A comprehensive guide to mental health from one of the UK's foremost experts
'Am I normal?'
'What's an anxiety disorder?'
'Does therapy work?'
These are just a few of the questions Natasha Devon is asked as she travels the UK campaigning for better mental health awareness and provision. Here, Natasha calls upon experts in the fields of psychology, neuroscience and anthropology to debunk and demystify the full spectrum of mental health. From A (Anxiety) to Z (Zero F**ks Given - or the art of having high self-esteem) via everything from body image and gender to differentiating 'sadness' from 'depression'.
Statistically, one in three of us will experience symptoms of a mental illness during our lifetimes. Yet all of us have a brain, and so we ALL have mental health - regardless of age, sexuality, race or background. The past few years have seen an explosion in awareness, yet it seems there is still widespread confusion. A Beginner's Guide to Being Mental is for anyone who wants to have this essential conversation, written as only Natasha - with her combination of expertise, personal experience and humour - knows how.
Natasha Devon's book is a great amalgamation of the continued dialogue around mental health: after nine months as the UK government's mental health tsar, and a lifetime living with mental illness, she shares essential advice in a clear A-Z format, illustrated by Insta-favourite Rubyetc. Wherever you are on the spectrum - because, as she says, "we all have a brain, and therefore a mental health" - you will learn and find useful ways to survive modern life, from anxiety around food to the internet.
