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You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health—With Advice from Experts and Wisdom from Real People and Families
Written with authority and compassion, this is the essential resource for individuals and families seeking expert guidance on diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, featuring inspiring, true stories from real people in their own words.
“After I was discharged from the hospital, I asked my doctor, ‘How do people cope?’” —Mary Ellen Copeland, Vermont
“I finally got to a therapist . . . it was such a relief to find out that the thing that I had been going through was not just an aspect of my personality, but in fact a treatable condition.” —John Moe, Minnesota
“You cannot tame it until you name it.” —Angelina Hudson, Texas
Millions of people in the United States are affected by mental illness every year, and the Covid-19 pandemic only further exposed the shortcomings of the American mental health system. Too many are confused, afraid, and overwhelmed, with many asking themselves the same questions: What does it mean when different doctors give me different diagnoses? What if my insurance won’t cover my treatment? Will I ever feel better? Families and friends are often left in the dark about how best to help their loved ones, from dealing with financial and logistical issues, to handling the emotional challenges of loving someone who is suffering.
You Are Not Alone is here to offer help. Written by Dr. Ken Duckworth with the wisdom of a psychiatrist and the vulnerability of a peer, this comprehensive guide centers the poignant lived experiences of over 125 individuals from across the country—real people like Mary Ellen, John, and Angelina—whose first-person stories illustrate the diversity of mental health journeys. This book also provides
•Practical guidance on dealing with a vast array of mental health conditions and navigating care
•Research-based evidence on what treatments and approaches work
•Insight and advice from renowned clinical experts and practitioners
This singular resource—the first book from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and with all sales proceeds going back to the NAMI community—is a powerful reminder that help is here, and you are never alone.
“After I was discharged from the hospital, I asked my doctor, ‘How do people cope?’” —Mary Ellen Copeland, Vermont
“I finally got to a therapist . . . it was such a relief to find out that the thing that I had been going through was not just an aspect of my personality, but in fact a treatable condition.” —John Moe, Minnesota
“You cannot tame it until you name it.” —Angelina Hudson, Texas
Millions of people in the United States are affected by mental illness every year, and the Covid-19 pandemic only further exposed the shortcomings of the American mental health system. Too many are confused, afraid, and overwhelmed, with many asking themselves the same questions: What does it mean when different doctors give me different diagnoses? What if my insurance won’t cover my treatment? Will I ever feel better? Families and friends are often left in the dark about how best to help their loved ones, from dealing with financial and logistical issues, to handling the emotional challenges of loving someone who is suffering.
You Are Not Alone is here to offer help. Written by Dr. Ken Duckworth with the wisdom of a psychiatrist and the vulnerability of a peer, this comprehensive guide centers the poignant lived experiences of over 125 individuals from across the country—real people like Mary Ellen, John, and Angelina—whose first-person stories illustrate the diversity of mental health journeys. This book also provides
•Practical guidance on dealing with a vast array of mental health conditions and navigating care
•Research-based evidence on what treatments and approaches work
•Insight and advice from renowned clinical experts and practitioners
This singular resource—the first book from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and with all sales proceeds going back to the NAMI community—is a powerful reminder that help is here, and you are never alone.
424 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 20, 2022
320 people are currently reading
3044 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 8, 2023
I keep picking up mental health books from the library's new acquisition shelves and reading them in the hope they'll help me make sense of life. Progress on that front is limited, but the differing approaches they take are fascinating to contrast. I am particularly interested in the definitions of mental illness in such books. Like Our Necessary Shadow: The Nature and Meaning of Psychiatry, You Are Not Alone: Navigating Mental Illness and the Journey to Recovery is written by a psychiatrist. Rather than seeking to demystify the discipline, however, it is intended for self help. Mental illness is framed in these terms, a definition totally unlike that used in Our Necessary Shadow: The Nature and Meaning of Psychiatry:
The text includes many quotes from interviews with people who have experience of serious mental illness and draws out themes from them, giving it the flavour of qualitative research. Nonetheless, the tone is quite different to mental health self help books written by those with mental illness experiences, like No Such Thing As Normal: What My Mental Illness Has Taught Me About Mental Wellness. It is also much more general than something like Overcoming Health Anxiety: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioural Techniques which sets out a step by step process to follow.
What struck me most is how American the book is. Certain sections on the law and access to healthcare have been edited for the UK edition, yet the cultural differences remain extremely obvious. Most notable is the focus on faith and religious community: do British people who practise religion expect to receive mental health support from faith leaders? My anecdotal evidence from Christian friends suggests they'd be more likely to go to a GP - because in the UK this is free. (Not that it's straightforward to get an appointment these days, as the NHS is totally overstretched.) The 2021 Census certainly showed that religious identification is declining in England and Wales. Moreover, the alarming dysfunction of the US healthcare system is very evident in examples like this:
I suspect the book's emphasis on getting a specific diagnosis (or diagnoses) is rooted in the structure of the US health system as well. In the UK, GPs will offer medication and/or CBT without diagnosing anything in particular. Similarly, the material on substance addiction isn't something I've come across in a UK book on mental health - not that it's a problem unique to the US. Duckworth and his interviewees place huge emphasis on peer support and advocacy as important to recovery, something I've come across mentioned elsewhere but never quite so emphatically. I'm not sure that the UK has such a well-developed network of mental health peer support organisations, or perhaps it just seems that way because the examples are American and I have limited experience of UK versions. The idea that advocacy can be part of recovery from mental illness seems to presuppose that you can make sense of it to yourself, in order to do so to others.
I'll be honest, while reading You Are Not Alone: Navigating Mental Illness and the Journey to Recovery I was not feeling well at all and it did not help. The particular illnesses focused on (psychosis, bipolar disorder, major depression) mostly reminded me how much worse things could be, which wasn't great for morale. These presumably reflect the author's specialisms, as there was nothing about eating disorders and surprisingly little on anxiety. Perhaps because both are less socially disruptive and the latter less likely to result in hospitalisation? Although it's well-written and thoughtful, I'm doubtful that You Are Not Alone: Navigating Mental Illness and the Journey to Recovery would be of great help to readers outside the US. It also seems potentially more useful for the loved ones of those with severe mental illness than for for sufferers themselves. The insight into American cultural understandings of mental illness and recovery is compelling, though.
Truth be told, we don't even have a good term. 'Mental illness' is an imperfect label to describe these many-faceted experiences that also involve the body (e.g. panic, trauma, eating disorders, addiction, depression, and mania). Formal definitions of mental illness have evolved over time but living with a 'disorder' or 'condition' is an experience that textbook definitions do not adequately describe. For example, is post-traumatic stress disorder really a disorder? The response to traumatic events that we now call PTSD is a series of body and mind experiences rooted in the evolutionary drive to protect ourselves; some argue it may be better classified as an injury response.
The text includes many quotes from interviews with people who have experience of serious mental illness and draws out themes from them, giving it the flavour of qualitative research. Nonetheless, the tone is quite different to mental health self help books written by those with mental illness experiences, like No Such Thing As Normal: What My Mental Illness Has Taught Me About Mental Wellness. It is also much more general than something like Overcoming Health Anxiety: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioural Techniques which sets out a step by step process to follow.
What struck me most is how American the book is. Certain sections on the law and access to healthcare have been edited for the UK edition, yet the cultural differences remain extremely obvious. Most notable is the focus on faith and religious community: do British people who practise religion expect to receive mental health support from faith leaders? My anecdotal evidence from Christian friends suggests they'd be more likely to go to a GP - because in the UK this is free. (Not that it's straightforward to get an appointment these days, as the NHS is totally overstretched.) The 2021 Census certainly showed that religious identification is declining in England and Wales. Moreover, the alarming dysfunction of the US healthcare system is very evident in examples like this:
Eric reflected: 'I would consider my life having been worth living if by the time I'm gone and my advocacy efforts have ended, no-one in the United States is told by anyone in the system, "Your loved one needs mental health care for a severe mental illness. Hopefully, they will get arrested so they can get the care they need."'
Although the Smiths had to take drastic and difficult measures, the judicial system was the only way they could engage Eric in care.
I suspect the book's emphasis on getting a specific diagnosis (or diagnoses) is rooted in the structure of the US health system as well. In the UK, GPs will offer medication and/or CBT without diagnosing anything in particular. Similarly, the material on substance addiction isn't something I've come across in a UK book on mental health - not that it's a problem unique to the US. Duckworth and his interviewees place huge emphasis on peer support and advocacy as important to recovery, something I've come across mentioned elsewhere but never quite so emphatically. I'm not sure that the UK has such a well-developed network of mental health peer support organisations, or perhaps it just seems that way because the examples are American and I have limited experience of UK versions. The idea that advocacy can be part of recovery from mental illness seems to presuppose that you can make sense of it to yourself, in order to do so to others.
I'll be honest, while reading You Are Not Alone: Navigating Mental Illness and the Journey to Recovery I was not feeling well at all and it did not help. The particular illnesses focused on (psychosis, bipolar disorder, major depression) mostly reminded me how much worse things could be, which wasn't great for morale. These presumably reflect the author's specialisms, as there was nothing about eating disorders and surprisingly little on anxiety. Perhaps because both are less socially disruptive and the latter less likely to result in hospitalisation? Although it's well-written and thoughtful, I'm doubtful that You Are Not Alone: Navigating Mental Illness and the Journey to Recovery would be of great help to readers outside the US. It also seems potentially more useful for the loved ones of those with severe mental illness than for for sufferers themselves. The insight into American cultural understandings of mental illness and recovery is compelling, though.
August 12, 2022
You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health by Ken Duckworth, NAMI’s medical director, is the first book released by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The book includes excerpts from interviews with 130 people who either self-identify as having a mental illness or have a loved one who does, and the author writes, “Mental illness and recovery are human experiences, so I consider experience-based evidence an authoritative source for this book.”
The book opens with the author talking about his history with NAMI and his family’s experience with his father’s bipolar illness. Throughout the book, he comes across as talking with readers on the same level rather than being an expert talking at readers.
The book is divided into four parts. The first part looks at mental health conditions and mental health care, the second part focuses on people’s experiences with their recovery journeys, the third part focuses on family members, and the final part is devoted to traditional experts answering commonly asked questions.
The author acknowledges the flaws with the DSM diagnostic system, and he’s also realistic about the problems with the mental health care system, or lack thereof: “The mental health ‘system’ throughout the United States is chaotic and full of gaps. It has long been broken and fragmented, and if you try to wait for the system to be less confusing and frustrating, you will be waiting a very long time.” The book talks about medical model and recovery model strategies (focusing on symptoms and living a good life, respectively), and the author encourages a both/and rather than an either/or approach.
Topics covered in the book included peer support, cultural issues, becoming an advocate, and legal issues around things like involuntary treatment, privacy, and police and criminal justice system involvement. The final section included an FAQ chapter with various experts answering questions, as well as a chapter with clinicians and researchers addressing questions about care for depression, OCD, borderline personality disorder, trauma, co-occurring disorders, bipolar disorder, and psychosis. It felt like a lot of disparate things to cram into two chapters.
There was a chapter on making meaning of suicide loss, and there were a couple of comments I found quite interesting. An interviewee who had lost a brother to suicide said “The last engagement he had was with another person who was talking to a classmate about how to divide homework problems, and I found him twenty minutes later. If you’re struggling with suicidal ideation, you’re not talking about homework problems.” The author, whose brother died by suicide, wrote “My brother ordered a computer monitor the day he died, and it arrived the day of his funeral. People who are contemplating suicide don’t do that.” Except they do; if the action hasn’t happened yet, there is some degree of ambivalence, and tasks of living continue in that space of ambivalence.
While the goal was to be comprehensive, I found the book kind of unfocused, and I felt like that detracted from the overall usefulness. I’m all for sharing people’s stories, but the way excerpts from the interviews were pulled together (often a paragraph or two at a time) created a bit of a hodgepodge that made it hard to feel connected to the individuals. While I can see the potential value of interviewing 130 people and interspersing bits of their comments throughout the book, I think it does make it harder for readers to feel like they’re really getting a sense of who these people are.
As you might expect from a NAMI book, there is a NAMI promotional element. Although it wasn’t unexpected, I did think it was a little overdone. Another element that wasn’t unexpected was optimism about recovery and stories of people doing really well. There was plenty of acknowledgement that things have been hard in the past tense, but there wasn’t a lot of present tense struggling conveyed. As a present-tense-struggler myself, I found it a bit unbalanced, but I think probably a lot of the people who end up reading this book will like the recovery emphasis.
At over 400 pages, this book is a serious commitment. The length and the lack of focus and structure don't make a great combination; it tends to promote skimming, which takes away from the power of some of the interviewees’ contributions.
I can see this book being useful for family members who are looking to learn as much as they can about what this whole mental illness thing is about, and that’s probably the main target audience that NAMI is aiming for. It’s probably going to be less useful for people who’ve been around the block a few times dealing with their own illness.
I received a reviewer copy from the publisher through Netgalley.
The book opens with the author talking about his history with NAMI and his family’s experience with his father’s bipolar illness. Throughout the book, he comes across as talking with readers on the same level rather than being an expert talking at readers.
The book is divided into four parts. The first part looks at mental health conditions and mental health care, the second part focuses on people’s experiences with their recovery journeys, the third part focuses on family members, and the final part is devoted to traditional experts answering commonly asked questions.
The author acknowledges the flaws with the DSM diagnostic system, and he’s also realistic about the problems with the mental health care system, or lack thereof: “The mental health ‘system’ throughout the United States is chaotic and full of gaps. It has long been broken and fragmented, and if you try to wait for the system to be less confusing and frustrating, you will be waiting a very long time.” The book talks about medical model and recovery model strategies (focusing on symptoms and living a good life, respectively), and the author encourages a both/and rather than an either/or approach.
Topics covered in the book included peer support, cultural issues, becoming an advocate, and legal issues around things like involuntary treatment, privacy, and police and criminal justice system involvement. The final section included an FAQ chapter with various experts answering questions, as well as a chapter with clinicians and researchers addressing questions about care for depression, OCD, borderline personality disorder, trauma, co-occurring disorders, bipolar disorder, and psychosis. It felt like a lot of disparate things to cram into two chapters.
There was a chapter on making meaning of suicide loss, and there were a couple of comments I found quite interesting. An interviewee who had lost a brother to suicide said “The last engagement he had was with another person who was talking to a classmate about how to divide homework problems, and I found him twenty minutes later. If you’re struggling with suicidal ideation, you’re not talking about homework problems.” The author, whose brother died by suicide, wrote “My brother ordered a computer monitor the day he died, and it arrived the day of his funeral. People who are contemplating suicide don’t do that.” Except they do; if the action hasn’t happened yet, there is some degree of ambivalence, and tasks of living continue in that space of ambivalence.
While the goal was to be comprehensive, I found the book kind of unfocused, and I felt like that detracted from the overall usefulness. I’m all for sharing people’s stories, but the way excerpts from the interviews were pulled together (often a paragraph or two at a time) created a bit of a hodgepodge that made it hard to feel connected to the individuals. While I can see the potential value of interviewing 130 people and interspersing bits of their comments throughout the book, I think it does make it harder for readers to feel like they’re really getting a sense of who these people are.
As you might expect from a NAMI book, there is a NAMI promotional element. Although it wasn’t unexpected, I did think it was a little overdone. Another element that wasn’t unexpected was optimism about recovery and stories of people doing really well. There was plenty of acknowledgement that things have been hard in the past tense, but there wasn’t a lot of present tense struggling conveyed. As a present-tense-struggler myself, I found it a bit unbalanced, but I think probably a lot of the people who end up reading this book will like the recovery emphasis.
At over 400 pages, this book is a serious commitment. The length and the lack of focus and structure don't make a great combination; it tends to promote skimming, which takes away from the power of some of the interviewees’ contributions.
I can see this book being useful for family members who are looking to learn as much as they can about what this whole mental illness thing is about, and that’s probably the main target audience that NAMI is aiming for. It’s probably going to be less useful for people who’ve been around the block a few times dealing with their own illness.
I received a reviewer copy from the publisher through Netgalley.
October 13, 2022
So, the NAMI guide on combatting mental illness is here at last: “You are not Alone” by Ken Duckworth (2022) Zando Press xxii+409 pp. To say it’s a disappointment is an understatement.
It’s a wordy, disorganized, boastful, pointless, sloppy drudge: a wandery quagmire without discernible organization. It’s repetitive, frequently obvious, and almost always a stultifying bore.
Let me give you an example taken at random—Using Google’s random number generator I chose a number between 1 and 431 (the number of pages in the book, including the Forward). I got page 308. Then I arbitrarily chose the second complete paragraph, which reads:
“A good therapist also brings a level of kindness and compassion to this process. This means they should help you to feel human in your struggle and respect what you are going through—everyone deserves that. While they will likely ask you to work hard in observing your life and its patterns, they should do that in an environment where you feel confident that they ‘get you,’ and want for you what you want for yourself.”
It’s pretty much typical throughout the entire book—in this case jarringly obvious, yet somehow also vague and tedious.
There’s an index (word processors these days makes indexing easy). It includes names of scores of organizations’ contemporary mental health administrators (why?) and lots of buzz words, like “psychiatric racism,” “Out of the control behavior” that lead readers to not much more than the meaning of the term. But in a book without much organization the index is by far the best way to locate anything.
The worst part of this sloppy book is “References.” It’s arranged by chapter number, which in a poorly organized text is next to useless. Within some chapters the references are assorted alphabetically within occasional arbitrary subdivisions like “For Families” or “Organizational Books.” Books are cited by title and author only—no publisher, no pagination or even date of issue! “Organizations” lists nothing but names. How can a reader locate an unreferenced name? There’s no guidance to judge which references are more useful than others. As for content, it appears to be no more than a list of sources the author heard of once.
No, I'm wrong. The worst part of this awful book is what it could have been. It could have been like NAMI’s excellent class tutorial for “Family-to-Family,” where suffering care-givers learn useful things like “What is a mental illness,” “How to talk to a mentally ill person,” How can I get my mentally ill daughter to take her meds?” Or “How do I deal with suicide ideation?”
Until this sad flop can be replaced, I cannot recommend it for anyone. Read instead “I’m Not Sick and I Don’t Need Help” by Xavier Amador. Vida Press (2001) 254 p.
—
WC Banta
It’s a wordy, disorganized, boastful, pointless, sloppy drudge: a wandery quagmire without discernible organization. It’s repetitive, frequently obvious, and almost always a stultifying bore.
Let me give you an example taken at random—Using Google’s random number generator I chose a number between 1 and 431 (the number of pages in the book, including the Forward). I got page 308. Then I arbitrarily chose the second complete paragraph, which reads:
“A good therapist also brings a level of kindness and compassion to this process. This means they should help you to feel human in your struggle and respect what you are going through—everyone deserves that. While they will likely ask you to work hard in observing your life and its patterns, they should do that in an environment where you feel confident that they ‘get you,’ and want for you what you want for yourself.”
It’s pretty much typical throughout the entire book—in this case jarringly obvious, yet somehow also vague and tedious.
There’s an index (word processors these days makes indexing easy). It includes names of scores of organizations’ contemporary mental health administrators (why?) and lots of buzz words, like “psychiatric racism,” “Out of the control behavior” that lead readers to not much more than the meaning of the term. But in a book without much organization the index is by far the best way to locate anything.
The worst part of this sloppy book is “References.” It’s arranged by chapter number, which in a poorly organized text is next to useless. Within some chapters the references are assorted alphabetically within occasional arbitrary subdivisions like “For Families” or “Organizational Books.” Books are cited by title and author only—no publisher, no pagination or even date of issue! “Organizations” lists nothing but names. How can a reader locate an unreferenced name? There’s no guidance to judge which references are more useful than others. As for content, it appears to be no more than a list of sources the author heard of once.
No, I'm wrong. The worst part of this awful book is what it could have been. It could have been like NAMI’s excellent class tutorial for “Family-to-Family,” where suffering care-givers learn useful things like “What is a mental illness,” “How to talk to a mentally ill person,” How can I get my mentally ill daughter to take her meds?” Or “How do I deal with suicide ideation?”
Until this sad flop can be replaced, I cannot recommend it for anyone. Read instead “I’m Not Sick and I Don’t Need Help” by Xavier Amador. Vida Press (2001) 254 p.
—
WC Banta
September 4, 2022
What a great book. It’s chock full of important information for anyone (at any age) dealing with mental health. The author covers the deficiencies in our current medical coverage with places to contact, even by text. Also covers the many ways to ask for help so that you feel like “you are not alone”. I was pleasantly surprised by the gentle, comforting way the author approached each topic. Next as a society we need to confront all negativity about mental health and not as an oddity.
I received an advanced reader copy for free from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.
I received an advanced reader copy for free from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.
January 12, 2024
What a wonderful book. Duckworth is the director of the National Mental Health Association and has written a comprehensive, yet easy to read and simple, book about mental health. I can not say that I learned a lot because I come from a family of very mentally ill people, on both sides of my family. So I have learned a lot through my experience of living with them. As I read this book, I often thought, of course, that is what is real or that is what will happen. And I wished, with tears, that I had known a lot of what Duckworth writes as I have lived some of these situations. There were tears as I realized what I could have done differently and sighs of peace when he wrote of something that I had done right to help my mentally ill relative or friend. This is not to imply that there is ever a "right" response or answer to mental illness. There are simply ways to approach mentally ill people with gentle ways that might help you or the ill person deal with an event or situation. Duckworth deals with the denial, which is so prevalent in our society, of mental illness and also writes about some of the things we can say or do to help people who are mentally ill. He often points out that we give sympathy and a lot of help when a friend or relative has cancer. We jump in to help in many ways and try to understand what the victim is experiencing. We do not often do that with mental illness. A lot of this is the stigma this society has put on mental illness - why did the parents not realize the person was violent before they bought him a gun? Why do the parents of youngsters not realize that explosive anger on a repeated basis is a cry for help? It is us - society that much be more aware, more educated about mental health. This is not a preaching book - this is the reviewer preaching. If you think someone has mental illness, help them. If they are healthy and just in a bad time, that is ok - a little like someone having a terrible cold and you think they have cancer. If you ask about it and he does not have cancer, there is no shame. Help your relatives and friends. If you are unaware or somewhat naive, get this book - it can help you see, help, get out of the way when someone you love has a mental illness.
September 8, 2022
You Are Not Alone is a solid addition to any mental health collection. The information presented about various mental illnesses is valuable and informative. While the National Alliance for Mental Illness was originally focused on support for family members of those with mental health challenges it has grown to include robust peer voices and support. You are Not Alone offers information for both peers and family members, frequently from their own voices and experiences. I found the book to be both up-to-date and extremely useful. It is easy to get through for the average reader, avoiding highly technical language and explaining the terms they do use. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for information, support, or simply the knowledge that you are not alone in your struggles.
September 4, 2022
I don't like to give poor ratings to books. Let alone books on the subject of mental health. Each book is a lot of sweat and effort from the writer and I don't want to discourage or criticize something that is so much work. I also believe we need more books in the world around the issue of mental health. I am grateful that organizations like NAMI exist and I am grateful that they provide resources for people who are struggling. We need these resources so badly.
And yet this book was really hard to read. I felt like it didn't follow a clear organized flow of information or arc. There were bits and pieces of stories interspersed with bits and pieces of information, creating a very disjointed book.
Also while the book is a good resource for raising awareness of NAMI and its services, I felt that the organization was mentioned too often in ways that felt like an ad vs natural explanations of where the organization could be helpful. It felt awkward and disruptive to the flow of the book that was already struggling so much.
I am grateful that NAMI exists and I am grateful that we can talk about mental health more openly, I wish this particular book was easier to follow.
with gratitude to edelweiss and Ingram for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
And yet this book was really hard to read. I felt like it didn't follow a clear organized flow of information or arc. There were bits and pieces of stories interspersed with bits and pieces of information, creating a very disjointed book.
Also while the book is a good resource for raising awareness of NAMI and its services, I felt that the organization was mentioned too often in ways that felt like an ad vs natural explanations of where the organization could be helpful. It felt awkward and disruptive to the flow of the book that was already struggling so much.
I am grateful that NAMI exists and I am grateful that we can talk about mental health more openly, I wish this particular book was easier to follow.
with gratitude to edelweiss and Ingram for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
January 23, 2024
Ken Duckworth says “ Asking a person with ADHD to try harder is like asking a person on a Unicycle to sprint”.
He shares unique guidance, tools and resources for a variety of Mental Health conditions from his personal and professional experiences.
He shares the negative traits, with their positive counter parts. Positively encouraging readers in their own life goals.
Empathetic, supportive and motivational. 5*
He shares unique guidance, tools and resources for a variety of Mental Health conditions from his personal and professional experiences.
He shares the negative traits, with their positive counter parts. Positively encouraging readers in their own life goals.
Empathetic, supportive and motivational. 5*
January 17, 2023
I personally found this book very enlightening. Many resource options presented along with recommendations on how to get someone help. I am particularly interested in the peer counseling aspect out there and I am going to look into getting certified.
November 1, 2022
This is an excellent resource for those that have a mental illness and those of us that have a loved one with a mental illness. This book provides guidance that is sorely needed to navigate the mental health system in the United States. I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants a better understanding of the types of mental illness, treatment plans that lead to recovery (a new definition of recovery for this reader) and how to help when things seem hopeless. There is always hope, that is one of the National Alliance on Mental Illness's (NAMI's) mantras. I have already purchased and given away four copies of this book. I plan to purchase several more ain the future. Thank you, Dr. Duckworth for writing this comprehensive guide and NAMI for supporting this important work!
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October 6, 2022This was a great read. I loved that it was inclusive and framed lived experience as another type of expertise.I hope there will be a follow-up that goes more into depth about autism. Definitely would recommend!
December 1, 2024
You Are Not Alone is NAMI's first book, written in basic language by Dr. Ken Duckworth of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Rather than writing as a subject matter expert, he instead provides a very high-level, yet wide-ranging look at mental illness, with a nod to the American mental health system. He includes excerpts from well over a hundred interviews with people who live with mental illness or folks who love someone with mental illness.
Unfortunately there is a lot of ground to cover, and not enough room to go into any real depth of information. This is a good introductory tome, that does indeed make its title point - it is not terribly uncommon to have a diagnosable mental health condition, yet individuals and families with these issues often feel shamefully unique, especially when the problems first arise. While it does have a number of resources, and a chapter with common questions answered by subject matter experts, this is not a deep guide to living with any particular mental health diagnosis. Considering that the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V (TR)) is roughly a thousand pages long, it shouldn't be a surprise that this book cannot look deeply at diagnoses. Rather each topic is granted a few pages of material.
I personally found the material on mental health recovery very strong, however. Dr. Duckworth differentiates between clinical treatment and life experiences that feed strong recovery. So often when thinking about recovery, people think it is time since your last symptoms as opposed to quality of life issues.
This is a perfect introduction to the issue at large, especially for family members who may feel overwhelmed at the time of a loved one's diagnosis. If you have just been diagnosed this book could help, but you may have to sort through a lot of information to find something particular to your case. You may want to also read something that targets your particular diagnosis.
It is true, though - you are NOT alone.
Unfortunately there is a lot of ground to cover, and not enough room to go into any real depth of information. This is a good introductory tome, that does indeed make its title point - it is not terribly uncommon to have a diagnosable mental health condition, yet individuals and families with these issues often feel shamefully unique, especially when the problems first arise. While it does have a number of resources, and a chapter with common questions answered by subject matter experts, this is not a deep guide to living with any particular mental health diagnosis. Considering that the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V (TR)) is roughly a thousand pages long, it shouldn't be a surprise that this book cannot look deeply at diagnoses. Rather each topic is granted a few pages of material.
I personally found the material on mental health recovery very strong, however. Dr. Duckworth differentiates between clinical treatment and life experiences that feed strong recovery. So often when thinking about recovery, people think it is time since your last symptoms as opposed to quality of life issues.
This is a perfect introduction to the issue at large, especially for family members who may feel overwhelmed at the time of a loved one's diagnosis. If you have just been diagnosed this book could help, but you may have to sort through a lot of information to find something particular to your case. You may want to also read something that targets your particular diagnosis.
It is true, though - you are NOT alone.
November 14, 2022
As a psychology student, I jump at any chance to get my hands on any content that deals with mental health. I, myself, have dealt with postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, depression and suicidal ideation, so I am no stranger to mental health issues.
This book gathers experiences of many people in order to confirm to others that You Are Not Alone - because as alone as you might feel, you’re not.
It was an interesting collection of stories and the history of NAMI. I really can’t complain about the content. Of course, I was granted the audiobook from NetGalley, so being able to see if sources were effectively cited is hard to say. There are studies mentioned and I do wish that I could see where these studies came from and read them myself to draw my own conclusions because I don’t take anyone’s word for anything - I gotta see it myself.
The actual gathered stories were explained very well - as in they were clear as to how they collected these stories and what was collected as well as how and any edits that were made. Since they were verbal interviews, they didn’t print it up verbatim in order to remove any fillers we all use like “um”.
I do wish that there had been a few different narrators - having the author read them all landed me on the struggle bus keeping up with when a story was being told and when it was the author himself giving input. This book definitely made me realize I’ve begun relying on the different narrators that are common these days to help me keep up!
I will say that I’m happy the mental health hotline was mentioned and provided because there are so many times that this is essential to living with mental illness for many people - hotlines really do save lives.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on the audiobook
This book gathers experiences of many people in order to confirm to others that You Are Not Alone - because as alone as you might feel, you’re not.
It was an interesting collection of stories and the history of NAMI. I really can’t complain about the content. Of course, I was granted the audiobook from NetGalley, so being able to see if sources were effectively cited is hard to say. There are studies mentioned and I do wish that I could see where these studies came from and read them myself to draw my own conclusions because I don’t take anyone’s word for anything - I gotta see it myself.
The actual gathered stories were explained very well - as in they were clear as to how they collected these stories and what was collected as well as how and any edits that were made. Since they were verbal interviews, they didn’t print it up verbatim in order to remove any fillers we all use like “um”.
I do wish that there had been a few different narrators - having the author read them all landed me on the struggle bus keeping up with when a story was being told and when it was the author himself giving input. This book definitely made me realize I’ve begun relying on the different narrators that are common these days to help me keep up!
I will say that I’m happy the mental health hotline was mentioned and provided because there are so many times that this is essential to living with mental illness for many people - hotlines really do save lives.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on the audiobook
September 22, 2022
I wish this book from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMHI) existed when I was trying to cope with various family members’ mental health crises. Psychiatrist Dr. Ken Duckworth is the chief medical officer of NAMHI, and he uses his extensive personal and professional experience with mental illness to provide a practical guide for those who are experiencing symptoms of mental illness in themselves or a loved one.
Part I provides an overview of what we do and don’t know about mental illness and how diagnosis and treatment continues to evolve. Part II includes personal stories of the recovery journey from diverse people with personal experience of mental illness. Part III focuses on the stories of those who love someone with mental illness. This section offers some excellent lessons on how to communicate with someone who might not recognize that they need help. Part IV provides answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) provided by various experts in the field. I found some of those answers particularly helpful. The back matter includes a list of resource organized by chapter and an index.
Although it doesn’t provide as much depth on any particular condition or treatment as other books I have read, I think this is a very good place to start if you suspect that you or a loved one is having issues with mental health. It seems like it would be particularly helpful for a parent trying to care for a child with mental illness. The one thing I wish had been addressed in more detail is dealing with mental illness in a parent or an elderly relative.
I was provided an unproofed ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.
Part I provides an overview of what we do and don’t know about mental illness and how diagnosis and treatment continues to evolve. Part II includes personal stories of the recovery journey from diverse people with personal experience of mental illness. Part III focuses on the stories of those who love someone with mental illness. This section offers some excellent lessons on how to communicate with someone who might not recognize that they need help. Part IV provides answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) provided by various experts in the field. I found some of those answers particularly helpful. The back matter includes a list of resource organized by chapter and an index.
Although it doesn’t provide as much depth on any particular condition or treatment as other books I have read, I think this is a very good place to start if you suspect that you or a loved one is having issues with mental health. It seems like it would be particularly helpful for a parent trying to care for a child with mental illness. The one thing I wish had been addressed in more detail is dealing with mental illness in a parent or an elderly relative.
I was provided an unproofed ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.
May 27, 2024
I listened to the unabridged 14-hour audio version of this title (read by the author and Tim Fannon, Zando, 2022).
Many families who care for loved ones suffering from mental illness are in the dark about diagnoses, treatments, and recovery processes, which leads to frustration and inability to help. When it comes to mental health, the US healthcare industry remains chaotic, underfunded, and inaccessible. To make matters worse, there are no tests, such as bloodwork and X-ray used for physical ailments, to help with definite diagnoses of mental illness, leading to conflicting and confusing advice.
This NAMI-supported book, which oozes with expertise and compassion, contains:
- First-person accounts illustrating the diversity of mental health journeys
- Guidance on dealing with mental health conditions and seeking care
- Research-based evidence on what treatments and approaches work best
- Insight and advice from renowned clinical experts and practitioners
NAMI, National Alliance on Mental Illness, is a valuable resource that the sufferers of mental illness and their families/caretakers can turn to for advice and help.
https://www.nami.org/about-nami/
Among other activities, NAMI supports peer-to-peer and family-to-family classes and discussion groups
Many families who care for loved ones suffering from mental illness are in the dark about diagnoses, treatments, and recovery processes, which leads to frustration and inability to help. When it comes to mental health, the US healthcare industry remains chaotic, underfunded, and inaccessible. To make matters worse, there are no tests, such as bloodwork and X-ray used for physical ailments, to help with definite diagnoses of mental illness, leading to conflicting and confusing advice.
This NAMI-supported book, which oozes with expertise and compassion, contains:
- First-person accounts illustrating the diversity of mental health journeys
- Guidance on dealing with mental health conditions and seeking care
- Research-based evidence on what treatments and approaches work best
- Insight and advice from renowned clinical experts and practitioners
NAMI, National Alliance on Mental Illness, is a valuable resource that the sufferers of mental illness and their families/caretakers can turn to for advice and help.
https://www.nami.org/about-nami/
Among other activities, NAMI supports peer-to-peer and family-to-family classes and discussion groups
February 3, 2024
I found this book to be a helpful resource and very readable. It has given me a lot of hope.
The first 3/4 of the book is focused on the verbatim interviews the author conducted with people living with mental illness and people with loved ones who have mental illness. Everyone volunteered to be interviewed and could review their interview before it was published. My experience is that people living with mental illness who volunteer to tell their stories have achieved significant recovery, so the book doesn’t focus as much on the portrayal of acute symptoms that some memoirs focus on. There is so much hope in the stories.
The last 1/4 of the book is experts responding to questions. That is very helpful too but less engaging. Some of the material in this section (web addresses and program names) won’t be evergreen, but they are current now.
Full disclosure, I am a volunteer for and a donor to NAMI but they did not ask me to read or review this book.
The first 3/4 of the book is focused on the verbatim interviews the author conducted with people living with mental illness and people with loved ones who have mental illness. Everyone volunteered to be interviewed and could review their interview before it was published. My experience is that people living with mental illness who volunteer to tell their stories have achieved significant recovery, so the book doesn’t focus as much on the portrayal of acute symptoms that some memoirs focus on. There is so much hope in the stories.
The last 1/4 of the book is experts responding to questions. That is very helpful too but less engaging. Some of the material in this section (web addresses and program names) won’t be evergreen, but they are current now.
Full disclosure, I am a volunteer for and a donor to NAMI but they did not ask me to read or review this book.
November 11, 2022
I was so excited to find the book outside my door. I was Not so excited after reading several parts of the book. I very looking for myself in the book. All I could find were other individual successful outcome written in a very short paragraph I suffer from depression and anxiety and with meds I am doing great somethings. That's my point, I have been mentally good for years. Somewhat recently I suffered with voices telling me to "kill myself". Where did that come from? I have developed a plan for 'what I'm going the do if this happened again'. Now though, I take one day at a time, if I'm happy I make a point of telling myself "good job "each day".
I agree with
Ashley, Jaren, and WC Banta reviews stated above. They did a great detailed review of what I wanted to say. Though, I never could have put those words in that detailed format. Thank you three for writing your view.
I agree with
Ashley, Jaren, and WC Banta reviews stated above. They did a great detailed review of what I wanted to say. Though, I never could have put those words in that detailed format. Thank you three for writing your view.
December 28, 2022
This was a good attempt at describing what NAMI is. I hate to say it, despite working in the mental health field for many years I did not know what NAMI was. Ways that NAMI (grassroots organization on the internet designed to help people who have mental health/addiction issues and their families) can help and tidbits of personal stories of how mental illness can affect families were covered. The personal stories were overwhelming at times, and I wish the author had not described his own personal family hx with mental illness so much. This is not a well organized book, and I wish it had more references in the book for the different organizations that can help with addictions TX and mental health help. I think it was a good idea for a book, but not fully realized. NAMI is a wonderful organization so please research it on your own, and this book is a good start for this.
June 20, 2023
I’ve read quite a few books on mental health. More than any other, this is the one I wish my family and I had 10 years ago when I began treatment for severe depression and anxiety. The book displayed a whole-person approach to mental health care that attempts to truly provide wellness and recovery to those with mental illness.
I love that all of the proceeds from the book will go straight to NAMI. I have participated in a NAMI support group for over 5 years. As the title of this book suggests, my participation in the group has been a helpful reminder that I’m not the only one going through mental illness. I told my fiancé how good this book is and she is planning on reading it next. I am hoping to slowly become more of an advocate for those with mental illness. I hope to participate in even more of NAMI’s many programs and write a book of my own.
I love that all of the proceeds from the book will go straight to NAMI. I have participated in a NAMI support group for over 5 years. As the title of this book suggests, my participation in the group has been a helpful reminder that I’m not the only one going through mental illness. I told my fiancé how good this book is and she is planning on reading it next. I am hoping to slowly become more of an advocate for those with mental illness. I hope to participate in even more of NAMI’s many programs and write a book of my own.
November 26, 2023
Here's what's different about this book from the other self-helpy/psychology books I've read:
-There's a lot of stories and reflections from laypeople and not just professionals.
-There seemed to be more concrete suggestions and strategies on how to navigate the world of mental illness and mental health treatment (including how to find resources and how to filter through them to find the best fit)
-There were sections dedicated to loved ones with ideas on how to support their family member/friend/partner suffering from mental illness.
-As someone who likes to predict different ways a scenario could go, there were parts that essentially addressed "What to do if X happens.."
Note: It should be acknowledged that several of the strategies listed are meant to be established while the person suffering from mental illness is in a place of relative stability.
-There's a lot of stories and reflections from laypeople and not just professionals.
-There seemed to be more concrete suggestions and strategies on how to navigate the world of mental illness and mental health treatment (including how to find resources and how to filter through them to find the best fit)
-There were sections dedicated to loved ones with ideas on how to support their family member/friend/partner suffering from mental illness.
-As someone who likes to predict different ways a scenario could go, there were parts that essentially addressed "What to do if X happens.."
Note: It should be acknowledged that several of the strategies listed are meant to be established while the person suffering from mental illness is in a place of relative stability.
September 18, 2024
Pro: A fantastic comprehensive resource that should be especially useful to those newly diagnosed and their families and friends. If you don’t know the difference between DBT & CBT, what the heck WRAP is, or the potential conflicts between the medical model for mental health care and the 12-step/self-help model for addiction recovery, this is your book. If you’re not even sure you’ve been correctly diagnosed, this will also give you a starting point to help you get the right diagnosis and treatment plan.
Con: Long and a little bit disjointed in the way it is organized. Also, be aware that this is a publication of NAMI, a U.S. based organization that helps individuals with mental health challenges who are dealing with our very broken and piecemeal healthcare system. So if you aren’t in the U.S., much of the advice contained herein will not be useful for you.
Con: Long and a little bit disjointed in the way it is organized. Also, be aware that this is a publication of NAMI, a U.S. based organization that helps individuals with mental health challenges who are dealing with our very broken and piecemeal healthcare system. So if you aren’t in the U.S., much of the advice contained herein will not be useful for you.
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May 2, 2023Loneliness is a problem for the social creature called human. The shame and secrecy of mental illness has created a Gordian knot of spiraling issues and reinforcement, the only solution to which is for us to end the silence about mental health in the same way that we no longer shun those who have cancer. You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health seeks to bring mental illness out of the shadows and into the light. The idea is that we cut through the shame and secrecy to begin to work on the real issues facing too many people across the globe.
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June 13, 2025
A comprehensive and useful guide through the complicated world of mental health. Written for both those who struggle and those providing care for them, this works to untangle resources, insurance, definitions, parental roles, advocacy and really much more.
The discouraging part of the title is that indeed any family/person experiencing problems already knows they are not alone and yet the help is not always there, maybe even rarely there. The "system" it says, is difficult to navigate or unaffordable.
A good solid book. Perhaps when the world embraces mental health concerns, a new edition will have an even better message.
The discouraging part of the title is that indeed any family/person experiencing problems already knows they are not alone and yet the help is not always there, maybe even rarely there. The "system" it says, is difficult to navigate or unaffordable.
A good solid book. Perhaps when the world embraces mental health concerns, a new edition will have an even better message.
January 21, 2023
Very informative, I think that this is a great resource for individuals who are looking for direction in how to get help for their loved one's mental health, and honestly even their own. Since it was from NAMI, it was very NAMI based in some of the responses but at the same time it is a great resource on top of there being directions into general care. I think the personal stories were a good touch too, to increase the pathos of these situations and make it more relatable to others and show how people can begin their journeys to recovery. I think those stories are always incredibly important.
December 21, 2025
This book is great for someone who is just starting out on their mental health journey or trying to help someone they love. It is full of tips to navigate the system, or lack thereof of, some of which I wish I had known earlier. If you are already on the journey, you may find this book a little repetitive or lacking in new material. There is so much information packed into this book, but it written in an easy to read format. I especially enjoyed reading the first person perspectives from patients and medical staff.
July 21, 2024
overall an extremely informative and engaging read. i loved reading people’s individual stories of those who were interviewed, i think it made the book stand out from many other books of this nature. it is quite dense and may take a while to read, but is a worthwhile read for anyone entering the mental health field or struggling with mental health (which could be anyone).
April 20, 2025
For my own preferences and purposes, this felt long and a bit redundant.
HOWEVER this book has sooooo many wonderful resources and details that will help so many people. NAMI is a resource I haven’t turned to prior to reading this and now I will definitely be recommending some of their classes, etc. to clients. Really wonderful organization.
HOWEVER this book has sooooo many wonderful resources and details that will help so many people. NAMI is a resource I haven’t turned to prior to reading this and now I will definitely be recommending some of their classes, etc. to clients. Really wonderful organization.
December 10, 2025
I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with mental health issues, but also it's a fantastic resource for family and friends who's loved one has a mental illness. There are so many good questions and resources in this book. There are also many real life stories from people who've been experiencing mental health struggles and who have learned to manage them. I've learned a lot!
November 4, 2022
A much needed in depth look at mental health care and the mental health care system. Would have liked more anecdotes and detailed stories from the many interviews, but nevertheless appreciated how comprehensive the book was.
November 15, 2022
This book offers a wealth of information about mental health, those who suffer, and those who support them. As members of NAMI, we are thrilled that our organization now offers a helpful resource for those who so need it.
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