It should be easy telling people you have mental health issues. But we know it isn’t. There’s still stigma and misunderstanding, and just plain aresholery.
Ultimately it’s up to you what you choose to disclose about yourself. But, although it’s daunting, if you find people who love you for who you are – even snotty/crying/panicky/dark/numb bits of you – it can help set you free (and realise that everyone is slightly nuts too, we’re just all pretending we’re not).
Not sure if you’re ready for a full disclosure yet? We have a great article over at TheSite.org called ‘How To Talk About Your Mental Health’. I hope you find it helpful.
Love can drive us all a little crazy sometimes. But if you already have an issue with your mental health, the stress of dating/relationships/break-ups can be particularly hard. Add in panic attacks or spells of depression on top of all that?? Yeah, it can be tough.
When I’m not writing books, I work as a journalist and relationship advisor for thesite.org – an advice and information website for young people.
Some of our most popular articles focus on how mental health impacts your relationships. And, what you can do to help navigate both. Today I’m sharing one that I wish Evie could’ve read –‘Is Anxiety Affecting Your Relationship?’
My two lives are COLLIDING this week, and thesite.org is taking over #100DaysOfNormal. When I’m not writing books, I work as a journalist and relationship expert for this brilliant charity website. It’s such a great resource for young people, and can help you with practically EVERY problem you could imagine growing up. Working there has influenced my writing so much, and I’m so excited we’re combining forces this week.
Follow @TheSite for prizes, advice articles, and exclusive videos. Today, find out how to submit your questions to Holly and how to win 1 of 3 signed limited editions of Am I Normal Yet?! See you over there!
“Bourne’s writing is subtle but sensitive, addressing the day-to-day
struggles of both anxiety and OCD with sensitivity but without
restraint, bringing all of the uncomfortable truths of living with these
disorders into well-studied relief. Above and alongside this, Am I Normal Yet?
is a brilliant and humorous tale of teenage love and loss, with Bourne
lending her signature and much-needed feminist touch to the issues of
relationships, consent, mental health, and what it means to be a girl.”
Woohoo! It’s Friday people! A little end of the week tip – be sure to follow @MaximumPopBooks AND @TheSite as next week they’ll be running exclsuive comps and features as part of #100DaysofNormal! Don’t miss it!
Today sees the start of our #100DaysofNormal YA Blogger series and we are SUPER excited about it. We’ve talked to some brilliant YA book bloggers and asked them 5 BIG questions inspired by some of the themes in Am I Normal Yet?
What is ‘normal’? I’ve always thought ‘normal’ to be a lie. Everyone is different, and it’s not like we’re given a manual at birth on how to be normal. No, we’re left to be our own person and to develop our own tastes. Everyone is so different that I don’t think ‘normal’ can even exist.
What message did you take away from Am I Normal Yet? So many! This book really is a goldmine. I think the main message I took away from the book is that the more open we are about things seen as ‘taboo’, the better. It’s okay to talk about your problems, whether the problem is that you’re seriously falling behind at school or you’re struggling with your mental health. Anyone who mocks you for it isn’t really your friend. And it’s okay to be open about feminism. If you’re given the opportunity to dent a stigma, throw massive rocks at it until the stigma has become a heap of junk on the floor.
What does feminism mean to you? Equality for all genders, always.
What other YA novels about mental health would you recommend? Am I Normal Yet? is the best book I’ve read about mental health. The next one on my list is Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella. It’s about a fourteen-year-old girl who has social anxiety, like me, and whilst it gives a really good glimpse into that life and how it’s dealt with, it’s also really funny – much like this book!
And finally, what’s your go-to cheesy snack? Pizza dotted with juicy tomatoes and dripping with cheese. Is that a snack or a meal? Pizza is life, that’s what it is. (I also like cheesy Doritos.)
Thanks SO much for taking part in our #100DayofNormal blogger series, Amber!
Make sure you head over to Amber’s blog, The Mile Long Bookshelf for fantastic features and reviews. We especially love her ‘How I Deal with Anxiety and Panic Attacks’ post (which we featured for #100DaysofNormal earlier this week!).
The #100DaysofNormal Blogger series will be back on Saturday 15th August when we’ll hear from the brilliant Jo at Once Upon a Bookcase. Don’t miss it!
I want teen readers to be able to go into a bookstore and pick up
something that reflects their experience. Considering one in ten young
people experience mental health issues before the age of 15, books
discussing these issues need to be on the shelves. But, if you’re going
to ‘go there’ as an author, it’s vital you get it right.
When I started writingAm I Normal Yet?
it was essential to me to ensure I was covering OCD and Generalised
Anxiety Disorder as sensitively as possible. Striking a balance between
realism, and protecting potentially-vulnerable readers. Here’s what I
learned along the way…
