To take care of our physical health we eat well, get enough sleep and exercise regularly. We get periodic check ups and we get help if we become ill. What do we do to take care of our mental health?
To take care of our physical health we eat well, get enough sleep and exercise regularly. We get periodic check ups and we get help if we become ill. What do we do to take care of our mental health? As with our physical health, there are practices that can maximize our mental health and there are mental health professionals that can help if we become ill. This week Book Buzz acknowledges Mental Health America’s “May is Mental Health Month” awareness campaign with a sampler of mental health books available from your local library with the use of your Hawai‘i State Public Library System library card.
Happy reading!
Addiction: Why Can’t They Just Stop?
Edited by John Hoffman and Susan Froemke
915.49604 Ro
This book sheds light on the hidden American epidemic of addiction, by blending personal narratives with statistics and expert opinion. It looks at the impact of chemical dependency on addicts, their loved ones, society, and the economy. This title is also a television documentary available at your library in DVD form. You may also be interested in Helping the Addict You Love: New Effective Program for Getting the Addict into Treatment by Laurence M. Westreich.
Being Well When We’re Ill: Wholeness and Hope in Spite of Infirmity
By Marva J. Dawn
248.861 Da
The author, a woman with multiple physical challenges herself, is a powerful guide for those wanting to be well in spite of their medical conditions. She provides a helpful analysis of the implications of disabilities along with concrete spiritual, theological and practical suggestions for dealing with them. Each chapter covers one aspect of illness, such as loneliness, boredom, physical pain, regrets, bitterness or meaninglessness.
Conquering Eating Disorders: How Family Communication Heals
By Sue Cooper and Peggy Norton
616.8526 Co
Research suggests that eight million Americans-men and women-have an eating disorder.
The authors of this book bridge the gap between the statistics and the real-life issues to help teens and parents gain the communication skills necessary to confront the disorder and support the healing process. See also The Truth about Eating Disorders edited by Mark J. Kittleson.
Day in the Life of Your Brain
From Scientific American
By Judith Horstman
616.8 Ho
In this health and science overview, journalist Horstman reviews a full day of brainwork by accounting for the mental processes of everyday activities, arranged by hour of the day. She shows how, as hormone and neurotransmitter levels change throughout the day, there may be an optimal time for everything. Moving through the workday, she discusses stress, decision-making, hunger and fatigue, ADHD and more, before returning home to cover music, humor, sex, fear and sleep. See also Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life by Sandra Aamodt, Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves by Sharon Begley, and Making a Good Brain Great by Daniel G. Amen.
Emotional Freedom: Liberating Yourself from Negative Emotions
By Judith Orloff
152.4 Or
Stressed out? Discouraged? Overwhelmed? Orloff offers a superbly written series of psychological strategies for maximizing positive emotions and minimizing toxic ones. As the self is the foundation for emotional freedom, the author discusses how readers can find their emotional type-intellectual, empathic, rock or gusher-and suggests how to find balance and achieve well-being. See also The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions by Christopher K. Germer.
Getting Help:The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Self Assessment and Treatment of Mental Health Problems
By Jeffrey C. Wood
616.89075 Wo
Research suggests that many Americans struggling with mental health problems don’t understand the treatment options available to them. This guide offers detailed descriptions of the various kinds of mental health practitioners and what kinds of services they provide. It includes a diagnostic process to identify major mental health problems, and details all of the commonly practiced psychotherapeutic methods, how they work, and what problems they are most likely to help. See also The Family Intervention Guide to Mental Illness: Recognizing Symptoms and Getting Treatment by Bodie Morey or A Balanced Life: Nine Strategies for Coping with the Mental Health Problems of a Loved One by Tom Smith.
Hide and Seek: How I Laughed at Depression, Conquered My Fears and Found Happiness
By Wendy Aron
616.8527 Ar
This entertaining memoir offers both a delightfully ironic view of the self-help industry and, at the same time, an inspiring personal story of recovery.
