Groove: Stories to Refresh the Way We Think and Feel about Our Mental Illnesses

You're one of the millions of people who struggle with mental illness. You struggle in silence, hoping to avoid stares, whispers, and prejudice. But society’s judgment has also become your inner voice. Guilt, shame, and low self-worth have entrenched themselves in your mind and heart like old grooves of sun-hardened soil. These false beliefs need loosening, turning, tilling, and ploughing until the old grooves give way to new grooves of God’s Truth.

In Groove: Stories to Refresh the Way We Think and Feel about Our Mental Illnesses, mental health advocate Daphne Tarango and nine inspirational writers tell how they've overturned the old grooves and false beliefs about their own mental illnesses. Groove offers encouragement and firsthand experiences from men and women who know what it’s like to have mental illness. You'll relate to their inspirational stories about relationships, coping skills, managing symptoms, career and home, life stages and milestones, even stories about their pets, the holidays, and much more.

Groove includes 52 thought-provoking stories, one for each week of the year. Each entry ends with a series of questions so you can reflect and dig deeper grooves on the topic for that week. As you read Groove, you'll learn how to build new grooves using God’s word and how those new grooves can change your life, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you carry yourself. You can even read and work through the questions with a small group.

Whether you're recently diagnosed with a mental illness or have struggled with mental illness for years, Groove can help you refresh the way you think and feel about your mental illness, all by believing and applying the Truth in God's word.

Daphne Tarango is Author. Speaker. Encourager. Freelancer. Recovery leader. Marketing researcher. Writers group President. Adoption advocate. Stay-at-home mom. Bipolar. And more importantly, follower of Jesus. Daphne inspires people to take biblical steps to personal growth and freedom. Visit Daphne at daphnewrites.com.

Grace Ciszkowski is an artist, educator and survivor of kidnapping. Currently, she is writing a book about her kidnapping, child abuse, and her healing journey from severe Depression, Anxiety and Dissociative Disorders. Visit Grace at healingheart18.wix.com/graceciszkowski.

Carley Cooper is a single, Christian woman living with Bipolar Disorder, Major Depression, and Social Anxiety Disorder. Visit Carley at CarleyCooper.com.

Chelsea Dearie is a pastor's wife and a stay-at-home mom. She writes about trials of her faith and depression in Faith Through Fears and Failures (faithfearsfailures.blogspot.com).

Over fifteen years of marketing, sales, and public relations in the corporate world gave Jana Letterman needed training and experience. It also left her with a longing for something more. This journey led to the writing of The D Diary available now on Amazon.com and Jana’s website and blog at www.alightfilledlife.com.

Bryan Lowe is a pastor who lives in Homer, Alaska, with his family. Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in 2002, he also is a brain tumor survivor. His ministry is “For the Struggler, the Rascal, the Mentally Ill, and All Who Follow Jesus With a Limp.” Visit Bryan at brokenbelievers.com.

Elena Rosario is wife to Reverend Julio Rosario Jr. and proud mother to Daphne and Julio III. She is excited to be a grandmother to four beautiful children.

Marsha Stephenson is an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer. She is currently writing a book on living with bipolar. Visit Marsha on her blog at marshastephenson.wordpress.com.

Luis Tarango is father of three and husband to his talented and beautiful wife Daphne. Although diagnosed with chronic depression just over three years ago, Luis has dealt with mental illness most of his life.

Deanna Wiseburn is a follower of Jesus, who longs to share with others the life-changing benefits of being a believer. She shares her growth experiences and life lessons on her blog “The Pure Sacrifice.” Visit Deanna at thepuresacrifice.wordpress.com.