My latest release – Behind Closed Doors

Hello!

I hope you’re all doing well.

I wanted to tell you about my new book, Behind Closed Doors.

It’s a series of 10 short stories exploring mental health.

1. The Coffee Shop – Anxiety 
2. Asking for Help – Depression
3. I’m Scared – Emetophobia 
4. Going Home – Stranded Abroad 
5. I’m Not Like The Others – Finding Confidence 
6. Depression in Lockdown – Self Harm
7. Driving Me Insane – Anxiety in the car
8. Happy Pills – Antidepressants 
9. Reaching out for Help – PTSD and Therapy 
10. She Was Happy – Feeling happy for the first time 

You can read the first story here.

My Story 

This series of short stories is designed to be a peek into the daily lives of those suffering with their mental health problems. From the outside, people can often look like nothing is wrong and yet they may be suffering. I wanted to draw attention to this. Someone walking down the street with a smile on their face may be suffering behind closed doors. Using some of my own experiences, emotions and research, I have compiled ten short stories predominantly focusing on anxiety and depression. However, there is also mention of Emetophobia, self-harm, and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

As someone who has suffered with anxiety for most of their life, I want others to understand it. I also want to encourage those suffering to speak out. We don’t have to suffer in silence. My anxiety stems from Emetophobia (a fear of vomiting). I spent years being embarrassed about my phobia as I know there are many people out there that will roll their eyes when reading that. However, I’ve reached a point in my life where I no longer care what they think. I have Emetophobia and I’m going to shout it from the rooftops. It makes every day life incredibly difficult and I’m forever wrapped up in my anxiety. The anxiety has also brought on phases of depression throughout my teenage and adult life. I also have experience with self-harm and post-traumatic stress disorder. Having combined these, I’ve written these ten short stories to show people how life-altering mental health can be. 

When I was at my lowest, writing was my saviour. I started to blog and from there I found my purpose again. Since then, I’ve not looked back and have used writing as part of my recovery from anxiety and depression. I still have a long way to go but I finally feel as though I am making progress (thanks to my own hard work, therapy and antidepressants). 

I’ve always been frustrated that from the outside those suffering with their mental health often look fine. I wanted to go behind the facade and show the brutal truth behind it. Please take the time to consider what someone else might be going through. 

Best wishes, 

Elizabeth 

xxx

You can pre-order Behind Closed Doors here or wait for its release on Friday 13th August when it will also be available as a paperback.