Six supportive reads
There is no substitute for talking to a professional but, if you are trying to better understand yourself and others, these books are useful.
THE BOOK OF KNOWING
by Gwendoline Smith (Allen and Unwin, $25) Kiwi psychologist Gwendoline Smith knows her stuff; she has been in practice for more than 30 years, has written many books and articles, and for a long time was a regular media commentator. This book is written for teens and takes a practical approach to understanding how your brain works, why you feel the way you do and what you can do about it. It aims to give young people the skills and confidence to manage their roiling emotions. Smith also wrote the companion books The Book of Overthinking and The Book of Angst.
THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk (Penguin, $32)
Victims of trauma tend to relive their worst moments over and over again, thereby subjecting themselves to further trauma. That ongoing sense of danger encourages the body to produce stress hormones and negatively impacts health, says American psychiatrist Dr Bessel van der Kolk, who argues that trauma is one of the most urgent health issues in the world. This very popular book, first released in 2015, shows how practices like yoga, meditation, exercise and drama can help to heal.
THE COMFORT BOOK
by Matt Haig (Canongate, $40)
Described as a hug in book form,
The Comfort Book is a grabbag of memoir, self-help advice and philosophical musings from the author of Reasons to Stay Alive.
Written during the English writer’s first Covid-19 lockdown, when he suffered a bad bout of anxiety,
The Comfort Book is intended to remind readers that the dark patches, while undeniably awful, don’t last.
THE HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON by Elaine N. Aron PHD (Random House, $45)
Once upon a time, highly sensitive people were told to “harden up” and get over themselves. Then, in 1996 this influential book was published and it became widely understood that sensitive people were not being dramatic — they were wired differently. This book helps the highly sensitive (and those who love them) to understand their need for quiet time, what situations can be overwhelming and what they can do to manage them.
AROHA by Dr Hinemoa Elder (Penguin, $30)
A smash hit in 2021, this book offers a succinct life lesson for each week of the year, each one based on Maori wisdom as distilled by psychiatrist Dr Hinemoa Elder. The focus is on fostering contentment, kindness, peace and, yes, aroha. Concepts explored include manaakitanga (love for each other), whanaungatanga (community and connectivity) and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination). Ka pai.
THE UNAPOLOGETIC GUIDE TO BLACK MENTAL HEALTH,
by Rheeda Walker PHD (New Harbinger, $40) Although written for African Americans, this book offers a grounding in understanding the effects that racism, poverty and inequity in education and healthcare have on BIPOC mental health. Psychologist Rheeda Walker offers strategies for dealing with mental health services that do not produce equitable outcomes for people of colour, how to advocate for yourself and loved ones, and how to recognise mental health problems in the first place.