The 32 Best Books About Mental Health
In case you haven’t noticed, our phones are a hell of a drug. From posting a new photo on IG and seeing the likes roll in, to tapping a couple buttons on Postmates to make a delicious pizza arrive at your door in 25 minutes, that instant gratification gives us little dopamine hits left right and center. In this book, psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke dives into the constant pleasure-seeking we find ourselves in, and what we can do about it.
Think of therapist Dr. Julie Smith as your mental resilience guide. She lays out some very helpful tips on dealing with anxiety, depression, and criticism, and shows you ways to build self-confidence and forgive yourself—a lil’ something we all could use if you ask me—by helping you understand how your mind works.
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Waterbrook Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts
Idk about you, but getting caught up in my head is just a constant state of being, and this book has got some pretty insightful tips to overcome it. You’ll learn to sweep away those toxic thoughts (while also laughing at all of the funny stories included in the book) and get back some peace of mind. Sounds pretty nice, no?
4
Harper How to Do the Work
Listen up, ’cause Dr. Nicole LePera (aka The Holistic Psychologist) is dropping some nuggets of mental health wisdom that you don’t want to miss. With some humor sprinkled in to make things more fun, she’s teaching you how to overcome your emotional baggage, recognize your own negative patterns, and take charge of your own life. Now who wouldn’t want that?
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I’m So Effing Tired: A Proven Plan to Beat Burnout, Boost Your Energy, and Reclaim Your Life
Never have I ever related to the title of a book more, and I think a lot of us are on the same page. Burnout is rampant and we’re all just out here grinding every day trying to get by. From eating habits to stress-management, this book tries to help you get your energy back.
Some of us overthink so much you’d wonder if we were competing for an Olympic medal in it. But let’s be real, when it comes down to it, overthinking really isn’t helping anyone. In fact, it’s often harmful. This book tries to help you understand where that exhausting, spiraling tendency comes from and provides helpful tips on how to kick rumination to the curb.
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I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t)
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If you’ve ever struggled with perfectionism, people pleasing, or anxiety about what others think, you know just how draining it can be. In this book, Brené Brown looks to show readers how to put self-criticism aside and embrace imperfections and vulnerabilities as strengths.
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Don’t Feed the Monkey Mind
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Cognitive behavioral therapy, often referred to as CBT, is one of the most effective ways to treat anxiety. This book delves into the basics of CBT, plus other mindfulness techniques, to help you learn how to question anxious thoughts and stop them from taking over.
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That Little Voice In Your Head
Negative self-talk can be too real sometimes, so how exactly do we fix that? Welp, we’ve got to change the way we think. It’s easier said than done, but this book breaks down how our brains work and how we can reprogram them. It’s basically your own how-to guide to help your thoughts come from a more positive place.
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The Courage To Be Disliked
Being overwhelmed by thoughts of whether or not people like you is exhausting, to say the least, and this book focuses on being able to break free of other people’s expectations and move past the limitations we place on ourselves.
11
Penguin Life Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life
Wanna live forever?? Okay, maybe not forever, but how about longer than most people? Because this one village in Japan has one of the highest percentages of 100-year-olds in the world, and their secret is “ikigai”—each person’s purpose or reason for living. That purpose, whatever it may be, keeps these villagers feeling like they have meaning in their life, and brings joy to each day, and it can for you too.
12
Don’t Believe Everything You Think
We can be our own worst enemy sometimes, saying things to ourselves that we’d never even think about saying to someone else. Learning to deal with negative thoughts and overcome them is a hard, but important, journey, and this book aims to take you on that.
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The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
This book from Dr. Bessel van der Kolk is a must-read that’ll help you understand the mental and physical effects of trauma and how it quite literally can reshape our bodies. It also explores therapeutic avenues that can help restore our capacity for happiness, trust, and self-control.
Books about mental health don’t all have to be self-help strategies and psychological research. This collection of poems about mental health explores anxiety, depression, and self-love in a beautiful, emotional, and relatable way.
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Harmony The Highly Sensitive Person
If you’ve heard your whole life that you’re “too sensitive” or “too shy,” then those are signs you might be a highly sensitive person. This book comes with self assessments to help you understand your own behaviors, as well as information on how to cope with overstimulation and build up your self esteem.
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Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents
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If you suspect (or know) that you were raised by emotionally immature parents, then this book is for you. It will not only help you to better understand your parent’s behavior—not to mention what expectations you can realistically have for an emotionally immature parent—but it will also help you understand exactly how their shortcomings may have affected your own behavior.
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Oprah Winfrey has a mental health book? Say less! Written with Dr. Bruce D. Perry, this book dives into the idea of not always blaming ourselves or questioning our own emotions, but instead looking at the trauma we’ve endured that lead us to those reactions. Essentially, it’s a shift from wondering “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”
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Permission to Come Home
Dr. Jenny Wang, founder of the Asian, Pacific Islander, and South Asian American (APISAA) Therapist Directory, is filling a serious gap in mental health book world with her 2022 resource Permission to Come Home. This book is specifically written for Asian Americans, immigrants, and other minorities and marginalized people, and it provides resources to help readers work on self-care and mental health. Dr. Wang also runs the Insta @asiansformentalhealth, so check her out!
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This book is like a beginner’s guide to mental health. It answers the most basic questions, like the difference between mental health and mental illness, how to figure out when you need professional help, and how to make your first therapy appointment. If you are just starting on your mental healthcare journey (or even if you’re not!), this book is a great resource.
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Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
If you’re in therapy and have (as we all do) wondered what your therapist is really thinking, this book might give you some insight. Therapist Lori Gottlieb takes you through a year’s worth of sessions, clients’ problems, and her own personal life to give you an exclusive look behind the curtain.
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