A Beginner's Guide to Being Mental: An A-Z

Written by Natasha Devon

Narrated by Natasha Devon

‘Am I normal?’
‘What’s an anxiety disorder?’
‘Does therapy work?’
‘How would I know if someone had an eating disorder?’

These are just a few of the questions Natasha Devon is asked as she travels the UK campaigning for better mental health awareness and provision. Here, Natasha calls upon experts in the fields of psychology, neuroscience and anthropology to debunk and demystify the full spectrum of mental health. From A (Anxiety) to Z (Zero F**ks Given—or the art of having high self-esteem) via everything from body image and gender to differentiating ‘sadness’ from ‘depression’.

Statistically, one in three of us will experience symptoms of a mental illness during our lifetimes. Yet all of us have a brain, and so we ALL have mental health—regardless of age, sexuality, race or background. The past few years have seen an explosion in awareness, yet it seems there is still widespread confusion. A Beginner’s Guide to Being Mental is for anyone who wants to have this essential conversation, written as only Natasha—with her combination of expertise, personal experience and humour—knows how.

This audiobook contains a bonus interview between Natasha Devon and Jonny Benjamin, author of The Stranger on the Bridge.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Release date: May 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781509895151

Natasha Devon

Natasha Devon MBE is a writer, presenter & activist. She tours schools, colleges and universities throughout the world, delivering talks as well as conducting research on mental health, body image, gender & equality. She campaigns both on and offline to make the world a fairer place. Natasha writes regularly for the Guardian and Grazia Magazine, is a former columnist for Cosmopolitan Magazine and the Times Educational Supplement. You might know her from channel 4’s Naked Beach, BBC 3’s How to Live with Women or BBC IWonder’s Why do I Earn Less Than a Man?. She also appears as an expert on Good Morning Britain, BBC Breakfast, Channel 4 News and LBC. Natasha regularly speaks at Parliament and gives evidence to the Education and Health Select Committees, representing the interests of teenagers and teachers. In 2015 she was awarded an MBE for her services to young people and in 2016 the Sunday Times and Debretts named her one of the 500 most influential people in Britain. Natasha is a patron for the charity No Panic, which provides advice and support for people struggling with anxiety. She is an amasador for Glitch, and a member of the Men & Boys Coalition (specifically advising on reducing rates of suicide in men). She is a fellow of University of Wales: Aberystwyth and advises them, as well as Coventry University: London, on campus wellbeing. She has co-authored a number of books, as well as her own book A Beginners Guide to Being Mental published by Bluebird.