Brenna O’Neill is a mental health advocate from Invercargill, New Zealand. A lover of writing, learning, and teaching, she created My Latibule, an online anti-depression community full of tools dedicated to helping people manage clinical depression, all based on her personal experience, professional  therapy, and a BSC in Psychology. Latibule means a place of safety and comfort. My Latibule provides guided anti-depression journals, teaches i-Rest Yoga Nidra meditation, designs beautiful gifts with reminders to stay, and fosters community connections by sharing stories. Her book “Words To Feel Less Alone” chronicles her personal journey through depression and contains the exact words she wrote in her doctor prescribed journal when her brain was consumed by clinical depression. It is available through her website.

Journaling is often prescribed as part of therapy as a means to be honest with yourself and face the issues that are causing problems. For most people, this is the only way to be truly open and honest, since no one will see those journals. When Brenna shared her writings with a friend who was struggling with her own mental health, she found them helpful because it made her realize that she is not alone, that other people struggle as well. This was also how Brenna felt as she was struggling with depression, she did not know anyone else who was depressed and that made her feel so alone. It was then that she decided to share her story with others in the hopes that they would feel less alone.  

“Words To Feel Less Alone” is a deeply personal account of the author’s battle with depression. She begins by emphasizing that it is meant to help those who are battling with depression, homophobia, or religious guilt or if even if they just know someone who is. If they need to talk to a professional, she directs readers to call their doctor or use any of the resources she lists in the back of the book. This book is divided into six chapters including Oh Sweet Denial and The Longest Day. She includes pictures of herself that highlight how she was feeling on that particular day versus how she looked, as well as snippets from her actual journal. What makes it feel more personal is that the font she uses is based on her real handwriting. At the end of each chapter, she includes notes written by her doctor and therapist to give a behind the scenes look at the healing process. Rest assured, she is doing much better now and living a fulfilling life and trying to help others who are battling depression. It contains adult language and themes of depression, suicidal ideations, and homophobia and is sometimes difficult to get through, but it is well worth it. Readers in similar situations will certainly relate to her struggle and will hopefully come out feeling more optimistic. It is a must read and recommended for readers who are on the same journey or just want to learn more about what it is like to struggle with mental illness.

*The author was contacted for an honest review of this book. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.