Books to Read for Mental Health Awareness Month 2023
Want to find a new read for Mental Health Awareness Month 2023?
We got you covered with a few suggestions to add to your #TBR list for May!
Whether you enjoy nonfiction, fiction, self-help books, psychology, spirituality, science, social justice, personal development, fantasy, YA, or just a great book to cozy up with, there’s something for everyone on this list!
And hey, maybe it’s time to try a new genre this month! All of these books are fantastic, so you really can’t go wrong.
Without further ado, let’s get into these Mental Health Awareness Month book recs:
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
This book gets a solid 4.44 stars rating on Goodreads. Before publishing this book in 2014, Bessel Van Der Kolk spent a few decades working directly with survivors, giving readers a unique look at the impact of trauma on the mind & body on adults & children alike. He specifically talks in depth about how traumatic experiences negatively impact many different areas of survivors’ lives – children & adults alike.
This book if for you if you’re interested in personal development, healing from your past, & learning how trauma works, moves, & goes through the body & mind.
Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Mental Health, Health, Science, Personal Development, Counseling
Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit
by Mary-Frances Winters
Mary-Frances Winters is described as “a passionate advocate for justice and equity; a provocateur not afraid to have the difficult conversations”. This certainly is evident in Black Fatigue, where Winters talks about the consequences of living while Black, how exhausting it is to face the same injustices over & over again, & how non-BIPOC individuals fail to disrupt systems they say they want dismantled.
If you want to learn more about how to actively interrupt racism through personal stories, facts throughout history, & vital understanding of the experience of living with Black Fatigue, read on!
Genres: Nonfiction, Race, Social Justice, Anti Racist, Mental Health, Social Issues, Feminism, Self Help, Politics
Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole
by Susan Cain
Bittersweet is not only another critically acclaimed novel by Susan Cain (precluded by Quiet, published in 2012), but it also was a Best Nonfiction Nominee for the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards. This books delves into why we experience sorrow & longing & the lessons we can learn from the bittersweetness of sorrow compounding with the joys, fears, darks, & bright moments of life.
Cain talks about how important it is acknowledge our own sorrows and longings so that we can don’t inflict them on others later in life through abuse, violence, etc. A powerful read about different states of mind, mental health, & personal development.
Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Mental Health, Science, Personal Development, Philosophy, Health, Spirituality
The Midnight Library
by Matt Haig
As a personal favorite of mine, I can’t recommend this book enough. If you enjoy fiction, fantasy, & lots of opportunities for self-reflection, add this book to your shelf! The Midnight Library received the Goodreads Choice 2020 Best Fiction Award – and for good reason.
Haig introduces us to Nora Seed, a young woman who finds herself in the Midnight Library, where each book contains a choice she made in her life. She is now in the position to redo any of her past choices, forcing her to look at how her life could’ve gone. Go along on Nora’s journey, where you’ll be sure to find a deeper appreciation for living life.
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Adult, Science, Mental Health, Adult Fiction, Book Club
Should I Stay or Should I Go?: Surviving a Relationship with a Narcissist
by Ramani Durvasula, PhD
You’ve likely heard the term narcissism, but you may not know how to spot one – or that clinical narcissism is much more complicated than it seems.
Whether you’re in a relationship or not, this book is an essential read about how to navigate healing from narcissistic abuse, checklists for how to spot red flags & warning signs, & research that backs it all up.
Whether you decide to stay or go, Dr. Durvasula breaks down what you really need to know about narcissists, their complicated behavior, & how it affects others & the world.
Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help, Relationships, Mental Health, Personal Development, Love, Health, Abuse
Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients, and the Legacy of Trauma
by Galit Atlas, PhD
Generational trauma is a heavy topic – but it’s an important one.
Working with patients as a psychoanalyst for many years, Dr. Galit Atlas knows the impact that generational trauma has on people’s mental health and relationships, & gives readers a chance to look deeper into that.
Each chapter shows a different case history of one of her patients. Don’t miss out on this moving & insightful book that helps build the bridge to not only breaking generational trauma, but healing from it.
Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Mental Health, Science, Personal Development, Philosophy, Health, Spirituality
Make sure to let us know if you have read or decided to read any of these amazing books! You can find us on all social medias @dvnconnect.
Tell us your thoughts – Have you read any of these before? What did you learn? What struck you?
And – let us know if you have a favorite book about mental health that’s not listed here!
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MORE INFO & SIGN-UP HERE!
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Links to each book:
- The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
- Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit
- Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole
- The Midnight Library
- Should I Stay or Should I Go?: Surviving a Relationship with a Narcissist
- Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients, and the Legacy of Trauma
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By Becca Schroeder, she/her/hers
Domestic Violence Network Marketing Specialist
bschroeder@dvnconnect.org