Mental Health Awareness Week 2026
When I decided to write fantasy stories, I felt it was important to give my characters, especially the main character, problems that readers could relate to. Not only based on my own experiences, but also experiences in which other people might recognize themselves.
Isn't it easier to recognize your own problems in someone else you meet in a story than to recognize yourself in a non-fiction book?
In a fantasy story, I see the characters as my friends. In a non-fiction book, I feel more like a patient than a person, especially when I recognize all the symptoms listed as my own.
I’m glad that there is a week dedicated to mental health. Although over the years I have been able to 'resolve' some thoughts and feelings, or simply find a place for them, life remains unpredictable. Just like your physical health, your mental health is something you always need to pay attention to. Some days are easier than others. Taking things one step at a time is the only way forward.
The most important thing I want to achieve is for people who read my books to experience the same thing I felt when I lived through the story alongside the characters:
The feeling that someone is going through the same thing.
That someone understands what is going on inside your head.
That there is recognition, even in a world that doesn't exist.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
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