449 - (e)Book –Are u ok?

(e)Book –Are u ok?

Full title  Are u ok?-  A Guide to Caring for Your Mental Health

Author: Kati Morton

Score: 7/10

Year: 2018

Publisher:  Da Cap Press (Perseus Books, LLC, Hachette group) 

ISBN 978-0-7382-3498-4  // 9780738234984

Pages 170* 

Language: English

I've discovered Kati Morton on YouTube several years ago, as I was searching for tips and clues about my various mental illness struggles. There, in countless videos, she answered and detailed a lot of information about various conditions, mental illnesses, so when I saw that she had a book, I decided to check it out. 

Kati talked there, and answers the most commonly asked questions about mental health, including when to get help and where to find it in this current book, based on personal knowledge as a licensed marriage and family therapist (the LMFT seen next to her name on the book cover) and past experiences during her training - which she explains in this book. 

it is comprised of the author's note, a prologue, 11 chapters, an epilogue, 2 appendices, notes and an index, let's see a bit more now :

The author's note (p. 9) is about her patients' names being changed and their permission to use their cases as examples ; 

In the prologue (p. 10) , Kati introduces herself and the reasons for this book, 

Chapter 1 (p. 13), what is mental health defines terms, especially the opposition between mental health, which we all have, and mental illness.

In chapter 2 (p. 23) , Kati answers why can it feel so hard to get better? along the importance of accepting change. 

Chapter 3 (p. 31) is about the difference of needing help, a diagnosis, answering the primordial question of how do I know if I need help ? and gives warning signs a person can look for, in order to start seeking help.

Chapters 4 (p. 44) and 5 (p.54) are a pair. Indeed, the former is mental health professionals decoded, explaining the various acronyms and types of therapists, nurses etc - terms which are all in the State of California, and may or may not be shared elsewhere - and the latter, what is best for  me? is all about types of therapies, from psychotherapy, EMDR and a few other common ones. 

Chapters 6 (p. 66) and 7 (p. 78) are also a pair, tips in preparing your first appointment for chapter 6 and knowing if my therapist is a good fit for me in 7. 

Then, Kati moves to more personal and interpersonal domains, in chapter 8 (p. 90), what are toxic relationships ? giving several types, warning signs, and ways to get out of them, moving on to chapter 9 (p. 104) all about communication, with examples of unhealthy ones and tips to learn healthier ways, logically moving in chapter 10 (p. 119) to avoiding common mistakes and healing broken relationships at home, at work and in life. 

The last chapter, number 11 (p. 133) is all about additional help one may need, reasons and examples in The State of California, so, just like chapter 4, some of these health facilities may or may not be available to everyone. This time, Kati disclaimed about this possibility, contrary to the previous occurrence in such possible local differences. This chapter is titled Help! I am in therapy and still struggling!.

The epilogue (p. 147) outlines the importance of keeping talking about mental health to get rid of stigma. Here, after many personal experiences that Kati peppered in the previous chapters, she reminds you that she's also human and doesn't know all the answers - just in case you never seen her videos and IG posts! 

Appendices : a is a basic glossary (p. 150) and b (p. 154-159) are helpful resources and reminders, with all the kinds of questions and preparations you can have, which had been presented in other chapters, all set together in one common space. 

The book ends with notes (p. 160-163) and an index ( p. 164-170). 

In short,  Are u ok? walks readers through the most common questions about mental health and the process of getting help. 

It's well written but  a few passages don't apply to me, here in France, and I suspect that in other areas of the world as well. 

It's a very good book if you never read about the topics presented, but in some cases, may not bring anything new, depending on your previous knowledge. Either way, you can share with others and offer, just as Kati herself mentioned in the epilogue. It has to find a usefulness to someone, right ? 

Of note, there may be a few triggers here and there, so read with cautious and when ready. 

PS : this edition is 170 pages, an e-book borrowed from an online library. The "official" ebook and kindle editions on Goodreads are longer, but I don't know what differences there may be, if any - it could be as simple as font size.