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Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal Struggles
Your favorite YA authors including Kami Garcia, Ellen Hopkins, Maureen Johnson, and more recount their own experiences with mental illness in this raw, real, and powerful collection of essays that explores everything from ADD to PTSD.
Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t get out of bed? Not the occasional morning, but every single day? Do you find yourself listening to a voice in your head that says “you’re not good enough,” “not good-looking enough,” “not thin enough,” or “not smart enough?” Have you ever found yourself unable to do homework or pay attention in class unless everything is “just so” on your desk? Everyone has had days like that, but what if you have them every day?
You’re not alone. Millions of people are going through similar things. And many of them are people you know—you know them because they write the books that you’re reading.
Life Inside My Mind is an anthology of true-life events from writers of this generation, for this generation. It takes aim at ending the shame of mental illness. With the intention of providing hope to those who are suffering, awareness to those who are witnessing a friend or family member battle mental illness, and opening the floodgates to conversations about mental illness, Side Effects tackles the stigmas around mental illness in a new and refreshing way.
Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t get out of bed? Not the occasional morning, but every single day? Do you find yourself listening to a voice in your head that says “you’re not good enough,” “not good-looking enough,” “not thin enough,” or “not smart enough?” Have you ever found yourself unable to do homework or pay attention in class unless everything is “just so” on your desk? Everyone has had days like that, but what if you have them every day?
You’re not alone. Millions of people are going through similar things. And many of them are people you know—you know them because they write the books that you’re reading.
Life Inside My Mind is an anthology of true-life events from writers of this generation, for this generation. It takes aim at ending the shame of mental illness. With the intention of providing hope to those who are suffering, awareness to those who are witnessing a friend or family member battle mental illness, and opening the floodgates to conversations about mental illness, Side Effects tackles the stigmas around mental illness in a new and refreshing way.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 10, 2018
176 people are currently reading
4021 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
October 20, 2017
OMG someone else has these thoughts and feelings too
June 5, 2018
Trigger Warning. This book may trigger or upset you if you or someone you love struggles with these mental illnesses; ADD, Addiction Alzheimer's, Anorexia, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Bulimia, and Suicide are all mentioned repeatedly in this book.
This was really a truthful and honest look at mental illness from a variety of people. It was so interesting for me to see how different people struggle and experience mental illnesses. I struggle with a number of the problems mentioned in this book and it was nice to see how other people cope. This book is honestly eye-opening.
The main thing I loved about this book was that no one tried to prescribe a right way to live with mental illness. Each essay had an honest and often in-depth look at what works or worked for them. Not what will work for everyone, although they were often super encouraging. While this book is aimed at young adults I believe adults will also get a lot out of the book as well. I think it is important to show teens how to cope with things they may be struggling with.
At first, I had an issue that some of these stories didn't deal with mental illness but what I realized was that it was a great way to share how loved ones are affected by these struggles. It showed me some issues they may be dealing with as well. It was extremely enlightening.
Overall, I think this book was amazing. I found the stories to be interesting and enlightening and truthful. I couldn't put this book down even though at times it was overwhelming. This book is encouraging that you can continue to live well and be successful, with mental illness.
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June 2, 2018Weird that the description on Goodreads mentions Kami Garcia; she's not actually in the collection.
That said: a solid collection of essays about living with mental illness, either as a sufferer or someone who has lived with another struggling. The bulk are about anxiety and depression, though a few essays on addition and an essay on Alzheimers and ADHD are included. Some essays are more compelling than others, as in any collection. My only real qualm was the bizarre essay by Francesca Lia Block, which seemed to make a number of logical leaps, lacked information, and ended with her blaming herself for leaving an abusive friendship when that friend ultimately was dealing with a mental illness (a thing that isn't uncommon, but the writing in this piece lacks a lot of necessary further details to make the takeaway NOT be "if you ignore a friend, they might be sick and then you'll feel bad about it" -- it was clear her friend was abusive toward her and she'd finally found the backbone to protect herself from it).
I wish there'd been more framing and insight from the editor of the collection, as there's none (no introduction, no section breakups, no overarching way to structure the anthology). I also wish we saw the words mental health on the cover, as many teen readers will find this collection powerful and necessary...but they might not know what it's about since the title doesn't really explain it.
Some of the pieces which resonated most with me included Lauren Oliver's, Francisco X. Stork's, and Cindy L. Rodriguez's (I want her to write another book, dammit!).
That said: a solid collection of essays about living with mental illness, either as a sufferer or someone who has lived with another struggling. The bulk are about anxiety and depression, though a few essays on addition and an essay on Alzheimers and ADHD are included. Some essays are more compelling than others, as in any collection. My only real qualm was the bizarre essay by Francesca Lia Block, which seemed to make a number of logical leaps, lacked information, and ended with her blaming herself for leaving an abusive friendship when that friend ultimately was dealing with a mental illness (a thing that isn't uncommon, but the writing in this piece lacks a lot of necessary further details to make the takeaway NOT be "if you ignore a friend, they might be sick and then you'll feel bad about it" -- it was clear her friend was abusive toward her and she'd finally found the backbone to protect herself from it).
I wish there'd been more framing and insight from the editor of the collection, as there's none (no introduction, no section breakups, no overarching way to structure the anthology). I also wish we saw the words mental health on the cover, as many teen readers will find this collection powerful and necessary...but they might not know what it's about since the title doesn't really explain it.
Some of the pieces which resonated most with me included Lauren Oliver's, Francisco X. Stork's, and Cindy L. Rodriguez's (I want her to write another book, dammit!).
October 10, 2018
An insightful collection of essays about living with different types of mental illness.
January 24, 2019
DNF 30%
Got too repetitive and lost interest. May return to it another time...
Got too repetitive and lost interest. May return to it another time...
January 24, 2019
anthologies/essays is hard to rate because of all the different views and I just find it hard to connect when each story is so short . Some I liked and could relate to, others just didn’t do it for me... felt a bit repetetive after 31 stories..
November 19, 2017
(Warning this book may upset you if you have or if you have someone you love who has these mental illness : Depression, Anxiety, OCD, ADD, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer, Bulimia, Anorexia, Addiction, Body Dystopia and Suicidal)
Jessica is my favorite author so I was really excited when I learned about this book I’ve been dealing with my depression and anxiety since I was 18 though I think I had them long before that I just thought it was normal and they weren’t as severe back then so finding out my favorite author ever the woman that made me love reading was putting out a book with essays on mental illness with a bunch of different authors was a pretty big deal to me
I’ll be honest while I loved this book and think everyone should read it I did have a few problems I had to put it down at times and just not read it because while it was wonderful to see so many people who had the same problems as me it was also hard to see as well and it made me go into my darker moods so if you have a mental or have someone close to you that does it may be difficult to read at times but for me it was worth it
I related to so many of the stories even when me and the author weren’t facing the same problems I found a bit of myself in each and every story the one I related to most was Escape Clause By Jennifer L. Armentrout I had to put the book down during that one because it was really hitting me close to home with how similar we both feel
Sometimes when I didn’t see myself I saw people who I love who have been there and when there was no one I knew I still felt so much because this was real all of them have went through this and still are and that made it powerful
while sad and hard to read at times a felt a bit of hope as well yes I may have depression and anxiety for the rest of my life but I can learn to live with them and have a happy and full life yes there will be bed times when I just don’t wanna get up and think I’m though but there will always be something worth fighting for and that’s what’s important
Jessica is my favorite author so I was really excited when I learned about this book I’ve been dealing with my depression and anxiety since I was 18 though I think I had them long before that I just thought it was normal and they weren’t as severe back then so finding out my favorite author ever the woman that made me love reading was putting out a book with essays on mental illness with a bunch of different authors was a pretty big deal to me
I’ll be honest while I loved this book and think everyone should read it I did have a few problems I had to put it down at times and just not read it because while it was wonderful to see so many people who had the same problems as me it was also hard to see as well and it made me go into my darker moods so if you have a mental or have someone close to you that does it may be difficult to read at times but for me it was worth it
I related to so many of the stories even when me and the author weren’t facing the same problems I found a bit of myself in each and every story the one I related to most was Escape Clause By Jennifer L. Armentrout I had to put the book down during that one because it was really hitting me close to home with how similar we both feel
Sometimes when I didn’t see myself I saw people who I love who have been there and when there was no one I knew I still felt so much because this was real all of them have went through this and still are and that made it powerful
while sad and hard to read at times a felt a bit of hope as well yes I may have depression and anxiety for the rest of my life but I can learn to live with them and have a happy and full life yes there will be bed times when I just don’t wanna get up and think I’m though but there will always be something worth fighting for and that’s what’s important
August 8, 2019
Books on mental illness, especially when based on real life experiences, are so hard to rate because it almost feels like it's a judgement of the experience. Therefore I want to start off by saying how this book really deserves to be out here, and how brave all the authors are for opening up, not as authors but as people, sharing their stories so others can find comfort in it.
This being said I have to be honest about my personal experience with this book. Only few essays touched me. And I was disappointed at how little diversity there was with respect to MI's. Most essays are on anxiety or depression (or both) and almost none on eating disorders, personality disorders, etc. It probably just happened to be like that - that the authors being asked to write suffered from the most common MI's - but I had hoped to read on all sorts of MI's. Probably because I already have been reading a lot on depression / anxiety, I wasn't necessarily surprised to read on things I was already familiar with.
Although this was my overall experience, there were still essays that I could relate to and that made me feel something. And I think when you're less familiar with MI's this book can be a real eye-opener and realizing you're not alone can be very comforting. I had just hoped to gain more from it than I did; my expectations were probably too high. But like I said, this book deserves to be out there. If no one starts to break down the taboo, it will remain. There are 31 people, real people with real stories, who try to show you that you're not alone and that there's always hope. So because of that I don't want to rate the way the messages were conveyed, but the fact that these messages were conveyed. And I hope that many more stories will follow.
This being said I have to be honest about my personal experience with this book. Only few essays touched me. And I was disappointed at how little diversity there was with respect to MI's. Most essays are on anxiety or depression (or both) and almost none on eating disorders, personality disorders, etc. It probably just happened to be like that - that the authors being asked to write suffered from the most common MI's - but I had hoped to read on all sorts of MI's. Probably because I already have been reading a lot on depression / anxiety, I wasn't necessarily surprised to read on things I was already familiar with.
Although this was my overall experience, there were still essays that I could relate to and that made me feel something. And I think when you're less familiar with MI's this book can be a real eye-opener and realizing you're not alone can be very comforting. I had just hoped to gain more from it than I did; my expectations were probably too high. But like I said, this book deserves to be out there. If no one starts to break down the taboo, it will remain. There are 31 people, real people with real stories, who try to show you that you're not alone and that there's always hope. So because of that I don't want to rate the way the messages were conveyed, but the fact that these messages were conveyed. And I hope that many more stories will follow.
December 19, 2019
Very good anthology. As with many anthologies, this can be a pretty mixed bag. We have pieces that I'm super grateful for and were personally useful to me (didn't know bipolar could present like that! a useful way to look at anxieties), and things that I'm really confused as to why they're present (not sure about a piece about how you want your addicted brother to die is useful), and things that I'm not a huge personal fan of but I see why they're there (had to have the traditional piece about how medications are evil, I suppose). Overall one of the most solid anthologies I've read, however.
February 15, 2019
3.5 stars. This book was a bit of an eye opener for me and I enjoyed a lot of the stories. Most of the stories talked about the same issues, so it was easy to mix them all together.
April 15, 2019
This book was very informative about mental illnesses, and it is a must-read for everybody, no matter who you are.
February 18, 2018
Woah. Yes. Certainly taken as a whole the book (a collection of stories) is certainly overwhelming since the theme of the book is authors sharing their personal struggles with mental health in some capacity. For many it is depression or anxiety but it covers an older family members' struggle with Alzheimers, but then covers the negative affects of drug use and abuse as is Ellen Hopkins' story about her young grandson dealing with PTSD. They are powerful stories.
Some authors discuss their medications while others share more holistic approaches to healing, recovery, or mere existence. They provide hope or experience and absolutely a person who they can say has it, gets it, understands it, helped me through it. The stories are so timely and so necessary.
I applaud each author for sharing. And using their skills as writers to portray their stories with sincerity for a teen audience. I have already shared the cover with our health teacher and know that it can be used in the classroom! When we get back from break, it'll be in her hands! And copies purchased for our library.
Some authors discuss their medications while others share more holistic approaches to healing, recovery, or mere existence. They provide hope or experience and absolutely a person who they can say has it, gets it, understands it, helped me through it. The stories are so timely and so necessary.
I applaud each author for sharing. And using their skills as writers to portray their stories with sincerity for a teen audience. I have already shared the cover with our health teacher and know that it can be used in the classroom! When we get back from break, it'll be in her hands! And copies purchased for our library.
January 2, 2023
This book deals with tough realities about the mind, yet it's a giant bear hug that whispers in your ear, "You're not alone."
I wish the subtitle read "31 authors share their mental health struggles" because 'personal struggles' doesn't capture the depth of what this book is about. The authors in this collection share raw and honest accounts of anxiety, addiction, PTSD, suicide attempts, depression, OCD... It can be hard to read at times but it's also validating. They discuss how they found help, what works for them, and how they're coping long-term. Above all, this collection is very human and grounded in reality. Mental health conditions involve ups and downs, and when you're in the down periods thinking, "Why am I like this?" it's a powerful thing to remember that others have experienced the same thing. That your brain is not some oddity and that you're not a malfunction. You're human, and other humans think what you think, they struggle with body image, confidence, self love, enjoying life, and everything else. And they do their best to cope with it, just like you.
Reading this collection made me feel better. If you struggle with mental health conditions, I think it'll help you feel better, too.
I wish the subtitle read "31 authors share their mental health struggles" because 'personal struggles' doesn't capture the depth of what this book is about. The authors in this collection share raw and honest accounts of anxiety, addiction, PTSD, suicide attempts, depression, OCD... It can be hard to read at times but it's also validating. They discuss how they found help, what works for them, and how they're coping long-term. Above all, this collection is very human and grounded in reality. Mental health conditions involve ups and downs, and when you're in the down periods thinking, "Why am I like this?" it's a powerful thing to remember that others have experienced the same thing. That your brain is not some oddity and that you're not a malfunction. You're human, and other humans think what you think, they struggle with body image, confidence, self love, enjoying life, and everything else. And they do their best to cope with it, just like you.
Reading this collection made me feel better. If you struggle with mental health conditions, I think it'll help you feel better, too.
August 29, 2019
This was an amazing way to share and normalize stories about people living with mental health diagnoses. I have worked in the field for a long time and it was still such an eye opener for me. More people need to read this book.
I have 2 critics to help improve a future project:
1. I understand that mental illness is different for everyone but I would have liked a little more variety in the diagnoses. I feel like the majority revolved around anxiety and depression.
2. I did a quick google search on all of the contributors and there was not one person of color included in the list. One person identified as Latinx and one stated he was born in Mexico but that's it. This is a BIG missed opportunity.
I have 2 critics to help improve a future project:
1. I understand that mental illness is different for everyone but I would have liked a little more variety in the diagnoses. I feel like the majority revolved around anxiety and depression.
2. I did a quick google search on all of the contributors and there was not one person of color included in the list. One person identified as Latinx and one stated he was born in Mexico but that's it. This is a BIG missed opportunity.
February 7, 2018
This title does a beautiful job of illustrating how mental illness affects everyone differently and makes clear that there is no single treatment that will be right for all. These essays are raw and powerful, but might be triggering for readers who suffer from the illnesses presented. Yet, each author implores readers to get help (professional help) and ultimately presents an “it can get better” mentality. An excellent resource for high school libraries.
July 29, 2018
This anthology collection is stunning. I happened upon it when I was browsing through my library's catalog and I am so glad I decided to pick it up. So many more people need to read it. I am not usually a fan of anthologies. They just aren't my cup of tea. However, the anthology format worked as the perfect platform for these authors to share their struggles. Many times I found myself reading a line and stopping, feeling very understood. I appreciated not only the depth of these essays, but also breadth of topics they covered. Several illnesses (including anxiety, OCD, depression, PTSD and eating disorders) were mentioned, but several authors also highlighted the intersectionality between influences like race, gender and class, and mental health. This book is one of my top books of the year so far. 4 stars (some essays just didn't resonate with me but that is to be expected in an anthology).
February 11, 2020
Powerful and insightful collection of essays authored by those who have/are currently battling many different types of mental illness. As someone who has long battled mental illness myself, I felt very connected to some of the stories that were shared. I’d absolutely recommend this book, it’s very helpful and reassuring that - yea - I’m not alone in my struggles! Other people go through it too. I do want to issue a trigger warning if you’re considering reading the book.
July 10, 2018
Closer to 3.5. Like a lot of anthologies, some of the essays I loved and others not as much and with so many authors with similar experiences, I felt it got a bit repetitive after awhile. Was still worth the read.
July 12, 2018
A very eye opening collection of essays describing each author's relationship with mental illness. I would not say this was an "enjoyable book" but rather, quite educational and a great window into what a person might experience when struggling with mental illness.
July 26, 2025
This was a really great collection of thoughts and experiences and stories that will resonate with anyone struggling with their mental health, or who loves someone who is or has (so, everyone). It’s not a self help book, but reading the experiences of others helped me see and understand things in a different way, which I found useful. I wrote down quite a few passages to refer to again when needed.
“I do this every single day. It’s more automatic now. I pay attention to how I’m feeling, and when my mood changes, I know to follow the thread all the way back to the thought that made the wind shift. I pull that thought out of my brain pan and hold it up to the light.”
“I do this every single day. It’s more automatic now. I pay attention to how I’m feeling, and when my mood changes, I know to follow the thread all the way back to the thought that made the wind shift. I pull that thought out of my brain pan and hold it up to the light.”
September 2, 2019
Love love loved the book! It was so helpful, and interesting, and validating. For anyone who is struggling, has struggled, or is just plain empathetic this was a essential read.❤️❤️❤️🙌👍
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December 2, 2020I bought this anthology a while ago and never got around to read before today. I have no idea why I decided that now was the time, but I’m glad that I did.
I’m not going to rate this because this isn’t a fictional story; these are real life experiences. I just don’t think that rating their writing is something that I should be doing with this kind of anthology.
I will just say that I think it’s an anthology that everyone should read.
I’m not going to rate this because this isn’t a fictional story; these are real life experiences. I just don’t think that rating their writing is something that I should be doing with this kind of anthology.
I will just say that I think it’s an anthology that everyone should read.
not-to-read
July 3, 2021Very triggering content! I don't recommend this book to anyone.
December 18, 2022
This was such a fast read and so meaningful. I'm planning to use a few chapters in an upcoming class to talk about mental health.
January 16, 2019
I can't say this book was the most comfortable experience of my life. But I think it was an important one. It always helps to realize that we're not alone and this book was wonderful for that. It's hard to give a book like this a rating but i'm going high because it takes a lot to open up about your struggles, I would know.
March 17, 2019
I picked up this book out of curiosity. This book truly opens doors for me to understand about mental health issues and how people are coping with anxiety, depression, or mental illness. I really appreciate those authors who are willing to tell stories of their lives, for the readers to see through the real lives of those people. After reading this book, I believe that I will be more understanding and will not hold any judgement toward those people. In fact, I wish people can be more open about this topic, as much as how they would open up about their physical illness.
March 12, 2018
Life Inside My Mind is a heart-warming book about mental illnesses. This book is made up of a series of essays. These essays are written by 31 authors and about their struggles being mentally disabled, or having someone who is mentally disabled close to them. It tells readers that they are not alone, how to live with mental illnesses, and what it means to have a mental illness. I recommend this book to anyone who has a mental illness or who is close to someone with a mental illness, it is very informative.
March 16, 2018
This was such an honest, truthful look at mental illness from a variety of perspectives. Seeing how different people experience mental illnesses (that society tends to lump together as a singular experience) in such different ways was eye opening.
I liked how no one prescribed a “right way” to live with mental illness, even subtly. Each essay expressed that the writer was sharing what worked for them, not what would work for every person. I think, especially in a book aimed at teenagers, that it was so crucial to show that each person struggles and survives in their own unique way, even when they may share a particular diagnosis.
As someone who personally lives with depression, reading the views of those who don’t personally deal with mental illness but have watched someone else struggle was enlightening. I always worry about how my struggles affect my loved ones, so this showed me some of the issues they may be dealing with as well.
Overall, I think this would be amazing for a teenager who is struggling to feel “normal” (whatever that is) and not so alone. Not all of the stories are wrapped up in a “happily ever after” which is so truthful. Still, all of them are encouraging that you can continue to live, and live well, with mental illness.
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I liked how no one prescribed a “right way” to live with mental illness, even subtly. Each essay expressed that the writer was sharing what worked for them, not what would work for every person. I think, especially in a book aimed at teenagers, that it was so crucial to show that each person struggles and survives in their own unique way, even when they may share a particular diagnosis.
As someone who personally lives with depression, reading the views of those who don’t personally deal with mental illness but have watched someone else struggle was enlightening. I always worry about how my struggles affect my loved ones, so this showed me some of the issues they may be dealing with as well.
Overall, I think this would be amazing for a teenager who is struggling to feel “normal” (whatever that is) and not so alone. Not all of the stories are wrapped up in a “happily ever after” which is so truthful. Still, all of them are encouraging that you can continue to live, and live well, with mental illness.
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 7, 2018
A really good collection of short essays about people who've gone through mental health problems and are still fighting, still showing up.
Perhaps not recommended for people currently going through a severe mental health crisis since, sadly enough, reading about it can make it worse. But I would 100% recommend it to anyone who has loved ones going through a rough time with their mental health or to anyone who feels stable enough in their journey with mental health that they could read about it without repercussions.
The key takeaways: You're not alone, every mental illness is different (just like every person is different), always ask for help, it gets better.
Perhaps not recommended for people currently going through a severe mental health crisis since, sadly enough, reading about it can make it worse. But I would 100% recommend it to anyone who has loved ones going through a rough time with their mental health or to anyone who feels stable enough in their journey with mental health that they could read about it without repercussions.
The key takeaways: You're not alone, every mental illness is different (just like every person is different), always ask for help, it gets better.
March 24, 2018
It takes a lot to come out of the mental illness closet. Our country has the worst stigma when it comes to people whose minds don't operate at 100%. I know this because I am in a constant battle with anxiety, depression, and especially OCD. At times I feel completely overwhelmed and want to give up, but having a solid medication and a supportive family of my own creation (friends are the family you choose) makes it a worthwhile fight. These authors laid their stories out unapologetically and uncensored and that is a brave step. I think this belongs in a teen nonfiction collection because it will let teens know that there's nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to mental illness.
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