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In Bloom Not Broken: A Journey Through Mental Illness And The battle For Treatment

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A book to provide insight and hope into mental illness including self harm, anorexia, depression, suicidal ideation, bipolar and psychosis. A must read for both people struggling with mental health issues and those who treat them. Katie Provides a personal first person account in to the world of living with mental illness as well as to the treatment system covering both NHS and private sectors.

Author Katie Maylea makes her debut in this raw, honest memoir about surviving life when living seems no longer an option. Houghton revisits her past and looks beyond to her future as a person living with mental illness, sharing with the reader a message of hope driven by sheer audacity. Through personal writings spanning years, In Bloom Not Broken invites us into the mind of a troubled young woman navigating through the hostile, barren landscape of depression entirely by feel, driven by her insatiable will to survive no matter the obstacles in her way. As the author guides the reader through her journey, she offers candid self-examinations of her actions, behaviors, and experiences against the backdrop of a tumultuous childhood and adolescence marked by family upheaval and undiagnosed mental illness. In detailing her subsequent experiences with self-harm and substance abuse, the author offers a compassionate perspective on life lived in spite of adversity before her eventual redemption through mental health treatment. Inspiring and thought-provoking, advocates, treatment professionals, and general readers alike will be moved by the author's perseverance despite the rabidity of her personal demons.

It is possible for things to get better - If you just hold on.

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 2, 2019

7 people are currently reading
17 people want to read

About the author

Katie Maylea

2 books

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for Cash.
483 reviews8 followers
September 28, 2019
It was nice to see a different perspective to mental health and what other people are going through
Profile Image for Calypso Reads.
54 reviews9 followers
June 6, 2019
https://whatsinmywonderland.com/2019/...

Due to the nature of this book, this review may be slightly different than the rest I have published. ‘In Bloom, Not Broken’ is a true story about Katie Maylea’s experiences with her own Mental Health Problems. The story follows Katie’s upbringing and how she dealt with her hardest times dealing with anorexia, self-harm and bipolar disorder.

In Bloom Not Broken is a beautifully written story, it was at times quite upsetting to read when you realize that this is somebody’s life and they actually had to deal with all of this. As a reader, we can only imagine how hard this was for Katie and I applaud her for sharing these memories with us all.

In Bloom Not Broken has parts of the story which are exact extracts from her diary, I thought these pieces although they were distressing at times. They were helpful to the story and expressed her opinions and thoughts at that exact time in her life. Some of the diary extracts were poems, which I must add were beautifully written and I think they actually deserve a book on their own.

Katie tells us her truth into how she grew up and how in her early teens she started to struggle with self-harm and anorexia, she talks about her experiences with being admitted and how she struggled to get help when she was asking for it. Katie brings up some very valid points when she is talking about how the NHS deals with Anorexia which I strongly agree with her P.O.V and I hope that the NHS have resolved these issues since Katie’s experience.

Katie’s writing style is raw and honest, as she delves into her story of struggles with mental illness. It is a story that provides a hint of hope for those struggling. Katie openly admits that although the story has a slightly happier ending than most mental health stories, she still suffers from her mental health and is still sharing her experiences.

Since these event’s and getting diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder. Katie is now trying to advocate for Mental Health and help those who are struggling. Katie’s story is very inspiring to people out there who are suffering to learn to speak up and talk about their experiences in the hope that someone who is suffering will find it comforting to know that they are not alone and that hopefully the system revolved around mental health will improve.

“You’ve got this. Find your theme tune, play it at the highest possible decibel, keep fighting, and always finish with a semicolon;” – In Bloom Not Broken by Katie Maylea
Profile Image for Danielle Gibson.
2 reviews
May 9, 2019
I wasn’t able to put this book down. It’s great to finally have a honest mental health story, there are no airs and graces, it is someone’s story and it is relatable even if you don’t suffer from the same illnesses. This book will make you feel so sad at times but will also inspire you.
Profile Image for Calypso Reads.
54 reviews9 followers
June 6, 2019
https://whatsinmywonderland.com/2019/...

Due to the nature of this book, this review may be slightly different than the rest I have published. ‘In Bloom, Not Broken’ is a true story about Katie Maylea’s experiences with her own Mental Health Problems. The story follows Katie’s upbringing and how she dealt with her hardest times dealing with anorexia, self-harm and bipolar disorder.

In Bloom Not Broken is a beautifully written story, it was at times quite upsetting to read when you realize that this is somebody’s life and they actually had to deal with all of this. As a reader, we can only imagine how hard this was for Katie and I applaud her for sharing these memories with us all.

In Bloom Not Broken has parts of the story which are exact extracts from her diary, I thought these pieces although they were distressing at times. They were helpful to the story and expressed her opinions and thoughts at that exact time in her life. Some of the diary extracts were poems, which I must add were beautifully written and I think they actually deserve a book on their own.

Katie tells us her truth into how she grew up and how in her early teens she started to struggle with self-harm and anorexia, she talks about her experiences with being admitted and how she struggled to get help when she was asking for it. Katie brings up some very valid points when she is talking about how the NHS deals with Anorexia which I strongly agree with her P.O.V and I hope that the NHS have resolved these issues since Katie’s experience.

Katie’s writing style is raw and honest, as she delves into her story of struggles with mental illness. It is a story that provides a hint of hope for those struggling. Katie openly admits that although the story has a slightly happier ending than most mental health stories, she still suffers from her mental health and is still sharing her experiences.

Since these event’s and getting diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder. Katie is now trying to advocate for Mental Health and help those who are struggling. Katie’s story is very inspiring to people out there who are suffering to learn to speak up and talk about their experiences in the hope that someone who is suffering will find it comforting to know that they are not alone and that hopefully the system revolved around mental health will improve.

“You’ve got this. Find your theme tune, play it at the highest possible decibel, keep fighting, and always finish with a semicolon;” – In Bloom Not Broken by Katie Maylea
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

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