Ashley Peterson

Decolonizing Wellness addresses an important gap in available wellness resources, speaking directly to QTBIPOC folks. The author addresses the harms associated with systemic oppression, diet culture, and anti-fat bias, framing binge eating and the use of food to self-soothe as stress responses to the disease of systemic oppression. The book offers strategies to help readers liberate themselves from these things and develop a better relationship with food, their bodies, themselves. The book is well-written and the author is clearly passionate about these issues. While I don't personally belong to the target audience, I think that audience is likely to find this book very empowering. I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In this powerful memoir, Dyane Harwood shares her experience of developing postpartum bipolar disorder. While many people have some awareness of postpartum depression, bipolar disorder with postpartum onset is less commonly known, so this book makes a really important contribution in bringing that mental health condition out into the open. Dyane talks about the difficulty of finding treatment that works, but ultimately, this is a story of hope and recovery. Given the difficult times she's been through, it's inspiring how much progress she's made. This book would make an excellent choice for women facing mental health struggles postpartum and the people who support them. It also offers mental health professionals fascinating insights into what it's like to live with postpartum onset bipolar.

Stephanie Schlosser's descriptions are remarkably vivid. She describes the onset of manic symptoms this way: "My thoughts had opened up to new words, colors, light, and sounds... It is hard to explain in words; it’s like someone decided to turn on a radiance in my cellular structure that had been asleep my entire life." The use of metaphors also adds a wonderful layer of richness to her writing. This book did an excellent job of conveying the challenging journey of dealing with bipolar. The author is open and honest, and she acknowledges that she doesn't have all the answers. She's clearly passionate about sharing her story and challenging stigma, making this a powerful book. I highly recommend it.

This book does an excellent job of cutting through stereotypes around DID. It normalizes it as a response to complex trauma, and emphasizes the role that each Part played in keeping Catherine safe. I think that approach is likely to make it understandable and accessible for readers who may have no point of reference to understand dissociation. This is an excellent book, and a valuable contribution to furthering awareness and understanding of DID.