

Margaret S. Chisolm, MD
with John Hanc
foreword by Cal Ripken Jr.
illustrated by Natasha Chugh
What's holding you back? Learn how to take the steps needed to get to a place where you are happier, more productive, and more at peace.
Winner of the Nautilus Book Award by the Nautilus Book Awards, Finalist of the American Book Fest Best Book Award in Health - Psychology/Mental Health by the American Book Fest
Are you struggling with personal problems, a mental health condition, or addiction? Are you looking to permanently improve your well-being and happiness? If you'd like to lead a fuller, more satisfying life—or help a mentally ill loved one—this book is for you.
In From Survive to Thrive...
What's holding you back? Learn how to take the steps needed to get to a place where you are happier, more productive, and more at peace.
Winner of the Nautilus Book Award by the Nautilus Book Awards, Finalist of the American Book Fest Best Book Award in Health - Psychology/Mental Health by the American Book Fest
Are you struggling with personal problems, a mental health condition, or addiction? Are you looking to permanently improve your well-being and happiness? If you'd like to lead a fuller, more satisfying life—or help a mentally ill loved one—this book is for you.
In From Survive to Thrive, Dr. Margaret S. Chisolm, a psychiatrist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, describes a tried-and-true plan to help anyone grappling with life's challenges learn how to flourish. Dr. Chisolm does not define health as the mere absence of illness. She wants you to be able to lead the best life possible—to thrive! In down-to-earth prose, Dr. Chisolm provides insight into how readers can cultivate healthy habits and more positive reactions to life's provocations, choosing not to allow past life circumstances or a disease state to define their well-being. She also
• introduces the four perspectives through which all mental distress should be examined: disease, dimensional, behavior, and life story
• describes the four pathways associated with well-being: family, work, education, and community
• includes fascinating stories from her own clinical (and personal) experience featuring real people who found fulfillment by embracing these perspectives and pathways
• supplements detailed, step-by-step advice with interactive elements, including self-assessments and self-reflection exercises
• incorporates graphic elements to illustrate important lessons
This upbeat guide is the first to detail evidence-based principles for improving well-being in those with mental illness.
Heartily recommended. Dr. Chisolm is broad-minded in her understanding of patients and the full range of issues and concerns that fill their lives.
Chisolm does a brilliant job weaving together her case study experience and personal story to explain what constitutes a thriving life and how to find fulfillment. I recommend this book with enthusiasm.
Providing a refreshing new approach to understanding and alleviating mental illness, this book combines engaging writing and illustrative narratives with courageous self-disclosure and interactive exercises. Dr. Chisolm is candid and compelling. Her book separates itself from the pack by offering a much-needed perspective.
There is a plethora of emotional self-help books available, but From Survive to Thrive is unique in its pragmatic approach to guiding people to recovery. This book is a transformative companion—one that sensibly enables individuals to understand their perspectives, accompanying them to an ultimate fulfillment in life that arises from within.
Once I started reading this book, I found it difficult to put down. With engaging case examples, clear and lively writing, and practical guidance, Dr. Chisolm—a highly experienced psychiatrist—leads us on a journey to find new ways of 'flourishing.' This book will be enlightening for individuals struggling with mental illness or addiction, as well as their family members and friends.
As a practicing psychiatrist and the mother of a child with a serious mental illness who IS currently thriving, I highly recommend this book for anyone struggling with a mental illness who wants to maximize their recovery, understand their illness better, and even become a healthier and happier person.
Meg Chisolm uses the powerful story of her own postpartum depression to explain how mental illness is shaped by biology, personality, behavior, and life experiences—and how an understanding of these elements can help people move beyond stigma to lead rich, productive, and fulfilling lives with mental illness. What a gift!
Foreword, by Cal Ripken, Jr.
Introduction
1.
2. You Can't Run From Mental Illness, but You Can HIDE: How the Four Perspectives Approach Can Launch You on the Road to Flourishing
3. Foundations of
Foreword, by Cal Ripken, Jr.
Introduction
1.
2. You Can't Run From Mental Illness, but You Can HIDE: How the Four Perspectives Approach Can Launch You on the Road to Flourishing
3. Foundations of Flourishing: The Life Story Perspective
4. Foundations of Flourishing: The Dimensional Perspective
5. Foundations of Flourishing: The Behavior Perspective
6. Foundations of Flourishing: The Disease Perspective
7. Family, Work, Education, Community: The Four Pathways That Point to a Life Fulfilled
8. Where the Roads to Flourishing Converge: Bringing the Four Perspectives and the Four Pathways Together
9. Learning to Fly: What it Feels like to Flourish, and how to Navigate the Turbulence
References
Resources
Acknowledgments
Index
with Hopkins Press Books