Lived Experience Forum

[PizzaMondo]

Hello everyone! 🙂

You may not know this about me, but I loooooooveeeee to read! And as a (late-diagnosed!) neurodivergent little-bean, one of my special interests is mental-health and people! (Okay, that's two, but they go hand-in-hand for me!)

I have listed below a few books I have read recently (mainly on mental health surrounding ADHD/ASD in women, OCD, friendships) that have supported me on my mental-health journey; from unmasking, to the why's and how's I do what I do, as well as learning more about the world around me, systems that support (and fail) us... all allowing me to feel a little less lonely. 

I have written "(ab)" = audiobook - next to the books I listened to, and highly recommend as they were hilariously engaging and relatable having being able to hear them out loud (if that's your thing!)

• Strong Female Character by Fern Brady (ab)
• Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict by Elizabeth Day (ab)
• The Year I Met My Brain: A travel companion for adults who have just found out they have ADHD by Matilda Boseley (ab)
• The Neuroscience of Self-Love: How to improve your most important relationship by Alexis Fernandez-Preiksa
• I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom (ab)
• Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby (ab)
• How to be Alone: If you want to, and even if you don't by Lane Moore
• The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will be Glad That You Did) by Philippa Perry
• Obsessive, Intrusive, Magical Thinking by Marianne Eloise (ab)
• But You Don't Look Autistic at All by Bianca Toeps

If you're interested in which books I am currently reading along the same lines:

• Late Bloomer: How an Autism Diagnosis Changed My Life by Clem Bastow (ab)
• Letters to My Weird Sisters: On Autism and Feminism by Joanne Limburg (ab)
• Permission to Rest: Revolutionary Practices for Healing, Empowerment, and Collective Care - Ashley Neese (ab)
• Who is Wellness For?: An Examination of Wellness Culture and Who It Leaves Behind by Fariha Roisin
• Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker
• Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals by John Gray
• Mothers, Fathers, and Others: Essays by Siri Hustvedt

Hope there's something here for you if you've stumbled across this post - I would recommend checking out FREE library phone apps such as Libby and Borrowbox also to see if they have audiobook/ebook versions (especially handy for those of us on a budget.. or who have a book-collecting problem.. oops! :P)

Warmest, 

PizzaMondo 🙂

[Snowie]

Hi @PizzaMondo 

That is a big and informative list. 

I read quite a bit but never these types of books. Will certainly look into them.

What a great idea for a page.

[PizzaMondo]

Hi @Snowie 🙂

As soon as I hit post I was like hmmm.. bit of a read here, eh? (literally, haha!)

The audiobook ones in particular - if you're interested are fun to listen to - so while they're all informative and focused on mental health - there are many funny anecdotes that remind us these people are also just human at the end of the day, published authors or not! 😛

If you read any in the future, be sure to let me know how you went 🙂

[Snowie]

Will certainly let you know @PizzaMondo on how I went reading any of them.

[Numbat10]

Thank you so much @PizzaMondo. I was a late ADHD diagnosis. Struggling with managing hyper-fixation on work, leading to burnout. Also struggling with romantic relationships as I’ve often felt I needed to mask to meet people’s expectations of me as a woman (e.g. to accept physical affection even when sensory overloaded and being touched feels overwhelming). Thought these were personality flaws so it’s been an interesting journey. I’m sure many of these will contain useful info for me. 

[lrdHrd]

Thankyou for this list. 

I'm new here and & while I'm quite engaged in reading right here atm, I will head to my online library soon to see which of these I can find.

[Numbat10]

@PizzaMondo can you please continue to update your reading list over time as you go along as it’s super helpful for me. I’m also sharing these with people outside of this forum so thanks 

[PizzaMondo]

Hello @Numbat10 🙂

Thank you for sharing a little of your late diagnosis ADHD experience - your comment on needing to mask to meet others expectations of you as a woman really speaks to me. I can also relate strongly to physical affection/sensory overload - especially recognising my partner and I are opposites when it comes to physical touch - e.g. hard pressure vs. soft (soft makes me feel ick 😛 just give me a squeezy hug please!)

I am happy to hear that you have been able to understand yourself better and learn that these are not personality flaws and just a part of you being a fabulous neurodivergent! 😄

And yes, absolutely I can keep updating this list! Love that you are sharing these!!

Have you found anything from here you'd like to look into/start reading?

Have a great day 🙂

[PizzaMondo]

My absolute pleasure @IrdHrd 🙂

Let me know if you find any of these on your online library and which you may start off with! Excited to hear about your learnings 🙂