I have read so very many passages in so very many books and immediately thought, \u201cThat! That<\/em> is how I feel!\u201d So, I\u2019m sharing some of the ways books have clarified or shown a light on things I didn\u2019t have the words for myself.<\/p>\n Depression and anxiety were self-abnegating and self-centering at the same time. It was so easy to believe that because my feelings were huge, they exerted a force beyond me. It was so easy to forget that even though I was always being forced to think about myself, not everyone else did.<\/p>\n — Roan Parrish<\/a>, Invitation to the Blues<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s hard to step outside yourself\u2014even when you aren\u2019t depressed. But when you are depressed it\u2019s can feel impossible.<\/p>\n I was in my head, and that was the worst place for anyone to be, especially me.<\/p>\n — Alexis Hall<\/a>, Boyfriend Material<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n When you\u2019re in a depressive episode, it\u2019s almost impossible to escape your own head.<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t breathe and I was running through every single shitty thing I\u2019d ever done, pulling my mistakes around me like some kind of armor against the hope of anything good.<\/p>\n — Riven<\/em><\/a>, Roan Parrish<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n There is isolation, a feeling of being trapped with your own brain.<\/p>\n I\u2019d give my blood or my firstborn or my voice or my entire bloody inheritance for a mind that does not stand on the opposite side of the battlefield from me.<\/p>\n — Mackenzi Lee<\/a>, The Nobleman\u2019s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n You can see the things that other people have, but can\u2019t believe they will ever be for you.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose you weren\u2019t in the mood for any of Callie\u2019s lovely barbecues last summer?\u201d<\/p>\n No, Zach hadn\u2019t been. Although, his mood might have improved if anyone had thought to invite him to those barbecues. Or tell him he\u2019d been missed. Or ask if he was okay. Or remember he existed at all.<\/p>\n — Talia Hibbert<\/a>, That Kind of Guy<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n And you know other people are judging you, making assumptions.<\/p>\n (S)he was, as people loved to put it, mentally unstable<\/em>. (They thought) unbelievably common blips in brain chemistry made her some kind of separate species.<\/p>\n — Talia Hibbert<\/a>, Untouchable<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Thing is, you\u2019re not doing this on purpose. You know<\/em> things aren\u2019t right. You want to make things better.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I\u2019m depressed,\u201d Nate said casually, \u201cI always know what I should<\/em> be doing. I know exactly. I just don\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n — Talia Hibbert<\/a>, Untouchable<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n You know your friends aren\u2019t judging you, but are certain they must<\/em> be disappointed in you.<\/p>\n I\u2019d fuck up and let them down, they\u2019d feel sad, I\u2019d feel sad, they\u2019d feel sad for making me feel sad, and so on, and so on, and so on. As if I didn\u2019t bear enough frustration and regret on my own account, without also feeling guilty for hurting the people who loved me.<\/p>\n — Alexis Hall<\/a>, Glitterland<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Even when trying to be helpful, people don\u2019t get that there is nothing they can do to make you better. The demons are in your head and as much as you want to excise them\u2014you can\u2019t.<\/p>\n They wanted to make things okay for me, as if cooking the right dinner or renting the right movie might fundamentally change the way my brain worked. It was painful to watch. Painful to see them flounder over and over to turn the world into a place I could fit.<\/p>\n — Roan Parrish<\/a>, Invitation to the Blues<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Which leads to hiding from everyone, because you lack the ability to explain yourself, which makes everything too much work.<\/p>\n I suppose that\u2019s what comes of purposefully avoiding everyone you love. But I had to\u2014 have<\/em> to\u2014 stay away from them, at least until I\u2019m not so miserable, so distant, such a burden. Don\u2019t I?<\/p>\n — Talia Hibbert<\/a>, Work for It<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n And doing everything you can to hide how much you are struggling from those who might notice.<\/p>\n The nice thing about heavy sweaters was you could wear them a long time without having to wash them, but still. There was a limit. There were a lot of limits, actually. Since grooming was one of those things people watched for, I made sure to clean beneath my fingernails and behind my ears.<\/p>\n — Josh Lanyon<\/a>, The Haunted Heart: Winter<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Sometimes the problem is the things you do, but sometimes it\u2019s things you don\u2019t<\/em> do.<\/p>\n He closed his eyes. He hadn\u2019t told his brother that he hadn\u2019t drawn in eight months.<\/p>\n — Roan Parrish<\/a>, Better Than People<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n When you\u2019re struggling, you feel alone. It doesn\u2019t matter what people say, because your brain is so much louder than anyone else\u2019s words.<\/p>\n \u201c(I)t\u2019s difficult, sometimes, for me to understand that I have the power to hurt someone. You see, it requires me to accept that somebody might like me in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n — Alexis Hall<\/a>, Glitterland<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n There is also the knowledge that even if things are okay today<\/em>, that doesn\u2019t mean it all won\u2019t come crashing down tomorrow.<\/p>\n (E)very day when I was okay shimmered with a threat just out of view. I\u2019d stop in the middle of doing something and check in: did I still feel okay? I did. I would reassure myself, See! You are still okay<\/em>! But once I began to look down and check that the ground was still flat, every step felt like the one that might suddenly slope downhill. And even when it didn\u2019t, the edge felt like it was growing nearer and each day became more and more vertiginous.<\/p>\n — Roan Parrish<\/a>, Invitation to the Blues <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n You try do the right things, because you know they help.<\/p>\n \u201cPlus this<\/em>\u201d\u2014Charlie adopts Dev\u2019s frantic hand gesture\u2014\u201cthis is for my mental health. All the exercise, I mean. I don\u2019t do it because I care what my body looks like. I do it because I care how my brain feels.\u201d<\/p>\n — Alison Cochrun<\/a>, The Charm Offensive<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n And meds help\u2014they do! But even with meds the world can still come crashing down around you.<\/p>\n I wouldn\u2019t have called myself a superstitious man, but when it came to the intricacies of my biochemistry, the complexities of my illness, I was as helpless as a frightened child who prayed to a god called science.<\/p>\n — Alexis Hall<\/a>, Glitterland<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Even when everything was fine, when she should<\/em> be great, unease stalked her like a predator. Because she knew that at any moment, things might change. Her own fucking brain chemistry, the traitor, might drag her out of her body again.<\/p>\n — Talia Hibbert<\/a>, Untouchable<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n What\u2019s harder is it\u2019s often a slow descent. You\u2019re ok, and then you have a bad day. And another bad day. Until you realize you can\u2019t remember the last time you had a good day.<\/p>\n It was a bad feeling, knowing the depression had crept up and was already drowning me before I had realized it.<\/p>\n — Lissa Kasey<\/a>, Model Investigator<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n And here\u2019s why these books are so important: Because when things are bad, knowing you aren\u2019t alone\u2014that others have struggled and found a way to put your feelings into words\u2014matters.<\/p>\n It helps to know that it\u2019s not just you, to remember you have come out the other side before, and you can do it again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Call or text 988<\/p>\n Veterans Crisis Line<\/a> Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1 or text to 838255<\/p>\n Mental Health Resources<\/a><\/p>\n MentalHealth.gov<\/a><\/p>\n NAMI<\/a><\/p>\n NIMH<\/a><\/p>\n The Right Resources Can Help You Manage Depression<\/a><\/p>\n 5 Action Steps for Helping Someone in Emotional Pain<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Books with Depression Representation<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Romance: <\/strong>Contemporary<\/strong><\/p>\n Getting it Right<\/em><\/a> (2015) A.M. Arthur<\/a> (Restoration) main character, supporting character<\/p>\n The Charm Offensive<\/em><\/a> (2021) Alison Cochrun<\/a>, main character<\/p>\n Glitterland<\/em><\/a> (2018) Alexis Hall<\/a> (Spires) main character<\/p>\n London Calling series by Alexis Hall<\/a>, main character (Contemporary Romance): Boyfriend Material<\/em><\/a> (2020), Husband Material<\/em><\/a> (2022)<\/p>\n Untouchable<\/em><\/a> (2018) Talia Hibbert<\/a> (Ravenswood) main character<\/p>\n That Kind of Guy<\/em><\/a> (2019) Talia Hibbert<\/a> (Ravenswood) main character<\/p>\n Work for It<\/em><\/a> (2019) Talia Hibbert<\/a>, main character<\/p>\n Take a Hint, Dani Brown<\/em><\/a> (2020) Talia Hibbert<\/a> (Brown Sisters) main character<\/p>\n Invitation to the Blues<\/em><\/a> (2018) Roan Parrish<\/a> (Small Change) main character<\/p>\n Rend<\/em><\/a> (2018) Roan Parrish<\/a> (Riven) main character<\/p>\n Better than People<\/em><\/a> (2020) Roan Parrish<\/a> (Garnet Run) main character<\/p>\n Whiteout<\/em><\/a> (2017) Elyse Springer<\/a> (Seasons of Love) main character<\/p>\n Team Phison Forever<\/em><\/a> (2019) Chace Verity<\/a>, main character<\/p>\n American Fairytale<\/em><\/a> (2019) Adriana Herrera<\/a>, parental<\/p>\n Romance: Historical<\/strong><\/p>\n After the Wedding<\/em><\/a> (2018) Courtney Milan<\/a> (Worth Saga) main character<\/p>\n To Charm a Naughty Countess<\/em><\/a> (2014) Theresa Romain<\/a>, main character (The Matchmaker Trilogy) main character<\/p>\n Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress<\/em><\/a> (2015) Theresa Romain<\/a>, main character (The Matchmaker Trilogy) main character<\/p>\n Mystery: Contemporary<\/strong><\/p>\n The Haunted Heart: Winter<\/em><\/a> (2013) Josh Lanyon<\/a>, main character<\/p>\n Haven Investigations series by Lissa Kasey<\/a>, main character: Model Citizen<\/em><\/a> (2016), Model Bodyguard<\/em><\/a> (2016), Model Exposure<\/em><\/a> (2017), Model Investigator<\/em><\/a> (2017)<\/p>\n Mystery: Historical<\/strong><\/p>\n A Case for Christmas<\/em><\/a> (2021) J.A. Rock<\/a> & Lisa Henry<\/a> (The Lords of Bucknall Club) main character<\/p>\n Fantasy<\/strong><\/p>\n Spirits that Walk in Shadow<\/em><\/a> (2006) Nina Kiriki Hoffman<\/a> main character<\/p>\n Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?<\/em><\/a> (2016) Paul Cornell<\/a> (Shadow Police) main character<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Call or text 988<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why Representation in Books Is Important<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As I have written before, depression is something I have dealt with since I was a teen. A young teen. I admit my favored genres don\u2019t seem like ones I am likely to see myself in (fantasy and historical mystery) Except that genre books often have excellent representation\u2014after all, the relatable bits of those stories […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2,15,1097],"tags":[1078,1095,1096],"class_list":["post-17158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books-reading","category-depression","category-mental-health","tag-depression","tag-mental-health","tag-representation"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pefxA-4sK","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17158"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17158\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"The](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/The-Charm-Offensive.jpg?resize=193%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Husband](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Husband_Material.png?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1\")
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\nMental Health Representation in Books: Anxiety<\/a>
\nMental Health Representation in Books: Grief<\/a>
\nMental Health Representation in Books: PTSD<\/a>
\nMental Health Representation in Books: Addiction and Eating Disorders<\/a><\/p>\n