You Are Not Alone: the NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health is a deep and thorough look at mental health and mental illness as they are experienced by people from all walks of life. The book’s author, Dr. Ken Duckworth, medical director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, interviewed 130 people who have dealt with trauma, depression, psychosis, OCD, and just about any other mental disorder you can think of. He hadn’t intended to talk to so many but it was all too fascinating to stop. He says it was only a book deadline that prevented him from talking to 130 more. Ken contends that there are two kinds of experts: the ones who get advanced degrees and career achievements in psychiatry and psychology and the ones who become experts by living through mental health situations.

In this interview with Depresh Mode, Ken talks about the vast knowledge and wisdom we can gain from one another and how the new societal openness about mental health is creating a better world.

We also talk about Bigfoot.

Get your copy of You Are Not Alone: the NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health wherever books are sold. Learn more about the National Alliance on Mental Illness by visiting nami.org.

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Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.

Help is available right away.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALK

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.

International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines

The Depresh Mode newsletter is available twice a week. Subscribe for free and stay up to date on the show and mental health issues. https://johnmoe.substack.com/

John's acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is available here. https://read.macmillan.com/lp/the-hilarious-world-of-depression/

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John is on Twitter @johnmoe.