A couple months ago, I wrote about the type of books that have helped me over the years. As an avid reader, there are always new ones. So, here’s a quick list of other books that you might want to check out in this year.
How Can I Help? A Week in My Life as a Psychiatrist by David Goldbloom and Pier Bryden
I read this book a couple of years ago when I wanted to learn more about the mental health system. The author does a fantastic job of describing the system here in Canada, with all its strengths and flaws. As a psychiatrist, he is well versed when it comes to helping people with mental illness. In his own words, he recounts his experiences and shows us that his patients are human beings worthy of love and compassion. He is a caring psychiatrist who aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, and he gives a frank overview of his medical specialty, psychiatry.
Quote: “Almost simultaneously, I recognize another true thought, one that got me and all but one of my patients through the week: human relationships and their support are our best medicine.”
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
If you’re looking to laugh, Furiously Happy is the book for you! The author recounts her experiences suffering from a mental illness, doing so in a hysterical, ridiculous way.
Quote: “It’s about taking those moments when things are fine and making them amazing, because those moments are what make us who we are, and they’re the same moments we take into battle with us when our brains declare war on our very existence. It’s the difference between “surviving life” and “living life.” It’s the difference between “taking a shower” and “teaching your monkey butler how to shampoo your hair. It’s the difference between being “sane” and being “furiously happy.”
Comfortable With Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion by Pema Chödrön
This book offers short readings to help people who want to cultivate compassion and awareness in their lives. Reading this book made me feel as if I was given a big hug! It gives plenty of information on Buddhism and is designed to help readers cope with the challenges of daily living.
Quote: “When inspiration has become hidden, when we feel ready to give up, this is the time when healing can be found in the tenderness of pain itself.”
The Kindness Handbook by Sharon Salzberg
Finally, Sharon Salzberg is one of my favourite authors because her books are comforting, and in my opinion, she has a ton of wisdom to share. Her book explores how kindness for others and ourselves is a quality that we can cultivate in our lives to bring meaning into our existence.
Quote: “As an ability, love is always there as a potential, ready to flourish and
help our lives flourish. As we go up and down in life, as we acquire or
lose, as we are showered with praise or unfairly blamed, always within
there is the ability of love, recognized or not, given life or not.”
That’s it for now! I hope that you are able to take some time to dive into a good book these days. If there’s a book that is meaningful to you, and you want it to be featured in the future, don’t hesitate to contact me: dlevesque@ubyssey.ca. Take care, you all!
The authors of this column are not mental health professionals. If you need additional support, please contact Student Health Services, the Sexual Assault Support Centre and/or the Wellness Centre. In case of an emergency, call 911.
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