Mother of Young Heroin Addict Opens Up and Says, ‘This is Us’
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Christine Naman understands all too well that those who struggle with mental illness and addiction are not faceless numbers. They are real people who are valued and cherished by their families, and she wants the world to know and understand her daughter, Natalie.
“People are silent in their shame,” Christine said in a recent interview. “They’re quiet about it. And when you reach out and say, ‘this is us,’ people are anxious to unload and say, ‘that’s us too.’”
Christine traces her daughter’s years-long battle with mental illness and addiction — and opens up about her own struggles with denial and the shame she carries for not recognizing the signs — in About Natalie, a gripping, cautionary tale of how a child can suddenly end up on the wrong path, meet the wrong people and get lost in the unthinkable.
“I did not know the signs or symptoms,” Christine said. “I didn’t know the looks of things or the smells of things. Often times, it was right in front of me. I just didn’t know what I was seeing.”
Natalie was just 15 years old when she became addicted to heroin. They were everyday people, living everyday lives, and then the floor dropped out.
About Natalie takes readers deep inside Christine’s emotional and mental turmoil as she grows into her new, unfortunate role as the parent of an addict. She steps on syringes left on the floor. She lives the nightmare of finding an unresponsive child on the floor and uses Narcan to revive her. She chases away a drug dealer and stays up all night waiting for her missing child to come home. She rejoices during periods of recovery and hope and is devastated during relapses. When her daughter suffers, Christine suffers right along with her.
Interwoven with Christine’s reflections are Natalie’s brilliant poems that share her personal pain and the unvarnished truth of her struggle.
Full of compassion, understanding and hope for those struggling with mental illness and addiction, About Natalie is a story of fighting for — and right alongside — the ones we love, no matter how difficult the circumstances. It is a story of keeping the faith, battling hard and never giving up.
Bestselling author Christine Pisera Naman is a wife to a beautiful man named Peter and a mother to three fantastic kids named Jason, Natalie and Trevor. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, which she does poorly; painting, again poorly; and volunteering at her local hospital, which she hopes she does well. She is the author of the Faces of Hope series of books that are now housed in the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City. Her other works include Caterpillar Kisses, Christmas Lights, The Novena and The Believers. About Natalie is her heart poured onto paper.
She hopes that by sharing her family’s difficult story she can bring understanding and knowledge to those who do not know these problems firsthand as well as provide comfort to those who know the struggles of mental illness and addiction all too well.
True Story of Survival Opens Minds and Dialogues about Mental Health
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Mark Henick stood precariously on the wrong side of the railing on a crumbling, concrete overpass. The bridge spanned two realities and, for Henick, had become a symbol of escape — in one form or another. A voice behind him tried to help. A crowd gathered. Siren lights flashed in his peripheral vision. Surrounded but still alone, Henick let go.
So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience from Mark Henick is a vital and triumphant story of perseverance and recovery by one of North America’s foremost advocates for mental health
Henick’s near-death experience on the overpass that night would alter his emotional orbit just enough that his exit from a psychiatric ward following that suicide attempt in 2003 would be his last. His transformation didn’t happen overnight — it was a gradual process punctuated with new challenges and setbacks — but slowly, his patterns reversed and he began a profound, “upward” spiral toward recovery.
So-Called Normal chronicles Henick’s youth and the events that led to that fateful night on the bridge and the experiences and transformation that followed. It is a vivid and personal account of a boy who had to deal with the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, an abusive stepfather, bullying and trauma — all while trying to navigate his progressively worsening mental health. In the backdrop is a community that didn’t talk about mental illness, one where silence and maintaining the comforts of “normal” was paramount. So-Called Normal is not a “misery memoir” about suicide — it’s a gripping, inspirational story of survival.
Author Mark Henick’s TEDx talk about being saved from death by a stranger is one of the most watched in the world and has been viewed millions of times. His search for “the man in the brown jacket” whose bravery and strong arms kept him from falling to his death went viral around the world (and was successful!). Henick has been on television and radio and has written many articles on mental health. He has hosted more than 60 intimate conversations about mental health with notable public figures and celebrities on his podcast, So-Called Normal, and has executive produced and hosted the Living Well podcast for Morneau Shepell. Henick has served on the board of directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and was the president of a provincial division of the Canadian Mental Health Association — the youngest person in either role. He has worked as a frontline clinician, a program manager and the national director of strategic initiatives for CMHA. Currently the CEO and principal strategist for Strategic Mental Health Consulting, Mark Henick is in high demand as an international keynote speaker on mental health recovery.
So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience Publisher: HarperCollins Release Date: January 12, 2021 ISBN-10: 1443455032 ISBN-13: 978-1443455039 Available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Audible and others
Trish Stevens Teresa Hinojosa Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 832.569.5773 Direct 281.333.3507 Phone 800.854.2207 Fax [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
50+ And Healthy Examines The Importance Of Mental Health As We Age
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The worldwide stay-at-home orders have turned weekend warriors into daily dog walkers, joggers and cyclists — all hoping to stay fit and avoid the “quarantine 15.” But there’s more to being healthy than having a fit physique. Mental health is equally important, but often gets buried beneath the stigma surrounding it.
“Many of you recognize that mental illness is often a taboo subject … due to seeming com-plexity, mystery and stigma,” explains Murali Rao, MD. “Unfortunately, the high discrimina-tion of the subject leads to a statistic of nearly two-thirds of the world population refusing to seek help for mental health related issues.” Adding: “Though this primer is directed towards learning to help elders, the material can readily apply to any age group.”
Rao, an expert on clinical geriatrics and geriatric psychiatry, addresses the concepts of men-tal health and mental illnesses in the overarching context of healthy aging in 50+ and Healthy: What You Need to Know About Mental Health and Healthy Aging — for You and Your Loved Ones. This exceptionally strong, evidence-based guide emphasizes the im-portance of nurturing our mental health as we grow older.
Using easy-to-understand language, he explores common health-related conditions, how to recognize symptoms, practical approaches to treatments and his GAME PLANTM method for helping yourself and your loved ones, of any age, during times of distress or mental health crises.
For readers of any educational and professional background, 50+ and Healthy offers easily presented information and relatable case studies.
With this book, you can learn from a world authority about:
Healthy aging and mental health
Common mental illnesses, why people get them, how to identify them and how to manage them
Practical approaches for first aid and later interventions
Self-care for mental health and successful aging
If you are interested in healthy aging and how to help yourself, your family members and your friends with mental health, this book is for you. All proceeds from book sales go to a nonprofit organization engaged in mental health awareness education in the United States and India (www.nndcifoundation.org), founded by Dr. Murali Rao.
Author Murali Rao, MD, is a professor and chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. He specializes in liaison and emergency psychiatry. Additionally, he serves as a member of multiple professional bodies including the American College of Psychiatrists, the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, CINP, the Indian Psychiatric Society and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA).
Dr. Rao has received multiple awards and fellowships, including Distinguished Life Fellow by the APA, Outstanding Academician Award by the Indo-American Psychiatric Association and the Master Teacher Award by the Stritch School of Medicine. Dr. Rao has also had more than 80 journal publications, books and book-chapters. He has recently published trainee and trainer manuals on Adult Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Workplace Mental Health.
For more information, please visit www.nndcifoundation.org, or follow the author on Twitter at @MuraliRaoMD.
50 + and Healthy: What You Need to Know About Mental Health and Healthy Aging — for You and Your Loved Ones Publisher: Loyola University Chicago ISBN-10: 1735177504 ISBN-13: 978-1735177502 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Terri Lynn Polk Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone 800.854.2207 Fax
Trish Stevens Ascot Media Group Post Office Box 133032 The Woodlands, TX 77393 Office: (281) 333-3507 [email protected] www.ascotmediagroup.com
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‘Her’ Draws Attention To A Disorder That Disrupts The Lives Of Many Teens And Robs Them Of Their Self-Identity
In ‘Her,’ Felicia Johnson takes us into the mind of a girl suffering with borderline personality disorder, and deftly portrays her hopes and struggles as she desperately tries to understand it.
Tucker, GA – While mental health issues are more freely discussed these days, it’s still difficult to approach someone who might have a problem. But ignoring it is not an option. With courage and great hope, Felicia Johnson deftly portrays the struggles of a girl with borderline personality disorder in Her (8th Street Publishing).
“Her takes readers into the mind of someone who is suffering so they can get a first person view of a painful mental disorder,” says Johnson. “The story is an example of how, if we try to push the past away, we are either doomed to repeat it or let it haunt us to our graves.”
At first glance, Kristen Elliott is a normal seventeen-year-old who loves her family and friends and strives for their approval. But Kristen knows something is wrong with her. In her pain and isolation, she finds fleeting solace in self-injury, and the company of Mr. Sharp, her imaginary friend who feeds her feelings of self-loathing. After a failed suicide attempt, Kristen is placed in a mental hospital and diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). There, she discovers the circumstances that brought her to this breaking point, struggles to understand her mental illness, and fights to be a survivor against her own worst enemy: her self-blame.
Kristen’s tale of endurance illustrates the complex nature of the illness known as borderline personality disorder. Readers – including those suffering from BPD and their friends and family – can glean insight into the illness from this powerful and compelling story.
“The story is inspired by my life of survival and my childhood best friend, Holly, who suffered from BPD,” Johnson says. “Holly lost her battle with depression and BPD when she was 15 years old and took her own life. Her also illuminates the harsh reality of child abuse in the home and the long term psychological effects it has on everyone involved.”
Johnson is an author, child abuse survivor, and mental health advocate. She works in Atlanta with the Highlands Institute and volunteers with Youth Villages Inner Harbour and Personality Disorder Awareness Network. Johnson was nominated for the Gutsy Gals Inspire Me Award of 2014 and Her has been nominated for Georgia Writer’s Association Author of The Year Award. She loves ice cream and seeing her little sister smile.
For more information, please visit the website: www.herthebook.com; follow the author at www.feliciajohnsonauthor.com; feejohnson.wordpress.com; facebook.com/feliciajohnson; twitter.com/FeliciaLJohnson
Her 8th Street Publishing Available online at http://www.amazon.com/Felicia-Johnson/e/B00D6FUD76, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/felicia-johnson and https://www.createspace.com/4294653 $16.53; digital $2.99 ISBN-13: 9780615823454
Teresa Moseley Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 133032 The Woodlands, TX 77393 Office: (281) 333-3507 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
A Restful Mind: Learning How To Stay Positive In The Face Of Chronic Pain And Mental Illness
Little Canada, MN – There’s no big secret to staying positive: all we have to do is look for the positive side in any situation. In A Restful Mind — Daily Meditations for Enhancing Mental Health (Hazelden) and Living With Chronic Pain One Day at a Time (Freedom Enterprises), Mark Zabawa helps us achieve a better outlook, even when life is difficult.
There are about 40 million or more people with a mental illness diagnosis or a problem with chemical dependency. About 118 million people have been diagnosed with chronic pain, says author Mark Zabawa. “I wanted to let people with mental illnesses and chronic pain know there is help available,” he explains. “They can live with their illnesses and be successful and follow their dreams and goals. If my books or public speaking helps prevent just one person from committing suicide, it’s all worth the effort.”
Zabawa is involved with a number of charitable organizations, including NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness), S.A.V.E. Suicide Awareness and the Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs.
“Recovery from mental illness is a process,” he continues. “It means taking care of ourselves each and every day — spiritually, emotionally, and physically. It means actively working towards change. A Restful Mind is a testament to experience, strength, and hope.” Its daily meditations speak to all of us, regardless of our diagnosis.
Zabawa has found that the same is true for Living With Chronic Pain. “In my workshops I share my experiences of coping with a mental illness for the past 22 years and chronic pain for the past 31 years. My talks empower, inform, inspire, and make a positive difference to anyone who is affected directly or indirectly by mental illness and chronic pain.”
Mark Zabawa has a degree in Chemical Dependency Counseling and Human Services (A.A.S.) and he has worked at Abbott Northwestern Hospital Chronic Pain Program as a patient monitor and counselor for 10 years. He has had appearances on Knowledge for Wellness, Channel 6, and he’s been a Guest Speaker on C.H.U.M. Live Radio Show in Canada.
For more information, visit: http://www.markzabawaauthorspeaker.com.
A Restful Mind – Daily Meditations for Enhancing Mental Health Hazelden Living With Chronic Pain One Day at Time Freedom Enterprises Available from the author’s website: markzabawaauthorspeaker.com
![Her by [Johnson, Felicia]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51r9o7CDz0L.jpg)
