"Even in the terrible times you can survive and even thrive" - new book

#The Crazy Bookworm: Books, Mental Health And Me has been self-published by Becky Powell who grew up in Bexhill.

It is available in paperback £6.99 and kindle £2.99 on Amazon and on Draft2digital.

It is also available on beckycpowell.com,

Becky, aged 50, who attended Bexhill High School, Downs Infant School and King Offa Primary School, is a nurse by background and worked at Bexhill hospital day surgery unit and also in Hastings.

“I had a mental breakdown in 2015 and was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression.

“I struggled to carry out simple everyday tasks etc and I also was unable to leave the house.

“I had agoraphobia.

“I started writing a journal and turned to my favourite books for comfort and hope.

“And it sort of took off. The writing in my journal every day kept me going and gave me something to focus on.

“I have always read since I could pick up a book basically!

“And I have written stories since I was little.

“I used to make them into little books and design the front covers.

“The writing of Crazy Bookworm took about a year. I started writing it just before the Covid pandemic.

“I was furloughed from my job as a medical rep so it gave me more time to write.”

She hopes the book is “an inspiration and comfort for any mental health sufferers to show that you can get through even the dark days.”

It is also, she says, “for anyone who has lost their way in life.

“I’ve always wanted to write a book and finally I have done it!

“I started writing in my journal daily as I was going through this awful time.

“And then I thought in 2020 as I had more time and felt ready to do it then it would be good to try and put it into a book.

“I started writing it and it did change a lot to include research I found on the internet etc so it contains self-help stuff as well.

“In the book I have included some of my favourite books that I turned to at the time.

“I used their stories and characters as a way to help to guide me through that awful time.

“The characters gave me inspiration that even in the terrible times you can survive and even thrive.

“I loved writing it and hope to have more books published in the future.

“This is a stand-alone book but I have almost completed my second book which is on poetry. It is called Love Less Ordinary: A Poetic Journey. Then I am going to try my hand at fiction!

“I love books and writing is part of my DNA. A bookshop or library is my happy place. I’ve always written for myself and had a few things published in magazines and newspapers.

“ I’ve been writing stories for as long as I can remember. It just is a natural thing for me, like breathing.

“A life without my books and writing doesn’t bear thinking about, to be honest.”