I write paranormal romance books but I talk about mental health awareness, why?
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When I wanted to write a book I ran down the list of possibilities. A self-help book? Maybe a how-to book? I could write about mental health awareness or perhaps blogging, maybe even building an online brand?
But when I tried to put the pen to paper to actually write the thing I couldn’t even form one word. Then it occurred to me, how did I get a lot of my life lessons?
It wasn’t self-help books all these years that I was gravitating toward, it was romance books. I love romance books. I also love sci-fi, dystopian, historical, and self-help books, and definitely more, but no book suffers from a little romance in my opinion.
That’s when I decided that I would write a romance series and loosely base it on my own love story with my husband. Which, by the way, wasn’t perfect.
Mental Health Awareness and my books
I grew up with a lot of mental health issues in my family, which bled into my own life, as mental health issues can do. I’ve suffered with depression and anxiety always. It’s a cyclical thing, you learn coping mechanisms from your parents and whether they are unhealthy or not you’re likely to repeat them.
But when I became an adult and I gained access to healthier habits, I wanted to share them for the girl that I was, for the people that still feel the way I felt. I’d gone to school for teaching for that reason, except I hate public speaking. Then I’d gone for psychology, and then college was expensive and my mental health had declined.
Mental health awareness was always at the forefront of my mind, but the how to serve the information kept changing. Until the lightbulb went off. I can write paranormal romance books that help people that struggle with the same problems that I had.
Do you have a story you need to share?
You don’t have to do it traditionally. When I was interested in writing my books I came across what are called the Ulster Cycles in Celtic Mythology. And being that mental health issues can be cyclical, the lightbulb went off.
Tying my love of history, mythology, romance and mental health awareness felt a little daunting but once I got started I kept going. It wasn’t always easy at times but I loved every part of it.
Think about the books that you love and the morals and ethics that they teach without you really even noticing them. Harry Potter is a lot about finding and using your unique talents. And most Disney movies carry questionable morals if you really think about them, Google it. Thanks college professor for opening my eyes to those ones.
What mental health topics my book discusses.
Very clearly, I’m talking first and foremost about the cycle of depression and anxiety. How that can lead to cyclical drug and alcohol abuse. Additionally, how it can lead to anger issues. But that your true power is found within you, even if you can have a helping hand.
Secondary is the cycle of abuse, how you search out more abusive relationships when you are used to them. Included topics in there is narcissism, low self-esteem, and self-limiting behaviors and attitudes.
I think there are a few more in there, such as how abusers like to blame their victims for the abuse. As if it were your fault you have such an abuseable face. But that even abusers can have mental health issues, and mental health awareness should involve the full spectrum.
Don’t leave this earth with your story still tucked away. Sharing it can change the world, if even for one person.
Also, Harry Potter…
Thanks for using your platform and book for shedding light on mental health in these trying times.
Thank you for appreciating my efforts!