No Such Thing as Normal: From the author of Glorious Rock Bottom

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It’s written in a way that assumes the reader is nearing or has reached crisis point, and says that by picking up the book, they care enough to make a change to their mental well-being.

This book is a very useful tool to reassure people who are mentally ill as well as those who know someone who is. Sara Fabian is a Women’s Empowerment Coach who helps modern, professional women grow their confidence and get loved, wealthy, and successful by rising into their feminine power. It certainly got me thinking about mental health and how generalisable advice about it can reasonably be.This is a bang up to date book packed with easy to digest information and really helpful and realistic practical tips to help you create a strategy for improving your mental health and well-being. As implied in the title the focus is on wellness and this leads to an overall positive, uplifting vibe throughout the book. As a service user myself I have had lots of professional support (for which I am grateful),but what has actually changed my life is the introduction of peer support and books like Bryony's which have made me feel less alone and more understood. Countries such as China or South Korea value harmony: let us all agree and collaborate, so it’s a win-win for everybody and no one has to lose.

We may think that normality does exist because of the sizable numbers of people who don’t seek psychological treatment. Reading self-help books has always been hit and miss for me, because I’ve never really felt I could relate to the author describing their severe alcoholism or the doomed children that learn from all they do. Gordon is adamant that you should accept yourself, not try to please others, and 'learn that a healthy relationship is one in which you love each other unconditionally'. Bryony Gordon says: "It would be disingenuous of me to say that I no longer care what other people think of me. The result is a lively, honest and direct guide to mental health that cuts through the Instagram-wellness bubble to talk about how each of us can feel stronger, better and just a little bit less alone.Bryony is so fantastic to listen to and everything whirling round in my head has been so incredibly articulated and makes me feel less alone.

However I'm going with 4 stars because there's a section (from about p120) about boundaries and intrusive thoughts that really resonated. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. As if I was the only one holding the absolute truth and the “right” way of perceiving the world, and anything else was either strange or abnormal.

It's like a manual, almost like a text book in fact, with lists of resources rather than anything insightful and practical.