Any regular readers of this blog will know that I am always very open to discussing mental health and how we can all look after ourselves better. A little while ago I saw a tweet from @JenLGilmour asking for people who blog about mental health. I replied and some weeks later, I received a book in the post, The Recovery Toolkit by Sue Penna:
Have you left an abusive relationship?
Are you still carrying guilt?
Would you like to understand, challenge and remove the voice of the perpetrator?
Do you still think what happened to you was your fault?
Do you find dealing with new people in your life something to be scared about?
If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to the above questions you are not alone.
Many people who leave an abusive relationship behind are affected by that former relationship in many different ways. Perhaps you feel guilty when making decisions on your own? You may worry about what motivates others to befriend you? Maybe your children are having to re-learn who it is that’s the adult in the room now that your ex-partner has gone from their lives.
If this all sounds familiar then The Recovery Toolkit is the book for you. Written in an easy and accessible style, the book will take you on a journey that is part discovery, part guide.
The Recovery Toolkit is “A 12 week plan to support your journey from Domestic Abuse”. Initially I was a little worried. I have never suffered from domestic abuse and wondered how this book could possibly be relevant to me … My partner has always been a pillar of support, care, inspiration and love. What was I going to do with this book I felt almost guilty to be holding, someone else might need it much more than me.
Anyway, I took the book, and popped it next to my computer on my desk, so that I could flick through its contents whilst waiting for my computer to do stuff.
And flick I did. And got hooked in, I did. The Recovery Toolkit is a step-by-step programme split into weekly ideas and tasks to help the reader rebuild their self-esteem and confidence after coming out of an abusive relationship. It tackles everything from negative thought patterns, depression and anxiety, the five stages of grief, and then offers tools for helping to move forwards, such as relaxation techniques, affirmations and how to work with your children to improve their emotional health.
Each week is presented like a chapter in The Recovery Toolkit, and at the end of each week’s themes and content are some exercises for the reader to try out and think on. There is also diary space for the reader to enter thoughts and emotions into. It is really carefully thought out, and could almost be used a workbook to journey through.
For a book in which the interior has not been professionally designed, and as a person who has never been in an abusive relationship, I can not think of enough great things to say about The Recovery Toolkit. There are paragraphs on isolation, and how to be assertive. Right now, as we all tentatively emerge from our homes, a little dose of this book would be well-served for many of us. Thank you, Sue Penna, @SuePenna and Jennifer Gilmour, @JenLGilmour.
To purchase a copy of The Recovery Toolkit by Sue Penna, use this link:
http://mybook.to/TheRecoveryToolkit
To get your hands on a signed copy, use this link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9e44d0e017/?
Designer Mum 