Mental cover

Mental

by Steve Ellen

**Become your own mental health expert** *Mental illness is too often portrayed with a sense of despair, as if it’s a life sentence. Nothing could be further from the truth. Virtually everyone improves with help, and most of the help is relatively easy to access.* How do we define mental illness? What does a diagnosis mean? What should you ask your doctor before you begin treatment? Are there alternatives to medication? What does the research show actually works? Practitioner and professor of psychiatry Dr Steve Ellen and popular comedian Catherine Deveny combine forces to demystify the world of mental health. Sharing their personal experiences of mental illness and an insider perspective on psychiatry, they unpack the current knowledge about conditions and treatments. Punctuated with anecdotes and real-life stories, *Mental* covers everything from depression and anxiety to schizophrenia, personality disorders and substance abuse. This updated edition includes a new chapter on coping with the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic, as well as updates on new drugs and therapies. Whether you have a mental illness or support someone who does, *Mental* offers clear practical help, empowering you with an arsenal of tips and techniques to help build your resilience

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?