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Resilient: Surviving My Mental Illness
Shortlisted as a Finalist for the 2024 Speaker's Book Award by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
An inspiring and unforgettable memoir that provides hope to others who are experiencing depression, mania, or psychosis, RESILIENT is a deeply personal account about life with mental illness, hearing loss and resiliency. Liz’s journey provides encouragement for patients, families, friends, and healthcare workers by showing that recovery is possible.
At seventeen, Liz’s world collapses into a place of depression, psychosis, and a revolving hospital door. She is overcome with grief and a loss of reality. Despite this, she gets to university, only for bipolar disorder (later diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder) to return to threaten all that she has worked towards.
Written to encourage empathy in those without lived experience, Liz effectively shares her emotional rollercoaster of going deaf and losing her mind, giving the reader the gift of insight she needed then, and others need now. Experience the triumphs and tribulations of surviving the world of mental illness from the view of a healthcare professional.
Resilient: Surviving My Mental Illness is suggested for use in university courses, health education programs, and clinical workshops to promote deeper understanding of lived experience, trauma-informed care, and recovery. Through its honest portrayal of psychiatric hospitalization, disability, and resilience, the memoir offers a valuable perspective for students and professionals across mental health, healthcare, and disability studies fields.
Read and share this book with others to help fight the stigma of mental illness.
Content warning: This book contains content related to suicide, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and restraints
Liz Grace is an occupational therapist and first-time author who is in recovery from schizoaffective disorder. At age sixteen, she gradually lost her hearing and learned American Sign Language (ASL). At twenty-six she received surgery for cochlear implants.
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A Note on Voice and Style
"Resilient isn’t written like a polished memoir or a formal essay. The voice you’ll hear is the one I lived with—at times scattered, repetitive, unsure, or intense. That’s on purpose.
I didn’t want to clean it up too much or tell the story from a neat, reflective distance. I wanted readers to actually feel what it was like inside my head. Sometimes that means the writing loops around the same thought, or jumps from one idea to the next without warning. Sometimes it sounds clinical; sometimes it sounds chaotic. That’s how it was.
Some people have said they weren’t sure what to make of the style at first—that they expected something more “together.” But this isn’t a story about being put together—quite the opposite. It’s a story about surviving.
If the voice ever feels too casual, too raw, or too off-track—I invite you to sit with that. That discomfort might be telling you something true about what mental illness can actually feel like, especially in the moment.
This is the story I needed to tell, and this was the way I wanted to tell it—honestly—even if it challenged dominant conventions of how illness is “supposed” to be told." - Liz Grace
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"inspiring and unforgettable... this is a remarkably honest, fearless, and selfless piece of writing, one that could help people facing a myriad of challenges, which could even be life-saving." - Self Publishing Review (4.5 stars)
“Liz Grace’s unflinching account sheds much-needed light on these struggles, making Resilient an incredibly valuable read for anyone who knows someone battling mental illness.” - Books That Make You
An inspiring and unforgettable memoir that provides hope to others who are experiencing depression, mania, or psychosis, RESILIENT is a deeply personal account about life with mental illness, hearing loss and resiliency. Liz’s journey provides encouragement for patients, families, friends, and healthcare workers by showing that recovery is possible.
At seventeen, Liz’s world collapses into a place of depression, psychosis, and a revolving hospital door. She is overcome with grief and a loss of reality. Despite this, she gets to university, only for bipolar disorder (later diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder) to return to threaten all that she has worked towards.
Written to encourage empathy in those without lived experience, Liz effectively shares her emotional rollercoaster of going deaf and losing her mind, giving the reader the gift of insight she needed then, and others need now. Experience the triumphs and tribulations of surviving the world of mental illness from the view of a healthcare professional.
Resilient: Surviving My Mental Illness is suggested for use in university courses, health education programs, and clinical workshops to promote deeper understanding of lived experience, trauma-informed care, and recovery. Through its honest portrayal of psychiatric hospitalization, disability, and resilience, the memoir offers a valuable perspective for students and professionals across mental health, healthcare, and disability studies fields.
Read and share this book with others to help fight the stigma of mental illness.
Content warning: This book contains content related to suicide, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and restraints
Liz Grace is an occupational therapist and first-time author who is in recovery from schizoaffective disorder. At age sixteen, she gradually lost her hearing and learned American Sign Language (ASL). At twenty-six she received surgery for cochlear implants.
-------------------------------------------
A Note on Voice and Style
"Resilient isn’t written like a polished memoir or a formal essay. The voice you’ll hear is the one I lived with—at times scattered, repetitive, unsure, or intense. That’s on purpose.
I didn’t want to clean it up too much or tell the story from a neat, reflective distance. I wanted readers to actually feel what it was like inside my head. Sometimes that means the writing loops around the same thought, or jumps from one idea to the next without warning. Sometimes it sounds clinical; sometimes it sounds chaotic. That’s how it was.
Some people have said they weren’t sure what to make of the style at first—that they expected something more “together.” But this isn’t a story about being put together—quite the opposite. It’s a story about surviving.
If the voice ever feels too casual, too raw, or too off-track—I invite you to sit with that. That discomfort might be telling you something true about what mental illness can actually feel like, especially in the moment.
This is the story I needed to tell, and this was the way I wanted to tell it—honestly—even if it challenged dominant conventions of how illness is “supposed” to be told." - Liz Grace
-------------------------------------------
"inspiring and unforgettable... this is a remarkably honest, fearless, and selfless piece of writing, one that could help people facing a myriad of challenges, which could even be life-saving." - Self Publishing Review (4.5 stars)
“Liz Grace’s unflinching account sheds much-needed light on these struggles, making Resilient an incredibly valuable read for anyone who knows someone battling mental illness.” - Books That Make You
279 pages, Paperback
Published June 30, 2023
67 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 16, 2024
This book gets 5 stars, and I really hope a lot of doctors and families will read this. Such an emotional book for me given my own similar diagnosis! Stay strong, my dear, and everything will be ok x
May 15, 2024
This book does a great job of showing the day-to-day struggles of mental health issues. For much of the beginning you are literally reading the author’s personal journal entries and are thrown right into they family dynamic and fear that she had to deal with during high school. I thought this book really captured the flux and flow of living with mental illness, how it can build slowly over time and then suddenly become completely overwhelming and all consuming at the drop of a hat.
Some criticisms I do have about the book was that it was disorganized. It really could have used an editor to catch the instances of repetition that take away from the book. There were parts where the story dragged which I feel could have been cut out altogether. Most of the context and supporting information was given by adding brackets in the middle of the story in order to provide clarification. Not everyone is going to be familiar with the different styles of ASL, or the ranking system of Cadets, I think it would have been helpful to add that important information and some context before the stories/ journal entries about them.
At times this book is blunt, at times it is vulnerable and raw, and many of the author’s thoughts and feeling mirrored my own while I was dealing with mental illness. It was truly amazing to read them and realize I wasn’t alone in those thoughts. If you have a friend or family member who is struggling with depression, schizoaffective disorder, or hearing loss, and you have ever wondered what it was like to live inside their head this would certainly be the right book for you.
Some criticisms I do have about the book was that it was disorganized. It really could have used an editor to catch the instances of repetition that take away from the book. There were parts where the story dragged which I feel could have been cut out altogether. Most of the context and supporting information was given by adding brackets in the middle of the story in order to provide clarification. Not everyone is going to be familiar with the different styles of ASL, or the ranking system of Cadets, I think it would have been helpful to add that important information and some context before the stories/ journal entries about them.
At times this book is blunt, at times it is vulnerable and raw, and many of the author’s thoughts and feeling mirrored my own while I was dealing with mental illness. It was truly amazing to read them and realize I wasn’t alone in those thoughts. If you have a friend or family member who is struggling with depression, schizoaffective disorder, or hearing loss, and you have ever wondered what it was like to live inside their head this would certainly be the right book for you.
June 15, 2024
Wow! Such an honest memoir on the realities of living with mental illness.
Having struggled with my own mental ill health since childhood, I could certainly relate to a lot of what Grace experienced in terms of not being believed or listened to by family and health professionals alike. It took over 20 years of me trying to explain there was something wrong before I finally got a psychiatrist who really listened non judgementally and correctly diagnosed me, when having read my medical records, it had been clear what my diagnoses were for around 15 years.
It was a heartbreaking read and I found myself wanting to scream at everyone around her to wake up and actually help her. It was also good to show that those of us living with mental ill health are capable and can achieve a lot. Grace is clearly an intelligent, kind, hardworking woman doing her best in spite of her illness.
I know she will likely continue to manage her illness for the rest of her life, but truly hope she is now surrounded by people who empathise and want to help her. She also shows progress in her ability to recognise when she needs hospitalisation. A very insightful and honest book. If you or any of your loved ones struggle with mental illness, read/have them read this, you will either feel less alone in the former, or hopefully in the latter instance, will learn a lot about the harsh realities of mental illness.
Having struggled with my own mental ill health since childhood, I could certainly relate to a lot of what Grace experienced in terms of not being believed or listened to by family and health professionals alike. It took over 20 years of me trying to explain there was something wrong before I finally got a psychiatrist who really listened non judgementally and correctly diagnosed me, when having read my medical records, it had been clear what my diagnoses were for around 15 years.
It was a heartbreaking read and I found myself wanting to scream at everyone around her to wake up and actually help her. It was also good to show that those of us living with mental ill health are capable and can achieve a lot. Grace is clearly an intelligent, kind, hardworking woman doing her best in spite of her illness.
I know she will likely continue to manage her illness for the rest of her life, but truly hope she is now surrounded by people who empathise and want to help her. She also shows progress in her ability to recognise when she needs hospitalisation. A very insightful and honest book. If you or any of your loved ones struggle with mental illness, read/have them read this, you will either feel less alone in the former, or hopefully in the latter instance, will learn a lot about the harsh realities of mental illness.
October 29, 2024
This was a very open and honest account of the trauma, affects thereof, trials of recovery, backsliding and continual pursuit to move forward. I am grateful for the Authors honest layout of feelings and chronicles of her life.
June 4, 2024
Oh what a gem of a book!
This is a memoir of Liz’s lived experience surviving mental illness. The non-linear narrative style was very compelling. It read very similar to how my clients share their history with me. It felt very natural to receive information out of order, I respected that Liz would share key moments of her life at the time she felt comfortable and safe to do so.
I underlined so many sections, there is so much truth and learning within these pages. My heart aches for her childhood experiences and the times she spent in hospital.
She ends the book with a rallying cry for health professionals “be the person who cares. Be the person who makes a difference.”
This is a memoir of Liz’s lived experience surviving mental illness. The non-linear narrative style was very compelling. It read very similar to how my clients share their history with me. It felt very natural to receive information out of order, I respected that Liz would share key moments of her life at the time she felt comfortable and safe to do so.
I underlined so many sections, there is so much truth and learning within these pages. My heart aches for her childhood experiences and the times she spent in hospital.
She ends the book with a rallying cry for health professionals “be the person who cares. Be the person who makes a difference.”
June 7, 2024
Liz suffers from depression, anxiety and self harming this is her story. I found her Dad a bit useless if I'm honest and it can't have been easy for Liz not knowing where to turn for help, this is why so many people end up on the streets. Good job she had her Grandparents to help her.
It was a hard read for me as my daughter has suffered for twenty one years with depression & anxiety after losing her daughter. There isn't any proper help out there for mental health just pills. Doctors & councilors don't have a clue would be a good read for them. It is very hard on all concerned and very frustrating, as a parent you feel helpless you try to be supportive as much as possible but without help you are banging your head against a brick wall. My daughter is unable to deal with phones so won't ask for help and that can be very frustrating because they won't deal with me. Liz has done an excellent job in writing this book good luck to her for the future.
It was a hard read for me as my daughter has suffered for twenty one years with depression & anxiety after losing her daughter. There isn't any proper help out there for mental health just pills. Doctors & councilors don't have a clue would be a good read for them. It is very hard on all concerned and very frustrating, as a parent you feel helpless you try to be supportive as much as possible but without help you are banging your head against a brick wall. My daughter is unable to deal with phones so won't ask for help and that can be very frustrating because they won't deal with me. Liz has done an excellent job in writing this book good luck to her for the future.
January 25, 2025
I read this memoir in one day - it was that gripping. I applaud the author for her honesty in sharing her story. I learned a lot about the inner mind of someone struggling with schizoaffective disorder and will carry this new understanding into my everyday life and professional work as a nurse. Liz's life challenges are not insignificant - and learning how she manages them is inspiring. Thank you writing this book.
June 3, 2024
A brutally honest, heart rending memoir. Mental illness has long been an illness with an undeserved, damaging stigma attached to it. The author holds nothing back in this telling of her life and the causes, effects her mental health has had on all aspects. Such a brave recount which I'm sure many readers will find both informative and heartening. Very much a survivor.
July 1, 2024
Wow,this is a great book. I recommend it for anyone that works with mental illness and health,or even for friends and loved ones that know someone who has a mental illness.
It resonated alot with me as I know people with mental health issues.
This one will stay with me forever ,and actually will be one I will re read again. Its that good.
It resonated alot with me as I know people with mental health issues.
This one will stay with me forever ,and actually will be one I will re read again. Its that good.
May 5, 2024
A simultaneously heart-breaking and heart-warming memoir about survival and the tenacity of the human spirit.
The writing is direct and straightforward; which really gives weight to the events being recounted.
I found myself crying and smiling in equal measure.
The writing is direct and straightforward; which really gives weight to the events being recounted.
I found myself crying and smiling in equal measure.
June 24, 2024
This book gives a great insight into a persons struggle with mental health. This book would be a good idea for the professionals to read for a good insight into the difficulties and frustrations that a person has to struggle with as well as poor mental heath. Well worth a read.
November 3, 2024
Fantastic book on inside look of life with schizoaffective disorder and the never give up attitude of Liz Grace. As a person with schizoaffective disorder, I had many similar experiences as Liz. It was a real page turner that I finished in a short time. I highly recommend this book.
July 17, 2024
This book is so raw, so real. It is a gift to people who deal with mental health issues but is also a great insight for medical staff, family and friends. Thank you Liz Grace for sharing!
August 7, 2023
Courageous, Insightful, Well Written!
The insight Liz provides into the world of living with a mental illness is eye-opening.
Her resilience and strength to follow her dream is inspiring for anyone who reads through her journey. I hope she continues to follow her dream and help others in her role of an Occupational Therapist and now an author !
The insight Liz provides into the world of living with a mental illness is eye-opening.
Her resilience and strength to follow her dream is inspiring for anyone who reads through her journey. I hope she continues to follow her dream and help others in her role of an Occupational Therapist and now an author !
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews