From silence to strength: 9 essential reads that break the stigma around mental health

Katie Shepard’s novel follows Teagan van Zijl, a foundation executive who finds himself hospitalised for panic attacks two years after his mother’s death. Reluctantly dragged to a wilderness therapy retreat by his sister, Teagan initially resists this unconventional approach to healing. However, the natural setting and therapeutic framework provide him with tools to process his grief and depression meaningfully. The story illustrates that healing is indeed a journey, not a destination, and that various therapeutic methods can offer profound transformation. It normalises seeking professional help as a courageous choice rather than an admission of failure.

Hanya Yanagihara’s ambitious novel centres on Jude St Francis, a brilliant lawyer whose traumatic childhood continues to haunt his adult life through self-harm and profound depression. while the book doesn’t shy away from difficult themes, its true power lies in portraying the unwavering friendship between four men navigating life’s complexities together. The enduring bonds between Jude, Willem, JB and Malcolm demonstrate how meaningful connections can provide crucial support systems during our darkest moments. The novel suggests that while recovery may be non-linear and complex, love and friendship remain powerful forces in the journey toward healing.

Ned Vizzini’s poignant novel follows 15-year-old Craig Gilner, who makes the brave decision to check himself into a psychiatric hospital when his depression and anxiety become overwhelming. Through his week-long stay, Craig discovers that seeking help is not shameful but empowering. His interactions with fellow patients and mental health professionals help him realise that his illness doesn’t define him entirely. The story concludes with genuine hope and optimism as Craig develops coping strategies and embraces a more balanced approach to life, proving that recovery is possible with proper support and treatment.

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A literary classic that has been adapted into an Academy Award-winning film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a critique of how mental health patients are treated by the psychiatric system. New patient Randle McMurphy seeks to upend the authority of the all-powerful Nurse Ratched, enjoining other patients to follow the path of non-conformity and fight against the ward’s dehumanising treatments. Throughout the book, McMurphy defies the rules of the psychiatric hospital, leading to several antics against the controlling nurse and a climactic showdown that results in drastic action. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been lauded for baring the truths about mental health treatment, leading to more discussion and compassion about mental health issues.

In this memoir, author Baek Sehee illustrates the balance between despair and desire, showing how people can struggle with depression and still reach for little joys, which, in this case, is the tteokbokki, the chewy South Korean rice cake treat. The social media director, who struggles with dysthymia, a persistent form of mild depression, hides her anxiety and self-doubt well, but the effort is taxing, leading her to seek help from a psychiatrist. In the narrative, she details her experiences with therapy, presenting her conversations with her psychiatrist and her reflections on her mental health journey. Apart from resonating with readers facing similar challenges, the popular book lifts the stigma of seeking help from a therapist or psychiatrist to overcome mental health struggles.

Matt Haig’s portrayal of depression has earned The Midnight Library the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction in 2020. After an attempt to end her life, Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library filled with books that detail alternate versions of her life had she made different choices. Existing between life and death, the magical library allows the protagonist to confront her regrets and dreams and, ultimately, deal with her depression. Through Nora’s explorations, the book challenges the definition of what happiness and failure mean for each person, reminding readers that it is never too late to change your point of view about your life.

John Corey Whaley’s novel explores two illogical behaviours: Solomon Reed, a teenager who has not left his house in three years due to agoraphobia, and his classmate Lisa Praytor, who, together with her boyfriend Clark, seeks to help him overcome his fear so she can write about it for her college application. The three grow closer but their friendship is tested when the truth is revealed. Highly Illogical Behavior illustrates how the complicated journey toward self-acceptance is riddled with ups and downs, while emphasising the importance of connection to overcome mental health struggles.

Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation offers a satirical commentary on what it means to be alive in an increasingly complicated world. The unnamed protagonist—a young, beautiful woman working in New York’s art scene—grows disillusioned by her life and embarks on an experiment: to shut out the world and sleep for a year. She is prescribed downers by her psychiatrist, fills up on her prescriptions at the bodega and muddles through the few relationships she has left. Eventually, her pill-popping experiment catches up on her when she starts to experience blackouts, leading to the further unravelling of her already small world. The critically acclaimed novel critiques the allure of escapism as a means of self-preservation, while revealing how true healing comes from confronting pain rather than avoiding it.

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