Many people have experienced what depression feels like. For some, it can be more consuming than for others. These eight poetry collections grant you a door to open up your mind to the possibility of healing, and that you are not alone. It can be stressful battling your mental illness(es) but don’t worry. Here at Bookstr, we are here to help.
Trigger Warning: The mention of depression/mental illnesses in this article may be triggering to some readers. Please exercise personal care when reading.
Sometimes it can feel like we are alone in our battle with depression. Here’s a reminder: Your dark thoughts do not own you.
Without further ado, let’s get into the poetry collections.
1. grey matters by Kristen Costello
At one point or another, many people get depressed over something. It’s human nature. However, as a society, we tend to not talk about mental health as often as we should. grey matters by Kristen Costello allows conversations about mental health and everything that makes us feel gray. She urges us to not suppress our emotions–- to allow light into darkness. Costello is not only relatable in her works, but she is honest in the ways she portrays anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. She gives us hope in this gray world. Things are not always black and white. Your mind that you’re trying to fight, might be the thing that saves you.
2. the flower that went mad by Yogesh Chandra
Yogesh Chandra shows us the ups and downs of life. Filled with heartaches, sadness, pain, and suffering in life, it’s hard to bring out those emotions. This is unless you write them out on paper. the flower that went mad is about writing down thousands of unsaid feelings that can swirl into our minds without reason. It’s also about healing and how one can find their voice. This collection deals with pain, loneliness, depression, suicide, and loss, and how one can heal from it all.
3. beyond rock bottom. by Kara Petrovic
What’s beyond rock bottom? In Kara Petrovic’s collection, she dives into the struggles of PTSD and her sudden diagnosis between Bipolar II and Borderline Personality. You will go through differing emotions of heartbreak, anguish, and the overall acceptance one should embrace when it comes to mental illnesses. This collection encompasses three years as Petrovic ventures into the world of self-love.
4. Melancholy & Cinnamon by Gabrielle G.
Do you sometimes feel like no one truly understands you? Yeah, I do too. Gabrielle G’s Melancholy & Cinnamon dives into her journey of understanding her anxiety and depression. It’s a collection everyone should read once as it shows the vulnerability of being honest about struggles with depression.
5. A Home For Lonely Souls by Michael Tavon
It can be extremely hard to open up about your feelings. In Michael Tavon’s collection, you are able to feel the reassurance of love when you feel the most alone. It’s a conversation between the hurting and the help. The themes included are suffering, mental health issues, and grief to comfort readers. If you ever feel alone, understand that you aren’t. The world may feel like it’s crushing your shoulders, but in fact, there is a world of people that love and will support you. Tavon’s book is the first step toward feeling that.
6. the things I didn’t say in therapy by Logan Duane
If you’ve gone to therapy, there is a high chance you’ve needed to say something to your therapist, but you’ve been too ashamed, embarrassed, or not ready to share how you feel. Logan Duane shares this feeling. Her collection shows the rawness and perseverance of confronting your mental state. She shares her most vulnerable thoughts as it feels uncomfortable, but eventually freeing.
7. The Hard Part is Living by Christabelle Marbun
It can be difficult to love yourself when you have depression. The Hard Part is Living shows the ways of being in love with things that may exhaust you. Acceptance is the first step to everything. Christabelle Marbun will show you how to fall in love with life again (or to some, for the first time). Be at peace with being afraid of the dark and learning to fall in love with life all over again.
8. girl, isolated by Trista Mateer
The COVID-19 pandemic was a difficult time for everyone. Trista Mateer’s collection shows her experience through poetry and art during the peak of quarantine. She pulls her feelings apart bit by bit to see what is inside. In girl, isolated, Mateer may feel like she’s speaking directly to the reader, or herself as she reflects on life. You get a bit of everything- over-sharing, a pick-me-up, and a helping hand. Expect to see a mixture of short poems, long poems, truism, doodles, mixed media art, script pieces, notes thoughts, and overall interactive journal prompts.
Your mental health is important. Always remember that!
For more books that can assist you with your mental health, click here.
For more poetry collection recommendations, click here.
To feel safe at all times is a basic human right; let’s work to make this world physically and mentally safe for everyone.
If you or someone you know is battling with mental health-related distress, we urge you to be kind and hold space for them, and contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (confidential, free, available 24/7/365):
→ Call or text 988
→ Chat at 988lifeline.org
→ Connect with a trained crisis counselor
European RNCE +44 (0)141 331 4180 or www.rcne.com/
List of Hotlines in 46 Countries: https://wave-network.org/list-of-helplines-in-46-countries/