The month of May is the Mental Health Awareness Month and since 1949, it has been a month to promote efforts to improve safety and mental health.

With conversations springing up here and there, one great way to connect with these important cultural conversations is via literature. Books are powerful and have the unique ability to educate, entertain, and solicit empathy from its readers, making them the perfect means through which a lot of people can understand some misconceptions about mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, anxiety, schizophrenia and so on.

Here are some refreshing and great titles that not only educate readers on mental illnesses but put a bit of bloom in the gloom with their humour.

1. Yoga for Health Aging (Baxter Bell, Nina Zolotow)

This book is a wonderful resource on how to utilize the power of yoga to enhance your physical mental and emotional health for a very long time.

It is a common desire to want to age gracefully and numerous studies have shown how important yoga practises are in achieving that goal. Authors, Baxter Bell and Nina Zolotow are respected yoga teachers and authors of Yoga for Health Aging blog and explained in this book how yoga can tackle a host of health-related issues from strength, balance, flexibility, cardiovascular health, agility, stress management, brain health and many more.

Yoga for Healthy Aging is one book that can be used as a tool box to enhance your emotional, mental and spiritual well-being.

2. Finding Fatima (Tony Porfilio)

Inspired from a character in Paul Coelho’s book The Alchemist, Finding Fatima is an intriguing tale of a young shepherd who is searching for treasure in Egypt falls in love with an Arabian girl, Fatima.

This piece of art by Tony Porfilio is a book that is bound to cause readers to have a new and better outlook of life, particularly those who are currently suffering from a seemingly deep and uncurable depression.

Mr. Porfilio is a truly inspiring survivor and has channelled his experiences into writing this book which encourages those who are taking the first steps to overcoming deep emotional and financial distress.

The treasure hunt in this story is inspired by a dream and Fatima makes a promise to marry the young shepherd – but only when his journey is complete. Similar to The Alchemist, Finding Fatima passes a strong message that educates readers on the need to follow their dream and never sacrificing their own personal journey for other distractions—not even for true love.

Finding Fatima tells readers that not everything is our fault. In his introduction, Mr. Porfilio writes these inspiring words: “In life there are many storms in many forms… May you endure each storm with the same strength and conviction and find balance and peace.”

3. The 10-Step Depression Relief Workbook (Simon Rego PsyD, Sarah Fader)

This book is centred around the cognitive behavioural therapy approach and uses the evidence-based method to regain control of depression.

With over 20 years of experience treating depression, author Dr. Simon Rego, a professor and expert in CBT therapy joins forces with mental health advocate and CEO of Stigma Fighters, Sarah Fader to create an easy-to-follow personalized program to help people heal from depression.

“In The 10-Step Depression Relief Workbook, Dr. Rego and Ms. Fader have taken the best of what decades of research on clinical treatment of depression has to offer and developed an accessible self-help program that will be useful not only to individuals experiencing depression, but also by practitioners looking for a helpful clinical supplement for their clients,” said Christopher R. Martell, Ph.D., Co-Author of Overcoming Depression One Step at a Time.

4. The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump (Bandy X. Lee)

Already a New York Times bestseller, this book contains the views of more than two dozen psychiatrists and psychologists on the mental state of American president, Donald Trump.

The book is best suited for politically inclined loyalist but can be understood by anyone. While the Goldwater rule drafted by American Psychiatric Association prohibits mental health professionals from diagnosing public figures they have not personally examined, the public is still left to debate on the mental state of their president.

“There will not be a book published this fall more urgent, important, or controversial than The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump…profound, illuminating and discomforting” said Bill Moyers.

The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump captures all of the trauma experienced under his administration to his inhumane utterances, complexity and much more.

5. Thank You for Your Service (David Finkel)

Now a movie adaptation, Thank You for Your Service is a thrilling that tells the true story of the soldiers of the 2-16 Infantry Battalion as they return home from the front-lines of Baghdad and struggle to fit back into both their family lives and the seemingly different American society.

Author David Finkel captures the most intimate, painful, hopeful and treasurable moments of these soldiers lives as they try to shape back their lives—with their wives, widows, children, friends and even professionals doing all they can to undo whatever damage that had been done.

“Finkel sketches a panoramic view of post-war life….A book that every American should read,” noted award winning author, Jake Tapper,

6. Procrastination (Jonathan Wilkens)

At one time of our lives, we have all had to deal with procrastination. There are numerous times when we would rather do something else than the work assigned to us.

However, while occasional procrastination is not a major challenge, when it becomes chronic, all aspects of your life is affected. This book Procrastination is a guide on how to avoid procrastination and how to tackle it effectively.

7. Prescriber’s Guide (Stephen M. Stahl)

Written by Stephen M. Stahl, this book can almost pass a medical literature as it captures several information about new compounds, new formulation of existing drugs and more.

Prescriber’s Guide just as the name implies can act as a guide to adequately inform users on certain drugs before use using evidence-based data.

8. Superhero Therapy (Janina Scarlet PhD)

Psychologist Jania Scarlet and DC Comics illustrator Wellinton Alves came together to create this dynamic, illustrated introduction to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). This therapy would help kids and near adult overcome their fear for inner monster and allow them to explore their unique superpowers.

“Eye-catching art and a focus on setting simple, achievable daily goals, makes this a promising alternative to more conventional self-help programs,” noted Booklist.

9. Connecting Paradigms (Matthew S. Bennett)

This book provides a very innovative method to help all those struggling with past trauma, motivating them to make key life changes and heal from all their pain and regrets.

The impact of trauma has grown over the years, thanks to the more profound scientific understanding of the brain. Connecting Paradigms gives an integral model combining research in numerous fields such as behavioural change, pain reduction, trauma, neurobiology, and much more.