My Mental Health Books

May 2024 is Mental Health Awareness Month

May 2024 is Mental Health Awareness Month. In honor of this time of the year, I want to do all I can to raise awareness and acceptance of mental health. I also want to be able to help as many people as possible with my writing.

In the last 3 years, I have written 10 ebooks, three of which have a focus on improving your mental health.

Trauma Survivor’s Guide to Coping With Panic Attacks

This is the first book that I published, in October 2021. It is dedicated to filling a gap that I noticed when I was trying to cope with panic attacks in my own life. I was unable to find much literature around this topic, with most of it saying that panic attacks can be over in as little as five minutes, and to just wait it out.

In "The Trauma Survivor's Guide," author Nicole Dake offers a compassionate and empowering roadmap for those navigating the challenging journey of overcoming trauma and coping with panic attacks. Drawing from personal experiences, professional expertise, and the latest therapeutic approaches, this comprehensive guide provides practical tools and insightful strategies to help survivors reclaim their lives.

Unveiling the complexities of trauma, Nicole Dake guides readers through a transformative exploration of their own experiences, offering a deeper understanding of the roots of panic attacks. With a focus on fostering resilience, the book emphasizes the importance of self-care, self-compassion, and building a

"The Trauma Survivor's Guide" is not just a manual; it is a compassionate companion on the path to recovery. Whether you're a survivor or supporting someone on their healing journey, this book offers a beacon of hope and a roadmap to a brighter, more fulfilling future. Empower yourself with the knowledge and tools needed to break free from the shackles of trauma and embrace a life of strength, resilience, and renewed purpose.

This book is a short read, and focuses deeply on coping with panic attacks that can result from PTSD. There are workbook pages that can help you make a plan for how to cope with your own panic attacks. I hope that if you suffer from panic attacks as well, this book can be a beacon of hope for you in otherwise dark times.

A Narcissist Destroyed My Life: How Do I Rebuild?

In December 2022, I released this book which is based on my own life, and the healing process from Narcissistic Abuse. It is filled with personal anecdotes, supported by research, and provides strategies to help you in your own life.

If you have ever lived with a Narcissist, you know the psychological harm that can result from their gaslighting and manipulation. Though this can often be difficult to explain to an outsider, as someone who has experienced this myself with different relationships, I can totally relate to what you are going through and your search for answers on your healing journey.

This book is a how-to guide written to help those who are recovering from narcissistic abuse. There is a section on narcissistic parents, and a section on narcissistic relationships. I have experienced both of these in my personal life. I also have a degree in Psychology, so I understand the psychological underpinnings of narcissistic personality disorder.
The book combines science and research with personal experience and explains why people feel so abused and discarded after a relationship with a narcissist. The book includes:

• Description of narcissistic personality traits

• Possible consequences to victims

• How to reduce or cut contact with a narcissist

• Treatment and healing

If you have been raised by a narcissist, or in a relationship with one, here are some tools to help you recover from the havoc that they can wreck in your life.

Happy. Healthy. Rich. The smart mom's guide to living your best life.

This is the second book that I put out, in November 2021. It is meant to be a comprehensive guide to reducing stress and creating happiness in your life. Though the guide is geared towards moms, it can be helpful to anyone who wants to use health and wellness to create a more balanced and happy life.

In this comprehensive workbook, you can learn about setting goals, managing your finances, relationships, and how to improve your physical and mental health. Since physical and mental health are deeply intertwined, improving one can improve both! Mental Health is one of the three main sections of this book, and you can learn all different ways to reduce stress and improve your mental health.

Good mental health is essential to our overall health. According to

MentalHealth.gov, “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological,

and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also

helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make

choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood

and adolescence through adulthood.”

Typically, we think of mental health only in terms of mental illness,

but mental health is an important aspect of health for all of us. Stress

can greatly impact our mental health, and there are many ways that we

can take care of ourselves to keep from getting to the point where toxic

stress severely impacts our mental health.

Whether you suffer from a mental illness or not, toxic stress can deeply effect all of us over time. The more stress you are under, the more effect it will have in your life, and on your ability to cope with difficult situations. By learning techniques to improve different aspects of your mental health, you can improve all aspects of your life.

Everyone Deserves Support

When you have a mental illness, it is easy to become isolated, or to feel like no one cares about you. This is something I have experienced many times in my own life.

After a While, No One Wants to Hear About Your Depression

Talking about your mental illness with people in your life is difficult, although research has proven that a strong support system can be a buffer against mental illness. Not all of us are lucky enough to have people in our lives that provide support all the time. Sometimes, people just don’t have the emotional bandwidth to listen.

This is one reason why finding a therapist is key. They are always there to listen and provide support through your hard times! If you need immediate support, there are also local and national crisis lines that you can call to talk to someone 24/7.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988

If you call the lifeline, there is someone available to support you through a crisis, and to help provide referrals to either inpatient or outpatient treatment in your local area. Being able to talk to someone when you need help right now can make a huge difference!

I know the impact that crisis services can make from my own experience in January of going into a crisis stabilization unit. They provided 24/7 care from both a nurse, counselors, and provided daily group therapy, individual therapy, and medication management. You can get a referral to a program like this by calling the crisis line, or going as a walk-in to an emergency room.

Since I want to help the greatest amount of people possible with my writing, I always offer free copies of my Trauma Survivor’s Guide to Coping With Panic Attacks to anyone who is low-income or otherwise unable to afford it.

Throughout the month of May, I will be offering a free PDF copy of any of these three ebooks to anyone who can’t afford the cover price. Just send me an email, and I will send you a copy.

As always, I love to hear from you in the comments, too! Let me know if you have any questions, or what topics you would like me to cover in future newsletters, and I will be happy to do so.

Be well, my lovelies!

Nicole Dake