allow me to introduce myself
a collection of memoirs by individuals who have lived with and survived (and continue to survive) debilitating mental illnesses. these are their stories.
created by vulpecula
last updated July, 2026
Comments
Thank you for making this list. 🩷
Thank you for checking it out! I hope it helps! 💜
The "these are their stories" is giving Law & Order lol
I absolutely had that in my head when I was writing that...can never escape my forensic psychology side!
Once you're in you're in 🙂↕️
I remember reading Operators and Things, a memoir of a schizophrenia patient, when I was a teen. I think it’s from the 50s. I’m not suggesting it should be added to your list but for fans of an historical viewpoint it merits a review. It was a banned book back then which, in my home, meant it was required reading lol
Thanks for the suggestion, and I hope people check it out. I've definitely read more historical books about mental health as well, which are often terrible and inaccurate but interesting in terms of seeing how they thought back then!
Love this list. Not sure if it will match the vibes, but I really love Building a Life Worth Living by Marsha M. Linehan, the creator of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). She dives into her own experiences of mental illness and being institutionalized, and how recovering led her to want to help others.
"…I made a vow to God that I would get myself out of hell and that, once I did, I would go back into hell and get others out."
I love DBT and did it for a number of years (both as a patient and currently as a therapist)! And if my dog had been a girl, I would have named her Linehan (shortened to Linny)! Adding the book, thanks!
oh i really like the title for this list
Thank you! The song just came to my head tbh lol so it was meant to be!
oh i didn't even realise it was a song ref oops but that makes it even better!!
Any particular favorites on here?
I'm Glad My Mom Died, Hidden Valley Road, and Furiously Happy are my favorites, though they also all have very different vibes!
Thank you! I’ve read IGMMD but I will check out the others
I have a rec for an addition: die welt im rücken by thomas melle english translation is called the world at my back bipolar protagonist/ memoir-ish
just started it and I think it deserved more attention here <3
I can’t find it in the book catalog (sorry!) but I hope you’re liking it!!
Check out this book on Pagebound! https://pagebound.co/books/bedcfae2-ec4e-43ed-8638-4463275e5cab
I put a typo in the name, here it is :)
Check out this book on Pagebound! https://pagebound.co/books/bedcfae2-ec4e-43ed-8638-4463275e5cab
it's the world at my back, I misstyped :)
Oh awesome, added now, thanks!
Hii!! I’m not entirely sure if this one fits, but I’m currently reading a memoir from an autistic woman who got diagnosed later in life, entitled A Little Less Broken and thought it might work for your list! Either way maybe someone will want to check it out so thought I should comment ❤️
Oh that would be great, adding now! Thank you!!
