An Introduction to coping with Health Anxiety

I bought this book for my sister who is struggling with health anxiety. Being a Psychology student, I take a lot of things for granted when it comes to helping my sister and sometimes I don't realise that what may be obvious to me isn't obvious to her or indeed anyone with little to no knowledge about psychological conditions. 

I've read through this book in no time at all and it breaks down anxieties into easily manageable chunks. I think it will be very helpful for my sister.

A word from my sister:

I read this book and found it very helpful. Some of the things I might have read before elsewhere but they are very useful. When my sister next visits we're going to go through the book together and start working on some of the activities.

I'm 25 So Why Do I Think I'm Dying?

I got this book for my little sister who is suffering health anxiety. I read it myself also in order that she and I could discuss it. Personally, I have my own mental health issues and I found that this book can also be used for various other mental health issues. Thank you Jonathan for sharing your experiences to help others. I plan to do the same some day when I can gain full control of my thoughts.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who has or think they may have health anxiety. It takes a no-nonsense approach to Jonathan's issues and talks about them in a very frank manner.

A word from my little sister:

It's so hard to imagine that what I have wrong with me is an illness. Mostly because that's what I'm actually worried about. That I have something seriously wrong and that I will die from it. When my sister told me that I had Health Anxiety I was confused, I didn't understand what that meant. She bought this book for me and it felt like I was reading my own life. Knowing that I'm not alone in this is very comforting so huge thanks to Jonathan.

Stephen Fry - The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive

I had to watch this documentary as part of my course at university. It was very difficult for me to watch but compelling nonetheless! I have always been a huge fan of Stephen Fry in relation to mental health as well as sexual orientation.

This documentary in particular presents a well balanced view on Bipolar Disorder/Manic Depression whilst also telling you about the personal journey endured by Stephen Fry himself. You get to see how many "normal" people suffer with mental health issues as well as a number of celebrities you many not have known to have a struggle.

With more 'high profile' celebrities sharing their own struggles and raising awareness, perhaps the stigma can be ended once and for all.

More information can be found on the IMDb page.

Michael Heppell - Flip It

I wrote briefly about this book in my "Self Help" blog.

I will say again that I am not a huge fan of NLP and I believe it takes more than simply finding the positive or "flipping it" when you have a mental health issue but this book is a very good place to start.   There are some great reviews on Amazon for this book.

As I mentioned, NLP is not really my thing but this book humanises the whole idea. It teaches you how to take the control back in your chaotic life. It's not about mental health at all but it is very useful in all aspects of life. I initially came to this book after a rather messy break-up and I have found myself coming back to it time and time again to help keep myself positive.

Take a look at Michael Heppell's website and Twitter feed for further information.