Shortlisted as a Finalist for the 2024 Speaker's Book Award by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
An inspiring and unforgettable memoir that provides hope to others who are experiencing depression, mania, or psychosis, RESILIENT is a deeply personal account about life with mental illness, hearing loss and resiliency. Liz's journey provides encouragement for patients, families, friends, and healthcare workers by showing that recovery is possible. At seventeen, Liz's world collapses into a place of depression, psychosis, and a revolving hospital door. She is overcome with grief and a loss of reality. Despite this, she gets to university, only for bipolar disorder (later diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder) to return to threaten all that she has worked towards. Written to encourage empathy in those without lived experience, Liz effectively shares her emotional rollercoaster of going deaf and losing her mind, giving the reader the gift of insight she needed then, and others need now. Experience the triumphs and tribulations of surviving the world of mental illness from the view of a healthcare professional. Read and share this book with others to help fight the stigma of mental illness. Content warning: This book contains content related to suicide, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and restraints Liz Grace is an occupational therapist and first-time author who is in recovery from schizoaffective disorder. At age sixteen, she gradually lost her hearing and learned American Sign Language (ASL). At twenty-six she received surgery for cochlear implants.-------------------------------------------
"inspiring and unforgettable... this is a remarkably honest, fearless, and selfless piece of writing, one that could help people facing a myriad of challenges, which could even be life-saving." - Self Publishing Review (4.5 stars) "Liz Grace's unflinching account sheds much-needed light on these struggles, making Resilient an incredibly valuable read for anyone who knows someone battling mental illness." - Books That Make You "Grace's transformation from someone battling the shadows of her mind to thrive is a testament to the possibility of recovery and growth." - Books That Make You "An honest and inspiring account of a young woman's struggles with deafness and mental illness." - Kirkus Reviews