From A to B My 40-year story of life with mental illness

From A to B: My 40-year personal account with mental illness takes readers through the mental health journey experienced by one man, Andy Kimmons. From the opening page, the author explains that he is not a medical professional, but someone who has dealt with mental illness and traumatic experiences for over 40 years. His intention in sharing his story is to help others recognise the hardships that they may be going through and, perhaps, see a path through it in his experiences.

After witnessing an assault as a young boy, Andy lives in an untrusting, fearful way that is only heightened when the perpetrator is released from jail and ordered to complete his community service in the nearby village. Leading to anxiety, shyness and difficulty building intimate relationships, Andy tries various ways to deal with the mental stress of the situation. Now in his fifties and a father of his own, the author reflects on the way his mental health was treated, how teachers and parents can help and what he hopes for the future of dealing with mental health issues. 

In a straightforward voice, the author discusses difficult topics and painful experiences in a relaxed way. His focus on helping children struggling with mental health issues is clear – get an accurate diagnosis as soon as problems become apparent. Acting quickly is key, but only when the issue is correctly understood. The text is divided into short chapters giving enough detail that readers can understand the author’s situation, but not being bogged down by minutia that doesn’t affect the outcome. Overall, this is a highly readable memoir with an important message at its core from a writer who clearly cares about the state of mental health, especially for children.

Publisher - BookVAULT Publishing

Author(s) - Andy Kimmons

Paperback

Published Date - April 08 2023

ISBN - 9781804673430

Dimensions - 19 x 12.6 x 0.7 cm

Page Count - 122