Writer Julie Barton, was just 22 years old when she became wrapped in the grips of severe depression.  She and her family tried multiple avenues to get her the help that she needed including trials of medication and working with psychiatrists; however, it wasn't until she met a puppy named Bunker that she felt the strength she needed to go on.  

In her memoir Dog Medicine, Barton beautifully and accurately describes the dark depths of depression, from the relentless melancholy to the questioning of the importance of one's life; and expertly addresses themes of abuse, self-doubt, and family, touching on many aspects that add complexity to one's mental health. However, readers can feel a shift in her writing upon meeting Bunker, illustrating just how powerful and life-saving a connection between animal and human can be.  With Bunker at her side, Barton is able to find herself and move forward; a true story of hope and resilience that encourages self-acceptance and forgiveness.


Recommended for:
​Dog lovers, those who have struggled with depression

Depression redefined in Dr. Kelly Brogan's new novel ' A Mind of Your Own' where she cites lifestyle imbalances and inflammation as potential causes. She urges her patients to see: 
​
"Depression as an opportunity, a sign for us to stop and figure out what’s causing our imbalance rather than just masking, suppressing, or rerouting the symptoms. It’s a chance to choose a new story, to engage in radical transformation, to say yes to a different life experience."

For more information, check out:
http://goop.com/the-roots-of-mental-health-maybe-theyre-not-in-our-heads/?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=The+Roots+of+Mental+Health

Catch up with all the news related to mental health and psychiatry from last week!

Canadian humanitarian, social activist and writer Amanda Lindhout recently spoke at the CPA conference in Vancouver, BC, where she recounted in honest detail her unimaginable story of being taken hostage in Somalia for over 400 days.

During her moving and powerful talk, Lindhout described in vivid detail what it felt like to lose her freedom, and told stories of unthinkable pain and suffering, both emotional, physical, and even sexual. However, it was through these experiences of weakness and unprecedented vulnerability that Lindhout found strength.  More than that her experiences allowed her to gain new perspectives, such as a how "hurt people hurt people", the concept of which sprouted seeds of compassion for her captors.  Even in the darkest moments, Lindhout still believed in human goodness and grace.  

Following her release, Lindhout returned to Canada where she experiences ongoing battles with anger and PTSD. However, she is an inspiration to us all as she continues to demonstrate resiliency and has turned her "compassion into action" through founding the Global Enrichment Foundation which "empowers, educates and provides aid in the very country where she lost her freedom".

You can learn more about Lindhout, by checking out her website http://amandalindhout.com/ or by reading her memoir A House In The Sky.

"The dramatic and redemptive memoir of a woman whose curiosity led her to the world’s most beautiful and remote places, its most imperiled and perilous countries, and then into fifteen months of harrowing captivity—an exquisitely written story of courage, resilience, and grace."

Recommended For:
Everyone, including travelers and journalists, and anyone looking to be inspired or reminded of their inner resiliency

Never underestimate the power of cake is the underlying theme of "Saved By Cake" a new book by Marian Keyes, a well-known best selling author and one of the pioneers of the "chick-lit" genre".

While Saved By Cake is not the traditional novel one expects from Keyes, it is immensely more than just a cookbook detailing delicious and tasty recipes. Rather, it is a refreshing account of how baking helped Keyes through an incredibly difficult period of depression ...

"Marian had already made one suicide attempt, in her 30s, when she was suffering from alcoholism. Now, having tried everything from Bach Flower Remedies to time in a psychiatric hospital with no sign of improvement, she thought again about killing herself.

She made detailed plans, but ‘I did feel enough of a sense of responsibility to the people who loved me not to go through with it. Whatever was going on with me, I had to wait it out. I had to find ways of passing the time until I was restored to myself again’.

By chance, a friend was coming to visit who had a birthday coming up. Marian decided to make her a cake and something about the process of baking gave her comfort.

‘I need to tell you that ‪#‎baking‬ hasn’t “cured” me,’ she writes. ‘But it gets me through'".

Recommended For:
Sweet tooths, aspiring bakers and chefs, and those interested in the connection between baking and mental health

Behaviour analyst Jill Mullin has been working with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder for well over a decade. Stemming from her own childhood love and interest in art, as well as from her work with children, Mullin saw how powerful simply drawing and painting were, especially for the 1 in 8 who are affected by an ASD‬. Through their artwork, these children become free to communicate their experiences and are able to express their innermost emotions and workings of the mind more clearly than words would have allowed.

In the visual book Drawing Autism, Mullin has put together a collection of stunning, emotional, and visually stimulating art created by children with ASD from around the world. The result is an insightful, breathtaking, and beautiful book that not only allows us to celebrate these individuals and their creativity, but it provides us with the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective and truly appreciate their emotional depth and intellect that too often gets overlooked.

You can check out some of the art contained in the book, as well as get information on how to purchase it at the links below here:

• Drawing Autism: Inside the Minds of Artists on the Spectrum

• Drawing Autism
  

• http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1617751987/braipick-20
  
  

"Using artwork created by individuals diagnosed with ASD, Drawing Autism celebrates their artistry and self-expression while also serving as an accessible point of entry into understanding how ASD manifests in individuals. Autism is known as a “spectrum disorder” because no two diagnoses are exactly the same; however, there are characteristic traits of ASD. Through their art, the contributors exhibit unique perspectives on how they see the world and their places in it. The book’s seven chapters—Interaction, Individual and Societal; Repetition, Repetition, Repetition; Getting from Here to There; Bird’s Eye View; Another World; It’s All History; Art for Art’s Sake—speak directly to the core characteristics of ASD."

Catch up with all the news related to psychiatry and mental health from last week!

Dr. Harry L. Kozol, a man trained in both law and medicine, was a neurologist who was considered as one of the nation's top experts in the field of brain disorders.  During his career, he became known for his work in forensic psychiatry as well as the field of neuropsychiatry which continues to evolve and gain further interest today.  While Dr. Kozol spent his life assessing and diagnosing his patients, as he approached his 90s he made a life-changing diagnosis, except this time his patient was actually him.  The diagnosis? Dementia.

In this touching and honest memoir, Dr. Kozol's son Jonathan, chronicles his father's life, and particularly his journey with Alzheimer's disease.  Through the novel, one also experiences the reactions, tensions, and heart-wrenching emotions family members and especially caregivers experience as they watch their loved ones deteriorate in front of their eyes. 

Recommended For: Caregivers, families affected by dementia and Alzhiemer's disease, family physicians and those interested in seniors mental health

Mac McClelland is an award-winning journalist who spent many years of her career covering traumas and tragedies, as well as human rights issues, around the world.  However, McClelland soon found that she was not immune to these on-the-job exposures to violence, disaster, and terror as they began to haunt her and wreak havoc in the form of flashbacks, nightmares, and other manifestations of PTSD.  Recently, McClelland wrote a memoir called Irritable Hearts: A PTSD Love Story in which she explores her personal experience with PTSD and her journey to recovery and ultimately survival.

Recommended For:
Journalists and writers alike, and those keen to know more about PTSD