Pro­files in Men­tal Health Courage por­trays the dra­mat­ic jour­neys of a diverse group of Amer­i­cans who have strug­gled with their men­tal health. Sev­er­al years ago, Patrick J. Kennedy shared the sto­ry of his per­son­al and fam­i­ly chal­lenges with men­tal ill­ness in his best­selling mem­oir, A Com­mon Strug­gle. Now, he and his Com­mon Strug­gle coau­thor, award-win­ning health­care jour­nal­ist Stephen Fried, have craft­ed this pow­er­ful new book shar­ing the untold sto­ries of oth­ers. In Pro­files in Men­tal Health Courage, for­mer Con­gress­man Kennedy adapts his uncle’s idea to inspire the ​“men­tal health courage” it takes for those with these con­di­tions to treat their ill­ness­es, and risk telling their sto­ries to help Amer­i­ca face its cri­sis in our fam­i­lies, our work­places, our jails, and on our streets. This book takes an unflinch­ing look at the expe­ri­ence of men­tal ill­ness and addic­tion that inspires pro­found con­nec­tion, empa­thy, and action. In this book, you’ll meet peo­ple of all ages, back­grounds, and futures. The per­son­al sto­ries they share with Kennedy and Fried are inti­mate, some­times shock­ing, always reveal­ing. They are essen­tial read­ing for care­givers, fam­i­ly mem­bers, pol­i­cy­mak­ers, and the gen­er­al pub­lic — just as they are for those who often feel alone in expe­ri­enc­ing these chal­lenges themselves.