Blog Archives
Humanizing Mental Health Issues
Reconstruction Quest: A Neurodivergent Journey is a powerful and deeply personal memoir that takes readers through the complexities of living as a neurodivergent individual. Why was this an important book for you to write?
There is a lot of stigma that comes with having a mental health issue and I think that when we tell our stories we help normalize and humanize having these conditions. It’s important for me to take part in that fight. It was important on a personal level, in that reprocessing my experiences and looking back with a critical lens has helped me make sense of my life better.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The language we use for ourselves is important because in ways it dictates where we go next. If I see myself as lazy, I may feel justified to be lazy. However, if I see myself as a good person… Also, I believe we all have the power to improve ourselves in some way or another.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
Thank you. The hardest parts to revisit were my times in the psych ward. That was a very tough time in my life, however, by doing so (writing about it) I feel more at peace with what I’ve gone through.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
Recovery from serious mental illness is possible. It may not be a straight line and you may always experience ups and downs, but there is always hope of a better tomorrow.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Reconstruction Quest
Reconstruction Quest: A Neurodivergent Journey by John F. Gerrard is a powerful and deeply personal memoir that takes readers through the complexities of living as a neurodivergent individual. Gerrard’s life story is a candid exploration of what it means to navigate a world designed for neurotypical brains, while also grappling with the additional challenges of depression, mental health struggles, and substance abuse. His journey is raw and unfiltered, revealing how these battles often feel like an internal war. Through a series of vulnerable, heartfelt stories, Gerrard recounts his experiences—from being teased with cruel nicknames in school to experimenting with cannabis as a teen, to the moments he found solace in faith and community. Each chapter reveals a pivotal moment in his quest to reconstruct his life and move forward.
What truly stands out in this memoir is Gerrard’s openness. He doesn’t just share events from his past—he offers present-day reflections on those moments, creating a unique conversational style. It feels as though he’s speaking directly to the reader, adding a layer of intimacy and connection that makes the book feel deeply personal. The way he blends past experiences with his current understanding makes the narrative both relatable and engaging. Gerrard’s psychological self-awareness is evident throughout the memoir. Coming from a background in psychology, I can confidently say his introspective approach shines through, particularly in his discussion of depression. He opens up about his struggles with a level of vulnerability that is both honest and inspiring. In one chapter, he speaks of depression but notes his awareness that it doesn’t define his entire life. Despite the darkness, he recognizes that love from family and friends is present, and he contemplates how even small changes—like adjusting the way he moves his body—might influence his mental state. His message is clear: depression, or any mental health issue, is not the full picture. There is always more to life, and things can improve with time and effort.
Reconstruction Quest is more than a memoir; it’s a vital conversation starter about neurodivergence, mental health, and substance abuse—topics that still aren’t discussed enough in society. Gerrard’s bravery in sharing his story so openly, wearing his heart on his sleeve, makes this book not only compelling but necessary. It’s one of the rare works that addresses the intersection of neurodivergence and mental health with such depth and empathy. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to understand more about neurodivergence, mental health, or personal growth. Gerrard’s story is one of resilience, and his memoir is sure to inspire and inform anyone going through similar challenges.
Pages: 151 | ASIN : B0DFDG8YHY
Back to Loving My 1st Wife: A Husband’s Unconditional Love & The Aftermath of Caregiver Stress
Back to Loving My 1st Wife is a deeply personal and emotionally charged memoir by James Bass that explores the trials and tribulations of caring for his wife, Crystal, who battles severe mental health issues. The narrative is a heartfelt journey through the complexities of mental illness, the challenges of caregiving, and the enduring power of love and resilience.
From the onset, Bass’s writing captivated me with its raw honesty and vulnerability. The detailed accounts of his struggles, from navigating the intricacies of the DSM-5 to confronting the inadequacies of the healthcare system, paint a vivid picture of a man determined to save his wife. His decision to take Crystal home against medical advice, driven by a profound sense of love and duty, is both compelling and inspiring. This section resonated deeply with me, highlighting the often unseen sacrifices made by caregivers. Bass’s reflections on his own mental health struggles added a rich layer of complexity to the memoir. His candid discussions about experiencing PTSD and the emotional turmoil he faced while supporting his wife were particularly poignant. The moments where he describes his flashbacks and the constant battle to maintain composure in the face of his own inner demons were powerfully evocative. These passages underscored the memoir’s theme of resilience and the personal cost of caregiving. One of the most striking aspects of the book is Bass’s exploration of his past and its impact on his present. The memoir delves into his childhood experiences with a violent stepfather and the lasting effects of trauma. This background provided a deeper understanding of his current struggles and motivations, particularly in the chapter where he wrestles with the desire for revenge against those who wronged him and his wife.
Back to Loving My 1st Wife is a powerful testament to the strength of love and the human spirit. James Bass’s journey is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, offering valuable insights into the challenges faced by caregivers and those living with mental illness. This book is highly recommended for anyone seeking to understand the profound impact of mental health issues on individuals and families, and for caregivers who will find solace and solidarity in Bass’s experiences. It is a must-read for those who believe in the transformative power of love and resilience in the face of adversity.
Pages: 131 | ASIN : B0D5NJX8CJ
The Best I Can Do: A True Story of Navigating the Complexities of Mental Illness and Homelessness
Mental illness does not affect the individual alone; family and friends suffer, watching their loved ones change in ways they can’t understand. Cheryl Landes guides readers through her journey with mental illness in The Best I Can Do. Cheryl and her former husband, Tom, had many wonderful years together. They traveled, spent time together, and generally enjoyed life like everyone else. Tom’s change in demeanor was gradual with the growing stress of his sales job. As the illness took its toll, Tom started forming strange habits.
Cheryl starts her story at her lowest point, living out of her car, taking on two jobs, and struggling to pay her bills. Readers learn it is possible to endure loving someone with mental illness and find strength in learning that, sometimes, there’s nothing you can do to help them. Landes is a naturally gifted writer. She paints a beautifully detailed and heartbreaking story, one that’s unfortunately not uncommon. It’s hard for many families who struggle with helping their loved ones cope with mental illness. Landes’ decision to jump between periods of her life helps brace readers for the struggles she faces after she and her husband became homeless. Chapters like “Home in the Snow” and “Night Shift at the Ski Area” highlight Landes’ fight to survive in 2005. Without knowing where Tom was or how he was doing, Landes had to focus on her own well-being. From there, Landes jumps back to happier times in 1994, so readers can see the gradual change in Tom’s personality.
The Best I Can Do by Cheryl Landes is a deeply moving and beautifully crafted memoir that provides an intimate look into the challenges of loving someone with mental illness. Through her detailed storytelling and poignant reflections, Landes offers readers both solace and insight into a struggle that many face but few openly discuss. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of mental illness, as well as for those who appreciate memoirs rich in emotional depth and vivid detail. Whether you are personally affected by similar circumstances or simply looking for a compelling and heartfelt story, The Best I Can Do will resonate deeply and leave a lasting impression.
Pages: 350 | ASIN : B0D3FD8B5C
Sisters in the Storm
Sisters in the Storm: For Moms of Mentally Ill Adult Children by Linda Hoff is a book about the author’s struggles as the mother of a son diagnosed with chronic paranoid schizophrenia. Hoff offers encouragement to other mothers facing a similar situation dealing with a mentally ill adult child, providing support, advice, and resources. In this book, the author shares the lessons she learned and insights gained from her personal journey to help other parents discover ways to cope, find acceptance, and reclaim their own lives.
This is an inspiring and informative book to read for anyone with a family member or friend who struggles with mental illness. Linda Hoff provides valuable tools to live a better, more joyful life despite the difficult battles faced. There is great comfort in knowing that we are not alone and that many others understand what we are going through. I liked that each chapter in the book began with a few lines of poetry, and each chapter ended with a visualization journey.
The inclusion of the author’s personal stories (or stories from friends or acquaintances), which were used to illustrate the author’s points, allowed me to connect with Hoff. For example, a very significant point that the author highlighted was the importance of learning to not allow her own mental health and well-being to suffer due to her child’s mental illness. My favorite chapter in the book was the one about living a joyful life with the twelve elements of hope, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, reverence, generosity, energy and vitality, listening, laughter, love, cheerful enthusiasm, and inner peace, with actionable to-do lists and mediation exercises. I appreciated that the author gave suggestions that she learned from her specific experience and provided information about additional resources where readers can find help for their own personal situations.
One style element in the book’s formatting was to repeat sections of text like in a magazine article style. This method is effective in highlighting important points in writing. However, I felt, at times, it was overused. With so much fantastic information in this supportive book, I can understand why it was hard for the author to decide what key pieces to highlight.
Sisters in the Storm: For Moms of Mentally Ill Adult Children is a heartwarming book for mothers that take on the burden of trying to shoulder everything. It can be an overwhelming experience, and having a book like this to read and look back at gives them the knowledge they are not alone.
Pages: 422 | ASIN : B09VLHL2DG
What It Takes To Survive
University on Watch is your true story detailing the obstacles you faced in academia and how you were forced to overcome your disabilities while facing bias and ignorance from people at the university. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I fell in love when I was in college in New London with language. If I was ever going to put process the trauma and move towards healing I needed to recapture the events in the book through the very words that were so precious to me years ago.
What were some ideas that were important for you to explore in this book?
The impact of a major mental health disorder on a person’s life. Specifically, for young people alone and isolated from supports, and other vulnerable people. They needed to know what it takes to survive, and the various threatening intersections there are in the health and healing.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
Always keep in mind your behavior and the goals that you are setting out to accomplish. The behavior has a direct impact on us and the outcomes in life. Sometimes, without doing everything we can do to keep moving is all we have to hold on to in our darkest hours.
You are a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Has your time helped others informed the development of your book?
Without the clinical language, I wouldn’t’ be convinced I had what it took to write the book. Prior to healing and becoming a social worker, I had only one lens through to see the world. Back then, I also felt a certain way about my grip on the world (shame, guilt, all of it). The point is without a whole new way of understanding the world, what else was I offering but a closed-off and a non-illuminating text.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
Mr. Peters will travel across New York State, visiting friends, loved ones, and old schoolmates from his High School days at Wales. Through his journey, Jacques will undergo another transformation while contesting the admission decision to the very end, putting his health and life at risk forever.
University on Watch
![University on Watch: Crisis in the Academy (J Peters Autobiography) by [J Peters]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51aPRoWJAfL.jpg)
University on Watch: Crisis in the Academy by J Peters is a unique reading experience. It is the author’s true story of what he endured going through the world of academia and how he was forced to overcome his disabilities AND the biases and ignorance of those at the university to achieve his education goals.
It is a stunning examination of those dark things that should not be tolerated or accepted on any level, but ones we all know occur when backs are turned or no one is looking. More than that, it is the story of hope. Of how we can achieve our dreams no matter the obstacles thrown in our way. Despite the almost horrific exposure of academia’s underbelly people choose to ignore, this tell all confession is a message of inspiration for those with disabilities and mental health issues. Author J Peters wrote University On Watch after enduring a major crisis at New London University. It took ten long years for him to come to terms with what happened there. No, I won’t spoil that for you with this review. During that time he took a closer look at who he was and who he wanted to be. J Peters has since gone on to become a rhetoric scholar and, in his own words, a person living with schizophrenia.
This book is written in a straightforward manner, both open and easy to follow. J Peters pulls no punches in his recounting of his time at the university. His book is a journey of self-discovery that will engage your emotions on a deep level. If you don’t walk away questioning the how and why of this scenario you may need to go back and reread it. University on Watch is unlike anything you will read. Do yourself a favor- walk a mile in J. Peters’ shoes.
Pages: 150 | ASIN: B07NP2891M
University on Watch: Crisis in the Academy – Book Trailer
University on Watch is a story about youthful hope, yearning for more, and triumph over failures and mistakes beyond our own control and doing. The book is a native story to New York state, but couldn’t be more otherworldly, at times supernatural and grippingly suspenseful as the book unfolds. The crisis in the academy, or New London University, is one that goes to the very epicenter of higher learning and education. This crisis is also conjectured, created by the mind of Jacques Peters, a student rejected from the graduate school in English at New London University.
Jacques Peters will do everything in his power to uncover the reason for his rejection from graduate school. Meta-power, a word Jacques Peters believes is behind the root of power in the English department and the reason for his rejection becomes the point of departure for a quest into the very root of power in New London. During this quest, Jacques stops at nothing to hold university officials, department offices, and the community accountable for terminating his education prematurely.
Mr. Peters will travel across New York State, visiting friends, loved ones, and old schoolmates from his High School days at Wales. Through his journey, Jacques will undergo another transformation while contesting the admission decision to the very end, putting his health and life at risk forever.
LITERARY TITAN 