Please keep in mind that these books may have triggering themes or situations, or even content you may not agree with. The views shown in these books are also not those of BCSS, but of their individual authors. 

BCSS does not necessarily agree or endorse all the content in the below list of books.

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• BCSS Favourites

  These are the books we most often recommend because they provide clear, practical strategies and insights into living or supporting someone with a serious and persistent mental illness.

  • I’m Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help: How to Help Someone Accept Treatment (2007)
    by Xavier Amador, Ph.D. (253 pages) 
    Essential for families dealing with treatment refusal; offers practical strategies for building trust and encouraging care.

  • Surviving Schizophrenia: A Family Manual  7th edition (2019)  
    by E. Fuller Torrey, M.D. (528 pages) 
    An evidence-based guide that helps families understand symptoms, treatment, and recovery, while exploring life with the illness from both the patient’s and family’s perspective.

  • Rays of Hope: Learning About Schizophrenia: A Reference Manual for Families and Caregivers. Fifth Revised Edition (2022)
    by Schizophrenia Society of Canada (225 pages) 
    Reference manual for families and caregivers of people with living with schizophrenia or psychosis. Provides key insights into the challenges that people recovering from schizophrenia or psychosis face, and offers important information about these disorders including symptoms, treatments, and supports. Explores the impact of the illness on families and offers suggestions on how to cope and ways to foster recovery.

  • The Complete Family Guide to Schizophrenia: Helping Your Loved One Get the Most Out of Life (2006) 
    by Kim Mueser and Susan Gingerich (480 pages) 
    Offers strategies for symptom management, relapse prevention, and improving quality of life. It provides realistic optimism and actionable advice for parents, siblings, and partners, including worksheets and helpful resources.

  • Loving Someone with a Serious Mental Illness: Caring for Your Loved One and Yourself on the Journey to Mental Health Recovery (2025)
    by Katherine Ponte (Author), Izzy Goncalves (Author), Matt Kudish LMSW MPA (Foreword) (168 pages) 
    Combines lived experience with actionable strategies for communication, crisis management, and navigating treatment while focusing on caregiver’s well-being.

  • An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness (1997)
    by Kay Redfield Jamison (240 pages) 
    A memoir by a clinical psychologist who shares her personal struggle with bipolar disorder, offering a rare dual perspective as both a clinician and patient.

• General Educational & Practical Guides

  Books that provide clinical, scientific, or practical guidance for understanding schizophrenia and other severe and persistent mental illnesses.

  • Living and Working with Schizophrenia: Information and support for patients, and their families, friends, employers, and teachers (1990) 
    by Joel Jeffries, E. Plummer, Mary Seeman (164 pages)
    Developed from a family support program at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry in Toronto, this guide combines medical insight with practical advice on coping with emotions, understanding treatment options, and navigating social issues

  • Living with Schizophrenia: A Family Guide to Making a Difference (2017) 
    by Jeffrey Rado, Philip G. Janicak (144 pages)
    An easy-to-read primer from two leading clinicians that explains symptoms, treatments, and practical steps for managing schizophrenia. It offers clear guidance for families on early intervention, relapse prevention, and improving long-term outcomes.

  • Footprints of Schizophrenia: The Evolutionary Roots of Mental Illness (2023) 
    by Steven Lesk M.D (256 pages)
    Presents a groundbreaking theory linking schizophrenia to human evolution and language development, offering fresh insight into its origins and implications for treatment. Ideal for readers interested in the science behind mental illness and reducing stigma through understanding.

  • No One Cares About Crazy People: The Chaos and Heartbreak of Mental Health in America (2017) 
    by Ron Powers (384 pages)
    Blends a personal family story with a sweeping history of mental health care in America, exposing systemic failures and stigma. This book is both a call to action and a compassionate narrative for families and advocates seeking change.

  • Malady of the Mind: Schizophrenia and the Path to Prevention (2023) 
    by Jeffrey A. Lieberman (528 pages)
    A hopeful exploration of schizophrenia’s history, science, and future, written by a leading psychiatrist. This book explains current treatments and research aimed at early intervention and prevention.

  • Schizophrenia: Breaking Down the Barriers (1997)
    edited by Stephen G. Holliday, R. J. Ancill, and G. W. Macewan (248 pages) 
    Explores the obstacles to effective treatment and prevention of schizophrenia, from economic and therapeutic challenges to stigma and prejudice. Emphasizes the importance of mutual respect between patients and providers and offers strategies for improving care systems and reducing barriers to recovery.

  • Schizophrenia and Manic-Depressive Disorder Schizophrenia: The Biological Roots Of Mental Illness As Revealed By The Landmark Study Of Identical Twins (1995)
    by E. Fuller Torrey, M.D. (304 pages)
    A classic that examines two major mental illnesses—schizophrenia and bipolar disorder—through a clinical and historical lens. It provides foundational knowledge on symptoms, treatment approaches, and the evolution of psychiatric care, making it a useful resource for families and professionals seeking a deeper understanding.

• Memoirs & Personal Journeys

  First-person accounts of living with a serious and persistent mental illness. 
  

  • Embracing Schizophrenia: My Story of Struggle, Strength, Resilience and Hope (2021)
    by Samantha Mercanti (155 pages)
    This Canadian memoir shares Samantha’s journey through diagnosis, stigma, and recovery, offering practical lessons in resilience and hope for families and individuals navigating schizophrenia.

  • The Ghost Garden: Inside The Lives Of Schizophrenia’s Feared And Forgotten (2020)
    by Susan Doherty (384 pages)
    Through intimate portraits of people living with schizophrenia, Doherty exposes the isolation and systemic failures they face, challenging readers to see the humanity behind the illness.

  • Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family (2020)
    by Robert Kolker (400 pages)
    A memoir and true story of a family with twelve children, six diagnosed with schizophrenia, whose DNA became central to decades of genetic research. This book blends personal narrative with the history of schizophrenia science, offering insight into stigma, treatment, and hope for future breakthroughs.
     
  • The Save of My Life: My Journey Out of the Dark  (2022)
    by Cory Hirsch (304 pages)
    Former NHL goalie Cory Hirsch reveals the hidden mental health struggles behind professional sports, breaking stigma and offering hope for those suffering in silence. Listen to Cory’s episode on the BCSS Look Again Podcast: A Goalie’s Fight for Mental Health

  • The Quiet Room: A Journey out of the Torment of Madness (1994)
    by Lori Schiller and Amanda Bennett (288 pages)
    An account of Lori’s descent into psychosis and her fight to reclaim her life, providing an authentic look at the realities of severe mental illness and recovery.

  • When Quietness Came: A Neuroscientist’s Personal Journey with Schizophrenia (2012)
    by Erin Hawkes (246 pages)
    The true story of a neuroscience student whose life is upended by a psychotic break during her final year of study. Erin shares her struggles with recovery and her mission to help families, clinicians, and the public better understand schizophrenia.

  • Schizophrenia Solutions  (2024)
    by Paul Bhushan (41 pages)
    A memoir chronicling the author’s journey through misdiagnosis, stigma, and treatment toward founding a support platform for others. This book offers hope and practical insight for anyone navigating schizophrenia or supporting a loved one.

  • The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness (2008)
    by Elyn Saks (368 pages)
    A renowned legal scholar, Elyn shares her battle with schizophrenia while building a successful career, proving that recovery and achievement are possible even with severe illness.

  • My Schizophrenic Life: The Road to Recovery from Mental Illness (2010)
    by Sandra Yuen (220 pages)
    In this memoir, Sandra Yuen shares her experience of living with schizophrenia, navigating stigma, hospitalization, and recovery. Through personal reflections, she offers a hopeful perspective on healing, resilience, and building a meaningful life with mental illness.
    
    
  • I Want to be Buried Standing Up  (2026)
    by  Sandra Yuen (140 pages)
    The newest poetry collection from award winning artist Sandra Yuen, this book reflects on resilience, identity, loss, and transformation. Through evocative language and deeply personal observations, Yuen explores what it means to endure life’s challenges while maintaining dignity, hope, and a sense of self. These poems offer readers moments of reflection, connection, and strength in the face of adversity.

  • The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays (2019)
    by Esmé Weijun Wang (224 pages)
    This essay collection blends personal narrative with research to explore the complexities of schizoaffective disorder and related conditions.

  • Too Far from the Path: My Journey Through Madness  (2024)
    by Tamara Severson (193 pages)
    A memoir that shows readers the experience of prolonged psychosis, illustrated with the author’s own artwork. Tamara shares the realities of living with schizophrenia, the stigma she faced, and her hard-won recovery—showing that with the right treatment and support, healing is possible.

  • Mad Sisters  (2024)
    by Susan Grundy (224 pages)
    An intimate memoir exploring the impact of schizophrenia on sisterhood, family bonds, and caregiving, offering insight into love and resilience amid hardship.

  • Inching Back to Sane: A Memoir of Mental Illness (2017)
    by Leif Gregersen (182 pages)
    In this follow-up memoir, Leif Gregersen reflects on his adult years and his journey toward stability and recovery. With honesty and hope, he explores the realities of living with mental illness while building a meaningful and fulfilling life. 

  • Through the Withering Storm (2009)
    by Leif Gregersen (186 pages)
    This memoir follows Leif Gregersen’s teenage years, including his early experiences with mental illness and a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Through personal stories and reflections, he offers insight into the challenges of adolescence, psychosis, and resilience.

• Family & Caregiver Perspectives

  First-person accounts of supporting someone with a serious and persistent mental illness.

  • Among Silent Echoes (2021)
    by Phyllis Dyson (which we previously reviewed here) (224 pages)
    Phyllis shares about growing up with a mother who had schizophrenia, while exploring themes of resilience, stigma, and the long-lasting impact of mental illness on family life.

  • My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward: A Memoir (2017) 
    by Mark Lukach (320 pages)
    An intimate memoir and personal account of Mark’s experience supporting his wife through severe psychotic episodes, highlighting love, perseverance, patience, and the emotional toll of caregiving.

  • Henry’s Demons: Living with Schizophrenia, A Father and Son’s Story (2011) 
    by Patrick Cockburn (256 pages)
    A unique memoir told from both father and son perspectives, this memoir captures the complexity of living with schizophrenia, and the challenges families face in understanding and supporting recovery.

  • After Her Brain Broke: Helping My Daughter Recover Her Sanity (2010) 
    by Susan Inman (168 pages)
    A practical and heartfelt narrative of Susan’s nine-year journey to help her daughter recover from schizoaffective disorder, offering insight into advocacy and navigating the mental health system.

  • He came with it: A portrait of motherhood (2020)
    by Miriam Feldman (316 pages)
    A raw and honest portrayal of parenting a child with schizophrenia, blending humor and heartbreak while exposing systemic gaps and the realities of family life under strain.

  • Schizophrenia: A Brother Finds Answers In Biological Science (2013)
    by Ronald Chase (232 pages)
    Combining scientific inquiry with personal experience, this book examines the biology of schizophrenia through the lens of a neuroscientist whose brother lived with the illness.

  • Outsider: A Journey into My Father’s Struggle with Madness (2001)
    by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer (288 pages)
    A thoughtful exploration of a son’s effort to understand his father’s experience with schizophrenia, offering personal narrative on family dynamics with reflections on stigma and loss.

  • The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions (2023)
    by Jonathan Rosen (576 pages)
    Jonathan shares the rise and fall of his childhood friend Michael Laudor, a Yale graduate whose life was derailed by schizophrenia. It explores ambition, mental illness, and the systemic failures that shaped a tragic outcome.

  • Fix What You Can: Schizophrenia and a Lawmaker’s Fight for Her Son (2020)
    by Mindy Greiling (232 pages)
    A mother and state legislator navigates her son’s schizoaffective disorder while working to reform mental health policy.

  • Loving Someone with a Mental Illness or History of Trauma: Skills, Hope, and Strength for Your Journey (2024)
    by Michelle D. Sherman, DeAnne M. Sherman (280 pages)
    A practical guide with strategies, communication tools, and resources to help families support loved ones with mental illness or trauma while building resilience and healthy relationships.

  • Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder (2012)
    by Julie A. Fast and John D. Preston (256 pages)
    A guide for partners, offering strategies to manage mood swings, improve communication, and build a balanced, supportive relationship while understanding treatment and medication.

• Children, Teens, and Parents

   We’ve curated age-appropriate resources on the BCSS Youth website to help families navigate mental health challenges. 

  Explore these dedicated pages: 

  • For Kids 
  • For Kids & Tweens 
  • For Parents & Caregivers
  • For Professionals 

  These links provide stories, guides, and activities tailored to younger audiences and their caregivers. 

• Books on Indigenous Health

  Books that share Indigenous perspectives on mental health, healing practices, and lived experiences.

  • Healing Traditions: The Mental Health of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada (2008) 
    by Laurence J. Kirmayer & Gail Guthrie Valaskakis (528 pages)
    A collection of research and essays exploring mental health among Indigenous peoples in Canada. It examines the historical and social impacts of colonization and highlights culturally grounded approaches to healing and wellness.

  • All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety (2025) 
    by David A. Robertson (272 pages)
    A candid memoir about living with chronic anxiety and depression. David shares his personal experiences alongside practical coping strategies, offering hope and insight into resilience and self-care. 

  • Legacy: Trauma, Story, and Indigenous Healing (2019)
    by Suzanne Methot (368 pages)
    Explores the roots and effects of intergenerational trauma in Indigenous communities and shows how storytelling and cultural practices can support healing and reconnection.

  • Decolonizing Trauma Work: Indigenous Stories and Strategies (2014)
    by Renee Linklater (176 pages)
    Presents Indigenous perspectives on trauma recovery, emphasizing traditional knowledge, community-based approaches, and decolonizing frameworks for mental health and wellness.

  • Strong Helpers’ Teachings, Second Edition: The Value of Indigenous Knowledges in the Helping Professions (2016)
    by Cyndy Baskin (432 pages)
    Offers guidance for social workers and helping professionals on integrating Indigenous worldviews and practices into care. It focuses on holistic approaches, spirituality, and community engagement.

  • A Mind Spread Out on the Ground (2020)
    by Alicia Elliott (240 pages)
    A powerful collection of essays blending personal experiences with reflections on mental health, colonialism, and identity. Elliott offers an honest and thought-provoking perspective on living as an Indigenous woman in Canada, on loving a parent with severe and persistent mental illness as well as being a person living with mental illness and intergenerational trauma. 

  • Heart Berries (2018)
    by Terese Marie Mailhot (160 pages)
    A poetic and personal memoir about navigating trauma, mental illness, and identity. Through raw and lyrical storytelling, Terese explores healing, love, and self-discovery.

  • From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way (2019) 
    by Jesse Thistle (384 pages)
    An inspiring memoir sharing Jesse’s journey through homelessness and addiction toward recovery and reconnection with his Métis heritage. It’s a story of resilience, hope, and the power of culture and community.