All My Worldly Joy: A Memoir of Motherhood and Mental Health

(Hardback)

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A powerful memoir of how a traumatic journey to motherhood helped one woman revisit the myriad mental-health assessments she'd endured since childhood, and led her to an autism diagnosis which helped her find the support and recognition she'd needed all along.

Laura Richmond had no idea that childbirth could result in post-traumatic stress until she experienced it for herself. Following a traumatic labour and the subsequent admission to a psychiatric mother and baby unit together with her six-week-old son, she was compelled to write the book that she'd needed to read in the midst of this experience.

But as Laura wrote her story she realised that there was another, larger narrative. Having been funnelled into mental health services for almost twenty years, she had tried every medication going and everyone had different views about what her problem was. Eventually she came to the conclusion that sometimes no one - however qualified they are or however deeply they care - really knows what to say or do. The services we have are not always fit for purpose.

Laura retraces her steps through all of this - teenage years with a bipolar diagnosis, the decision to have a child after being diagnosed with a lifelong mental illness, the concept of 'personality disorder' and what it means; the ways in which trauma shapes us and directs us, and how we learn to trust ourselves as parents and as people.

All My Worldly Joy is a story of self-discovery, of purpose, and of profound love. It is a story of how one woman's life has been transformed, and of the thousand tiny joys her son brings her every day.

Reviews

'A literary star is born in Laura Richmond. All My Worldly Joy is an astonishing memoir. Perfectly straddling the line of heart-cracking and side-splitting, Laura bleeds her most vulnerable moments in tender, honest prose with searing wit and insight. For such difficult subject matter its an astoundingly easy read, thanks to Lauras warm, hilarious and soul-baring writing style. Moreover, Laura unwittingly provides a protagonist to fall in love with - herself. Youll want to reach into the pages, give her a big hug and tell her shes wonderful. All My Worldly Joy is, and I do not say this lightly, a masterpiece. If its not an instant bestseller, I will personally flip a table' Sara Gibbs, author of Drama Queen: One Autistic Woman and a Life of Unhelpful Labels

'Laura Richmond writes with frankness, humour, and great intelligence about motherhood and mental health. This book is beautiful and heartbreaking, but also filled with love and humanity. Richmonds voice is absolutely incredible, and I want to hear more of it' Miranda Ward, author of Adrift: Fieldnotes from Almost-Motherhood

'In this beautifully written and incredibly moving memoir, Laura manages to shine a light on a mental health system that has for so many been unfit for purpose. This book is now going to be my first recommendation for any therapist who wants to work with new mothers' Dr Miriam Donaghy, psychotherapist and founder of MumsAid

Author Bio

Laura Richmond is a researcher, campaigner and consultant who works to improve mental health care, especially for parents and families. She was admitted to a psychiatric mother and baby unit after the birth of her son in 2014. After completing her PhD in medieval history, she switched careers using her own lived experience of complex trauma and autism in partnership with charities, universities and the NHS. All My Worldly Joy is her first book. She lives in Southampton with her son and two cats.