Matthew's Best Mental Health Tips
Hi! These are the books and resources I am always mentioning to people to help them with their mental health! Feel free to share this list with anyone you know who might benefit from it!
It is the culmination of 20+ years of studying on how to improve my own mental health. I hope something here can help you!
******* Find my schizophrenia resources here under "Schizophrenia Hope and Resource Hub"! *******
If anything in this list has helped you, feel free to tell me at info@mindaid.ca or on social media! And if you have any suggestions to add to this list, please let me know that too!
Remember, your recovery is an amazing accomplishment. Be proud of yourself for what you do every day to get better!
And please stay hopeful. You never know what tomorrow may bring.
There are armies of people around the world working on better mental health treatments for millions of people every day. You never know what they will discover!
Take care, and hang in there...
- Matthew Dickson, www.MindAid.ca
Helplines for 130+ countries, including state/province/region search listings:
Improve your mindset:
"The Survivor Personality" - book by Al Siebert: https://amzn.to/3Cxaxf4
"Unbeatable Mind" - book by Mark Divine - gives the mental secrets of Navy SEALs: https://amzn.to/3GJeFv8
30-Day Mindset Bootcamp with Peter Diamandis (free email course): https://www.diamandis.com/mindset
PTSD resources:
"What Doesn't Kill Us: The New Psychology of Posttraumatic Growth" - book by Stephen Joseph - this book helped me in organizing my thoughts, even though I didn't have PTSD (I had schizophrenia) - it can be used for trauma from non-violent events as well: https://amzn.to/3XfhZmX
Potentially cure PTSD in a matter of weeks with an old blood pressure drug (propranolol) that lets you feel and not run away (it also can potentially work with addiction, as well as heartbreak) - check out Alain Brunet's work and "The Brunet Method":
https://www.sobriety.ca/easing-addiction-memories.htm
https://douglas.research.mcgill.ca/alain-brunet
https://healthenews.mcgill.ca/treating-the-pandemics-psychological-scars
https://en.reconsolidationtherapy.com/medias-brunet-method
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/ptsd-and-heartbreak
Improve your people skills:
Counselors say one of the biggest things people talk to them about is the people in their life who are causing them problems. Below are my favourite resources for dealing with people:
"Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion" - book by George Thompson - how police officers deal with people: https://amzn.to/3jWJunh - or see my 4-minute summary of the book: https://matthewdi.medium.com/how-you-can-use-verbal-judo-to-deal-with-people-like-a-police-officer-b547e1bfd638?source=friends_link&sk=8bc87c33488685a4d7a29a943d6d03e5
"Survive the Unthinkable: A Total Guide to Women's Self-Protection" - book by Tim Larkin, foreword by Tony Robbins: https://amzn.to/3IrJ1nf
"How to Survive the Most Critical 5 Seconds of Your Life" - book by Tim Larkin: https://amzn.to/3Cwkytb
"Awkward" - book by Ty Tashiro: https://www.amazon.com/Awkward-Science-Socially-Thats-Awesome/dp/0062429159
Melissa Soalt ("Dr. Ruthless"): www.dr-ruthless.com, www.forbes.com/sites/shenegotiates/2012/06/21/being-nice-can-kill-you
"Talk to Strangers" - book by David Topus - how to approach strangers and strike up a conversation with them: https://amzn.to/3GJSu88
"Fair Play" - book by Eve Rodsky - how to stop fighting with your spouse about fair shares of domestic chores: https://www.amazon.com/Fair-Play-Game-Changing-Solution-When/dp/0525541942
Cards with questions to create better conversations:
https://www.skipthesmalltalk.com
Write a letter of encouragement to someone in a psychiatric ward:
Francesca Reicherter's "Inspiring My Generation" card-writing program -https://www.inspiringmygeneration.org/encouragement-cards
Listening resource:
"How to Listen: Tools for opening up conversations when it matters most" - book by Katie Columbus, foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales: https://www.amazon.com/Samaritans-Listen-opening-conversations-matters/dp/0857839403
Learn about "flow" and the "autotelic" personality:
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Test yourself to see if you have an "autotelic" personality and are able to experience "flow" more often: https://cognitiontoday.com/are-you-an-autotelic-person-test-yourself
How to learn how to have hope:
"The Biggest Little Book About Hope" - book by Kathryn Goetzke: https://amzn.to/3JkzzT5
How to love yourself:
"Love Yourself Like Your life Depends on It" - book by Kamal Ravikant: https://amzn.to/3GNUFHw
How to deal with panic attacks:
"No Time to Panic: How I Curbed My Anxiety and Conquered a Lifetime of Panic Attacks" - book by
ABC News correspondent Matt Gutman: https://www.amazon.com/Time-Panic-Conquered-Strangers-Bear-Hugging/dp/0385549059
Journaling technique:
JournalSpeak, created by Nicole Sachs, is a daily 20-minute writing exercise followed by 10 minutes of stillness or reflection: https://www.yourbreakawake.com/journalspeak
Interviews with Maria Menounos and Nicole Sachs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk0wZtq4EU8 (Part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RtA-Qcj8aE (Part 2)
Improving your mental health after a traumatic car accident:
https://farahandfarah.com/traumatic-accidents-mental-health
Lessening anxiety from watching too much news:
https://www.verywellmind.com/is-watching-the-news-bad-for-mental-health-4802320
Also Katharine Hayhoe says in her book "Saving Us" that news can be addictive, and studies show too many negative stories on any topic can make people - both young and old - apathetic.
To combat this, ask these 2 questions when you're consuming news:
1) Is this a positive or negative story? (to make you more aware of what you're taking in)
2) Is there a call to action at the end? (to increase your chances of taking action and being less apathetic)
"Why World Changers Don't Watch the News" with Peter Diamandis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNqsKmOUkxA
How to make decisions with your intuition:
"Five Seconds at a Time" - book by Denis Shackel: https://amzn.to/3AL5yGw
How to be heroic:
"The Alter Ego Effect: The Power of Secret Identities to Transform Your Life" - book by Todd Herman: https://amzn.to/42j8xBT
The Heroic Imagination Project - https://www.heroicimagination.org
"You Are What You Act" - film by Albert Nerenberg: "What do Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Kate Winslet, Emily Blunt, and Jamie Foxx have in common? They’ve all rescued people in REAL LIFE. Have Tom Cruise and other action stars become real life heroes because they practice? If you are what you eat, are you what you act?"
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS2I4LxKbVM
Watch full movie free: https://tubitv.com/movies/100008547/you-are-what-you-act
Watch full movie on iTunes: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/you-are-what-you-act/umc.cmc.3xv53o573umtg9jngdgcqujmz
How to deal with hate/criticism/shame:
The "Let Them" Theory:
Mel Robbins: https://www.melrobbins.com/podcasts/episode-70
Candy Valentino: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNthCe4v-R4
"So You've Been Publicly Shamed" - book by Jon Ronson: https://www.amazon.com/So-Youve-Been-Publicly-Shamed/dp/1594634017
"Back in the Game" - TV series with Alex Rodriguez bringing back athletes who had fallen from grace:
Clips on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfLNWzHn9MZBtWodQWmlVN4wEYquPxyQa
Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Back-Game-Season-1/dp/B0812CVDH7
Watch on CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/back-in-the-game
How to set boundaries:
"Boundary Boss" - book by Terri Cole: https://www.amazon.com/Boundary-Boss-Essential-Guide-Finally/dp/1683647688
How to do less and slow down:
"Do Nothing" - book by Celeste Headlee: https://www.amazon.com/Do-Nothing-Overworking-Overdoing-Underliving/dp/1984824732
How to use your phone less:
"How to Break Up With Your Phone" - book by Catherine Price: https://www.amazon.com/How-Break-Up-Your-Phone/dp/039958112X
Celebrities who got rid of their phones: https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristenharris1/celebs-who-dont-have-smartphones
How to have fun:
"The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again" - book by Catherine Price: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Fun-Feel-Alive-Again/dp/0593241401
"Laughology" - film by Albert Nerenberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0K5Zwrcf0k
Addiction resources:
"Free From Addiction" - book by Morteza Khaleghi: https://amzn.to/3IrKyK1
Potentially cure addiction in a matter of weeks with an old blood pressure drug (propranolol) that lets you feel and not run away (it also can potentially work with PTSD, as well as heartbreak) - check out Alain Brunet's work and "The Brunet Method":
https://www.sobriety.ca/easing-addiction-memories.htm
https://douglas.research.mcgill.ca/alain-brunet
https://healthenews.mcgill.ca/treating-the-pandemics-psychological-scars
https://en.reconsolidationtherapy.com/medias-brunet-method
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/ptsd-and-heartbreak
Allen Carr www.allencarr.com - his methods have been used by Sir Richard Branson and Sir Anthony Hopkins
- “Easy Way to Stop Smoking”: https://amzn.to/3WZt1NO
- “Easy Way to Stop Drinking”: https://amzn.to/3GLMZWk
- “Easy Way to Quit Cannabis”: https://amzn.to/3Xbiizh
- “Easy Way to Quit Cocaine”: https://amzn.to/3jVJjsc
- “Smart Phone Dumb Phone: Free Yourself from Digital Addiction”: https://amzn.to/3VXlBZU
- “Eat Yourself Free from Sugar and Carb Addiction”: https://amzn.to/3vNJatD
- “Easy Way to Lose Weight”: https://amzn.to/3vQNOH3
- “Easy Way to Quit Emotional Eating: Set Yourself Free from Binge-Eating and Comfort-Eating”: https://amzn.to/3jZvedl
- “Easy Way to Quit Vaping”: https://amzn.to/3vIzSPF
Havening resource for psychosensory therapy:
Music resources:
"The Brain Warrior's Way Music Program" by Dr. Daniel Amen
On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Warriors-Way-Music-Program/dp/B01MSMLH6M
On Apple Music (with sample previews of each song): https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-brain-warriors-way-music-program/1176699629
This isn't official music therapy, but Melody Gardot (https://www.melodygardot.com) is a singer who had neurological damage from a bike accident and then relearned how to sing and perform so that is was easy on her brain. In my worst years with mental illness, there were many kinds of music to which I couldn't listen, music I would ordinarily enjoy. Perhaps her music will be easy on your ears and mind if you have mental illness.
Article on Melody Gardot: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/melody-gardots-music-career-was-born-in-pain/article4386508
Again, these aren't official music therapy, but these songs speak to me to the fight we have in each and every one of us to keep going through hard times. I hope you can find some strength in them to stay hopeful despite seemingly impossible situations:
"Riser" by Dierks Bentley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQDbjIh3_Ts
"You're Gonna Be Okay" by Jenn and Brian Johnson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjF9IqvXDjY
Eco-anxiety resources:
“Hope Matters” - book by Elin Kelsey: https://amzn.to/3VNjU0Z
“Saving Us” - book by Katharine Hayhoe: https://amzn.to/3vHeLx4
"Don't Even Think About It" - book by George Marshall: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Even-Think-About-Climate/dp/163286102X
New York Times article on Climate Cafes: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/20/climate/climate-change-anxiety-fear.html
Climate Cafes for youth by Force of Nature: https://www.forceofnature.xyz/climate-cafe
Climate Psychology Alliance North America - how to host climate cafes facilitation courses: https://www.climatepsychology.us/climate-cafes
"The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil":
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh6H1VgBrpg
Full film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeM5emtaVC0
Confidence for youth resources:
Ray Zahab's impossible2Possible youth adventure experiences: https://www.impossible2possible.com
Jewel's Inspiring Children program: https://www.inspiringchildren.org
Improving mental health and addiction systems:
“It’s Not About Us: The Secret to Transforming the Mental Health and Addiction System in Canada” - book by Todd Leader: https://amzn.to/3k25nBG
Video games to improve your mental health:
SuperBetter - https://www.superbetter.com
eQuoo - https://www.equoogame.com
Films for mental health:
"My Ascension" with Emma Benoit - https://www.myascension.us
"The Ripple Effect" with Kevin Hines - https://www.kevinhinesstory.com/suicide-the-ripple-effect
"Anxious Nation" by Kathy Ireland - https://anxiousnation.com
"Stutz" by Jonah Hill - https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/stutz-the-tools
"My Mind and Me" by Selena Gomez - https://www.apple.com/ca/tv-pr/originals/selena-gomez-my-mind-and-me
Help for people who are violent:
Alternatives to Violence: https://avp.international/about-us/avp-around-the-world
Help for child abusers:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/201511/sympathy-the-deviant
Seniors and mental health:
How a study in New York showed dancing is best defense against dementia:
https://socialdance.stanford.edu/Syllabi/smarter.htm
Canadian Coalition for Seniors' Mental Health: https://ccsmh.ca
An overview of the brain to help with visualization:
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How to become an advocate to help others (and yourself too!):
Get motivation to help others with Martin Seligman's TED talk on how the best predictor of long-term life satisfaction is philanthropy, helping others
https://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_the_new_era_of_positive_psychology
"Be Useful" book by Arnold Schwarzenegger: https://www.amazon.com/Be-Useful-Seven-Tools-Life/dp/0593655958
Becoming an advocate can be as simple as adding "Advocate for 'X'" or "Public Speaker" to your bio on your Facebook profile, for example. That's what I did! But having your own blog or website can help even more. You can have a blog or website, or social media, or a YouTube channel all up for free in minutes.
Have your website built for free by "The Free Website Guys": https://thefreewebsiteguys.com/?js=360885 (I am an affiliate for them)
Learn how to share your wisdom, skills, passion, knowledge online and help others with "Click Millionaires" by Scott Fox (with a whole chapter on getting over your fear of doing so, because you feel inferior or you have impostor syndrome): https://www.amazon.com/Click-Millionaires-Work-Internet-Business/dp/1400238749
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Physical fitness resources:
The Convenient Workout: Perhaps the Easiest Way to Build Muscle in the World (I semi-created this): https://matthewdi.medium.com/the-convenient-workout-perhaps-the-easiest-way-to-build-muscle-in-the-world-5da00fa1643c?source=friends_link&sk=56e9f112c68eafa5d8fb3955b21dea05
Weight Loss - WeightWatchers: https://www.weightwatchers.com
Weight loss - Noom: https://www.noom.com
Aging and fitness - Dr. Jeffry Life: https://drlife.com/products