Available:*
Material Type | Library | Call Number | Suggested Age | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book | Searching... Guyandotte Public Library | 305.235 HUG | Young Adult | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
YOU DON'T HAVE TO COPE ALONE
Depression and mental illness don't discriminate. Even in the most picture-perfect life, confusion and turmoil are often lurking beneath the surface. For a teenager in a world where anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses are commonplace, life can sometimes feel impossible. Whether or not you or someone you love is suffering from any of these issues, it's important to be able to recognize the warning signs of mental illness and know where to turn for help. This comprehensive guide provides the information, encouragement, and tactical guidance you need to help yourself or others experiencing:
* Depression * Academic or parental pressures * Eating disorders * Bullying * Self-harm * PTSD * Peer pressure * Anxiety * Substance abuse * Technology addiction * Suicidal thoughts or actions
Author Notes
Kristi Hugstad is a certified grief recovery specialist, speaker, credentialed health educator, and grief and loss facilitator for recovering addicts. She frequently speaks at high schools and is the host of The Grief Girl podcast and talk radio show. She lives in Orange County, California.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-- As a mother and psychologist who lost her husband to suicide, Hugstad is both personally and professionally committed to helping teens understand their experiences and providing useful and compassionate advice. The first chapter informs teens about brain development and explains why their brains both function and develop differently than adult brains. The following chapters cover an array of topics including depression, bullying, technology addiction, self-harm, anxiety, and substance abuse. In each chapter, Hugstad first defines a challenge then lists and explains the associated signs and symptoms. This is followed by a teen's personal story and concrete advice on getting help for themselves or a teen they know. In the chapter that discusses suicide, the author shares her story of her husband Bill's experience with mental illness, namely depression. The back of the text includes endnotes, a resources list, discussion questions, and an index. While Hugstad's book is highly thorough and compassionate, there is an absence of photographs, infographics, and illustrations. Including relevant visuals would help make the book more approachable. VERDICT An in-depth guide that can educate and empower teens in crisis. An important book that should be purchased for public and school library collections.--Jess Gafkowitz, Brooklyn Public Library
Kirkus Review
An overview of mental health problems and solutions for teens.Health educator and author Hugstad (What I Wish I'd Known, 2017, etc.) combines narratives with practical advice in this concise introduction to common mental and emotional health issues. The book begins with a discussion of brain development, and each subsequent chapter addresses a specific concern. Without getting bogged down in clinical descriptions, Hugstad covers depression, eating disorders, bullying, self-harm, PTSD, peer pressure and stress, anxiety, substance abuse, technology addiction, and suicide. Strengths include the comprehensive look at addiction and substance abuse, a keen attention to suicidal risk factors, and practical insights on healthy choices and finding help. Additionally, most chapters include a compelling youth perspective highlighting challenges and growth through a personal story. Unfortunately, Hugstad misses opportunities to consider the impacts of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and other factors that have been linked to mental health risk factors, particularly in the case of LGBTQ+ teens of color. The inclusion of someone diagnosed with gender dysphoria may date the material. Many chapters rightly suggest seeking medical support, and more information overtly addressing socio-economic stressors related to health care access may have been beneficial. Nevertheless, this book provides a useful synopsis, and the inviting tone befits the intended audience.A useful mental health primer for young people that unfortunately contains significant gaps. (endnotes, resources, discussion questions, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Table of Contents
| Foreword | p. xiii |
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| Gavin's Story | p. 1 |
| Chapter 1 What's Going on in Your Brain? | p. 7 |
| Chapter 2 You Are Not Alone | p. 13 |
| Chapter 3 Depression | p. 17 |
| Jackie's Story | p. 18 |
| Chapter 4 Eating Disorders | p. 25 |
| Chapter 5 Bullying | p. 29 |
| Caitlin's Story | p. 29 |
| Chapter 6 Self-Harm | p. 39 |
| Kaley's Story | p. 39 |
| Chapter 7 Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) | p. 47 |
| Chapter 8 Peer Pressure and Stress | p. 51 |
| Chapter 9 Anxiety | p. 61 |
| Asher's Story | p. 62 |
| Chapter 10 Substance Abuse | p. 71 |
| Connors Story | p. 71 |
| Chapter 11 Technology Addiction | p. 81 |
| Ethan's Story | p. 81 |
| Chapter 12 Suicide | p. 91 |
| My Story | p. 102 |
| Chapter 13 Finding Hope in the Darkness | p. 111 |
| Gavin's Story, Continued | p. 112 |
| Chapter 14 Creating a Healthy Lifestyle | p. 119 |
| Chapter 15 Reaching Out: Helping a Friend | p. 131 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 137 |
| Endnotes | p. 139 |
| Resources: Where to Get Help | p. 145 |
| Discussion Questions | p. 149 |
| Index | p. 157 |
| About the Author | p. 167 |
