As our society becomes more acclimated to the idea that one in five individuals deal with mental illness, more characters who struggle with mental health issues are being portrayed in the media, especially in books. There are so many books out there that have nuanced themes of mental illness or that touch on mental illness in one way or another, but the five books featured in this article majorly revolve around main characters who deal with mental illness and addiction. These five books create room for a larger conversation around how people are more than their mental illness and vividly highlight both the uphill battles and small joys that individuals, fictional or real, experience throughout their lifetime.
1. Words on Bathroom Walls
Words on Bathroom Walls is a young adult novel that is told from the point of view of Adam Petrazelli, a high schooler who is diagnosed with schizophrenia at the beginning of the book. The book highlights how schizophrenia can affect an individual but also talks about things that matter to Adam and that define him outside of his mental illness: from his love of cooking to his crush on a fellow classmate with an extremely forthcoming personality.
The story is told through letters that Adam writes to his psychiatrist in lieu of speaking during sessions. These letters truly show his sense of humor, sarcasm, and intellect, and strongly depict his personality and outlook on life. I personally believe that this book does a great job of portraying the life of someone with a mental illness without being triggering or insensitive. Another plus is that the book was converted into a film in 2020 and the film really brings Adam’s amazing story to life.
Trigger Warning: Schizophrenia, Psychotic breakdowns
You can purchase Words on Bathroom Walls here.
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Deciding to include this book on my list was a no brainer. The main character, Charlie, is one of my favorite young adult protagonists of all time and he will probably retain that honor for all of eternity. His naïve yet wise beyond his years persona is unique and endearing and you can’t help but feel for him throughout the entire journey that is The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This story was one of the first of its kind, being published in 1999, and details the goings on of Charlie’s life as a high school freshman.
As the story unfolds in the form of letters that Charlie is writing, the reader begins to understand that, apart from his above average intelligence and slight social awkwardness, Charlie is dealing with something dark and malevolent from his past that he is both extremely conflicted about and wanting to forget. It’s never clear exactly what Charlie is suffering from but, in making his illness less specific and more general, Chbosky makes his character relatable to a wide range of people. The book also does an amazing job of balancing light-hearted and fun moments with serious and important issues.
Trigger Warning: sexual assault/harassment, PTSD
You can purchase The Perks of Being a Wallflower here.
3. The Woman in the Window
The Woman in the Window may not seem like an obvious choice to include in this list, but I thought it would be nice to have a wider range of books detailing mental illness than just memoirs and young adult novels. The Woman in the Window is a psychological thriller that has many twists and turns and is extremely mind-bending but there are many moments throughout the story that address mental illness and how agoraphobia can affect an individual.
The story is also very truthful about therapy, medication, and how an anxiety disorder can change someone’s life. The main character is a former mental health professional, and her point of view is eye-opening, vulnerable, and honest. The book is extreme, at points, on certain mental health issues, but overall, the discussion around symptoms, diagnoses, and how trauma can affect an individual was accurate and done in a creative and non-traditional way. However, this story is not for the faint-hearted because it is filled with edge of your seat scenes and the pace quickly picks up a few chapters in. This story could potentially trigger someone who deals with panic disorder or agoraphobia, but because it is highly fictional and dramatized, it is a good book for mystery or thriller fans to pick up.
Trigger Warning: Agoraphobia, panic disorder, PTSD, violence
You can purchase The Woman in the Window here.
4. Tweak: Growing up on Methamphetamines
Tweak is the story of Nic Sheff, who began to try drugs and alcohol at a very young age. Sheff’s drug of choice quickly became methamphetamine and this memoir vividly details a period of time in his life where he was living out of people’s houses and on the street while trying to chase the next high. It is raw, emotional, and doesn’t hold back whatsoever. Since the entire story is true, it is that much stronger and makes the reader truly feel for Nic.
The book is a great depiction of how drug addiction can affect the user and the user’s family. I think that Nic’s story is a universal example of how individuals who deal with addiction and/or mental illness truly have to take it one day at a time and fight back in order to reclaim their life. Sheff is an honest and straightforward writer and his prose is easily understandable and opens a space for conversation around addiction and how it’s not a person’s choice, but an illness of its own.
Trigger Warning: Addiction, relapse
You can purchase Tweak here.
5. Schizo
Schizo is another book by Nic Sheff but this one revolves around a main character, Miles, who deals with schizophrenia. The story mainly consists of a delusion that Miles has held for so long that he believes it to be real. As the pages turn, we discover that not everything is as it seems, and that Miles is having difficulty sorting reality from fiction. We go on a journey with Miles and, as a reader, you can’t help but feel tied to the emotions he feels and the jarring realizations that he comes to throughout the book.
This story is more fast-paced and has the feel of a thriller but depicts what life can be like as someone with schizophrenia who is stuck in a delusion or experiencing a downward spiral. This story could be triggering to someone who deals with schizophrenia, but in creating this book I think Sheff was trying to also draw awareness to this mental illness. It is so important that more books are being produced with main characters that deal with mental illnesses such as this.
Trigger Warning: Schizophrenia, Psychotic breakdowns
You can purchase Schizo here.
All in all, these five books are a mix of genres, but all discuss mental illness and how it can affect an individual. Some of these books have moments of hope and joy and some are more realistic in that they focus more on the effects of living with mental health issues, but every one of these stories draws awareness to mental illness and the importance of having discussions based around mental health. Every story portrays a character who deals with mental illness so that people in real life who climb an uphill battle every day can maybe find solace in the pages of a book that revolve around someone like them.
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