Fictional Books About Mental Illness



I've been wanting to write this post for a while, but I was waiting until I'd accumulated a bigger selection of books to feature in it. I actually really like reading books whose characters suffer from mental health issues, although a lot of people think that it's quite morbid.  I also think that people can think it's quite distasteful. Personally, as I myself suffer from some mental illnesses, I like them as I can relate to the character a lot more. And when you have a mental illness, you can sometimes feel really alone and like you can't express how you feel. And for me, there's nothing like reading a book that makes you feel a little less alone. I think that books about mental illness are amazing because those who suffer from them can understand the character better, and feel comforted by them, and those who don't can actually get a little insight into what it's all about.

The books I've chosen for this post can be put into two separate categories, and then broken down into separate categories again. Firstly, we have the books that kind of focus on the mental illness as a big chunk of the plot or story-line. Then, we have the books that are part of a series of books, and the mental health issue is due to the events in a previous book of the series. If that makes sense. The second lot of categories is more for the first selection of books, as the mental health issue in the second selection are all the same issue. Where-as for the first lot, the issues are all different.

 

Anxiety/Social Anxiety/Panic Attacks.

I currently own two books whose main characters have anxiety. The most recent is Zoella's Girl Online (review here), which, although quite misinformed within the first few pages, does offer some really great advice for anxiety sufferers, as the character uses some techniques through-out the story. It's certainly not the best written or thought-out book I've ever read, but the panic attack sections are realistic. The second book is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. This is one of my favourite books, actually, but not just because of Cath's anxiety/social anxiety. I love the romance and the sister/mother story-line. Also, Cath's father has Bipolar disorder, which is another mental health factor of this book.

 

Self Harm/Anorexia/Bulimia.

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult was a book I read a very long time ago, in fact I think it was the first 'mental illness' book I'd read. The story is mainly about Trixie, a fourteen year old girl who claims to have been 'date raped'. This book is a bit more of a mystery/thriller(?) kind of book, as a lot of it is conspiracy about if it actually was rape, and how the rapist died etc. But there is a lot of self-harm in this book, by Trixie. I can't really tell you much more because it's been years since I've read it, but this book is a bit more adult fiction than YA. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson also features self-harm, but it's a lot more intense in my opinion. The book is told from the point of view of Lia, a high school girl with anorexia. Her ex best friend, Cassie, has just died due to complications with bulimia. This book is actually quite a brutal read, and anorexia is displayed incredibly realistically so I would issue a trigger-warning. If you'd like to read a more thorough review of Wintergirls, click here.

 

Depression/Suicide/Bipolar Disorder.

I have only completed one out of these three books, and I think you can probably guess which one: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is my absolute favourite book of all time (review here). It's all about Charlie, who is about to start his first year of high school. I don't think there has ever been a direct declaration of what mental illness Charlie actually has, but I do think he has a touch of anxiety and depression about him. You could also suggest PTSD due to his flashbacks. Charlie is also very socially shy and introverted, but I don't truly think that counts as a mental illness. This book is basically about how Charlie attempts to overcome his 'wallflower' qualities, and tries to participate in life. The next two books I haven't actually finished yet, but I've read enough of them to confirm that they feature mental illness. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is actually a very recent release (it came out at the beginning of January 2015). Our two main characters are Violet and Finch: Violet has just lost her sister, and Finch is contemplating suicide. Like I said, I'm yet to read this completely, so I can't offer much more thought but expect a review once I'm finished! Finally, The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick is about Pat, an ex high-school history teacher who is fresh out of Baltimore psychiatric hospital, due to his Bipolar Disorder.

 

PTSD.

Finally we've reached the books that I've separated from the rest. I chose these three books as all three characters show distinct signs of PTSD, following all of the traumatic experiences the previous books in the series have given them. In Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling, Harry is definitely showing some signs of PTSD, referring to his nightmares, flashbacks and general behaviour. I also want to note that in this book, JK Rowling has mentioned that Sirius Black is also suffering from depression at being back at his family's home. In Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, mostly towards the end of it, Katniss is definitely mentally and emotionally scarred from the war, and the lives that were taken during it. I think this shows a lot more towards the end of the book, after the 'end' of the war. I'm not going to tell you what I think triggered it, as no spoilers! Finally, Tris is showing some signs of PTSD in Insurgent by Veronica Roth. I think it shows a lot more when she's asked to handle a gun - she responds with what I could only describe as a panic attack, which leads me to think she's suffering with bit of anxiety, too.

 

WOW, that's a ton of writing. I hope that you liked this post, and I hope that no one found it offensive in any way. I completely do not mean to offend anyone, and I know I'm not a medical professional, but I'm just offering my thoughts about these books as I have a lot of personal experience with mental health issues. In fact, I can say that I have experience with 99% of all of the issues that these characters have faced through-out their stories, whether through personal experience or because of someone very close to me.

 

Please take care whilst reading these books if you yourself are affected by any of the issues involved, as they can be triggering. xx
 

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Websites & Phone Numbers that offer advice and support on the issues tackled in these books, including Anorexia, Self-Harm and Depression:

Samaritans: offers confidential and non-judgemental support 24/7 via their phonelines, available to residents of the UK. Helpline: 0845 790 9090. Website: www.samaritans.org

B-eat: the leading UK charity for people with eating disorders. Helpline: 0845 634 1414. Website: www.b-eat.co.uk

Mind: offers support and information to anyone with any mental health problem, including anxiety, depression, bulimia and anorexia. www.mind.org.uk