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Self-Help Library — Books, Audiobooks, Courses, Apps & Tools

Chapter 10 of 18 in Notbroken's Free Metabolic & Mental Health Help Directory: 104 listings in 9 categories, each carefully checked. Open the full directory of 2299 listings.
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Last Updated: November 1, 2026 • For Educational Purposes Only • Not Medical Advice • Created by Nathan Leary
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Self-Help Library — Books, Audiobooks, Courses, Apps & Tools
104 listings · 9 categories
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Self-Help Library — Books, Audiobooks, Courses, Apps & Tools
SELF-HELP
SELF-HELP

Self-Help Library — Books, Audiobooks, Courses, Apps & Tools

Everything else in Discover points you to other people. This chapter is for what you can do yourself, tonight, with a library card or a phone: the books, audiobooks, workbooks, free courses, videos, podcasts, apps and printable tools that people and clinicians keep coming back to because they produce results. It covers the same ground as the rest of the directory — metabolic health and type 2 diabetes remission, ketogenic therapy for mental health (metabolic psychiatry), depression and anxiety, trauma and addiction recovery, ADHD, autism and other neurodivergence, sleep, cooking and eating on a budget, movement and breathing, and living with chronic pain and long-term illness. Each listing says what the resource teaches and the evidence behind it (a trial, a clinical scheme, an award, or very wide use), who it suits, what it costs and whether an audiobook exists; most books are free from public libraries. Where a well-known resource has real criticisms, the listing says so. None of it replaces your own clinician, and nothing here means changing medication on your own. Every resource was opened and checked before it was added.

Metabolic Health — Books, Audiobooks, Courses & Free Guides

Life Without Diabetes: The definitive guide to understanding and reversing type 2 diabetes — Professor Roy Taylor (book & audiobook)

https://simonandschuster.com.au/books/Life-Without-Diabetes/Roy-Taylor/9781761633256
Paperback, ebook (approx. A$13) and unabridged audiobook; updated edition June 2025; widely available from public libraries.
What It Does
The book from the Newcastle University scientist who showed type 2 diabetes can be put into remission. It explains how losing 10–15 kg clears fat from the liver and pancreas, then gives the three-step Newcastle plan: an 8–12 week low-calorie phase, food reintroduction and long-term weight maintenance, with recipes. His DiRECT trial (The Lancet, 2018) found 46% of people in remission at one year.
Who It Helps
People with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, especially soon after diagnosis (not type 1). If you take insulin, sulfonylureas or blood-pressure medication, plan the low-calorie phase with your GP.
Paperback, ebook (approx. A$13) and unabridged audiobook; updated edition June 2025; widely available from public libraries.
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Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease—and How to Fight It — Benjamin Bikman PhD (book & audiobook)

https://benbellabooks.com/shop/why-we-get-sick/
Paperback and ebook (US$12.99–18.95) plus audiobook (approx. US$15–25); widely available from public libraries including Hoopla and OverDrive. Note: Argues insulin resistance underlies most chronic disease, including cancer and Alzheimer's, beyond the settled evidence; the author co-founded a meal-replacement company.
What It Does
A metabolic scientist's plain-English explanation of insulin resistance — what it is, how to tell if you have it, and why it underlies weight gain, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver and PCOS — followed by a practical plan: fewer refined carbohydrates, enough protein, whole-food fats, time-restricted eating and strength exercise, with food lists. Often recommended by metabolic-health clinicians; 2020 Foreword INDIES honourable mention.
Who It Helps
People who want to understand the mechanism behind prediabetes, weight gain or metabolic syndrome before changing how they eat. If you take insulin or glucose-lowering drugs, involve your prescriber before cutting carbohydrate.
Paperback and ebook (US$12.99–18.95) plus audiobook (approx. US$15–25); widely available from public libraries including Hoopla and OverDrive. Note: Argues insulin resistance underlies most chronic disease, including cancer and Alzheimer's, beyond the settled evidence; the author co-founded a meal-replacement company.
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The Obesity Code & The Diabetes Code — Dr Jason Fung (books & audiobooks)

https://www.doctorjasonfung.com/
Paperback, ebook and audiobook for both titles (approx. US$12–20 each); companion cookbooks and journal also available; widely held by public libraries. Note: Fung's insulin-centred model and dismissal of calorie balance are disputed by many obesity researchers, and he is sharply critical of diabetes medication.
What It Does
Two companion books by the kidney specialist who brought intermittent fasting into weight and diabetes care. The Obesity Code argues that weight gain is driven by hormones, chiefly insulin, not willpower, and gives five steps: cut added sugar and refined grains, eat more fibre and natural fats, moderate protein, and fast. The Diabetes Code applies this to type 2 diabetes. Over 2 million copies sold.
Who It Helps
Adults with excess weight, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes struggling with calorie-counting. On insulin, sulfonylureas or SGLT2 inhibitors, involve your prescriber first; not for eating-disorder histories or pregnancy.
Paperback, ebook and audiobook for both titles (approx. US$12–20 each); companion cookbooks and journal also available; widely held by public libraries. Note: Fung's insulin-centred model and dismissal of calorie balance are disputed by many obesity researchers, and he is sharply critical of diabetes medication.
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Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine — Robert H. Lustig MD (book & audiobook)

https://www.robertlustig.com/metabolical/
Hardcover, paperback, ebook and audiobook (approx. US$13–20; audiobook on Audible and library apps such as Hoopla); widely available from public libraries. Note: Some nutrition scientists consider Lustig's case against sugar overstated and the book more manifesto than manual; its practical rules match mainstream advice.
What It Does
The paediatric endocrinologist behind the 2009 lecture 'Sugar: The Bitter Truth' sets out how processed food drives the eight cellular processes behind chronic disease and why medicine treats symptoms instead. The practical core is two supermarket rules: protect the liver (cut added sugar and refined carbohydrate) and feed the gut (eat fibre in whole foods). Successor to his New York Times bestseller Fat Chance.
Who It Helps
Readers, including parents, who want the big picture on sugar, processed food and metabolic disease and simple eating rules. Long and argumentative rather than a step-by-step meal plan.
Hardcover, paperback, ebook and audiobook (approx. US$13–20; audiobook on Audible and library apps such as Hoopla); widely available from public libraries. Note: Some nutrition scientists consider Lustig's case against sugar overstated and the book more manifesto than manual; its practical rules match mainstream advice.
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Ultra-Processed People: Why We Can't Stop Eating Food That Isn't Food — Chris van Tulleken (book & audiobook)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/744755/ultra-processed-people-by-c
Hardcover, paperback, ebook and audiobook (11 h 36 min, read by the author and his twin brother; approx. US$12–26); very widely available from public libraries. Note: Reviewers note the mechanisms by which UPF harms health are being established and some statistics are disputed; the core advice is mainstream.
What It Does
An infectious-diseases doctor spends a month eating 80% ultra-processed food, then explains what UPF is, how it is engineered to be overeaten, and what it does to appetite, weight and metabolic health. The takeaway is a simple test: does the ingredients list contain things you would not find in a home kitchen? New York Times bestseller; 2024 Fortnum & Mason Debut Food Book Award.
Who It Helps
Anyone, including parents, who wants to understand why they overeat some foods and change what goes in the trolley. About the food environment, not a programme: no meal plan.
Hardcover, paperback, ebook and audiobook (11 h 36 min, read by the author and his twin brother; approx. US$12–26); very widely available from public libraries. Note: Reviewers note the mechanisms by which UPF harms health are being established and some statistics are disputed; the core advice is mainstream.
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The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living — Stephen D. Phinney MD PhD & Jeff S. Volek PhD RD (book)

https://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN9780983490708
Paperback and Kindle ebook (approx. US$20–30); no audiobook; the link is the Google Books page, which has a 'Find in a library' option. The authors' own site was unreachable from Australia when checked. Note: The authors' view that saturated fat is harmless within a ketogenic diet is disputed by mainstream cardiology, so have your lipids checked.
What It Does
The foundational 2011 text of low-carbohydrate and ketogenic nutrition, by the two researchers whose work underpins most clinical low-carb teaching. It explains insulin resistance as 'carbohydrate intolerance', how the body adapts to running on fat and ketones, why the first weeks feel rough and how to manage them (salt, magnesium, protein targets). The authors later co-founded Virta Health and co-authored its type 2 diabetes trials.
Who It Helps
People who want the full science and practical detail of a well-formulated low-carb or ketogenic diet, and clinicians and carers supporting them. Technical and dense; not a gentle first introduction. If you take insulin, sulfonylureas or blood-pressure medication, involve your prescriber before starting; doses often need lowering within days.
Paperback and Kindle ebook (approx. US$20–30); no audiobook; the link is the Google Books page, which has a 'Find in a library' option. The authors' own site was unreachable from Australia when checked. Note: The authors' view that saturated fat is harmless within a ketogenic diet is disputed by mainstream cardiology, so have your lipids checked.
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Diet Doctor — free low-carb & keto guides, recipes and video courses

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb
Free guides, recipes, two-week challenge, starter video course and recipe app. Diet Doctor Plus (meal plans, programmes, full courses) US$14.99/month or US$119/year; no ads.
What It Does
Self-described as the world's largest low-carb and keto education site, where everything necessary is free: beginner and type 2 diabetes guides, visual carbohydrate guides, more than 1,000 recipes, a two-week challenge and leaflets in around 40 languages. Every guide is doctor-written or reviewed, with research claims linked and graded. Around 500,000 visits a day; funded by membership, not adverts.
Who It Helps
Anyone starting low-carb or keto for weight, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes wanting trustworthy free guidance. If you take diabetes or blood-pressure medication, involve your doctor first; doses need reducing.
Free guides, recipes, two-week challenge, starter video course and recipe app. Diet Doctor Plus (meal plans, programmes, full courses) US$14.99/month or US$119/year; no ads.
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Freshwell Low Carb Project — free website, app and meal planners from NHS GPs

https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Free; website, downloadable PDF guides and meal planners, and the Freshwell app (iOS and Android); no referral, account or payment needed.
What It Does
A free, self-guided low-carb programme from two NHS GPs in Essex, created after their patients lost weight and came off medication on real-food, lower-carbohydrate eating. It offers a one-page guide to what to eat, a red/amber/green food guide, free four-week meal planners, videos and a free app. Across its local NHS network, 339 patients lost a combined 1,103 kg in 18 months.
Who It Helps
Anyone with excess weight, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes wanting a simple, no-cost start from family doctors; also a GP handout. Ask your prescriber first if on insulin or sulfonylureas.
Free; website, downloadable PDF guides and meal planners, and the Freshwell app (iOS and Android); no referral, account or payment needed.
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Public Health Collaboration — free Real Food booklets & Dr David Unwin's sugar infographics

https://phcuk.org/resources/
Free PDF downloads (infographics in about 40 languages, booklets in English and Italian); printed packs come with paid UK membership; optional email sign-up. Note: NICE withdrew its 2016 endorsement of the sugar infographics in 2020 for implying support for a low-carbohydrate diet, not for inaccuracy.
What It Does
Free, printable patient resources from a UK metabolic-health charity, built around GP Dr David Unwin's work. His sugar infographics show the blood-glucose effect of everyday foods as teaspoons of table sugar, in about 40 languages, alongside Real Food booklets and his Norwood Protocol for GP practices. Unwin's practice audit (BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 2023) reported drug-free remission in 51% of 186 patients.
Who It Helps
People with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, and their families, wanting a few clear pages for the fridge; also a tested clinician handout. Make medication changes with your doctor.
Free PDF downloads (infographics in about 40 languages, booklets in English and Italian); printed packs come with paid UK membership; optional email sign-up. Note: NICE withdrew its 2016 endorsement of the sugar infographics in 2020 for implying support for a low-carbohydrate diet, not for inaccuracy.
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Reversing Type 2 diabetes starts with ignoring the guidelines — Dr Sarah Hallberg, TEDxPurdueU (free video)

https://www.virtahealth.com/blog/dr-sarah-hallberg-ted-talk-reversing-diabetes
Free; the TEDx video is on YouTube and embedded on Virta Health's page; no account needed.
What It Does
An 18-minute 2015 TEDx talk, watched more than 8 million times, where a physician running a supervised weight-loss clinic explains why a disease of carbohydrate intolerance is poorly served by advice to eat 'healthy carbs', and what happened when her patients went low-carb. She later led the Virta Health trial (Diabetes Therapy, 2018): about 60% of those who completed the year met its definition of diabetes reversal (HbA1c below 6.5% on no diabetes medication, or metformin only).
Who It Helps
Anyone with type 2 diabetes who needs to hear from a physician that remission is possible. A talk, not a programme; have your doctor adjust medication as her patients did.
Free; the TEDx video is on YouTube and embedded on Virta Health's page; no account needed.
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Adapt Your Life Academy — Dr Eric Westman (free YouTube videos & paid keto courses)

https://adaptyourlifeacademy.com/
YouTube channel and newsletter free; Start Keto Right course US$15; other courses paid (prices vary, periodic enrolment windows). Note: Results are student testimonials rather than trials, and the Academy also sells a carnivore-diet course that goes beyond the evidence.
What It Does
Plain-spoken low-carb and keto education from the Duke University physician who ran some of the first clinical trials of ketogenic diets for type 2 diabetes. Free YouTube videos and a newsletter sit alongside paid courses, starting with a US$15 beginner course. The method is deliberately simple: a one-page food list, a daily carbohydrate ceiling (typically 20 g to start), eat when hungry, no calorie counting.
Who It Helps
People who want a doctor to say what to eat for weight or diabetes, no tracking. On insulin or sulfonylureas, your prescriber must adjust doses as glucose falls.
YouTube channel and newsletter free; Start Keto Right course US$15; other courses paid (prices vary, periodic enrolment windows). Note: Results are student testimonials rather than trials, and the Academy also sells a carnivore-diet course that goes beyond the evidence.
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Metabolic Psychiatry — Ketogenic Therapy for Mental Health

Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health — Christopher M. Palmer MD (book & audiobook)

https://brainenergy.com/
Hardcover (approx. US$29), ebook (approx. US$15) and unabridged audiobook read by the author (12 h 30 min); widely held by public libraries. Note: The 'brain energy theory' is a hypothesis still being tested; evidence for ketogenic therapy in psychiatry remains pilot trials and case series.
What It Does
The book that brought 'metabolic psychiatry' to a general audience. Palmer, a Harvard psychiatrist, argues that depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and addiction share a root in how brain cells make and use energy, then works through the levers: sleep, light, exercise, alcohol, medications and diet, including the medical ketogenic diet. Evidence is early but real, including the Stanford pilot (2024: 21 adults, average 31% improvement).
Who It Helps
Anyone with a serious or stubborn mental illness, and their families, who want an explanation of why metabolism matters. Not a diet manual; never change psychiatric medication without your prescriber.
Hardcover (approx. US$29), ebook (approx. US$15) and unabridged audiobook read by the author (12 h 30 min); widely held by public libraries. Note: The 'brain energy theory' is a hypothesis still being tested; evidence for ketogenic therapy in psychiatry remains pilot trials and case series.
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Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind: A Powerful Plan to Improve Mood, Overcome Anxiety, and Protect Memory for a Lifetime of Optimal Mental Health — Georgia Ede MD (book & audiobook)

https://www.diagnosisdiet.com/change-your-diet-change-your-mind
Hardcover (US$32.50), paperback (US$21.99), ebook (US$14.99) and unabridged audiobook (US$31.99); widely available from public libraries; newsletter subscribers get a free guide to refined carbohydrates. Note: Ede's positions on red meat, saturated fat and plant-based diets run against mainstream dietary guidelines, and the mental-health evidence is still pilot-stage.
What It Does
The practical companion to Brain Energy: a Harvard-trained psychiatrist shows what to eat. Ede explains how to check whether you are insulin resistant, then offers plans of increasing strictness: a whole-food moderate-carbohydrate plan, a ketogenic plan and a carnivore-style elimination option, with food lists and medication guidance. She co-authored the first inpatient ketogenic-diet study in treatment-resistant mental illness (2022) and led the 2026 expert consensus.
Who It Helps
People or carers wanting a food-first plan for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, cravings or memory concerns. Do the ketogenic chapters with your prescriber; not for crisis or underweight anorexia.
Hardcover (US$32.50), paperback (US$21.99), ebook (US$14.99) and unabridged audiobook (US$31.99); widely available from public libraries; newsletter subscribers get a free guide to refined carbohydrates. Note: Ede's positions on red meat, saturated fat and plant-based diets run against mainstream dietary guidelines, and the mental-health evidence is still pilot-stage.
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THINK+SMART — free self-guided ketogenic therapy & lifestyle program (Metabolic Mind)

https://www.metabolicmind.org/thinksmart/
Free; email sign-up required to receive the e-books, worksheets and email course; no app or purchase needed. Note: Self-guided and not itself tested in a trial; the evidence for ketogenic therapy in psychiatry remains pilot studies and case series.
What It Does
A free programme for trying ketogenic therapy for a psychiatric condition, with a plan to take to your care team. THINK covers the diet in clinic order: baseline blood tests, protein and fat targets, ketone goals. SMART covers Sleep, Move, Avoid, Rebuild and Track. Sign-up brings three e-books, worksheets, a multi-month email course and recovery stories. Built by the Baszucki family after their son's recovery.
Who It Helps
Adults with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety or OCD stable enough to plan a change, and their families. Self-guided: arrange the supervision it describes; not during an acute episode.
Free; email sign-up required to receive the e-books, worksheets and email course; no app or purchase needed. Note: Self-guided and not itself tested in a trial; the evidence for ketogenic therapy in psychiatry remains pilot studies and case series.
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Dr Georgia Ede's Guide to Ketogenic Diets and Psychiatric Medications — free PDF, with Metabolic Mind's 'Keto & Psych Meds' resources

https://www.metabolicmind.org/resources/topics/keto-and-psych-meds/
Free; the guide downloads as a PDF directly from the page without payment or sign-up; videos are free on YouTube. Note: Discusses medication tapering, which the guide insists happens only under your prescriber; it links to third-party tapering services Notbroken has not reviewed.
What It Does
The most important safety document here. Ketosis can change how some psychiatric medicines behave: doses may need adjusting early, blood levels monitoring more closely, and blood-pressure and diabetes medicines lowering quickly. Psychiatrist Georgia Ede's free guide explains those interactions in plain language, what to monitor and when, and the principles of slow, supervised tapering only if your prescriber agrees. Explainer videos cover the same ground.
Who It Helps
Anyone on psychiatric, blood-pressure or diabetes medication considering ketogenic therapy; also a handout for GPs and psychiatrists new to it. For working with your prescriber, not do-it-yourself tapering.
Free; the guide downloads as a PDF directly from the page without payment or sign-up; videos are free on YouTube. Note: Discusses medication tapering, which the guide insists happens only under your prescriber; it links to third-party tapering services Notbroken has not reviewed.
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Metabolic Mind Podcast & YouTube channel — Dr Bret Scher (free)

https://www.metabolicmind.org/resources/library/podcasts/metabolic-mind-podcast/
Free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and the Metabolic Mind website; no account needed. Note: Produced by a Baszucki-funded advocacy non-profit; candid that evidence is early but hopeful in tone, so weigh it alongside your clinician's advice.
What It Does
The field's running record: around 210 free episodes, twice a week, in which cardiologist Bret Scher interviews the researchers behind metabolic psychiatry (Chris Palmer, Georgia Ede), clinicians using ketogenic therapy day to day, and people who have recovered with it, plus explainers, breakdowns of each new study and 'Metabolic Mailbag' listener questions on ketone targets, plateaus and medications. Everything is also on YouTube.
Who It Helps
Patients, families and clinicians who want to follow the science and hear how people manage the diet. Education to discuss with your care team, not instructions, especially on medication changes.
Free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and the Metabolic Mind website; no account needed. Note: Produced by a Baszucki-funded advocacy non-profit; candid that evidence is early but hopeful in tone, so weigh it alongside your clinician's advice.
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Bipolarcast — Dr Iain Campbell & Matt Baszucki on ketogenic therapy for bipolar disorder (free video podcast)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzWI83-NWCL7WpANN8fBuFgsNmgSkupFz
Free; 27 videos on YouTube in the Metabolic Mind channel playlist; episodes also appear on the Metabolic Mind bipolar disorder hub. Note: Lived experience, not trial results; the co-host's Edinburgh pilot found the diet feasible but was not powered to show mood benefits.
What It Does
A 27-episode video podcast by two people with bipolar disorder who use ketogenic therapy to stay well. Iain Campbell was first author of the first European pilot of a ketogenic diet in bipolar disorder at Edinburgh; Matt Baszucki recovered from bipolar I disorder with sleep, exercise and a ketogenic diet with his doctors. They interview peers and experts and talk frankly about living with the diet, setbacks included.
Who It Helps
People with bipolar disorder, and their families, who want peers' accounts of living on ketogenic therapy. Experience, not evidence; diet and medication decisions belong with your psychiatrist; not crisis care.
Free; 27 videos on YouTube in the Metabolic Mind channel playlist; episodes also appear on the Metabolic Mind bipolar disorder hub. Note: Lived experience, not trial results; the co-host's Edinburgh pilot found the diet feasible but was not powered to show mood benefits.
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The Scientific and Clinical Rationale for the Use of Ketogenic Diets in Psychiatric Conditions — Dr Georgia Ede's free letter to take to your clinician

https://www.diagnosisdiet.com/full-article/free-resource-for-clinicians-and-patients
Free PDF download from the author's site; no email required.
What It Does
A four-page PDF, updated regularly, with one job: giving a sceptical or unfamiliar doctor the published evidence for considering a ketogenic diet in psychiatric conditions, with live links to studies and clinical resources, in the language clinicians use with each other. Ede wrote it for the clinicians she trains to hand to colleagues, and now offers it to patients and families who have met resistance.
Who It Helps
Anyone unsure how to raise ketogenic therapy with their psychiatrist, GP or dietitian, and carers advocating for a relative. It argues for supervised treatment, not doing it yourself.
Free PDF download from the author's site; no email required.
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Awareness and best practices in using ketogenic therapy to treat serious mental illness: a modified Delphi consensus — Ede, Bernstein, Calabrese, Campbell, Laurent, Palmer, Sethi & Zupec-Kania (free open-access paper, Frontiers in Nutrition 2026)

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2026.1749406/full
Free; open-access article (HTML and PDF) in Frontiers in Nutrition, published February 2026; also linked from Metabolic Mind and diagnosisdiet.com. Note: Baszucki-funded expert opinion from clinicians who practise, and sometimes earn from, ketogenic therapy; a safety framework, not proof that it works.
What It Does
The closest thing the field has to a rulebook, and free. Eight clinicians drafted 33 statements on what ketogenic therapy for serious mental illness is, who it suits and how to monitor it; 47 clinicians then voted and every statement passed with 89–100% agreement. Key points: an add-on to medication and therapy, never a replacement, and never alone during new mania, psychosis or suicidal thoughts.
Who It Helps
Anyone planning ketogenic therapy for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression or similar, and the clinician supervising them; print it for the appointment. Clinician language, but readable by a patient or carer.
Free; open-access article (HTML and PDF) in Frontiers in Nutrition, published February 2026; also linked from Metabolic Mind and diagnosisdiet.com. Note: Baszucki-funded expert opinion from clinicians who practise, and sometimes earn from, ketogenic therapy; a safety framework, not proof that it works.
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Metabolic Mind Training & Education — free accredited CME courses in metabolic psychiatry (Palmer, Ede, Bernstein, Scher, Kelly, Sarnyai, Milder)

https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/
Free; AMA PRA Category 1 CME and CNE/CE credit via myCME (US accreditation; recognition varies by country). Partner courses on the same page are paid.
What It Does
Seven free, accredited online courses on myCME for health professionals supervising ketogenic therapy: Chris Palmer on the metabolic theory of mental illness, Georgia Ede on dietary change for major mental illness, Matthew Bernstein on the evidence, Bret Scher on cardiovascular safety, plus medication effects, mechanisms and type 2 diabetes. Patients can send the page to their own clinician; a clinician who has not been trained is a common barrier.
Who It Helps
Psychiatrists, GPs, psychologists, dietitians and nurses supporting a patient on ketogenic therapy, and patients and families wanting a free way to upskill their clinician. Not a patient programme.
Free; AMA PRA Category 1 CME and CNE/CE credit via myCME (US accreditation; recognition varies by country). Partner courses on the same page are paid.
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Huberman Lab: Dr. Chris Palmer — Diet & Nutrition for Mental Health (free three-hour episode, video & audio)

https://hubermanlab.com/dr-chris-palmer-diet-nutrition-for-mental-health/
Free on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify; timestamps and transcript on the episode page; no account needed. The podcast carries sponsor advertisements. Note: A long-form conversation rather than clinical guidance, and the show carries supplement and device sponsorships unrelated to the content.
What It Does
The conversation that carried Brain Energy's ideas to a mass audience, released alongside the book in 2022. Three hours of Palmer explaining to neuroscientist Andrew Huberman how diet, fasting and ketosis affect depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, why the ketogenic diet works in epilepsy, and where GLP-1 drugs fit. Chaptered with timestamps and a transcript to jump to your own condition.
Who It Helps
Anyone curious about the metabolic approach, or their family, wanting a free introduction before a book or diet. A science conversation, not clinical guidance; change medication only with a doctor.
Free on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify; timestamps and transcript on the episode page; no account needed. The podcast carries sponsor advertisements. Note: A long-form conversation rather than clinical guidance, and the show carries supplement and device sponsorships unrelated to the content.
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Mental Health — Evidence-Based Self-Help Books, Workbooks & Online CBT

Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy — David D. Burns MD (book & audiobook)

https://feelinggood.com/books/
Paperback, ebook and unabridged audiobook (approx. US$10–20 / A$20–30); widely held by public libraries. Feeling Great app free to try, optional subscription.
What It Does
The original cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) self-help book (1980, revised 1999). It teaches you to notice the distorted thoughts that drive low mood, write them down and answer them with realistic ones. One of few self-help books trialled as a stand-alone treatment: in randomised trials, adults with mild to moderate depression who read it improved against a waiting list. More than 4 million copies sold.
Who It Helps
Adults with low mood, mild to moderate depression or harsh self-criticism who want a structured, pen-and-paper, do-it-yourself method. Not a replacement for professional care in severe depression or crisis.
Paperback, ebook and unabridged audiobook (approx. US$10–20 / A$20–30); widely held by public libraries. Feeling Great app free to try, optional subscription.
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Mind Over Mood, Second Edition: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think — Dennis Greenberger PhD & Christine A. Padesky PhD (workbook & free worksheets)

https://www.mindovermood.com/
Paperback and PDF ebook (US$26.95 each); no audiobook; widely available from public libraries and free through Reading Well; some worksheets free online.
What It Does
The standard CBT workbook: 60 worksheets that teach you to track moods, catch and test the thoughts behind them, build new core beliefs and plan to stay well, covering depression, anxiety, panic, anger, guilt and shame. More than 1.3 million copies in print; on the NHS Reading Well 'Books on Prescription' list and named by the BABCP 'The Most Influential Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Publication'.
Who It Helps
Anyone who wants to do CBT alone or between therapy sessions and will fill in worksheets over weeks. Does not replace treatment for severe depression, bipolar disorder or suicidal thoughts.
Paperback and PDF ebook (US$26.95 each); no audiobook; widely available from public libraries and free through Reading Well; some worksheets free online.
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The Happiness Trap (Second Edition): How to Stop Struggling and Start Living — Dr Russ Harris (book, audiobook & free resources)

https://thehappinesstrap.com/
Paperback (US$19.95), ebook and unabridged audiobook (approx. US$15–25 / A$20–35); widely available from public libraries. Free videos, sample chapter and worksheets online; 8-week programme US$295.
What It Does
The best-selling introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which teaches you to stop fighting painful thoughts and feelings, make room for them and live by your values, with exercises for unhooking from worry and self-criticism. The book itself has been tested: a randomised trial (2011) found people given it had better mental health two months later. Over a million copies sold; second edition 2022.
Who It Helps
People stuck in worry, anxiety, low mood or perfectionism who find 'just think positive' makes things worse, or want a looser relationship with a busy mind. Not a crisis resource.
Paperback (US$19.95), ebook and unabridged audiobook (approx. US$15–25 / A$20–35); widely available from public libraries. Free videos, sample chapter and worksheets online; 8-week programme US$295.
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Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself — Kristin Neff PhD (book, audiobook & free guided practices)

https://self-compassion.org/
Paperback, ebook and audiobook (approx. US$12–20 / A$20–30); widely available from public libraries including Hoopla. Guided practices, exercises and self-compassion test free on self-compassion.org.
What It Does
The book that founded the field of self-compassion research, from the psychologist who defined and measured it. It explains why treating yourself as you would a struggling friend works better than self-criticism, and teaches practices: the self-compassion break, compassionate letter-writing and loving-kindness meditation. The eight-week Mindful Self-Compassion programme was tested in a randomised controlled trial (2013). Nineteen guided practices are free on her website.
Who It Helps
People with a relentlessly harsh inner voice, who feel 'not enough' or burn out caring for others. Not trauma therapy; self-kindness can stir up grief at first, so go slowly.
Paperback, ebook and audiobook (approx. US$12–20 / A$20–30); widely available from public libraries including Hoopla. Guided practices, exercises and self-compassion test free on self-compassion.org.
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The Mindful Way through Depression, Second Edition: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness — Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal & Jon Kabat-Zinn (book with guided audio)

https://www.guilford.com/books/The-Mindful-Way-through-Depression/Williams-Teasdale-Segal-Kabat-Zinn/9781593851286
Paperback (US$23.95), hardcover and ebook from Guilford Press, with free downloadable guided meditations; unabridged audiobook also available; widely held by public libraries.
What It Does
The self-help version of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), by the three psychologists who invented it and Jon Kabat-Zinn, with audio he narrates. It explains why trying to think your way out of sadness deepens rumination, then walks you through an eight-week programme of short meditations. A pooled analysis of nine randomised trials (2016) found MBCT cut relapse by 31%; NICE recommends it for recurrent depression.
Who It Helps
People with past depression who want a way to stop it returning, or caught in chronic overthinking. Start after an acute episode; not a substitute for treatment when severely depressed.
Paperback (US$23.95), hardcover and ebook from Guilford Press, with free downloadable guided meditations; unabridged audiobook also available; widely held by public libraries.
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Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts: A CBT-Based Guide to Getting Over Frightening, Obsessive, or Disturbing Thoughts — Sally M. Winston PsyD & Martin N. Seif PhD (book & audiobook)

https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/sally-m-winston/overcoming-unwanted-intrusive-thoughts/9781626254343/
Paperback (approx. US$17 / £16.99 / A$30), ebook and unabridged audiobook (Audible and library services); widely held by public libraries including Hoopla.
What It Does
The book anxiety specialists hand to people terrified by their thoughts: images of harming someone, blasphemous or sexual thoughts, 'what if I lose control' fears. The authors explain these are common, say nothing about who you are, and are kept alive by the struggle against them, then teach a two-step CBT-based approach for letting them pass. Recommended by the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.
Who It Helps
Anyone frightened or ashamed of intrusive thoughts, including OCD, postnatal anxiety, health anxiety or panic. Not a complete OCD treatment; seek urgent help if you fear acting on a thought.
Paperback (approx. US$17 / £16.99 / A$30), ebook and unabridged audiobook (Audible and library services); widely held by public libraries including Hoopla.
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Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) — free CBT self-help workbooks: Back from the Bluez, What? Me Worry?, Panic, Self-Esteem, Perfectionism and more

https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself
Free; PDF modules and whole-workbook ZIP downloads; no account needed.
What It Does
CBT self-help workbooks from clinical psychologists at a public specialist clinic in Perth, given away as PDFs by the Western Australian health department. Short modules walk you through the therapy a psychologist would deliver: Back from the Bluez (depression), What? Me Worry? (generalised anxiety), and panic, self-esteem, bipolar disorder and disordered eating. Often recommended by GPs and psychologists in Australia, the UK and North America.
Who It Helps
Anyone wanting a free, structured CBT programme to work through, and people waiting for therapy. No substitute for diagnosis or treatment, CCI says; involve your doctor if symptoms are severe.
Free; PDF modules and whole-workbook ZIP downloads; no account needed.
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Getselfhelp.co.uk — free CBT self-help guides, worksheets, MP3s and courses (Carol Vivyan)

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/
Free; website with downloadable PDFs and MP3s; no account needed (donations invited).
What It Does
An ad-free library of CBT self-help that a UK mental-health nurse and cognitive therapist has given away for 25 years: problem-by-problem guides (depression, anxiety, panic, OCD, PTSD, anger and more), hundreds of printable worksheets, relaxation MP3s and a free CBT course. A published survey found it UK therapists' most popular source of CBT materials, so its handouts are often those used in NHS Talking Therapies.
Who It Helps
Anyone wanting a free, printable explanation and a worksheet to start today, or extra copies of standard CBT tools. Not a service; people in crisis are pointed to emergency help.
Free; website with downloadable PDFs and MP3s; no account needed (donations invited).
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Reading Well for mental health (Books on Prescription) — The Reading Agency & Libraries Connected (free from public libraries)

https://readingagency.org.uk/get-reading/our-programmes-and-campaigns/reading-well/reading-well-for-mental-health/
Free to borrow from public libraries in England and Wales (print, ebook, audiobook); booklist and leaflet free to download; elsewhere, request titles from your library.
What It Does
A clinician-vetted list of 37 self-help books you can borrow free from any public library in England and Wales, chosen with people with lived experience and supported by the Royal Colleges of GPs, Psychiatrists and Nurses, Mind and NHS England. It covers CBT, mindfulness, depression, anxiety, OCD, sleep and grief. Over 4.3 million books borrowed across the Reading Well lists; 92% of people surveyed found theirs helpful.
Who It Helps
Anyone who wants a doctor-approved self-help book without guessing, and people waiting for therapy. Lending is England and Wales only; the booklist is a shortlist anywhere, most titles available worldwide.
Free to borrow from public libraries in England and Wales (print, ebook, audiobook); booklist and leaflet free to download; elsewhere, request titles from your library.
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Healthy Minds Program app — Humin (formerly Healthy Minds Innovations) & the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin–Madison (free meditation & well-being training)

https://www.humin.org/wellbeing-tools/app
Free; iOS and Android; no paywall or subscription, funded by donations to a non-profit.
What It Does
A free, ad-free app from neuroscientist Richard Davidson's lab that teaches well-being as trainable skills across four pillars: awareness, connection, insight and purpose. Short podcast-style lessons are followed by guided practices of 5–30 minutes. Unlike most meditation apps it has randomised-trial evidence: in a 343-person trial (2020), eight weeks of use lowered psychological distress against a waitlist, with 70% improving meaningfully versus 49% of controls.
Who It Helps
People wanting a structured, science-grounded way to learn meditation and emotional skills without a subscription, or put off by commercial apps. Not a substitute for treating depression or anxiety disorders.
Free; iOS and Android; no paywall or subscription, funded by donations to a non-profit.
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THIS WAY UP — Depression, Mixed Depression & Anxiety, Generalised Anxiety, Panic, Social Anxiety and Worry programs (St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, online CBT)

https://thiswayup.org.au/programs/
Free with a clinician's prescription (they monitor your scores); self-guided A$59 per program (90 days), or covered by some Australian private health insurers.
What It Does
Online CBT courses from St Vincent's Hospital Sydney's anxiety and depression research unit: six lessons (about 20 minutes) with homework and symptom check-ins, self-paced over 90 days. Programs cover depression, generalised anxiety, panic, OCD, PTSD and perinatal mental health. The service reports trials with more than 1,400 patients and around 60 peer-reviewed papers, and is accredited to Australia's national digital mental health standards.
Who It Helps
Adults in Australia with mild to moderate depression or anxiety who want a CBT course from home; clinician-guided suits mild to severe. Not for crisis; self-guided means no clinical contact.
Free with a clinician's prescription (they monitor your scores); self-guided A$59 per program (90 days), or covered by some Australian private health insurers.
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MindSpot Clinic — free online assessment, treatment courses and brief teletherapy for anxiety and depression (Macquarie University)

https://www.mindspot.org.au/
Free (Australian Government funded); online with phone and secure-message therapist support; Australian adults only.
What It Does
A free national digital clinic for Australian adults, run by Macquarie University and government-funded since 2012. After an online questionnaire and a phone consultation with a therapist, you choose between an eight-week online CBT course with therapist support, four phone sessions of brief teletherapy, or six weeks of daily well-being text messages. It has supported over 250,000 Australians and reports an average 50% symptom reduction.
Who It Helps
Adults in Australia with anxiety, depression or stress who want assessment and a guided course without cost, waiting lists or referral. Not a crisis service; for mild to moderate symptoms.
Free (Australian Government funded); online with phone and secure-message therapist support; Australian adults only.
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moodgym — online CBT self-help program for depression and anxiety (Australian National University / e-hub Health)

https://moodgym.com.au/
A$39 for 12 months' individual access (plus local taxes); free via an access token from a licensed employer, university or health service; users 16+.
What It Does
One of the first and most-studied online CBT programs, written in 2001 at the Australian National University and used by more than a million people. Five modules teach the CBT core: spotting 'warped' thinking, testing it against evidence, problem-solving and relaxation. The program cites a 2016 meta-analysis of 12 studies confirming it reduces depression and anxiety symptoms in adults, with benefits lasting 12 months.
Who It Helps
Adults and older teens anywhere with mild to moderate low mood or anxiety, or wanting CBT skills to prevent problems. Not designed for severe depression, and not a crisis service.
A$39 for 12 months' individual access (plus local taxes); free via an access token from a licensed employer, university or health service; users 16+.
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Trauma, Addiction & Recovery — Books, Workbooks & Apps

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma — Bessel van der Kolk MD (book & audiobook)

https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/
Paperback, ebook and unabridged audiobook, approx. US$12–20 / £10–14 / A$20–25; one of the most widely held titles in public libraries. Note: Critics including a 2025 BJPsych Bulletin appraisal find its neuroscience and scepticism about talking therapies overstated; trauma-focused CBT and EMDR remain first-line.
What It Does
A psychiatrist researching traumatic stress since the 1970s explains why overwhelming experiences keep the body's alarm system switched on after the danger has passed, producing flashbacks, numbness, chronic pain and distrust, then surveys treatments including EMDR, trauma-sensitive yoga, neurofeedback and internal family systems. Published in 2014, it spent close to 300 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and appears in 43 languages.
Who It Helps
Adults wanting to understand their reactions after trauma, and partners and family. Graphic case histories: read in small doses, stop if activated, and pair it with a trauma-trained therapist.
Paperback, ebook and unabridged audiobook, approx. US$12–20 / £10–14 / A$20–25; one of the most widely held titles in public libraries. Note: Critics including a 2025 BJPsych Bulletin appraisal find its neuroscience and scepticism about talking therapies overstated; trauma-focused CBT and EMDR remain first-line.
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Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving — Pete Walker MA MFT (book, audiobook & free articles)

https://www.pete-walker.com/
Paperback, ebook and audiobook, approx. US$10–18 / £10–15; website articles including '13 Steps for Managing Flashbacks' are free; held by many public libraries.
What It Does
A Berkeley psychotherapist who grew up with complex trauma names what standard PTSD books miss: emotional flashbacks, the inner critic and the fight, flight, freeze and fawn survival styles, pairing each with tools including his 13 steps for managing a flashback. Self-published in 2013, it is a word-of-mouth bestseller with over 14,000 Goodreads ratings averaging 4.5 stars; the core articles are free on his website.
Who It Helps
Adults neglected or abused as children who recognise themselves in shame, people-pleasing or emotional crashes. Not for crisis or instead of therapy; pace it, as it can stir up grief.
Paperback, ebook and audiobook, approx. US$10–18 / £10–15; website articles including '13 Steps for Managing Flashbacks' are free; held by many public libraries.
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Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body & Waking the Tiger — Peter A. Levine PhD (book, audio program & audiobook)

https://somaticexperiencing.com/se-books
Healing Trauma: paperback (approx. US$17) and Levine-narrated 6¾-hour audio programme (US$15–25); Waking the Tiger: paperback (US$21.95), ebook and 9-hour audiobook; both in public libraries. Note: Only a few small trials support Somatic Experiencing and academics say its theory outruns the evidence; use alongside established trauma treatments.
What It Does
Peter Levine developed Somatic Experiencing, the body-based trauma approach taught worldwide; these are his two self-help books. Waking the Tiger (1997) argues that trauma is survival energy the nervous system never discharged; Healing Trauma (2008) is a short book and audio programme where Levine guides 12 exercises for noticing sensation, finding safety and releasing held tension. Waking the Tiger is translated into over 30 languages.
Who It Helps
People whose trauma lives in the body (startle, tension, shutdown) who want gentle exercises rather than talking. Go slowly, stop if sensations overwhelm, use alongside a therapist; not for crisis.
Healing Trauma: paperback (approx. US$17) and Levine-narrated 6¾-hour audio programme (US$15–25); Waking the Tiger: paperback (US$21.95), ebook and 9-hour audiobook; both in public libraries. Note: Only a few small trials support Somatic Experiencing and academics say its theory outruns the evidence; use alongside established trauma treatments.
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No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model — Richard C. Schwartz PhD (book & audiobook)

https://ifs-institute.com/store/419
Paperback (approx. US$20), ebook and audiobook (approx. US$12–20); widely available from public libraries, including Hoopla. Note: The IFS Institute's research page calls the evidence base 'limited in scope', with larger controlled trials under way; promising rather than proven.
What It Does
Internal Family Systems (IFS) introduced by its creator. IFS sees the mind as 'parts' that took on protective jobs after painful experiences, alongside a calm core Self; instead of fighting them, you get curious about what they protect and help them unburden, with guided exercises throughout. IFS has grown quickly among trauma therapists; this book is the usual starting point.
Who It Helps
Adults who feel 'at war with themselves' and want structured inner work. Exercises can stir strong feelings: pace yourself and use it alongside therapy, especially with dissociation or complex trauma.
Paperback (approx. US$20), ebook and audiobook (approx. US$12–20); widely available from public libraries, including Hoopla. Note: The IFS Institute's research page calls the evidence base 'limited in scope', with larger controlled trials under way; promising rather than proven.
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The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control & Becoming Whole — Arielle Schwartz PhD (workbook)

https://drarielleschwartz.com/?p=1610
Paperback and ebook (Althea Press 2016, approx. US$15–20; Sheldon Press UK edition 2020, ebook £14.99); available from many public libraries.
What It Does
A clinical psychologist's do-it-yourself workbook for complex PTSD. It explains what repeated childhood or relational trauma does to the nervous system, then works through exercises from evidence-based approaches: grounding from somatic therapy, thought-work from CBT, emotion-regulation from DBT, resourcing from EMDR, mindfulness and self-compassion, with writing prompts in every chapter. Published in 2016 (UK edition 2020), therapists often set it as homework.
Who It Helps
Adults with complex PTSD symptoms practising skills between sessions or while waiting for therapy. Go slowly, start with grounding chapters and skip what increases distress; complements therapy, not for crisis.
Paperback and ebook (Althea Press 2016, approx. US$15–20; Sheldon Press UK edition 2020, ebook £14.99); available from many public libraries.
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PTSD Coach, PTSD Coach Online & PTSD Family Coach — US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD (free apps)

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/ptsdcoach_app.asp
Free; iOS and Android; no account needed and data stays on your device. PTSD Coach Online (desktop) and PTSD Family Coach are also free.
What It Does
A free app from the US VA's National Center for PTSD: plain-language education, a validated symptom tracker, in-the-moment coping tools (paced breathing, grounding, muscle relaxation) you can personalise with photos and music, and crisis links. In a 2017 randomised trial of 120 adults not in treatment, users improved more in PTSD and depression than a waiting list. Over a million downloads in 115 countries.
Who It Helps
Anyone with stress symptoms after trauma, veteran or not, anywhere; Family Coach is for supporters. Not a replacement for professional care: use it for hard moments while arranging therapy.
Free; iOS and Android; no account needed and data stays on your device. PTSD Coach Online (desktop) and PTSD Family Coach are also free.
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This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol — Annie Grace (book & audiobook) and The Alcohol Experiment (free 30-day program)

https://thisnakedmind.com/
Book: paperback (£9.99; approx. US$15–18), ebook and audiobook, including library apps. The Alcohol Experiment is free; the company's coaching programme is paid. Note: Grace is not a clinician, there are no independent trials, and the site's outcome figures are the company's own customer surveys.
What It Does
The book behind the 'sober curious' movement, plus a free 30-day course. Taking the Allen Carr approach, it dismantles the beliefs that keep people drinking with research on alcohol's effects, so the desire fades instead of needing willpower. The Alcohol Experiment is 30 alcohol-free days with a daily video, journal prompt and private community app; the company says over 500,000 people have taken it.
Who It Helps
'Grey area' drinkers wanting a break or to stop without labelling themselves. Not for anyone physically dependent: heavy daily drinkers should see a doctor first, since withdrawal can be dangerous.
Book: paperback (£9.99; approx. US$15–18), ebook and audiobook, including library apps. The Alcohol Experiment is free; the company's coaching programme is paid. Note: Grace is not a clinician, there are no independent trials, and the site's outcome figures are the company's own customer surveys.
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Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking — Allen Carr (book & audiobook; also Easyway to Control Alcohol)

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/288477/allen-carrs-easy-way-to-stop-smoking-by-carr-allen/9781405984874
Paperback (£10.99 / approx. US$15 / A$20), ebook and audiobook; in most public libraries. Easyway seminars from US$495 (money-back guarantee); online programmes from US$59. Note: The randomised trials tested the Easyway seminar, not the book; the one small study of the book alone found no significant effect.
What It Does
The best-selling stop-smoking book (1985); Carr's smoking books sold over 20 million copies in 57 countries. Smokers continue, he argued, because they believe cigarettes give them something: dismantle each belief while smoking and you reach the final cigarette without fear, no willpower needed. A 2020 randomised trial of 620 smokers found the Easyway seminar at least as effective as the NHS Stop Smoking Service.
Who It Helps
Smokers and vapers who have failed with patches, gum or willpower. Not a substitute for medical advice with smoking-related illness; if the book fails, try quitlines, seminars or medication.
Paperback (£10.99 / approx. US$15 / A$20), ebook and audiobook; in most public libraries. Easyway seminars from US$495 (money-back guarantee); online programmes from US$59. Note: The randomised trials tested the Easyway seminar, not the book; the one small study of the book alone found no significant effect.
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Alcoholics Anonymous ('the Big Book'), 4th edition — Alcoholics Anonymous World Services (free to read and listen online)

https://www.aa.org/the-big-book
Free to read, listen and watch (ASL) at aa.org; inexpensive print copies from local AA offices and the online store; ebooks; in most public libraries.
What It Does
The 1939 text that founded the recovery movement, free on AA's official site as PDF chapters, audio and sign-language video. The first 164 pages set out the Twelve Steps; the rest is members' first-person recovery stories. A 2020 Cochrane review of 27 studies found AA and Twelve-Step Facilitation produced higher abstinence than other treatments including CBT, about 42% versus 35% at one year.
Who It Helps
Anyone curious what AA proposes before a meeting, or drawn to a peer-based path to sobriety; openly spiritual. Heavy daily drinkers need medical advice before stopping; withdrawal can be dangerous.
Free to read, listen and watch (ASL) at aa.org; inexpensive print copies from local AA offices and the online store; ebooks; in most public libraries.
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Rethinking Drinking — US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH (free website, calculators & worksheets)

https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/
Free; website with interactive calculators, downloadable worksheets and a free 20-page booklet in English and Spanish; no account needed.
What It Does
A free, no-sign-up site from the US NIH's alcohol institute for anyone wondering if they drink too much. It covers 'How much is too much?' (standard drinks, risk thresholds), then 'Thinking about a change?' with goal-setting and strategies that work in trials: tracking drinks, setting limits, pacing. Calculators show drink strength, calories and what drinking costs per year, with printable worksheets; nothing to sell.
Who It Helps
Adults wanting a frank check on their drinking and a plan to cut down or stop, written for US adults. Not for dependence: heavy drinkers should see a doctor first.
Free; website with interactive calculators, downloadable worksheets and a free 20-page booklet in English and Spanish; no account needed.
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Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence — Anna Lembke MD (book, audiobook & The Official Dopamine Nation Workbook)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/624957/dopamine-nation-by-anna-lembke-md/9780593409220
Hardcover (US$32), paperback (US$20), ebook and 6-hour audiobook read by the author; workbook paperback US$19, ebook and audio; widely available from public libraries.
What It Does
Stanford's head of addiction medicine explains the pleasure-pain balance: every dopamine hit from drinking, scrolling or gambling brings an equal, opposite dip, and repeated hits reset your baseline so you need more to feel normal. Her framework: try a 30-day fast from the one thing you cannot moderate, then abstain or set binding rules. Instant New York Times bestseller, 2021; official workbook 2024.
Who It Helps
People caught in any compulsive habit, from drinking to phones or gaming. The 30-day fast is unsafe with heavy daily alcohol, benzodiazepine or opioid use: stopping suddenly needs medical supervision.
Hardcover (US$32), paperback (US$20), ebook and 6-hour audiobook read by the author; workbook paperback US$19, ebook and audio; widely available from public libraries.
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Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything — BJ Fogg PhD (book, audiobook & free 5-day email program)

https://tinyhabits.com/
Book: print, ebook and audiobook (approx. US$12–20; in public libraries). The 5-Day Program is free, by email with a human coach; paid courses are separate.
What It Does
A habit-change method from the Stanford researcher whose Behavior Model underlies modern behaviour design. You shrink the new behaviour to something tiny (one deep breath, two push-ups), anchor it to something you already do and celebrate immediately so the brain wires it in. A New York Times bestseller (2019); the free 5-Day Program, run since 2011, gives you a human coach by email.
Who It Helps
Anyone who has failed to change a habit through willpower, including people in early recovery building routines or living with ADHD or depression. Not a treatment for substance dependence.
Book: print, ebook and audiobook (approx. US$12–20; in public libraries). The 5-Day Program is free, by email with a human coach; paid courses are separate.
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I Am Sober (sobriety tracker app)

https://iamsober.com/
Free core app (tracker, pledges, milestones, community) on iOS and Android; optional Plus subscription adds extras such as multiple trackers, priced by region.
What It Does
Self-described as the number-one sobriety app, free at its core. You set up each habit or substance you are quitting (alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, gambling), pledge each morning and review each night; the app counts sober time, marks milestones, shows money saved, and shares short stories from others at your stage. No trials, but scale: it reports over 200,000 five-star reviews and 30 million habits tracked.
Who It Helps
Anyone in recovery or pausing a habit who wants a daily anchor and company. Not treatment or a crisis service; peer advice is lived experience, not clinical guidance. If you drink heavily every day or use benzodiazepines, see a doctor before stopping: withdrawal can be dangerous.
Free core app (tracker, pledges, milestones, community) on iOS and Android; optional Plus subscription adds extras such as multiple trackers, priced by region.
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Neurodiversity — ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Tics & Sensory

Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, Second Edition: Proven Strategies to Succeed at Work, at Home, and in Relationships — Russell A. Barkley PhD with Christine M. Benton (book & audiobook)

https://www.guilford.com/books/taking-charge-of-adult-adhd/russell-barkley/9781462546855
Paperback and ebook (US$19.95), hardcover (US$30) and unabridged audiobook (10¾ hours, approx. US$20); widely available from public libraries including audiobook apps.
What It Does
The adult ADHD self-help book from the field's most-cited researcher. Barkley explains ADHD as a problem of self-regulation and executive function rather than willpower, then gives step-by-step strategies for work, home, money and relationships, plus plain answers on diagnosis and medication. The 2021 second edition adds mindfulness, emotional self-control and time management; it is often the first book ADHD clinicians and organisations recommend.
Who It Helps
Adults diagnosed with ADHD or strongly suspecting it, and partners wanting to understand. Thorough and fairly dense. Not a substitute for a proper assessment.
Paperback and ebook (US$19.95), hardcover (US$30) and unabridged audiobook (10¾ hours, approx. US$20); widely available from public libraries including audiobook apps.
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Mastering Your Adult ADHD: A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Program, Client Workbook, Second Edition — Steven A. Safren, Susan E. Sprich, Carol A. Perlman & Michael W. Otto (Oxford 'Treatments That Work')

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/mastering-your-adult-adhd-9780190235567
Paperback workbook (US$59, 144 pp) and ebook; expensive for a workbook, so check university and medical libraries or ask a therapist whether they use it.
What It Does
The client workbook for the Massachusetts General Hospital CBT programme for adult ADHD, the skills programme with the strongest trial evidence: in the authors' NIMH-funded randomised trial (JAMA, 2010), medicated adults who completed it improved more than a relaxation-and-education control group. Session by session it covers organising and planning (one calendar, one task list), distractibility and adaptive thinking, with worksheets and homework throughout.
Who It Helps
Adults with ADHD struggling with organisation and follow-through despite medication, wanting a week-by-week skills programme. Designed for use with a CBT therapist but usable alone; not a substitute for assessment.
Paperback workbook (US$59, 144 pp) and ebook; expensive for a workbook, so check university and medical libraries or ask a therapist whether they use it.
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How to ADHD — Jessica McCabe (free YouTube channel, plus the book 'How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It)' in print, ebook & audiobook)

https://howtoadhd.com/
Videos are free (ad-supported, optional Patreon). Book: hardcover, paperback, ebook and unabridged audiobook (approx. US$15–30); widely available from public libraries.
What It Does
Since 2016 Jessica McCabe has posted a practical video most weeks on one ADHD problem at a time (losing things, time blindness, rejection sensitivity, medication questions), explaining the research in plain language, then showing a workaround she and her community have tested. The channel passed one million subscribers in 2022; her 2024 book, a New York Times bestseller, gathers the strategies by area of life.
Who It Helps
Anyone newly diagnosed, waiting for assessment or wondering whether they have ADHD, from teenagers up, plus partners and parents. The gentlest entry point; not clinical advice.
Videos are free (ad-supported, optional Patreon). Book: hardcover, paperback, ebook and unabridged audiobook (approx. US$15–30); widely available from public libraries.
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goblin.tools — Magic ToDo and other free AI helpers for overwhelming tasks (Bram De Buyser)

https://goblin.tools/
Free on the web, no account needed; iOS and Android apps a one-off US$2.99; optional Pro subscription for advanced features, with existing features never paywalled.
What It Does
Small, single-purpose web tools 'mostly designed to help neurodivergent people' when a task feels too big to start. Magic ToDo breaks any task into smaller steps; Estimator guesses how long things take; Compiler turns a brain-dump into actions. No clinical trial, but free, account-free and, since 2023, among the most widely recommended executive-function aids in ADHD and autistic communities and university disability services.
Who It Helps
Anyone with ADHD, autism or other executive-function difficulties who freezes at 'where do I start', and carers. The output is AI guesswork: check it, and never paste in sensitive information.
Free on the web, no account needed; iOS and Android apps a one-off US$2.99; optional Pro subscription for advanced features, with existing features never paywalled.
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ADDitude ADHD Experts Webinars & Podcast — free expert webinar library (ADDitude magazine)

https://www.additudemag.com/category/adhd-experts-webinars-podcast/
Free (email registration for live webinars and replays; podcast free in any app; no ADDitude subscription needed); optional attendance certificates US$10. Note: ADDitude is an advertising-supported commercial magazine and webinar quality depends on the speaker; check presenter credentials and favour researchers and practising clinicians.
What It Does
A free library of more than 600 one-hour webinars in which ADHD clinicians and researchers explain one topic in depth and answer audience questions: medication choices, sleep, emotional dysregulation, late diagnosis, parenting and school. New webinars run live most weeks; replays follow on the site and YouTube, and the audio becomes the ADHD Experts podcast. ADDitude has published on ADHD since 1998.
Who It Helps
Adults with ADHD, parents of children with ADHD and teachers who want a specialist's take on a specific issue. Not a treatment programme or a substitute for seeing a clinician.
Free (email registration for live webinars and replays; podcast free in any app; no ADDitude subscription needed); optional attendance certificates US$10. Note: ADDitude is an advertising-supported commercial magazine and webinar quality depends on the speaker; check presenter credentials and favour researchers and practising clinicians.
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Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity — Devon Price PhD (book & audiobook read by the author)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/688819/unmasking-autism-by-devon-price-phd/
Hardcover (US$28), ebook and unabridged audiobook (nearly 10 hours, author-read); paperback due October 2026 (US$19); widely available from public libraries. Note: Self-advocacy rather than clinical; some clinicians feel it leans towards self-diagnosis and asks masking to explain too much; pair with formal assessment.
What It Does
The bestselling book on 'masking', hiding autistic traits, and the exhaustion, burnout and loss of self that follow. Price, a social psychologist who is autistic, combines research and interviews with exercises: a values inventory, reclaiming special interests, building autistic community and choosing accommodations to ask for. Since 2022 one of the books late-identified autistic adults most often recommend, with a starred Library Journal review.
Who It Helps
Adults diagnosed late or wondering whether they are autistic, especially women, people of colour and LGBTQ+ people, and their loved ones. Not a diagnostic tool; little on high support needs.
Hardcover (US$28), ebook and unabridged audiobook (nearly 10 hours, author-read); paperback due October 2026 (US$19); widely available from public libraries. Note: Self-advocacy rather than clinical; some clinicians feel it leans towards self-diagnosis and asks masking to explain too much; pair with formal assessment.
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AASPIRE Healthcare Toolkit — free online toolkit for autistic adults, including the Autism Healthcare Accommodations Tool (AHAT)

https://researchautism.org/healthcaretoolkit
Free website; no account needed; worksheets and the accommodations report can be printed or saved.
What It Does
A free website built by autistic adults and researchers as equal partners: guides and worksheets on preparing for appointments, describing symptoms and handling sensory problems, plus the Autism Healthcare Accommodations Tool, which generates a personalised report for your doctor on what helps. In the NIMH-funded evaluation with 259 autistic adults (2016), barriers to healthcare fell from 4.07 to 2.82 and 94% found it useful.
Who It Helps
Autistic adults who find medical visits confusing, overwhelming or unproductive, their supporters, and GPs. Written for the US system, but the worksheets and accommodations report work anywhere. Not for emergencies.
Free website; no account needed; worksheets and the accommodations report can be printed or saved.
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Is This Autism? A Guide for Clinicians and Everyone Else — Donna Henderson PsyD, Sarah Wayland PhD & Jamell White PhD LCSW-C (Routledge, 2023)

https://www.routledge.com/Is-This-Autism-A-Guide-for-Clinicians-and-Everyone-Else/Henderson-Wayland-White/p/book/9781032150222
Paperback, hardback and ebook (paperback approx. US$30–40); a professional title, so check public and university libraries or ask your library to buy it.
What It Does
Criterion by criterion, it explains what autism looks like in the people routinely missed: adults, women and girls, and anyone who camouflages. For each criterion the authors describe the less obvious presentations, with quotes from over 100 autistic people, then cover what the criteria leave out: autistic strengths, empathy, interoception, burnout and co-occurring conditions. Endorsed by Steve Silberman (NeuroTribes) and neuropsychologist Lauren Kenworthy PhD.
Who It Helps
Adults wondering whether they are autistic, parents of children who defy the stereotype, and clinicians and teachers. Helps you prepare for an assessment, but is not a self-diagnosis tool.
Paperback, hardback and ebook (paperback approx. US$30–40); a professional title, so check public and university libraries or ask your library to buy it.
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Overcoming Dyslexia: Second Edition, Completely Revised and Updated — Sally Shaywitz MD with Jonathan Shaywitz MD (Knopf, 2020; book & audiobook read by the author)

https://dyslexia.yale.edu/research-science/overcoming-dyslexia/
Paperback, ebook and unabridged audiobook (read by Sally Shaywitz), approx. US$18–25; widely available from public libraries.
What It Does
The standard book on dyslexia from the Yale neuroscientist whose brain imaging showed what it is: an unexpected difficulty with the sound structure of words in an otherwise capable person, affecting about one in five. The 2020 edition covers recognising dyslexia at every age, what evidence-based reading instruction looks like, a home reading programme, schools and accommodations. The first edition sold more than 400,000 copies.
Who It Helps
Parents of a child struggling to read, adults who suspect dyslexia, and teachers. Long; the school chapters are American, but the science, identification guidance and home programme apply anywhere.
Paperback, ebook and unabridged audiobook (read by Sally Shaywitz), approx. US$18–25; widely available from public libraries.
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Managing Tourette Syndrome: A Behavioral Intervention — Adult Workbook — Douglas W. Woods, John Piacentini, Susanna Chang, Thilo Deckersbach, Golda Ginsburg, Alan Peterson, Lawrence Scahill, John Walkup & Sabine Wilhelm (Oxford 'Treatments That Work'; the CBIT programme)

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/managing-tourette-syndrome-9780195341300
Paperback workbook (US$53, 80 pp) and ebook; expensive for its size, so check libraries. Companion Therapist Guide and Parent Workbook second editions appeared in 2025.
What It Does
The patient workbook for CBIT. Over 11 sessions it teaches you to notice the urge before each tic and use a 'competing response' that blocks the tic until the urge passes. CBIT is the best-evidenced non-drug treatment for tics: in randomised trials 52.5% of children improved versus 18.5% with supportive therapy, and 38% of adults versus 6%; first-line in American Academy of Neurology guidelines.
Who It Helps
Adults and older teenagers with Tourette syndrome or chronic tic disorder. Designed to accompany a CBIT-trained therapist but usable alone where none is available; complements, not replaces, your doctor's care.
Paperback workbook (US$53, 80 pp) and ebook; expensive for its size, so check libraries. Companion Therapist Guide and Parent Workbook second editions appeared in 2025.
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The Out-of-Sync Child, Third Edition: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Differences — Carol Stock Kranowitz MA (book & audiobook)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/295627/the-out-of-sync-child-third-edition-by-carol-stock-kranowitz/
Paperback (US$20, 416 pp), ebook and unabridged audiobook (11 hours, read by Ellen Archer; recorded 2016, before the 2022 revision); widely available from public libraries. Note: 'Sensory processing disorder' is not a DSM-5 or ICD-11 diagnosis, and the American Academy of Pediatrics calls sensory integration therapy evidence limited.
What It Does
The book that made sensory processing understandable for parents; the New York Times called it 'the parents' bible'. With examples and checklists, Kranowitz explains the patterns a child can show (over- or under-responsiveness to touch, sound, movement or light), how to tell them from ADHD and autism, and what helps at home and school, including a 'sensory diet'. Third edition 2022; Mom's Choice Gold Award.
Who It Helps
Parents and teachers of children whose reactions to touch, noise or movement make life hard, including autistic and ADHD children. To understand and support, not diagnose; an occupational therapist assesses.
Paperback (US$20, 416 pp), ebook and unabridged audiobook (11 hours, read by Ellen Archer; recorded 2016, before the 2022 revision); widely available from public libraries. Note: 'Sensory processing disorder' is not a DSM-5 or ICD-11 diagnosis, and the American Academy of Pediatrics calls sensory integration therapy evidence limited.
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Caged in Chaos: A Dyspraxic Guide to Breaking Free (Updated Edition) — Victoria Biggs (Jessica Kingsley Publishers)

https://uk.jkp.com/products/caged-in-chaos
Paperback and ebook (£16.99 / US$24.95); available from public libraries.
What It Does
The first-person guide to dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder) most often recommended to teenagers and newly diagnosed adults. Biggs wrote it at 16; funny and blunt about disorganisation, clumsiness, bullying and low self-esteem, it then gives workarounds that fit a dyspraxic brain: routines, memory aids, typing, explaining yourself to teachers, friendships and independent living. The updated edition adds her adult experience; dyspraxia charities often recommend it.
Who It Helps
Dyspraxic teenagers and young adults, parents and teachers; adults diagnosed late will find most of it applies. A guide to living well with dyspraxia, not a motor-skills treatment programme.
Paperback and ebook (£16.99 / US$24.95); available from public libraries.
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The Dyscalculia Toolkit: Supporting Learning Difficulties in Maths, Fourth Edition — Ronit Bird (Sage, 2021), with free resources at ronitbird.com

https://www.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-dyscalculia-toolkit/book275474
Paperback, hardcover and ebook; approx. £30 in the UK but US$98 list in the US; in libraries. Free tip sheets, games and videos at ronitbird.com.
What It Does
The hands-on manual for helping a child or teenager who cannot make numbers 'stick': 220 activities and 55 games using concrete materials (Cuisenaire rods, dice, cards) that teach number sense for understanding rather than rote, for ages roughly 6–14. Developed through the Harrow Dyscalculia Project, it is the book UK specialist teachers name first; her website offers free tip sheets, game boards and videos.
Who It Helps
Parents, tutors and teachers supporting a child or teenager who struggles badly with maths, diagnosed or not; adults with dyscalculia can use the games themselves.
Paperback, hardcover and ebook; approx. £30 in the UK but US$98 list in the US; in libraries. Free tip sheets, games and videos at ronitbird.com.
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Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults (2nd edition): ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger's, Depression, and Other Disorders — James T. Webb, Edward Amend, Nadia E. Webb, Marianne Kuzujanakis, F. Richard Olenchak & Jean Goerss (Gifted Unlimited)

https://www.giftedunlimitedllc.com/store/p38/Misdiagnosis_and_Dual_Diagnoses_of_Gifted_Children_and_Adults_%282nd_edition%29__ADHD%2C_Bipolar%2C_OCD%2C_Asperger%E2%80%99s%2C_Depression%2C_and_Other_Disorders.html
Paperback (US$29.95, 320 pp); the publisher's own store showed it unavailable at the time of checking, but booksellers and public libraries stock it. Note: Researchers contest the claim that giftedness is commonly misdiagnosed; gifted people genuinely have ADHD and autism, so inform assessments, don't dismiss them.
What It Does
The reference book on how traits of gifted people (intensity, questioning, sensitivity) get mistaken for ADHD, bipolar disorder, OCD, autism or depression, and on twice-exceptional people, where giftedness and disability mask each other. For each condition it compares gifted behaviours with signs of disorder and advises on choosing a knowledgeable professional. The 2005 first edition created the topic; the second updates it to DSM-5.
Who It Helps
Parents of bright children whose diagnosis does not fit, gifted and twice-exceptional adults, and their counsellors and teachers. For asking better questions at an assessment, not ruling a diagnosis out.
Paperback (US$29.95, 320 pp); the publisher's own store showed it unavailable at the time of checking, but booksellers and public libraries stock it. Note: Researchers contest the claim that giftedness is commonly misdiagnosed; gifted people genuinely have ADHD and autism, so inform assessments, don't dismiss them.
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Sleep — Books, Audiobooks, Programs & Tools

Say Good Night to Insomnia: The Six-Week, Drug-Free Program Developed at Harvard Medical School — Gregg D. Jacobs PhD (book & audiobook; Conquering Insomnia online program)

https://www.cbtforinsomnia.com/
Paperback (2009 updated edition, approx. US$19), ebook and 8-hour unabridged audiobook; widely available from public libraries. The link is Jacobs' own site for his paid five-week online version, Conquering Insomnia.
What It Does
The original self-help version of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), the first-line treatment in every major guideline, as a six-week programme: sleep diary, consistent wake time, trimming time in bed to actual sleep time, getting up when awake, and tackling the anxious thinking behind insomnia. Jacobs' NIH-funded randomised trial (2004) found the programme beat zolpidem, with gains that held while the drug's did not.
Who It Helps
Adults with trouble falling or staying asleep wanting a self-run six-week programme, or to cut sleeping pills with their doctor. Snoring, breathing pauses or daytime sleep attacks need assessment first. With bipolar disorder or epilepsy, check with your clinician before restricting time in bed.
Paperback (2009 updated edition, approx. US$19), ebook and 8-hour unabridged audiobook; widely available from public libraries. The link is Jacobs' own site for his paid five-week online version, Conquering Insomnia.
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Quiet Your Mind and Get to Sleep: Solutions to Insomnia for Those with Depression, Anxiety, or Chronic Pain — Colleen E. Carney PhD & Rachel Manber PhD (book & audiobook)

https://drcolleencarney.com/
Paperback and ebook (approx. US$17–22) and unabridged audiobook (2024, 6.7 hours); available from public libraries; Carney's worksheets and sleep diary are free on her site.
What It Does
A CBT-I workbook for insomnia that sits alongside depression, anxiety or chronic pain. Its authors built the evidence: Manber led the trials showing CBT-I works, and lifts mood, when insomnia and depression co-occur, and Carney is first author of the Consensus Sleep Diary used worldwide. It covers the sleep diary, your sleep window, and the traps pain, low mood and worry set for sleep.
Who It Helps
Adults whose insomnia sits alongside depression, anxiety or chronic pain; use alongside treatment for it. Suspected sleep apnoea or bipolar disorder: check with your clinician before restricting time in bed.
Paperback and ebook (approx. US$17–22) and unabridged audiobook (2024, 6.7 hours); available from public libraries; Carney's worksheets and sleep diary are free on her site.
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Overcoming Insomnia, 2nd Edition: A self-help guide using cognitive behavioural techniques — Professor Colin Espie (book, ebook & audiobook)

https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/colin-espie/overcoming-insomnia-2nd-edition/9781472141415/
Paperback (Robinson, 2021, £12.99), ebook and downloadable audiobook; widely held by UK public libraries (the 2006 edition was on the first Reading Well list) and available from libraries elsewhere.
What It Does
The UK's standard CBT-I self-help book, by the Oxford sleep-medicine professor who went on to build Sleepio, the NICE-recommended digital CBT-I programme. A complete course in CBT-I, the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia: a sleep diary, a wind-down routine, a new sleep-wake schedule, relaxation and 'racing mind' techniques. The 2006 edition was on England's first Reading Well Books on Prescription list; fully revised in 2021.
Who It Helps
Adults with persistent insomnia wanting a clear, step-by-step programme, including those on waiting lists for CBT-I. Heavy snoring, breathing pauses or involuntary daytime sleep need a doctor, not a book. With bipolar disorder or epilepsy, check with your clinician before restricting time in bed.
Paperback (Robinson, 2021, £12.99), ebook and downloadable audiobook; widely held by UK public libraries (the 2006 edition was on the first Reading Well list) and available from libraries elsewhere.
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The Sleep Book: How to Sleep Well Every Night — Dr Guy Meadows (book, ebook & audiobook)

https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/guy-meadows/the-sleep-book/9781409157618/
Paperback (Orion, 2014, £10.99), ebook and unabridged audiobook; free to borrow from UK public libraries via Reading Well and widely held by libraries elsewhere. Note: ACT's trial evidence for insomnia is smaller and newer than the decades of trials behind CBT-I, which remains the better-tested first choice.
What It Does
The sleep title on the current NHS-endorsed Reading Well for mental health list, stocked free in public libraries across England and Wales. It takes a different route from CBT-I: a five-week plan based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness, teaching you to stop struggling with wakefulness (clock-watching, forcing sleep, dreading tomorrow), accept night-time thoughts without fighting them and rebuild a normal relationship with bed.
Who It Helps
Adults whose insomnia is driven by anxiety about sleep itself, who find rigid rules counter-productive, or who want a mindfulness-based approach. Loud snoring or breathing pauses still need assessment.
Paperback (Orion, 2014, £10.99), ebook and unabridged audiobook; free to borrow from UK public libraries via Reading Well and widely held by libraries elsewhere. Note: ACT's trial evidence for insomnia is smaller and newer than the decades of trials behind CBT-I, which remains the better-tested first choice.
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Hello Sleep: The Science and Art of Overcoming Insomnia Without Medications — Jade Wu PhD (book & audiobook)

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250883803/hellosleep/
Hardcover, paperback, ebook and unabridged audiobook (2023; price varies by retailer); widely available from public libraries including OverDrive and Hoopla; free workbook on her site.
What It Does
A 2023 CBT-I book by a behavioural sleep medicine specialist for people more anxious about sleep than ever. It teaches CBT-I's core elements (sleep diary, getting up when awake, letting go of sleep effort) in a flexible, kind voice rather than as rigid rules, plus light therapy, tapering sleep medication with a prescriber, and guidance for pregnancy, menopause, chronic pain and depression.
Who It Helps
Adults with chronic insomnia, particularly perfectionists about sleep and people in pregnancy, menopause or new parenthood where standard advice fails. Snoring, breathing pauses or daytime sleep attacks still need assessment. With bipolar disorder or epilepsy, check with your clinician before restricting time in bed.
Hardcover, paperback, ebook and unabridged audiobook (2023; price varies by retailer); widely available from public libraries including OverDrive and Hoopla; free workbook on her site.
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Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams — Matthew Walker PhD (book & audiobook)

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Why-We-Sleep/Matthew-Walker/9781501144325
Hardcover, paperback (Scribner, 2018, approx. US$19), ebook and unabridged audiobook (read by Steve West); in almost every public library. Note: A detailed 2019 critique documented errors and overstated statistics in several chapters; the broad message stands, but treat individual numbers with caution.
What It Does
The book that made sleep a public-health conversation. A New York Times bestseller endorsed by Bill Gates, it explains what sleep does for memory, mood, immunity and blood sugar, why alcohol and sleeping pills are not sleep, and how caffeine, light and timing work. Not a treatment programme: it ends with twelve habits that match clinical advice, and Walker's advice for chronic insomnia is CBT-I.
Who It Helps
Anyone who treats sleep as optional and needs a readable, convincing case. Less suited to people with insomnia lying awake worrying about their health: its alarm can feed that anxiety.
Hardcover, paperback (Scribner, 2018, approx. US$19), ebook and unabridged audiobook (read by Steve West); in almost every public library. Note: A detailed 2019 critique documented errors and overstated statistics in several chapters; the broad message stands, but treat individual numbers with caution.
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Life Time: The New Science of the Body Clock, and How It Can Revolutionize Your Sleep and Health — Russell Foster (book & audiobook)

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/321815/life-time-by-foster-russell/9780241529317
Paperback (Penguin Life, 2023, £10.99), ebook and unabridged audio download (about 11½ hours, read by the author); widely available from public libraries.
What It Does
A plain-English account of circadian science from the scientist whose lab discovered the light-sensing eye cells that set the body clock. Foster explains how light, meals, exercise, caffeine and medication timing move your clock, what happens with shift work, jet lag and age-related sleep changes, and how to use that: morning daylight, consistent timing, when to eat, exercise and take medicines. A Sunday Times bestseller.
Who It Helps
Anyone whose sleep problem is really a timing problem: night owls, shift workers, frequent flyers, teenagers and parents, older adults waking early. Science and strategy, not an insomnia treatment programme.
Paperback (Penguin Life, 2023, £10.99), ebook and unabridged audio download (about 11½ hours, read by the author); widely available from public libraries.
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Consensus Sleep Diary (free web/iOS/Android app and printable PDF)

https://www.consensussleepdiary.com/
Free for personal and not-for-profit use: web app with iOS and Android, plus free PDF from drcolleencarney.com. For-profit use needs the first author's permission.
What It Does
The standardised sleep diary insomnia researchers and CBT-I clinicians use, free as a web app, iOS and Android, and printable PDFs. A one- to two-week diary starts every CBT-I programme: its numbers (time to fall asleep, time awake, sleep versus time in bed) set your sleep window and track progress. Agreed by an international expert panel (SLEEP, 2012), it takes about two minutes each morning.
Who It Helps
Anyone starting CBT-I, seeing a doctor about sleep, or wanting honesty instead of a wearable's guess. Fill it in each morning, never by clock-watching; stop if tracking raises anxiety.
Free for personal and not-for-profit use: web app with iOS and Android, plus free PDF from drcolleencarney.com. For-profit use needs the first author's permission.
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Sleep problems and insomnia self-help guide — NHS inform (free online CBT-based guide)

https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/mental-health/mental-health-self-help-guides/sleep-problems-and-insomnia-self-help-guide/
Free; online, works on any device, no account or login; save as PDF to keep your progress.
What It Does
A free 14-section self-help guide from Scotland's national health information service, built on cognitive behavioural therapy. It explains what keeps insomnia going, then the core tools: fixed routines, no napping, bed only when sleepy, getting up after about 15 minutes awake, a daily 'worry time', progressive muscle relaxation and challenging the thoughts that fuel night-time anxiety. A free first step while waiting for full CBT-I.
Who It Helps
Adults with mild to moderate sleep problems anywhere (phone numbers are Scottish). Not a substitute for assessment of suspected sleep apnoea, narcolepsy or restless legs, or for crisis support. With bipolar disorder or epilepsy, check with your clinician before restricting time in bed.
Free; online, works on any device, no account or login; save as PDF to keep your progress.
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Cooking & Eating Well — Skills, Recipes, Budget Food & Nutritional Psychiatry

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking — Samin Nosrat (book, audiobook & Netflix series)

https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/
Hardcover approx. US$35–40, ebook US$19.99 and an adapted audiobook read by the author; widely available from public libraries; website recipes and guides free.
What It Does
Nosrat's book for people who want to stop following recipes and understand cooking: four elements (salt, fat, acid and heat) decide whether food tastes good, and she shows how to use each, then gives about 100 flexible base recipes with variations. Won the 2018 James Beard Award for General Cookbook and IACP Cookbook of the Year, and became a four-part Netflix series in 2018.
Who It Helps
Cooks who can follow a recipe but want the confidence to improvise, including people making simple low-carb or whole-food ingredients taste good. A general cooking book, not a diet book.
Hardcover approx. US$35–40, ebook US$19.99 and an adapted audiobook read by the author; widely available from public libraries; website recipes and guides free.
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The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science — J. Kenji López-Alt (book; free Serious Eats column)

https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393081084
Hardcover approx. US$40–50 and ebook; no audiobook; widely held by public libraries. The Serious Eats column it grew from is free online.
What It Does
A 900-page home-cooking manual built from thousands of kitchen experiments: why a steak browns, why eggs turn rubbery, how to roast a chicken reliably every time. It grew from López-Alt's free Serious Eats column, where most of the same testing is still available at no cost. Over a million copies sold; 2016 James Beard Award for General Cooking and IACP Cookbook of the Year.
Who It Helps
People who learn by understanding why and want techniques that work first time. Nearly 300 savoury American recipes, many naturally low-carb; a heavy book to browse and dip into.
Hardcover approx. US$40–50 and ebook; no audiobook; widely held by public libraries. The Serious Eats column it grew from is free online.
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Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day — Leanne Brown (free PDF cookbook & paperback)

https://leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap-2/
Free PDF via the author's free newsletter (Spanish edition also free); paperback approx. US$16.99 with a buy-one-give-one donation; widely held by public libraries.
What It Does
A cookbook for the US food-stamp budget of about US$4 a day, free as a PDF since 2014 and downloaded more than 15 million times. It teaches how to make cheap food good: stocking a tiny pantry, cooking dried beans, building meals around eggs and vegetables, using leftovers. The print edition won the 2015 IACP Judges' Choice Award and was a New York Times bestseller.
Who It Helps
Anyone eating on a tight budget, or with limited energy or kitchen, who needs simple, forgiving recipes. Ordinary balanced-diet advice, not low-carb; skip the pasta and baking pages if managing blood sugar.
Free PDF via the author's free newsletter (Spanish edition also free); paperback approx. US$16.99 with a buy-one-give-one donation; widely held by public libraries.
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Budget Bytes — free budget recipe site with the cost of every recipe worked out (website)

https://www.budgetbytes.com/
Free to browse all recipes (ad-supported); optional BudgetBytes+ membership US$4.99/month adds weekly meal plans and removes ads; a 2014 print cookbook is also available.
What It Does
A free recipe site, running since 2009, where each of its 1,700-plus recipes shows total cost and cost per serving, with step-by-step photos a beginner can follow. Large sections cover meal prep, one-pot meals, recipes under $10 and kitchen basics. Won the 2016 Saveur Blog Award for Best How-To Food Blog; featured by the New York Times and NPR; now run by a test-kitchen team.
Who It Helps
People who need to eat well on little money or energy and want tested, cheap, quick recipes. Low-carb eaters filter for the meat, egg and vegetable dishes; prices are in US dollars.
Free to browse all recipes (ad-supported); optional BudgetBytes+ membership US$4.99/month adds weekly meal plans and removes ads; a 2014 print cookbook is also available.
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The Art of Fermentation — Sandor Ellix Katz (book)

https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/the-art-of-fermentation/
Hardcover US$39.95 on the publisher's site, often less from retailers, and ebook; no audiobook listed; widely held by public libraries.
What It Does
The reference book that brought home fermentation back to ordinary kitchens: sauerkraut, kimchi, yoghurt, miso, tempeh, sourdough, taught by understanding the process rather than following rigid recipes, with sections on safety and troubleshooting. Won the 2013 James Beard Foundation Book Award, sold more than 250,000 copies, and is on the New York Times list of the 25 most influential cookbooks of the last 100 years.
Who It Helps
Anyone curious about fermenting for gut health, flavour or thrift; a 500-page reference, not a quick recipe book. If your immune system is weakened, ask your clinician before eating home-fermented foods.
Hardcover US$39.95 on the publisher's site, often less from retailers, and ebook; no audiobook listed; widely held by public libraries.
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Food and Mood: Improving Mental Health Through Diet and Nutrition — free online course (Deakin University Food & Mood Centre, FutureLearn)

https://futurelearn.com/courses/food-and-mood
Free to join (three weeks' access, no certificate); optional one-off upgrade approx. US$109 for unlimited access and a certificate. About 3 hours a week, online.
What It Does
A free three-week online course from the Deakin University research centre that ran the SMILES trial, the first randomised controlled trial to show that improving diet can reduce symptoms of major depression. It explains how food affects mood, the gut microbiome's role and the evidence for a modified Mediterranean-style diet, then helps you plan your own change. Since 2019, more than 95,000 learners; rated 4.6/5.
Who It Helps
People with low mood, anxiety or depression wanting to know how food fits in, and family or health workers. It supports treatment rather than replacing it: do not stop medication or therapy.
Free to join (three weeks' access, no certificate); optional one-off upgrade approx. US$109 for unlimited access and a certificate. About 3 hours a week, online.
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Brain Changer: The Good Mental Health Diet — Professor Felice Jacka (book & audiobook)

https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781760556518/
Paperback A$34.99 in Australia, approx. £10–15 in the UK; ebook and unabridged audiobook read by the author; widely available from public libraries.
What It Does
The book from the scientist whose randomised trial showed that changing what you eat can ease depression. Jacka explains how diet quality relates to depression and anxiety risk, the gut's role in mood, and why she argues for a whole-food, Mediterranean-style way of eating rather than supplements or restriction. The second half is practical: habit change, meal plans and recipes from the SMILES trial diet.
Who It Helps
People with low mood, anxiety or depression who want a non-faddish food plan, and family cooking for them. Not a weight-loss book; it sits alongside medication, therapy and your clinician's advice.
Paperback A$34.99 in Australia, approx. £10–15 in the UK; ebook and unabridged audiobook read by the author; widely available from public libraries.
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Carb Manager: Keto & Macro Log — low-carb tracking and meal-planning app

https://www.carbmanager.com/
Free tier (carb and macro tracking, barcode scanning); Premium approx. US$8.49/month or US$25–60/year for meal plans, recipes and advanced tracking; iOS, Android and web. Note: No clinical trials of the app itself and its site uses paid testimonials; treat it as a tracker, not medical guidance.
What It Does
One of the most-downloaded keto trackers: a food diary that counts net carbohydrate (barcode scanning, voice or photo logging, over a million foods), with optional tracking of blood glucose, ketones, fasting windows and weight. The free tier covers core carb tracking; paid adds meal plans, recipes and a diabetes tracker. Rated 4.8 from about 736,000 App Store ratings; around 8 million users.
Who It Helps
Low-carb, keto or diabetes-management dieters who want carbs and glucose or ketone readings in one place. Not for anyone with disordered eating; if on insulin or glucose-lowering drugs, involve your prescriber first.
Free tier (carb and macro tracking, barcode scanning); Premium approx. US$8.49/month or US$25–60/year for meal plans, recipes and advanced tracking; iOS, Android and web. Note: No clinical trials of the app itself and its site uses paid testimonials; treat it as a tracker, not medical guidance.
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Wholesome Yum — free low-carb and keto recipes, 10 ingredients or fewer (website & app)

https://www.wholesomeyum.com/
Free to browse recipes and guides (ad-supported); optional Wholesome Yum Plus under US$5/month removes ads and adds meal plans; two cookbooks approx. US$20–30; free iOS and Android app. Note: A commercial blog selling its own sweeteners and a membership, with recipes not clinically reviewed; use for cooking ideas, not nutrition advice.
What It Does
One of the largest free keto and low-carb recipe sites: more than 1,000 tested recipes, each using ten ingredients or fewer and no refined sugar or flour, plus beginner guides, keto food lists and a companion app. Its evidence is reach: millions of readers a month, a mailing list of over 400,000, and a USA Today-bestselling cookbook. Short ingredient lists keep cooking quick and cheap.
Who It Helps
Low-carb or keto eaters who need simple weeknight recipes, and anyone who finds long ingredient lists exhausting. Not medical advice: agree the diet with your clinician, especially if on glucose-lowering medication.
Free to browse recipes and guides (ad-supported); optional Wholesome Yum Plus under US$5/month removes ads and adds meal plans; two cookbooks approx. US$20–30; free iOS and Android app. Note: A commercial blog selling its own sweeteners and a membership, with recipes not clinically reviewed; use for cooking ideas, not nutrition advice.
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This Is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More — Uma Naidoo MD (book & audiobook)

https://umanaidoomd.com/pages/this-is-your-brain-on-food
Hardcover approx. US$28 (Little, Brown Spark, 2020), with ebook and audiobook editions; widely available from public libraries. Note: Some condition-specific food advice outruns current trial evidence; treat the Mediterranean-style core as well supported and the detail as promising, not proven.
What It Does
A condition-by-condition guide to eating for mental health, with a chapter each on depression, anxiety, trauma, ADHD, OCD, insomnia and more: what the evidence says, which foods to eat more of or cut back, and simple recipes. Naidoo is a psychiatrist and trained chef who set up the first hospital-based nutritional psychiatry service in the US, at Massachusetts General Hospital. An instant bestseller in 2020.
Who It Helps
People with a mental-health condition who want food changes alongside treatment, and their carers. Not a substitute for treatment or crisis care; anyone with an eating disorder needs their clinician's agreement first.
Hardcover approx. US$28 (Little, Brown Spark, 2020), with ebook and audiobook editions; widely available from public libraries. Note: Some condition-specific food advice outruns current trial evidence; treat the Mediterranean-style core as well supported and the detail as promising, not proven.
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Oldways Mediterranean Diet resources — the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, free recipes and eating guides (website)

https://oldwayspt.org/traditional-diets/mediterranean-diet
Free (recipes, pyramid, glossary, factsheets and curricula; no account needed); an optional 4-week Mediterranean menu-plan ebook is sold separately. Note: Oldways is a non-profit that accepts food-industry sponsorship, so whole grains and pasta get more room than low-carb clinicians allow.
What It Does
The home of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, created by Oldways in 1993 with the Harvard School of Public Health and the World Health Organization, still the standard picture of how to eat this way. The site turns it into practice with a free recipe library, factsheets and cooking-and-nutrition curricula. The diet has strong evidence: the PREDIMED randomised trial cut major cardiovascular events by about 30%.
Who It Helps
People told to 'eat a Mediterranean diet' for heart, blood sugar or mood who want to know what that means on a plate. Not low-carb; keep grain portions small if controlling glucose.
Free (recipes, pyramid, glossary, factsheets and curricula; no account needed); an optional 4-week Mediterranean menu-plan ebook is sold separately. Note: Oldways is a non-profit that accepts food-industry sponsorship, so whole grains and pasta get more room than low-carb clinicians allow.
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Movement, Exercise & Breathing — Books, Programs & Free Workouts

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain — John J. Ratey MD with Eric Hagerman (book & audiobook)

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/john-j-ratey-md/spark/9780316113502/
Trade paperback US$19.99, ebook US$11.99, unabridged audiobook US$27.99 (Little, Brown Spark, 2008); widely available from public libraries.
What It Does
The book that made 'exercise is medicine for the brain' a mainstream idea. Ratey, a Harvard psychiatrist, explains what aerobic exercise does to mood, anxiety, attention, stress and ageing, and ends each chapter with what to do: how hard, how often, which kinds. Published 2008; a 2024 BMJ meta-analysis of 218 trials found walking, yoga and strength training meaningfully reduce depression.
Who It Helps
Anyone who needs a convincing reason to start moving, especially with low mood, anxiety, ADHD or chronic stress. A motivator, not a workout plan, and not a substitute for treatment in crisis. With a heart condition or years of inactivity, check with your GP before pushing hard.
Trade paperback US$19.99, ebook US$11.99, unabridged audiobook US$27.99 (Little, Brown Spark, 2008); widely available from public libraries.
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Exercise for Mood and Anxiety: Proven Strategies for Overcoming Depression and Enhancing Well-Being — Michael W. Otto PhD & Jasper A. J. Smits PhD (book)

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/exercise-for-mood-and-anxiety-9780199791002
Paperback approx. US$27 or £17 and ebook (Oxford University Press, 2011; 248 pages); no audiobook; available from public and university libraries.
What It Does
A self-help manual from two clinical psychologists who research exercise for depression and anxiety: how to use movement deliberately for your mood and, above all, how to keep going when you feel flat and unmotivated. Based on the authors' clinician programme in Oxford's Treatments That Work series; carries the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies' Self-Help Seal of Merit, for methods consistent with research evidence.
Who It Helps
People with low mood, anxiety or stress who know exercise would help but cannot get started or keep going; works alongside therapy or medication. Not a replacement for crisis care. With a heart condition or years of inactivity, check with your GP before pushing hard.
Paperback approx. US$27 or £17 and ebook (Oxford University Press, 2011; 248 pages); no audiobook; available from public and university libraries.
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Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding — Daniel E. Lieberman (book & audiobook)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/557099/exercised-by-daniel-e-lieberman/
Paperback US$18 (Vintage, 2021; 464 pages), ebook, and unabridged audiobook (13 h 14 min, narrated by Sean Runnette); widely available from public libraries.
What It Does
Lieberman, a Harvard evolutionary biologist, takes the guilt out of hating exercise by showing that avoiding unnecessary effort is normal and ancient, then tackles the questions (does running wreck knees, how much is enough) using hunter-gatherer, athlete and trial evidence. His conclusions, which public-health guidelines echo: make activity necessary and social, mix walking with vigorous effort and strength work, and stop shaming yourself.
Who It Helps
Sedentary people who feel they 'should' exercise and hate it, and anyone wanting a myth-free account of how much movement matters. A long read, not a programme; the audiobook suits tired readers. With a heart condition or years of inactivity, check with your GP before pushing hard.
Paperback US$18 (Vintage, 2021; 464 pages), ebook, and unabridged audiobook (13 h 14 min, narrated by Sean Runnette); widely available from public libraries.
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Built to Move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully — Kelly Starrett DPT & Juliet Starrett (book & audiobook)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/707121/built-to-move-by-kelly-starrett-and-juliet-starrett/
Hardcover US$28, ebook, and audiobook (8 h 32 min, read by the authors); available from public libraries. A free 10-day video challenge is on The Ready State website (registration required).
What It Does
A mobility book for ordinary bodies by a physical therapist who spent two decades with elite athletes. Ten home self-tests (getting up from the floor without your hands, balancing on one leg, how much you walk), each paired with a ten-minute daily practice, plus plain advice on sitting less, sleep and protein. Gentle, with almost no equipment. An instant New York Times bestseller in 2023.
Who It Helps
Stiff, sore, sedentary or ageing people who want a gentle daily routine to restore range of motion, balance and breathing. Not for treating an injury or diagnosed condition; see a physiotherapist.
Hardcover US$28, ebook, and audiobook (8 h 32 min, read by the authors); available from public libraries. A free 10-day video challenge is on The Ready State website (registration required).
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Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art — James Nestor (book & audiobook)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/547761/breath-by-james-nestor/
Paperback US$20 (2025 edition), hardcover US$30, ebook, and audiobook (7 h 56 min, read by the author); widely available from public libraries. Free breathing videos at mrjamesnestor.com. Note: Claims such as breathing straightening a scoliotic spine outrun the evidence and the author is a journalist; the slow-nasal-breathing advice is mainstream.
What It Does
The 2020 book that made millions notice how they breathe. Science journalist James Nestor, who spent ten days nose-plugged in a Stanford experiment, shows how mouth breathing and shallow over-breathing are linked to snoring, poor sleep, anxiety and blood pressure, and the fix: breathe through your nose, slow to five or six breaths a minute, exhale fully. Over three million copies in 44 languages.
Who It Helps
People with snoring, poor sleep or anxiety wanting an introduction to slow nasal breathing. Journalism, not treatment: with asthma, COPD, sleep apnoea or panic disorder, keep your treatment and ask your clinician.
Paperback US$20 (2025 edition), hardcover US$30, ebook, and audiobook (7 h 56 min, read by the author); widely available from public libraries. Free breathing videos at mrjamesnestor.com. Note: Claims such as breathing straightening a scoliotic spine outrun the evidence and the author is a journalist; the slow-nasal-breathing advice is mainstream.
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The Healing Power of the Breath: Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety, Enhance Concentration, and Balance Your Emotions — Richard P. Brown MD & Patricia L. Gerbarg MD (book with audio tracks & audiobook)

https://www.shambhala.com/the-healing-power-of-the-breath.html
Paperback US$19.95 with downloadable audio tracks (Shambhala, 2012); ebook; unabridged audiobook with author updates (6 h 2 min, 2022, approx. US$25). Available from public libraries including OverDrive.
What It Does
A short, practical breathing course from two psychiatrists, with the audio tracks needed to do it. The core technique is Coherent Breathing (about five slow breaths a minute, paced by a chime), combined with resistance breathing and simple movements in a 20-minute daily programme. Their Breath-Body-Mind programme was tested in a small randomised trial (29 people with inflammatory bowel disease), where it reduced anxiety, depression and the inflammation marker C-reactive protein.
Who It Helps
People with anxiety, low mood, insomnia or trauma symptoms who want a gentle daily breathing practice. Not a replacement for psychiatric care; with serious lung or heart disease, ask your doctor first.
Paperback US$19.95 with downloadable audio tracks (Shambhala, 2012); ebook; unabridged audiobook with author updates (6 h 2 min, 2022, approx. US$25). Available from public libraries including OverDrive.
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DAREBEE — free, non-profit home-fitness library (2,800+ workouts, programmes and challenges)

https://darebee.com/
Free; no account or app required; optional donation. Works on any device; also available in French, Greek and Russian.
What It Does
A very large free fitness library with nothing to sell. Darebee is a volunteer-run non-profit publishing original home workouts since 2012: more than 2,800 illustrated one-page workouts (most needing no equipment), around a hundred multi-week programmes including gentle starters such as Primer and Soft Cardio, a monthly challenge and free books, all printable. No ads, product placement, account or paywall; funded by small donations.
Who It Helps
Anyone wanting free, no-equipment exercise at home, especially those who prefer a printed card to a video. Self-guided: with an injury or limiting condition, get advice first and start easy.
Free; no account or app required; optional donation. Works on any device; also available in French, Greek and Russian.
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Fitness Blender — free full-length home workout videos from certified trainers

https://www.fitnessblender.com/
Free (hundreds of full-length videos, ad-supported). FB Plus US$8.99/month or US$79.99/year adds about 1,200 extra workouts, 128 programmes and an ad-free site. Web and YouTube; no app required.
What It Does
Hundreds of complete follow-along workout videos to do at home free, searchable by length, difficulty, equipment and impact level. Started on YouTube in 2009 by two personal trainers, Kelli and Daniel Segars, as a plain, no-hype alternative to fitness marketing, it became the most-watched fitness channel on YouTube by 2017 and passed six million subscribers by 2020. Clear form cues and a calm, non-judgemental tone.
Who It Helps
People wanting to be shown exactly what to do, free, including beginners and those returning after illness. Not individualised: with a heart condition, joint problems or pregnancy, check with your clinician first.
Free (hundreds of full-length videos, ad-supported). FB Plus US$8.99/month or US$79.99/year adds about 1,200 extra workouts, 128 programmes and an ad-free site. Web and YouTube; no app required.
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HASfit — free home workouts for beginners, seniors and low-impact exercisers

https://hasfit.com/
Free (website, YouTube and iOS/Android app), supported by donations, Patreon and a paid diet guide; no account required for the videos.
What It Does
A large free library of full-length home workouts with particular strength in what most fitness channels neglect: beginner, senior (including seated), low-impact cardio and rehabilitation routines. Coaches Joshua and Claudia Kozak demonstrate an easier and a harder version of every move, so any workout can be scaled down. The site reports more than a billion completed workouts over 13 years and a 4.7-star app rating.
Who It Helps
Older adults, people deconditioned by illness and beginners who want someone friendly to follow for 10–30 minutes. Not clinically supervised; with heart disease, osteoporosis or recent surgery, get clearance first.
Free (website, YouTube and iOS/Android app), supported by donations, Patreon and a paid diet guide; no account required for the videos.
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We Are Undefeatable — free 'ways to move' for people living with long-term health conditions (15 UK health charities)

https://weareundefeatable.co.uk/
Free; website, downloadable PDF booklets and a free app; no account needed.
What It Does
A free movement campaign for people whose health makes exercise hard, run by fifteen UK health charities (Mind, Diabetes UK, British Heart Foundation, Versus Arthritis, Macmillan and others) with Sport England and National Lottery funding. Condition-by-condition starting points, short follow-along workouts, honest advice on bad days, a free app, and Five in Five, a booklet of seven five-minute routines with every move seated or standing.
Who It Helps
Anyone with a chronic physical or mental health condition told to be more active who does not know where to begin safely, and their carers. Online anywhere; local signposting is for England. If your condition is unstable, check with your clinician first and start with the seated options.
Free; website, downloadable PDF booklets and a free app; no account needed.
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NHS Active 10 — free brisk-walking app (ten minutes a day counts)

https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/get-active/
Free; iOS and Android; no account needed (optional NHS login for a personalised plan); no in-app purchases listed.
What It Does
A simple free app for people doing almost no exercise: it detects brisk walking and rewards every brisk minute, aiming for one daily 'Active 10': ten brisk minutes in a row. Built for Public Health England on UK Chief Medical Officers' advice that ten brisk minutes a day lowers heart disease, type 2 diabetes and low-mood risk. Over 500,000 Android installs; 4.5 stars.
Who It Helps
Inactive adults or those recovering from illness who want the smallest meaningful first step: a short daily brisk walk. Counts walking only. Designed for England; the app may not be available everywhere. After surgery or a cardiac event, follow your care team's advice on when to start.
Free; iOS and Android; no account needed (optional NHS login for a personalised plan); no in-app purchases listed.
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Chronic Illness, Pain & Neurological Conditions — Self-Management That Works

Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions, 5th Edition — Kate Lorig DrPH and colleagues (book, audiobook & free tools)

https://www.bullpub.com/living-a-healthy-life-with-chronic-conditions-5th-edition.html
Paperback list US$26.95, PDF ebook US$24.95, audiobook on CD US$29.95 or MP3 download US$26.95; widely held by public libraries. The publisher's worksheets are free.
What It Does
The handbook of the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, the most-studied self-management course in the world, by the team that created it. Skills that work across conditions: weekly action plans you can keep, problem solving, easing symptoms with your mind, exercise, talking with doctors. Its randomised trial (952 patients, 1999) found better symptom management, less fatigue and fewer hospital stays; over 1.5 million copies sold.
Who It Helps
Anyone with long-term conditions (including depression) who wants a practical, trial-tested routine for taking charge, and family helping them. It does not replace your treatment plan; it helps you carry it out.
Paperback list US$26.95, PDF ebook US$24.95, audiobook on CD US$29.95 or MP3 download US$26.95; widely held by public libraries. The publisher's worksheets are free.
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The Explain Pain Handbook: Protectometer — G. Lorimer Moseley & David S. Butler, with Explain Pain Second Edition (workbook, book, ebook & audiobook)

https://www.noigroup.com/product/ep-handbook-protectometer/
Handbook softcover A$31.50 (roughly US$20) from Noigroup; Explain Pain Second Edition print A$75, ePub or author-read MP3 audiobook A$35; Explain Pain is held by many libraries.
What It Does
Explain Pain changed how clinicians treat persistent pain; this 48-page handbook is its hands-on version. 'Pain is always real – but it is not always a sign of damage.' You map your DIMs (Danger in Me) and SIMs (Safety in Me), then use six strategies to turn protection down. A 2016 review of 13 randomised trials found pain neuroscience education, the approach it teaches, reduces pain, disability and fear of movement.
Who It Helps
People with pain lasting months or years where no damage needing treatment has been found, and anyone frightened by scans or moving. Persistent pain only: have new or unexplained pain checked first.
Handbook softcover A$31.50 (roughly US$20) from Noigroup; Explain Pain Second Edition print A$75, ePub or author-read MP3 audiobook A$35; Explain Pain is held by many libraries.
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Tame the Beast — It's time to rethink persistent pain (free 5-minute video & website, Prof Lorimer Moseley)

https://www.tamethebeast.org/
Free; watch online, no account; transcript and Spanish version provided.
What It Does
A free five-minute animated film, narrated by pain scientist Lorimer Moseley, explaining persistent pain, with follow-up pages, stories and a Spanish version. Its message: when pain goes on for a long time 'your system becomes more sensitive. It learns pain.' The site explains how to retrain an over-protective system through understanding and gradual, planned movement. Pain clinics worldwide show it as a first step.
Who It Helps
Anyone with pain lasting more than a few months, and family wanting to understand it. 'Always get a health professional to check you over first.' A starting point, not a complete programme.
Free; watch online, no account; transcript and Spanish version provided.
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Retrain Pain Foundation — free pain-science lessons in 23 languages

https://www.retrainpain.org/
Free; no login or payment; lessons open as online slides. Optional email newsletter.
What It Does
A free library of short slide-based lessons teaching the modern science of persistent pain, a few minutes each: why pain can become over-sensitive after tissues heal and how to turn it down. 15 English lessons, translated into 23 languages. Not trialled itself, but it teaches the pain neuroscience education that a 2016 review of 13 randomised trials found reduces pain, disability and fear of movement.
Who It Helps
People with persistent pain who want to understand it in their own language, and clinicians sharing it with patients. Education, not treatment or medical advice; have new or unexplained pain checked first.
Free; no login or payment; lessons open as online slides. Optional email newsletter.
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The Way Out: A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain — Alan Gordon LCSW with Alon Ziv (book & audiobook)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/617809/the-way-out-by-alan-gordon-and-alon-ziv/
Paperback US$20, ebook, and unabridged audiobook read by Alan Gordon (4 h 51 min); Avery (Penguin Random House), 2021–22; widely available from public libraries including Libby. Note: One 151-person trial co-authored by the developer, in a selected chronic back-pain group; independent replication is awaited; only for pain with structural causes excluded.
What It Does
The step-by-step guide to Pain Reprocessing Therapy by its developer. Its claim: most long-standing pain without ongoing injury is a learned false alarm, unlearned by collecting evidence it is not dangerous and by 'somatic tracking' (watching sensation with calm curiosity). In a 2022 randomised trial of 151 people, 66% on PRT were pain-free or nearly pain-free versus 20% on placebo and 10% on usual care.
Who It Helps
People with persistent pain and no structural cause found, willing to work on fear and attention. Not for pain from untreated injury, infection, cancer or inflammatory disease; get a medical check first.
Paperback US$20, ebook, and unabridged audiobook read by Alan Gordon (4 h 51 min); Avery (Penguin Random House), 2021–22; widely available from public libraries including Libby. Note: One 151-person trial co-authored by the developer, in a selected chronic back-pain group; independent replication is awaited; only for pain with structural causes excluded.
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The Pain Management Workbook: Powerful CBT and Mindfulness Skills to Take Control of Pain and Reclaim Your Life — Rachel Zoffness PhD (workbook & free audio)

https://www.zoffness.com/
Paperback about US$25 or £20 and ebook (New Harbinger, 2020); library ebook via OverDrive/Libby in many systems. Guided audio free on the author's website with a free account.
What It Does
A workbook from a UCSF pain psychologist turning what pain clinics teach into home exercises. Pain is shaped by body, thoughts, stress and sleep, so it can change; you build a plan of pacing, CBT skills for thoughts that turn pain up, and mindfulness. CBT and mindfulness have decades of trial evidence for chronic pain; endorsed by Lorimer Moseley and Stanford's Pain Psychology Fellowship director.
Who It Helps
Adults (teen edition available) with persistent pain who want a programme to write in, and clinicians using it with patients. Medically assessed pain only; do not change prescribed treatment without your doctor.
Paperback about US$25 or £20 and ebook (New Harbinger, 2020); library ebook via OverDrive/Libby in many systems. Guided audio free on the author's website with a free account.
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Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness — Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD (book & audiobook)

https://jonkabat-zinn.com/offerings/books/
Paperback about US$25 (second edition, 2013; 720 pages) and ebook about US$15; abridged audiobook read by the author (5 h 59 min). Very widely held by public libraries.
What It Does
The book behind Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Kabat-Zinn's eight-week course from 1979 for chronic pain and illness, now in more than 720 hospitals and clinics worldwide. It teaches the course: body scan, meditation, yoga, and attending to pain and stress rather than fighting them. A 342-person randomised trial of chronic back pain found 60.5% on MBSR had meaningfully better function versus 44.1% with usual care.
Who It Helps
People with chronic pain or long-term illness willing to practise 45 minutes a day for eight weeks. Not a substitute for medical care; with severe depression or trauma, start with a teacher.
Paperback about US$25 (second edition, 2013; 720 pages) and ebook about US$15; abridged audiobook read by the author (5 h 59 min). Very widely held by public libraries.
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#MEAction Pacing and Management Guide for ME/CFS and Long COVID (free PDF; adult, paediatric and clinician editions)

https://www.meaction.net/pacing-and-management-guides
Free PDF downloads (no account); adult, paediatric and clinician editions; Swedish, Italian and Dutch translations.
What It Does
A free four-page guide to pacing, for illnesses where exertion makes you worse. It explains post-exertional malaise (PEM), 'the cardinal symptom of ME/CFS', then gives the method: halve activity to find a baseline, set a heart-rate alert below your PEM threshold, and 'radical rest' before planned exertion. It warns graded exercise 'may do more harm than good'. It matches US CDC guidance on managing PEM.
Who It Helps
People with ME/CFS, Long COVID or any condition with post-exertional malaise, and family helping them. A starting handout, not a programme or a substitute for medical care; written to show your doctor.
Free PDF downloads (no account); adult, paediatric and clinician editions; Swedish, Italian and Dutch translations.
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The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles — Terry Wahls MD with Eve Adamson (revised edition; book & audiobook)

https://terrywahls.com/the-wahls-protocol/
Paperback US$25, ebook, and unabridged audiobook (revised edition, 18 h 14 min); Avery (Penguin Random House); widely held by public libraries. The book is complete on its own. Note: The author sells supplements, courses and certification, and the title's 'treat all chronic autoimmune conditions' far outruns one 87-person MS-fatigue trial.
What It Does
The best-known diet book for multiple sclerosis, by a physician with progressive MS who went from a wheelchair to cycling. Three levels of a vegetable-heavy, gluten- and dairy-free diet, plus an elimination diet and lifestyle advice. The 87-person randomised WAVES trial found the Wahls and older Swank diets both meaningfully reduced fatigue, with no advantage for either: evidence for easing MS fatigue, not reversing MS.
Who It Helps
People with MS or another autoimmune condition wanting a demanding food-first plan (around nine cups of vegetables and fruit a day). Not a replacement for disease-modifying therapy; involve your neurologist.
Paperback US$25, ebook, and unabridged audiobook (revised edition, 18 h 14 min); Avery (Penguin Random House); widely held by public libraries. The book is complete on its own. Note: The author sells supplements, courses and certification, and the title's 'treat all chronic autoimmune conditions' far outruns one 87-person MS-fatigue trial.
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Every Victory Counts manual — Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's (free manual, print or digital, with Care Partner edition)

https://davisphinneyfoundation.org/every-victory-counts-manual/
Free ('print or digital, always free'): digital download anywhere; printed copies posted free in the US and, via Parkinson Canada, in Canada; Care Partner Manual also free.
What It Does
A free book-length manual on living well with Parkinson's, with more than 80 expert contributors, now in its seventh edition. It covers how Parkinson's changes over time, exercise as treatment, getting the most from medicines, the non-motor symptoms doctors often miss, building a care team, and acting on what you can control. More than 100,000 copies distributed; a separate Care Partner Manual for families.
Who It Helps
People living with Parkinson's at any stage, and their care partners; free Every Victory Counts Live events extend it. It complements, and does not replace, your neurologist's care.
Free ('print or digital, always free'): digital download anywhere; printed copies posted free in the US and, via Parkinson Canada, in Canada; Care Partner Manual also free.
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The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss — Nancy L. Mace MA & Peter V. Rabins MD MPH, 8th edition (book & audiobook)

https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/54015/36-hour-day
Paperback US$24.95, hardcover US$59.95, ebook US$24.95; unabridged audiobook of the 2025 edition (17 h 12 min) on Audible and library services; very widely held by public libraries.
What It Does
The dementia caregiver's handbook since 1981, now in its eighth edition (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025), with more than four million copies sold. Practical throughout: how memory and behaviour change; handling bathing, wandering and night-time; responding to anger, suspicion and hallucinations without making things worse; legal, financial and long-term-care decisions; and two chapters on caring for yourself. Alzheimer's organisations and memory clinics recommend it first.
Who It Helps
Family and friends caring for someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia at any stage; also useful for paid carers. About caring for someone else, not self-management for a person with early dementia.
Paperback US$24.95, hardcover US$59.95, ebook US$24.95; unabridged audiobook of the 2025 edition (17 h 12 min) on Audible and library services; very widely held by public libraries.
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How to Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers, Second Edition — Toni Bernhard (book & audiobook)

https://wisdomexperience.org/product/how-be-sick/
Paperback US$21.95 and ebook US$17.99 (Wisdom Publications); unabridged audiobook of the second edition (7 h 22 min, 2018) on Audible and library services; commonly available from public libraries.
What It Does
A gentle book about what no treatment plan covers in chronic illness: grief, isolation, guilt and fear of a smaller life. Bernhard, a law professor who fell ill in 2001 and never recovered, offers practices you can do lying down, drawn from mindfulness and Buddhist psychology but needing no religious belief. Award-winning, and often recommended by chronically ill readers since 2010.
Who It Helps
People with a long-term illness who feel they are failing at being sick, and their partners and carers. Emotional support, not medical advice; no replacement for treatment or mental-health care if depressed.
Paperback US$21.95 and ebook US$17.99 (Wisdom Publications); unabridged audiobook of the second edition (7 h 22 min, 2018) on Audible and library services; commonly available from public libraries.
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Important Disclaimer
This directory is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your medication regimen or starting any new therapy.

This document does not guarantee the legitimacy, quality, or suitability of any business, organization, or practitioner listed within. The inclusion of any listing does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or verification of credentials. All organizations listed are independent entities over which the creators of this directory have no control or oversight.

This directory is intended to be used as a starting point and reference for the reader to conduct their own research, exercise their own judgment, and apply their own discretion before engaging with any listed organization or professional. Readers are strongly encouraged to independently verify credentials, read reviews, check licensing, and confirm current pricing and availability directly with each organization before committing to any services.

Costs, availability, contact details, and services may change at any time without notice. Information was accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication.

About Notbroken.io: this directory and the accompanying Breathe, Calm, Sleep, Move, Eat, Track and Build tools were created by Nathan Leary, who runs and updates them. How each tool works, its safety notes, the privacy policy and terms of use are at notbroken.io/about, notbroken.io/privacy and notbroken.io/terms. The tools are general wellness aids, not medical devices, and Track is a personal journal that never gives medication advice.

If you are in crisis: Please contact your local emergency services immediately, or reach out to one of the following helplines:

International: Chapter 02 of this directory lists free helplines by situation and country; elsewhere use Find A Helpline — findahelpline.com
United States: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) • Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741)
United Kingdom: Samaritans — 116 123 (free, 24/7)
Canada: Talk Suicide Canada — 988 (call or text, 24/7)
Australia: Lifeline — 13 11 14 (24/7) • Beyond Blue — 1300 22 4636
New Zealand: Need to Talk? — 1737 (free, 24/7)
Europe: European Emergency Number — 112
India: iCall — 9152987821 • Vandrevala Foundation — 1860 2662 345
Singapore: Samaritans of Singapore — 1-767 (24/7)
Japan: TELL Lifeline — 03-5774-0992

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