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The Best Mental Health Memoirs [Slideshow]

Anne

Nov 26, 2019

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Mental health has gone mainstream, and we mean that in a good way. For many years there has been a social stigma attached to being diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Recently, the conversation has started to shift.

Awe-Inspiring Mental Health Memoirs

For those who may not be interested in sitting through a talk or lecture regarding struggles with mental health, or who would like to explore the topic in the quiet privacy of their own home, many great mental health memoirs will have you glued to the pages.

Even if you haven’t struggled with mental health yourself, the chances are that you know someone who has. Check out these mental health memoirs for a look inside the world of what it’s like to be touched by a mood disorder, addiction, eating disorder, and more.

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Manic: A Memoir by Terri Cheney

This New York Times bestseller details the author's struggle with bipolar disorder. Manic: A Memoir breaks the reader's misconceptions that the wealthy and beautiful don't suffer from mental health disorders.

Cheney, a lawyer from Beverly Hills, was, by all means, wildly successful. However, the mood disorder led her to dark depths, including time spent in jail, a suicide attempt, and substance abuse. Follow Cheney on her journey of battling a crippling mental health disorder.

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Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff

Not for the faint of heart, Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines is Sheff's personal account of struggling with a deeply rooted addiction.

Gritty, honest, and uncensored, the memoir shares a raw depiction of life as an addict. The vicious cycle of using against his will, hurting those around him, and struggling to get sober, Sheff tells it all. The memoir went on to inspire the movie Beautiful Boy.

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Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

Most popularly known as a major motion picture starring Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, and Brittany Murphy, Girl, Interrupted is Kaysen's personal account of inpatient psychiatric treatment in the late 1960s.

Kaysen spent two years in the psychiatric ward. While the movie is riveting, the award-winning book is the true experience of one woman's journey through the mental health treatment system in America.

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Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So by Mark Vonnegut, M.D.

Vonnegut shares his personal story of struggling with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. An inspiring account of overcoming the odds to graduate from Harvard Medical School.

The memoir Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So sheds light on what it was like growing up as the son of famed author Kurt Vonnegut while continually fighting a battle within his own mind.

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Not All Black Girls Know How to Eat: A Story of Bulimia by Stephanie Covington Armstrong

Armstrong shares her story of struggling with an eating disorder, despite all stereotypes that would point otherwise. Not All Black Girls Know How to Eat: A Story of Bulimia details Armstrong's battle with bulimia, sexual abuse, self-hatred, and the foster care system.

With the odds stacked against her, struggling with what is deemed to be a "white woman's problem," Armstrong comes to the realization that she needs professional help to overcome her demons.

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Anne

GR8NESS Writer

Anne is a GR8NESS Contributing Writer, covering mental health, self-development, body, health, and pet care. She believes that self-betterment comes from addressing all aspects of the mind, body, and soul. When she’s not writing, you will definitely find her giving her dog belly rubs and reading the first half of every book she buys.

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