What is bibliotherapy? Also known as book therapy, bibliotherapy harnesses the power of books as a standalone treatment – or supplement to – the other two pillars of mental health recovery. 

Lived experience books have been proven to help improve people’s mental health and increase their wellbeing. 

How?

… Lived Experience books inspire a lightbulb moment.

Ask anyone who has recovered from a mental health condition and they’ll tell you: there was at least one book along their journey that completely changed their perspective of their diagnosis and, as a result, changed their everyday experience of it.

Why?

Because one of the most crippling experiences of mental health conditions is the fear that you aren’t “normal” or “like other people”. 

We fear speaking up and sharing thoughts, emotions and behaviours that fall short of “perfect” for fear of rejection, embarrassment and shame, and often only share the parts of our lives that we think people will approve of.

Lived experience books break this wall of silence and create a healing space where, in our own time and at our own pace, we can listen to an unfiltered, real-life, honest, raw and emotional healing journey of someone experiencing the same struggles. The writer gets you, how you are feeling and the – *ping* – that lightbulb moment happens. Something within you changes and you realise that normal, inspiring, successful people feel this way too. 

You are not alone. 

Let me tell you a secret… The most brilliant, successful, talented, resilient and admirable people you will ever meet will have struggled with their mental health at some point. That’s Because it isn’t life’s “’perfect moments” that build character –  what really shapes you as a person and builds brilliance is the obstacles you’ve faced, the challenges you’ve overcome, and the grit and determination you’ve built along the way.

Bibliotherapy is great for people who do not feel comfortable talking about their problems, or those who find that medicinal methods are not the right route for them. The best part about it is that book therapy is accessible to everyone, it’s affordable, and you can recover at your own pace! 

TriggerHub.org has just launched a subscription-based package that gives you instant access to a world-leading curated collection of books ergonomically designed to set you on the path to recovery and deliver this “lightbulb moment”. 

Whether you are battling OCD, anxiety, depression, bipolar or sleeping issues, you too can find your recovery within the pages of a Trigger book. 

BENEFITS OF BIBLIOTHERAPY:

1. Instant access (free e-book) – no lengthy waiting list, no scheduled appointments like GP and therapy, no criteria, no travel, no awkward introductions, and you won’t regress while you wait.
2. No commitments – you can pick a book up and put it down whenever and wherever you like.
3. Books have the power to relate, express and change the way you think, feel and look at different aspects and situations, reactions that are subconsciously programmed into your brain without you realising. Books shape, strengthen or challenge our opinions and values.
4. If you are not connecting with a book, it’s much cheaper and easier to switch it out than medicine or a therapist.
5. Books are for everyone, no matter what challenges life throws at you they help you relate to others who are struggling and help you better understand their issue.
6. A related book normalises your condition because you are reading about people who have experienced something similar to you, which gives you a sense of relief and ease.

DID YOU KNOW?

Books about lived experiences, meaning that they tell the author’s story in first person, have this effect called neural mirroring. By going on that journey with the author, you connect and walk the path to recovery with them. This phenomenon is called narrative transformation, or becoming the character in the book. This is great for people who have just been diagnosed or come to a realisation about their own mental health for the first time, because by the end of the book you feel like you’ve already lived it and have a better understanding of how to handle and embrace your issue better.