act

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

Stephen Fry had this to say about a book by fellow British comedian and actor Ruby Wax:

“Very few will be able to read this wonderful contribution to the literature of mental health without recognizing some part of themselves and certainly someone they know. A ruby beyond price.”

In Sane New World: A User’s Guide to the Normal-Crazy Mind, Ruby Wax offers a practical, solution-based approach for understanding how the brain can send people into a tailspin of rumination and depression.

There are laugh-out-loud observations and testimonials that make this book light reading at times, but plainly serious at others. It is filled with aha moments that will lead readers to better understand themselves and others.

After decades in television and radio, Ruby Wax earned a master’s degree in cognitive therapy from Oxford University, which helped her better understand her lifelong battle with bipolar disorder and depression.

She points out that shame often comes with mental health disorders, but suggests finding at least one person, perhaps a fellow sufferer, who will not dismiss your struggles as self-indulgent. She asks, “Why can’t we have meeting places like in AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), where they all get together for their twelve-step thing and have cigarettes and cookies?”

As I read Sane New World, I felt like I was chatting with a caring friend. Part Three is the clearest explanation about the brain’s functions that I have ever read. The last two parts of the book present clear, practical mindfulness solutions intended to bring peace of mind.

In 2021, she published a followup workbook, A Mindfulness Guide for Survival. She also authored How to Be Human and A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled. Earlier in 2024, she released I’m Not as Well as I Thought I Was.

Now Read This: Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

I have joined enthusiastic readers around the globe in applauding Matt Haig’s books. He creates characters and stories with intriguing themes and compelling stories.

Reasons to Stay Alive is Matt Haig’s very personal story. He opens his heart and his mind as he describes his long battle with depression and anxiety. His book presents important realities about mental illness and overflows with strategies he has tried over the years. He writes that other people’s stories of suffering and survival have comforted him.

Here is a taste of the book’s topics:

Depressives don’t seek happiness; they seek to be free of pain. They feel like no one is going through what they face.

Anxiety added to depression can be a deadly cocktail.

Why do so many more men than women commit suicide?

Mental illness is just as much an illness as cancer, so don’t tell someone who is suffering to “cheer up.”

Travel and exercise can be antidotes to some symptoms.

The world is designed to make us feel like we need more, leading some to become depressed and/or anxious. Happy people are not good for the economy. The more we join the race to acquire stuff, the more it makes life speed by, effectively shortening it.

There are ways to slow down the mind and reduce anxiety. The book includes a list.

A thin skin is an enemy of mental wellness.

It is impossible to think just happy thoughts, but it is possible not to become the bad thoughts if you accept all your thoughts.

If you want to explore related books, Anxiety Relief by Russell Kennedy and Toxic Positivity by Whitney Goodman are two I have reviewed that complement Reasons to Stay Alive. Drop me a note or comment on this post if you have other books to recommend.