Profiles in Mental Health Courage

By: Patrick J. Kennedy, Stephen Fried

Narrated by: Johnny Heller, Patrick J. Kennedy

Profiles in Mental Health Courage portrays the dramatic journeys of a diverse group of Americans who have struggled with their mental health. This book offers deeply compelling stories about the bravery and resilience of those living with a variety of mental illnesses and addictions.

Several years ago, Patrick J. Kennedy shared the story of his personal and family challenges with mental illness and addiction—and the nation’s—in his bestselling memoir, A Common Struggle. Now, he and his Common Struggle coauthor, award-winning healthcare journalist Stephen Fried, have crafted this powerful new book sharing the untold stories of others—a special group who agreed to talk about their illnesses, treatments, and struggles for the first time.

When Kennedy’s uncle, President John F. Kennedy, published his classic book Profiles in Courage, he hoped to inspire “political courage” by telling the stories of brave U.S. senators who changed America.

In Profiles in Mental Health Courage, former Congressman Kennedy adapts his uncle’s idea to inspire the “mental health courage” it takes for those with these conditions to treat their illnesses, and risk telling their stories to help America face its crisis in our families, our workplaces, our jails, and on our streets. The resounding silence surrounding these illnesses remains persistent, and this book takes an unflinching look at the experience of mental illness and addiction that inspires profound connection, empathy, and action.

In this book, you’ll meet people of all ages, backgrounds, and futures, across politics and government, Hollywood and the arts, tech and business, sports and science—some recovering, some relapsing, some just barely holding on, but all sharing experiences and insights we need to better understand. You’ll also meet those trying to help them through—parents, siblings, spouses, therapists, bosses, doctors, and friends who create the extended families needed to support care and wellness.

The personal stories they share with Kennedy and Fried are intimate, sometimes shocking, always revealing. And they are essential listening for caregivers, family members, policymakers, and the general public—just as they are for those who often feel alone in experiencing these challenges themselves.

©2024 Patrick J. Kennedy and Stephen Fried (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“I assumed that nothing in a book of essays about people struggling with their mental health could surprise me. Then I read … Patrick J. Kennedy’s Profiles in Mental Health Courage, written with Stephen Fried … about the complicated relationship between addiction and mental health … a former congressman with his own history of substance abuse and bipolar disorder, [he] introduces readers introduces readers to … people living with mental illness who are not only functioning, but helping others.”—Judith Newman, New York Times Book Review

“Profiles in Mental Health Courage is a miracle, a book that will help and heal and inspire. I honestly do not know how the authors did it, but their ability to get the participants to lay their souls bare in such intimate detail, is both remarkable and profound. So many books profess to help in the woefully misunderstood area of mental health: this one does in a way that is unprecedented, riveting, readable and rooted in humanity.”—Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights

“Profiles in Mental Health Courage is a must read. I could not put it down. The stories of real families dealing with the messy, awful impacts of mental health and substance use are raw and unvarnished. It will make you want to do something about it.”—Kate Snow, NBC

Importance of mental health.

Having family members with serious mental health problems this book was comforting to hear as well as disturbing and quite triggering. My heart ached for all the families and was overwhelmed with their courage. I was envious of all the mental health facilities available on the east coast. Living in Pacific Northwest tends to make them few and far between. The ones available have years waiting lists and ER rooms immediately turn mentally ill and suicidal patients back onto the streets. Being able to travel long distances is not something everyone can do. I am glad this issue is getting some sorely needed attention. Thanks Patrick for being such an advocate. Writing this book must have been quite a challenge for you. Thanks for going through with the publication of your book.

Hearing the truth about loss and that it's ok to not be okay. As long as you do something with it.

The book and writers really took the time to ensure the flow from chapter to chapter.

Thank you!

Thank you to authors, reader, and everyone involved. You are not alone and I feel me and my family are not alone.

A book that needed to be written

As a family member with close relatives with mental illness and alcohol abuse, I loved the sensitively and candor of this book. It helped me to more deeply understand the pain that these loved ones have endured I can only hope that the book is one small step to getting the help for individuals suffering from these diseases that they deserve.

Had little to do with mental health

Largely this tome is about the perils of substance abuse. Certainly substance abuse presents a major problem, but to use mental health as a reason for substance abuse is begging the question of chicken or egg. I distinctly got the feeling that the substance abusers were attempting to garner sympathy under the guise of illness when actually they were unsympathetic drug abusers. Most assuredly some depressive people self medicate, but it seemed as if more of the subjects of this book lacked a level of self respect to admit that their own substance issues caused their lives to become a train wreck. Either way our society has a problem and if this book highlights it then it is a good book.