Writing On My Mind
SURVIVING SUICIDE – Searching for “Normal” with Heartache & Humor
A Mostly True Story by Deena Baxter
There are many books about living with mental illness; this is a story about dying from it. When a son gives back the gift of life, he leaves behind a painful and bizarre legacy and launches the author on a mission – a search for normal and who gets to decide. Crossing international boundaries, from the U.S. to Brazil, her journey shines a light on a harsher reality: how the stigma of mental illness keeps it cloaked in denial and how that can play out when the patient, the family and society collude to maintain the status quo. Using heartache, humor, and creative full-color graphics, Deena Baxter brings mental illness out of the darkness and gives it a voice – a voice worth listening to.
“Irreverent yet serious, lighthearted yet profound, science-based yet intimately personal, Deena Baxter’s “Surviving Suicide” is a must-read for anyone who has experienced mental illness in a family member. Of course, given the prevalence of mental illness, this means almost everyone. Highly recommended!”
Professor of Psychology, UC Berkeley
Vice-Chair for Psychology, Department of Psychiatry,
University of California – San Francisco
“Deena Baxter puts feelings into the story in a way the reader can connect and understand. She did a wonderful job. A great read.”
Secretary, Board of Directors, NAMI of Collier County
“Suzanne got home last night about 9:00 pm and gave me the book you sent. About 10:00pm I thought I would peruse it and began reading it. A 2:30am I was half way through it full of emotion, empathy and amazement. You have made the entire book so universal in outlook and connection that I felt being a participant in many aspects of it. I cannot tell you how deeply moved I was and how I shared the experiences, thoughts, pain and relationships. I am full of appreciation to you for your giving in words and thoughts your experiences, inclusive of all of us who have gone through similar problems and experiences.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Deena Baxter is a published author and strategic management consultant with more than 30 years of experience in finance, program management and communications. She earned a B.S. and MBA at Boston University, worked in high-tech for 18 years and managed an international research project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for 9 years. Her business articles and humor columns have been published by Scripps News Service, Working Woman, Inc. magazine, PsychologyToday.com, HuffPost.com, BetterAfter50.com and èBella. She is an award-winning jewelry designer. She incorporates creative art and humor in her writing. She was awarded a Mascot Books 2014 Outstanding Author Award for Non-Fiction. Baxter co-founded and launched a spiritual meditation program in her community in 2013. She lives and works in Southwest Florida. Contact her here.
ORDER HERE!!
To order hard copies click here.
To order signed hard copies click here.
Books are available for shipment today!
All profit from sales benefits NAMI of Collier County and other mental health non-profit organizations.