Journey To Better Mental Health

Mental disorders are far more common than we dare to admit!In this timely and informative book, the author, Anne Marieke Kinara-Schmohl, draws on decades of lived experience in both Dutch and Kenyan cultural contexts to illuminate the complex realities of mental illness within ordinary families. Having moved from the Netherlands to Kenya in 1966 and later getting married to a Kenyan husband in 1973, the author offers a unique cross-cultural perspective shaped by personal encounters with depression, alcohol dependency, suicide attempts, mental breakdowns(psychosis), and schizophrenia among relatives across generations.The author, who obtained her master's in Library Studies in the UK in 1982 and a Diploma in Counseling Psychology from the Amani Counselling Centre in Nairobi in 2014, relates with courage and honesty how these various mental challenges can be dealt with, and often overcome. Drawing on real-life case stories, she shows the value of information from self-help books, the internet, seminars, and interactions with qualified mental health professionals such as counseling psychologists and psychiatrists. And, of course, she emphasizes the crucial support of family and friends.Nobody is perfect. But when we open our eyes to the realities of mental health and open our hearts to ourselves and those who are struggling, we create space to learn, grow together, and build more productive, fulfilling, and happier lives.