Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Most of my favourite mental health books are not widely known and they don’t have thousands of reviews on Amazon.
They are very niche, you could say.
Having Borderline Personality Disorder is difficult, painful and extremely challenging. The saddest thing is that I don’t remember the time before the symptoms started to ruin my life – I have memories of being Borderline when I was a child!
Mental health books have always been helpful and crucial on my journey towards recovery.
I like having a buddy of sorts in a form of the written word. I know it is a giant cliche but books have always been my best friends. They are the only ones who didn’t judge. They were never afraid of me.
Are you like that as well? Do you find solace in reading and diving deep into a book? I think most of us are like that. We visit other worlds to make peace in our own. To be taught lessons and to experience life through the eyes of another being.
Here are mental health books I believe can make your journey easier:
I purchased this wellness planner with the intention of using it every day, regularly like a clock.
But you know how this works. The more you plan and schedule, the less likely you are to go through with it. So I figured I can do it on my own terms and write in as much as I want, or as little as I desire.
The planner is very easy to use and well organized into daily and monthly sections. It covers everything from reminding you to use DBT skills, to helping you follow your goals and practise gratitude.
I hate saying that a book feels like a Bible because I am as anti-religion as one can be, but this one really, really does feel like a Bible. The good kind.
Mindfulness is the perfect introduction to Buddhist philosophy. It is a great book for everyone who is not religious or spiritual but still wants to read deep work.
I have reread it many, many times and it helped me by reminding me of impermanence. Of everything. What I love and have now will one day cease to exist – no matter how permanent it may seem.
Another thing I learnt by reading it is how quickly my desires change my mood. I can be quite alright one second and the next minute I will be a completely different person, suffering because I do not have something that only entered my mind a minute ago.
Without my desires, I am happy and peaceful, but once they arrive, I can be a mess.
Attachment truly is suffering as the Buddhists say. It fucks you up, just to love someone or believe in something.
This is by far the greatest book on how to live with anxiety I have ever read.
You know how bad my anxiety is because I wrote about it numerous times in the past, and going to work every day is one of the biggest struggles I face. I sit on the train, surrounded by at least 50 people and I am shaking.
Having social anxiety is one of the worst things to experience. If you are in the same boat as me, then you know what I am talking about.
Essential Help For Your Nerves is a guide like no other. The author knows exactly what anxiety feels like and how small we are when faced with it. But she also knows that we are going to be okay.
That is why all the challenges and advice is so raw and real. Because the only way we can move on and embrace anxiety as part of us is by allowing ourselves to feel the pain. It will be uncomfortable. You will want to quit every single day.
You won’t. This book is going to guide you through some of the most difficult situations you can face, and this will be your freedom.
Dr Fox is a lifesaver. He always manages to give me just the right advice at the perfect moment.
Whether it comes in a form of a book, a video, or just a simple Instagram post. Everything he posts hits me just at the right time when I need it most.
This BPD workbook helped me get clear on what my actual symptoms are and how I get triggered by people around me. My main trigger is my father but I never put the words on the paper and got very honest where it comes from.
Now, after finishing the workbook, I have a clearer idea of where my recovery lies. I know exactly what to do to stop losing my shit every day and feeling like I am on a damn rollercoaster 24/7.
If you are diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, this workbook will change your life. I fucking mean it. If you are waiting for a sign that you can overcome this illness, this is it.
This book contains so many little exercises that I want to dance just by writing these words. I love, love, love when I don’t just have to read but am challenged to do something as well. How else are we supposed to learn?
The book itself is very small and easy to read. You can finish it in less than 2 hours if you take the time to indulge in some BPD literature.
It is one of those kinds of readings that engage with you, human to human. No dehumanization or demonization, just authors who want to help people like me and you.
Here it is.
The very first book about Borderline Personality Disorder I read before I got officially diagnosed. It was the beginning of my journey of discovering what this thing is and why it is making my life miserable.
If you want a simple yet thick book that will introduce you to BPD, this is what you are looking for. It covers everything from where it comes from, how it gets diagnosed, why it affects us the way it does, to which medicine to choose and why therapy matters.
Every question has an answer that is hiding in Borderline Personality Disorder For Dummies. It is well worth your money as it is an investment that will count for years to come.
The best part is that it makes for a great gift if you want to teach others about your condition.
Have you heard of any of these mental health books? Let me know down in the comment section which ones you like best.
Currently, I am still unable to pay for therapy and going through workbooks helps me tremendously. When lack of money is an obstacle, you have to find a way to take care of your mental health in another way.
And there is always a way, albeit not always the one that brings the most value. Not everyone is able to afford therapy and you do what you can do when you are in those shoes.
I truly wish you choose yourself every single day. When you wake up, I hope you decide that today is the day when you continue giving yourself everything you need, deserve and require. No one else will do it for us.
You got this.
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Tanja
