This is a review for a novel called So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience, published by Mark Henick. I received a copy of the book for this review and the thoughts in this post are mine and my families no, one else.
With Covid-19 I have seen more people battling Depression and even on the brink of Suicide and I have been worried about Charlie iwho is retreating into his room. All he is wanting to do is sleep.
For a mom whose child tried to commit suicide in the past I knew I needed to do something to help not only Charlie but myself as well. As soon as I found out about this novel I knew I wanted to tread it and see if there was tips inside So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience we could use.
As I begin to read the novel and learned about the little boy I knew I had to share So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience with Charlie and I am so glad I did.
Charlie and I are closer than ever. We’ve been able to help each other by sharing our feelings. When we feel ourselves getting depressed we get u and go outside.
Without So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience I am not sure Charlie and I would have survived Covid-19. Now, I can’t wait to share the novel with David as I want to see if it can help him like it did us.
True Story of Survival Opens Minds and Dialogues about Mental Health
New York NY, August 11, 2020 — Mark Henick stood precariously on the wrong side of the railing on a crumbling, concrete overpass. The bridge spanned two realities and, for Henick, had become a symbol of escape — in one form or another. A voice behind him tried to help. A crowd gathered. Siren lights flashed in his peripheral vision. Surrounded but still alone, Henick let go.
So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience from Mark Henick is a vital and triumphant story of perseverance and recovery by one of North America’s foremost advocates for mental health
Henick’s near-death experience on the overpass that night would alter his emotional orbit just enough that his exit from a psychiatric ward following that suicide attempt in 2003 would be his last. His transformation didn’t happen overnight — it was a gradual process punctuated with new challenges and setbacks — but slowly, his patterns reversed and he began a profound, “upward” spiral toward recovery.
So-Called Normal chronicles Henick’s youth and the events that led to that fateful night on the bridge and the experiences and transformation that followed. It is a vivid and personal account of a boy who had to deal with the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, an abusive stepfather, bullying and trauma — all while trying to navigate his progressively worsening mental health. In the backdrop is a community that didn’t talk about mental illness, one where silence and maintaining the comforts of “normal” was paramount. So-Called Normal is not a “misery memoir” about suicide — it’s a gripping, inspirational story of survival.
Author Mark Henick’s TEDx talk about being saved from death by a stranger is one of the most watched in the world and has been viewed millions of times. His search for “the man in the brown jacket” whose bravery and strong arms kept him from falling to his death went viral around the world (and was successful!).
Henick has been on television and radio and has written many articles on mental health. He has hosted more than 60 intimate conversations about mental health with notable public figures and celebrities on his podcast, So-Called Normal, and has executive produced and hosted the Living Well podcast for Morneau Shepell.
Henick has served on the board of directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and was the president of a provincial division of the Canadian Mental Health Association — the youngest person in either role.
He has worked as a frontline clinician, a program manager and the national director of strategic initiatives for CMHA. Currently the CEO and principal strategist for Strategic Mental Health Consulting, Mark Henick is in high demand as an international keynote speaker on mental health recovery.
To watch Mark Henick powerful TEDx talk, please visit. For more information, please visit or connect with the author on the following social media sites: Facebook; Twitter; and YouTube
So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: January 12, 2021
ISBN-10: 1443455032
ISBN-13: 978-1443455039
Available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Audible and others
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
