Blog Archives
Youth Truth: Engaging In Conversations That Can Change Lives
Youth Truth is a compassionate and story-driven work of nonfiction in which author Carlamay Sheremata, drawing on her years as a school resource officer, reflects on the lives of young people standing at the edge of crisis and the adults who either reach them or fail to. The book moves through a series of case-based chapters on suicide, addiction, sexual coercion, identity, abuse, eating disorders, self-harm, and bullying, always circling back to one central claim: a life can change when a young person feels truly heard.
What stayed with me most was the book’s insistence that intervention rarely begins with brilliance. More often, it begins with a question, a hunch, a small act of care, like noticing a boy’s hollow face and handing him a cafeteria card, or recognizing that a teen who has nowhere left to go still knows which office feels safe enough to enter.
I enjoyed the book’s emotional candor. Sheremata doesn’t write from a great height, and that matters. She writes close to the ground, inside school hallways, cramped kitchens, ambulances, offices with doors half shut, the ordinary places where unbearable things are quietly carried. Jon’s imagined waffle breakfast, so painfully vivid because he’s starving, is the kind of detail that lands with a thud. So is Jane clutching the last cigarette before returning to rehab, or Cameron, tangled in gang expectations, coming alive at the possibility of working with food. These moments give the book its pulse. I felt, again and again, that Sheremata understands something essential about young people in distress: they are often dismissed as dramatic when they are being most truthful. The book is strongest when it trusts those intimate particulars and lets them do their work.
The book’s deepest strength is its moral clarity. Sheremata is not coy about what she believes. She believes adults should show up, listen better, speak more honestly, and stop mistaking control for care. I respected that conviction. At the same time, I did fee that the writing can be a bit repetitive, and the reflective passages sometimes spell out lessons that the stories have already made beautifully obvious. But even there, I understood the impulse. This is not a detached literary exercise. It’s a book written by someone who has seen too much suffering to hide behind polish. The prose is straightforward, yet it carries real feeling, and the ideas feel urgent because they’ve been earned in lived encounters.
Youth Truth is moving, sincere, and unsettling in the best way, because it asks whether the young people around us are less unreachable than we claim and more neglected than we admit. I finished it thinking not only about the youth in these pages, but about the adults around them, and how often salvation arrives in the form of patient attention. I’d recommend this book especially to parents, teachers, counselors, coaches, and anyone who works closely with adolescents, though I think it could also reach careful teen readers who want to feel less alone. It’s heartfelt, useful, and humane, and that combination makes this book highly recommended.
Pages: 121 | ASIN : B0DJ7M94GW
There is Something Fishy About Ed. A Gentle introduction into mental health and eating disorders
This book is a heartfelt, poetic exploration of a family navigating the stormy waters of an eating disorder. Told through the eyes of two young fish siblings, it follows their journey as they learn about their mother’s struggle with “Ed” (short for eating disorder). The story gently unpacks complex emotions, fear, confusion, and love and highlights the importance of communication, support, and coping skills. With a mix of tender moments and childlike wonder, it presents a difficult subject in a way that feels safe and accessible for children.
Right from the beginning, the writing pulls you in with its simple yet evocative language. The author does an incredible job of using poetry to create a rhythm that mirrors the ups and downs of mental illness. At times, the verses feel light and playful, especially when the siblings count fish or share inside jokes but there’s an underlying weight that makes the story feel real. The metaphor of the ocean, the storm, and the lurking presence of “Ed” makes this a powerful and relatable read.
One of the most striking aspects of the book is how it doesn’t shy away from the raw emotions children might feel when a parent is struggling. The book captures that feeling of helplessness kids experience when they sense something is wrong but don’t quite understand it. At the same time, it reassures them that they’re not alone. The way the siblings support each other, like when one comforts the other with a quick fin hug, shows the power of small moments in making a big difference.
The ending takes an unexpected yet imaginative turn when the children transform from fish into humans, symbolizing growth and newfound understanding. It’s a creative touch that reinforces the idea that struggles don’t define a person they evolve, they change, they learn to cope. The final message, “Together we’ll rise! No storm will divide!” leaves readers with a sense of hope and resilience. And the fact that they still giggle about “Fred” (instead of “Ed”) makes it feel authentic because healing isn’t just serious work, it’s also about finding joy along the way.
There is Something Fishy About Ed? (A Gentle) Introduction to Mental Health and Eating Disorders would be a great fit for families wanting to introduce mental health discussions in a way that feels safe and engaging. It’s perfect for kids who might be dealing with similar challenges at home or anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how eating disorders affect not just individuals, but the people who love them. It’s emotional, beautifully written, and, most importantly, filled with hope. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or therapist, this book is a conversation starter that will leave a lasting impact.
Meaningful Work
Emetophobia & Me follows your transformation from a childhood shaped by fear to an adulthood grounded in courage, compassion, and the radical act of choosing to live fully even when anxiety whispers otherwise. Why was this an important book for you to write?
What a great question. It brought up quite a lot for me. I will try to summarise it. Having battled crippling anxiety throughout most of my childhood and adult life, I wanted nothing more than to help others who were suffering too. When I saw someone suffering with anxiety and/or emetophobia and heard them speak of their experience in ways I deeply resonated with, my heart would literally hurt. For many years, I would just listen and try to offer any understanding and …. well, just love really. It felt like a lifeline for me to have someone who would just listen and remind me that I was not alone. So when I decided to write this little book, it was really to create a lifeline for those who feel lost and to remind them that they were safe. There is hope, and they are deeply loved.
What feels important to me is that, even when I am gone, my books might still bring comfort to others. That feels like meaningful work to me.
What was the hardest memory to revisit while writing Emetophobia & Me, and how did you care for yourself during that process?
Writing the book really did bring up some old feelings and fears, but it was therapeutic in a way too. I think the hardest part to revisit was those times, as a child, where I felt so unsafe. I had the phobia, anxiety, and panic ( I had no idea they had names then), there was violence at home, and my sister was diagnosed with cancer.
I felt so sad for that frightened little girl, who tried tirelessly to control what was never in her control. I guess that is why I turned inward more and more, to try and control myself. To try and keep myself safe with rituals, behaviour, and fear.
Was there a specific moment when your relationship with fear shifted from something to avoid to something you could coexist with?
You know, I wish there was a light bulb moment when it all changed. We are all looking for the magical quick fix, right? But, actually, it was a slow process. A process of seeing, then not seeing, then seeing more. The real change came from being open to being wrong …. about who I thought I was, my beliefs, and my misunderstanding about fear.
Being open. Being prepared to change your mind. Being aware that there is a lot you don’t know yet, is huge.
What do you hope readers who don’t struggle with phobias take away about empathy and the lived experience of anxiety?
It has always been important to me that loved ones and family members have some understanding about anxiety and Phobias. The one thing a sufferer needs is understanding. Followed by time and love. Just listen, not always to fix, but just to hear. Often, we sufferers of anxiety feel unheard, and that increases fear and insecurity.
The answer to everything always is love.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | Finding Peace | Website | Books.By | Amazon
She could control everything—
except her own fear.
From the outside, Jess Smith looked fine. A wife, a mother, a woman doing her best to hold it all together. But behind every smile hid a secret terror—an obsessive fear of vomiting so intense it ruled her every decision. Every meal was measured. Every outing calculated. Every day, a battle with her own mind.
Until the fear began to consume her life completely.
In this raw and beautifully written memoir about emetophobia, anxiety and panic attacks, Jess takes readers inside the hidden world of a phobia few dare to talk about. Her story unfolds like a psychological thriller—every symptom, every panic episode, every desperate attempt to stay “safe” pulling her further from the life she longed to live.
But when she finally hit breaking point, something miraculous happened.
She stopped running.
She turned inward.
And she began the journey home—to herself.
Part memoir, part self-help guide for anxiety and recovery, Emetophobia and Me will make you feel every heartbeat of fear—and every breath of freedom that follows.
If you’ve ever lived your life controlled by fear—whether of panic, sickness, or simply losing control—this story will hold your hand through the darkness and show you that healing isn’t about fixing yourself.
It’s about finally allowing yourself to be free.
A powerful, honest, and inspiring read for anyone navigating anxiety, emetophobia, panic disorder, or trauma recovery.
You are not afraid of what you think you are.
It’s time to see the truth — and take your life back.
Hope is Real
In Starving for Acceptance, you share with readers your personal struggle with eating disorders and body image issues and the hope that emerged after your hard-fought battle. Why was this an important book for you to write?
This book reflects the core values in its Mission Statement: breaking the silence around men’s struggles with eating disorders, body image, and low self-esteem. These challenges often go unspoken due to stigma, denial, and shame, leaving many to suffer in isolation. My purpose was to let those who are struggling know they are not alone—that help is possible, and hope is real.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest thing for me to write about was revisiting the painful nature of living with an eating disorder. It has been a number of years since I dealt with Ed to the extent and depth that I was compelled to do in the memoir. For the book to be relatable to others, I felt vulnerability and honesty were essential.
What is one misconception you believe many people have regarding eating disorders?
I believe most people are under the impression eating disorders are the territory of adolescent, white, middle-class females. Period. Nothing could be further from the truth. Eating disorders cross all racial, gender, and economic brackets. Males constitute over 30% of all eating disorders, and even that may be grossly understated due to the stigma and shame of their silence.
Another big misconception is that there must be a single cause for the disease. We are complex beings, thus there is no easy answer. It is a complex issue comprised of any combination of physical, emotional, and environmental factors, including low self-esteem, perfectionism, depression, and feelings of being unworthy.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
My wish is that the reader will derive hope and a deeper understanding of the process they are going through. Eating disorders are difficult to deal with. The sooner someone can identify they have disordered eating (such as constant food and body image thoughts, rules, and rituals) and the sooner they seek help with a therapist, family member, or trusted friend, the more likely they are to find peace within themselves. Silence is the killer. Trying to ignore the symptoms is no better. Recognizing the growing disorder and taking action is where the recovery begins.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
I never would have believed that most of my life would be dominated by the challenges
of an eating disorder. Why do individuals develop eating disorders? There are certain threads
that bind those wrestling with disordered eating: the weight of anxiety and darkness from
depression; the pursuit of perfection; the onus of low self-esteem; and the constant ache of high
sensitivity.
These emotions and traits can intertwine, leading to a dance with obsessive-compulsive
disorder, cloaked in shame, fueled by feelings of inadequacy, and driven by external
validation rather than inner worth. It is a complex web of factors:
a search for identity,
the echoing pressures of society and the media,
the wounds of trauma,
the maddening obsession for control,
the whispers of biology and genetics,
the demands of sports that emphasize size and shape.
But this list is far from complete. For each individual a unique combination of factors
can trigger the descent into an eating disorder. Not everyone who shares these
struggles succumbs to the same fate, just as not everyone with a heartache ends up
broken. I’ve battled anorexia and bulimia for nearly half my life, reaching out to
countless resources in search of answers.
My path has been punctuated by the realization that the discussion and support most
often revolve around the female experience. Yet I know that as a man, I am not alone. I
am convinced that what I’ve witnessed is merely the tip of a well-concealed iceberg,
hiding a vast expanse of male voices stifled by secrecy.
Starving for Acceptance: One Man’s Journey with Anorexia and Bulimia is my
attempt to cast a brighter light on this shadowed corner of reality. My purpose is to
share my experiences and struggles with eating disorders and body image obsessions.
I hope other men will see themselves in my story. I urge anyone who suspects they have
an eating disorder to accept their infirmity and seek help.
FULL
FULL: Overcoming our Eating Disorders to Fully Live, by Alayna J. Burke and Melissa L. Kelley, is a well-written book dealing with the hardships of eating disorders and body image and how the cause of the disorder is always much more significant than just not liking your body. The authors of this book tackle the subject starting from their own experiences and perspective.
Burke was a prepubescent 10-year-old living in the era of social media when a doctor first told her that she needed to lay off the snacks, which started her eating disorder. She would soon realize that when she lost weight, the way people talked about her changed, and being a perfectionist, her new goal was as clear as day: stay tiny. Melissa grew up in the 70s, and her eating disorder started as early as 6 years old; looking at herself in her parents’ bedroom mirror and thinking she was big, too big to be able to disappear, which was her coping mechanism in school. After sharing their stories, the authors focus on the fact that an eating disorder or body image issues are never the results of just not being happy or satisfied with our bodies; they are the result of trauma, shame, perfectionism, comparison to others, the glamourization of being sick, addictions, triggers and more.
Burke and Kelley gave a wonderful insight into the struggles of having an eating disorder and shared what they went through, how they overcame their issues, and what they learned along the way. They tackled a subject that is the reality of many people around the world and helped end the stigma of eating disorders by simply explaining that this is a genuine disorder that is not just about how you look. Reading this, I could recognize myself in these women’s stories. As someone who has dealt with and is still dealing with an eating disorder, I always felt that I needed to lose weight to feel better about myself. Still, I just recently realized that I also have a problem with food and that I was never taking care of myself but rather feeding my disorder. Losing weight gave me approval, pride, and attention. That’s me. I’m big. I seemed to take up so much space. These are just some of the quotes I found myself in in the book, and I believe most people who have dealt with eating disorders have resonated. I am incredibly thankful that these authors decided to share their stories. They managed to give a voice where there was silence for a long time.
FULL: Overcoming our Eating Disorders to Fully Live is a profoundly thoughtful self-help book that deals with a topic typically oversimplified in the media. This book does more than shed light on the subject of eating disorders; it offers first-hand experience into the struggles to recover and emphasizes it is a lifelong challenge. I recommend this book to anyone dealing with these or similar issues, that have family or friends struggling with eating disorders, anyone interested in learning, and psychology students.
Pages: 241 | ASIN : B0BLTB6WG6
Addicted to Health
In her book Addicted to Health: Going with God to Break Free from a Health-Obsessed Culture, Victoria P. Davis preaches about healthy eating and healthy living in a different way. The author talks about societal norms, dieting, good health fused with faith and belief in God. The content in this book is far from the usual health advice that we read about every day. Victoria P. Davis shares proven ways in which readers can lead a healthy and fulfilling life.
Victoria P. Davis invites readers into her world, and shares her wins, challenges and the battles she has fought. She uses examples from her interactions with family and friends to show how God has been faithful to her and why it is possible to beat every challenge in life if you have faith. For someone that battled and won the fight with Tourette’s Syndrome, skin issues, and hormonal imbalances among other things, Victoria P. Davis sure is an inspiration to many. Her life is a true testament to the fact that nothing is impossible if you are determined.
One thing stands out in this inspirational self-help book; it is how she writes about the various topics and blends mini-topics in every chapter. Addicted to Health has three parts, each covering crucial topics that are somehow related. The first part of the book covers topics on health addiction, health obsession and different views on health. In the second part of the book, Victoria P. Davis tells her story and gets personal. There is a lot to learn just by reading stories of people that have gone through challenges that not many openly talk about. Victoria P. Davis’s writing style shows her compassion for others and their unique situations. When reading about steps to freedom and leading others to freedom, one can realize that the author is a kind soul that does not mind helping those in need.
Addicted to Health will restore your faith in humanity even as you work on your healthy living. The author’s words will also help you live righteously. The text in the book is well written and arranged in a meaningful and easy to follow manner.
Pages: 139 | ASIN : B096L68VL9
