Mental Health Awareness Month (May)

Graphic novels, staff recommendations, & resources

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! At GOCC, we pride ourselves on having an expansive selection of graphic novels, guides, and memoirs on the subject of mental health. Here, you will find a list of what books we currently (and have recently) carried, book recommendations from staff members, and state-wide resources for those in need.

• Graphic novel selections
  • Adult
  • Kids & young adults
• GOCC staff recommendations and reviews
• Local, state, & federal mental health resources
• Contact us!

Graphic novel selections (A-Z by title)

For adults:

For kids and young adults:

Resource for young kid’s mental health books

Staff Recommendations and Reviews

Everything is OK by Debbie Tung

From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman: My Hotshot Disciples Are All Grown Up Now, and They Won’t Leave Me Alone by Shigeru Sagazaki

“Beryl Gardinant is a swordsman in his mid-forties who teaches at a small dojo in a countryside village. Though viewing himself as thoroughly unimpressive, one day, he is visited by one of his former pupils and invited to become an instructor for the knights of the Liberion Order in the capital. Reluctantly accepting the offer, this leads to Beryl reuniting with many other former disciples and discovering that they have all become highly accomplished individuals using the “backwater” skills he taught them.”

The main character of the manga deals heavily with imposter syndrome which is a huge issue when it comes to mental health. A bit more lighthearted but still a valid struggle. – Lux P.

Heart in a Box by Kelly Thompson and Meredith McClaren

Trauma is Really Strange, Anxiety is Really Strange, and Pain is Really Strange by Steve Haines and Sophie Standing

I believe that everyone should own or have access to these books. The information is digestible, engaging, and practical, and the art is simplistic but captivating. The information shared in this series is pertinent to understanding mental health and applicable to most of us. I found these books to be very accessible with the information as well as a great resource for understanding our brains and bodies. These resources can also be great for those of us trying to take the first steps on grasping mental illness. These books have now become my adult version of the American Girls The Care and Keeping of You book that I read religiously from the age of 7 to approximately 12/13. The remaining books in the series are Touch is Really Strange, Forgiveness is Really Strange, and Gender is Really Strange – which at time of writing I still have yet to read but if they are any similar to how the aforementioned books read, then I have no doubt they will be anything short of a great read. Here are some takeaways I got from each book:

Anxiety: 

• Our brains and bodies are not as finite and stationary as we think they are in regards to responding to certain events and stimuli in our lives. Sometimes, it’s our habits and lifestyle choices that can have just as much of a part to play in our responses as our experiences. Just as we are able to choose how to respond to our emotions and feelings, we can also rewire our brains and bodies on how we respond to our fight or flight mode in certain situations. 
• Sitting with our negative emotions can be challenging, but can ultimately be rewarding if we learn how to work through them. 
• While we may not be able to eradicate anxiety entirely, we as emotionally complex beings can train our brains, bodies, and habits like a muscle to overcome uncomfortable feelings. 
• There is such a thing as a healthy amount of anxiety. 

Trauma:

• Trauma is known to be this big, scary thing. But just like anxiety, trauma responses are often ways our body protects itself. 
• Earliest signs of trauma may have started as early as being born. 
• “We can overcome trauma.”
• “Healing trauma is about meeting the body.”
• Rationalization is not necessary to start the process of healing.
• Healing trauma is not about remembering, it’s about self regulating. 
• Many of the same points from anxiety can also be applied to trauma and understanding it. 

Pain:

• Pain is our body’s way of raising an alarm of potentially being unsafe. 
• Pain includes not only physical, but can be emotional.
• Chronic pain can be imprinted in the brain long term, even if the source of pain has been healed or removed (i.e. phantom pains on an amputated limb).
• We can become “sensitized” if we feel a constant pain for long enough (weeks, even months after the initial feeling or incident).
• “Fixed habits limit our ability to learn and grow”
• Exploring intense sensations with curiosity instead of fear.

Some commonalities between the books:

• Physiology and psychology are extremely interconnected (not as disconnected as we are led to believe). 
• Habits such as diet and lifestyle can drastically affect our bodies response to anxiety, trauma, and pain.
• Learning how to be grounded in times of extreme stress, pain, or anxiety. 
• These are all primitive feelings that exist inside our bodies, and as complex beings, it is our responsibility to learn how to manage them. 
• There are ways to self regulate that exist inside and outside of the body.
• WE DO NOT ALWAYS NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT TO OVERCOME IT

-Luna Z.

The Fire Never Goes Out by ND Stevenson

“In a collection of essays and personal mini-comics that span eight years of his young adult life, author-illustrator N.D. Stevenson charts the highs and lows of being a creative human in the world. Whether it’s hearing the wrong name called at his art school graduation ceremony or becoming a National Book Award finalist for his debut graphic novel, Nimona, N.D. captures the little and big moments that make up a real life, with a wit, wisdom, and vulnerability that are all his own.”

I’ve always been a big fan of ND Stevenson’s work, such as Lumberjanes and Nimona. Dealing with burnout in the midst of your creative prime is all too real. There’s nothing more frustrating than having your own mental illness be your creative roadblock (while sometimes simultaneously the “fire” that keeps you going). I found it interesting to see how a prolific artist and writer of modern day YA material handles dealing with depression, self doubt, and traumatic life experiences while writing about love, support, and maintaining positive messaging in his stories. I truly believe that ND Stevenson is one of the modern day faces of YA storytelling, and reading this memoir was like getting a glance behind the scenes. – Luna Z.

Questions on in-store availability on any selections? Contact us!

• Phone: (360)-459-7721
• Email: olympiccardsandcomics@gmail.com
• Facebook: Gabi’s Olympic Cards and Comics
• Instagram: GabisOCC

Are you or someone you know in a mental health crisis or emergency?

• Suicide and Crisis Hotline: call 988
• National Alliance on Mental Health
• Mental Health America
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• The Trevor Project: LGBTQIA+ mental health and crisis hotline
• Thurston County Mental Health Resources & Suicide Prevention