I have to brag

Emma, one of the three founders of the blog Book Geeks Unite, posted this review of Leaving the Hall Light On. It's so awesome, I have to share it.

"Madeline Sharples’ Leaving the Hall Light On chronicles one woman’s challenges, grief and ultimately her healing as she and her family battle one son’s seven-year struggle with bipolar disorder and his untimely death by suicide.   As I was searching for words to describe this book (words usually come easy to me), I could not find them.  What to say about this book?  Where are my words?  Can you say you enjoyed a book about a mother’s grief over her son’s death?  Not just his death, his suicide?  I cannot say I enjoyed reading about her pain.  What I can say is that this book completely engulfed my emotions.   There were several times while reading, I realized I was not breathing.  I had to remind myself to breathe.  I realized that is a sign that I am “in” the book.  The author had somehow allowed me in.  I realized she had written me into her thoughts and emotions and had allowed me access to her experiences.  I realized the images in the book were haunting me…the beautiful little boy, the handsome young man, the beautiful family of four, and then the family of three.  Then, I found my words.  This book is poetic.  It is honest.  It is raw.  It is real.  Mrs. Sharples has, in my opinion, poured her soul, in the form of ink, onto paper and decided to share it with the world.

"If you have ever been touched my bipolar disorder and/or suicide, this book is a must read.  

"If you’ve been touched by any mental illness, this book is a must read.  

"Even if you haven’t been touched by any of these things, this book will empower you to overcome any tragedies you’ll ever endure and inspire you to recover."   ~ Emma

Also please go over to her site, Book Geeks Unite, and enter to win either a signed paperback or an electronic copy (the giveaway ends at 11:00 am PST). And if you've read my book, please write your own review. I'd love to know your thoughts.

May - Mental Health Month

May is Mental Health Month. Mental Health America has provided the following information,  to raise awareness and provide education so that people with mental illness and those undergoing debilitating stress will know of ways to protect and take care of their own mental health and that of people they care about.  

MENTAL HEALTH MONTH: PATHWAYS TO WELLNESS

For more than 60 years, Mental Health America and our affiliates across the country have led the observance of May is Mental Health Month by reaching millions of people through the media, local events and screenings. This year's theme is Pathways to Wellness. 

Key Messages

1. Wellness - it's essential to living a full and productive life. It's about keeping healthy as well as getting healthy.
2. Wellness involves a set of skills and strategies that prevent the onset or shorten the duration of illness and promote recovery and well-being. Wellness is more than just the absence of disease.
3. Wellness is more than an absence of disease. It involves complete general, mental and social well-being. And mental health is an essential component of overall health and well-being. The fact is our overall well-being is tied to the balance that exists between our emotional, physical, spiritual and mental health.
4. Whatever our situation, we are all at risk of stress given the demands of daily life and the challenges it brings-at home, at work and in life. Steps that build and maintain well-being and help us all achieve wellness involve a balanced diet, regular exercise, enough sleep, a sense of self-worth, development of coping skills that promote resiliency, emotional awareness, and connections to family, friends and community.
5. These steps should be complemented by taking stock of one's well-being through regular mental health checkups and screenings. Just as we check our blood pressure and get cancer screenings, it's a good idea to take periodic reading of our emotional well-being.
6. Fully embracing the concept of wellness not only improves health in the mind, body and spirit, but also maximizes one's potential to lead a full and productive life. Using strategies that promote resiliency and strengthen mental health and prevent mental health and substance use conditions lead to improved general health and a healthier society: greater academic achievement by our children, a more productive economy, and families that stay together.

May is Mental Health Month 2013 Toolkit

Download the Media Materials, including:

• Sample Press Release
• Drop-In Article
• Sample Mayoral Proclamation

Download the Fact Sheets, including:

• What is Wellness?
• Four Simple Steps
• Understanding the Social Determinants of Health
• Addressing the Social Determinants of Health

Download our poster, check out the electronic calendar, or get our graphics athttp://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/may/marketing.

Please use all materials as you see fit to supplement your May is Mental Health Month activities or other programs during 2013.

We hope you find this information helpful in your outreach efforts. If you have questions or concerns about the items in this toolkit, please contact Erica Ahmed ateahmed@mentalhealthamerica.net.

Happy May is Mental Health Month!

What Mental Health America Stands For

Our message is simple: Good mental health is fundamental to the health and well-being of every person and of the nation as a whole. 

Our agenda is clear.

• We want all people to understand how to protect and improve their mental health, and know when to seek help for themselves or someone close to them.
• We want our nation’s schools, businesses, healthcare system and other settings to have the knowledge and resources they need to respond to the mental health of their constituencies and achieve their missions.
• We want all Americans to have access to high quality, affordable and personalized preventative, early-identification and treatment services, when and if the need arises.
• We want persons with disabling mental illnesses to receive the support, treatment and services that they need to recover and live full lives in their communities.
• We want more research and services focused on prevention, recovery and cures.