May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It's important to raise awareness to reduce stigma and advocate for access to mental health care for those who need it. If you or someone you know are struggling and need help, please see the resources at the bottom of the post.
Ebooks and Audiobooks available through Hoopla and Libby:
Oprah Winfrey, sharing stories from her own past, and a renowned brain development and trauma expert discuss the impact of trauma and adversity and how healing must begin with a shift to asking, "What happened to you?" rather than "What's wrong with you?"
No One Cares About Crazy People
Ron Powers offers a searching, richly researched narrative of the social history of mental illness in America paired with the deeply personal story of his two sons' battles with schizophrenia.
Sometimes Amazing Things Happen
From the Executive Director of Mental Health for Correctional Services in New York City, comes a revelatory and deeply compassionate memoir that takes readers inside Bellevue, and brings to life the world—the system, the staff, and the haunting cases—that shaped one young psychiatrist as she learned how to doctor and how to love.
The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health
An unapologetic exploration of the Black mental health crisis—and a comprehensive road map to getting the care you deserve in an unequal system.
Dear Friend, From My Life I Write to You in your Life
Written over two years while the author battled suicidal depression, Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life is a painful and yet richly affirming examination of what makes life worth living.
Digital movies available on Kanopy:
Unstuck documents OCD through kids’ eyes only. It avoids sensationalizing compulsions and obsessions and instead reveals the complexity of a disorder that affects both the brain and behavior.
Going Sane follows three families seeking the best, evidence-based treatment for mental illness, and introduces leading experts who reveal that patients continue to receive outdated and disproven treatments, often with tragic outcomes.
Filmmaker and physician Delaney Ruston grew up under the shadow of her dad's illness, schizophrenia. While reconnecting with him after years of estrangement, Ruston became obsessed with understanding families' experiences abroad.
Some Girls explores issues of identity within the Latina-American community by focusing on a group of troubled teenage girls in a Bronx-based suicide prevention program who feel rejected by mainstream America but are transformed through an exploration of their roots.
Indigenous cultures address "mental illnesses" quite differently from western societies. Are symptoms a "calling" to grow or just a "broken brain?" The documentary Crazywise explores what can be learned from people around the world who have turned their psychological crisis into a positive transformative experience.
Online resources if you are experiencing a crisis:
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.
You Matter is a safe space for youth to discuss and share stories about mental health and wellness, created and administered by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You Matter blog posts are written by a rotating Blogger Council of individuals between the ages of 13-24 that are passionate about suicide prevention and mental health.
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.
Whether you're looking to learn more about your mental health or have abusive content removed from the internet, we've pretty much got you covered. Mental health, bullying, coming out, body image, relationships, hate speech... seriously, we're here. We know how tough it can be to grow up, so don't do it alone.
Trans Lifeline is a national trans-led 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of trans lives by responding to the critical needs of our community with direct service, material support, advocacy, and education. Our vision is to fight the epidemic of trans suicide and improve overall life-outcomes of trans people by facilitating justice-oriented, collective community aid.
The NAMI HelpLine is a free, nationwide peer-support service providing information, resource referrals and support to people living with a mental health condition, their family members and caregivers, mental health providers and the public. HelpLine staff and volunteers are experienced, well-trained and able to provide guidance.
