Hartlepool mum opens up about mental health struggles in best-selling book to help others

Abigail Tennant’s debut book about her struggles called Beautifully Broken became the number one title in several categories on Amazon.

Her highly personal story is a unique combination of a biography and self help book with the aim of challenging the stigma around mental health and highlighting to others going through difficult circumstances that it is possible to come out the other side.

Abigail, 32, of Easington Road, who is mum to two children, aged four and six, reached a crisis point after separating from her children’s father and suffering from a neurological illness that resulted in her being admitted to hospital for three days.

She said: “Cognitive behaviour therapy helped me realise I had been suffering with depression and anxiety for a lot longer.

“All the way from school I was bullied by people I thought were friends I wanted to fit in with.

“A lot of the things I write in the book I wished someone had told me before these things happened, that it’s OK to be me rather than trying to fit in.

“That is more detrimental to mental health. It is definitely more personal than other self help books out there.

“In one chapter I describe a particular self help tool I have come across and give my experience of how I have used it.”

Just hours after the book’s release, Beautifully Broken was among Amazon’s best sellers in Psychological Education and Training and also Teen and Young Adult Women Biographies categories alongside Oprah Winfrey.

Abigail, who is studying psychology at university and provides mentoring to others through her business Attuned Mindset, hopes it will help to get more people to opening up about mental health challenges.

She added: “Everyone has mental health. My worry is this is sadly overlooked and people are not making their mental wellbeing a priority. “The feedback I’ve had so far has been really positive.

“I’m really happy with the way the book has turned out.”

Beautifully Broken is available for Kindle priced £2.99 and in paperback at £10.99.