Confessions of a shrink
When psychotherapist Jane Haynes decided to expose the shocking details of her life and work in an autobiography, many of her peers were horrified. By Stuart Jeffries
A potent dose of mother courage
Review: Lost Child by Julie MyersonJulie Myerson has caused a storm with revelations about her drug-using son. Kate Kellaway says it is a book that had to be written
Journeys to the edge of madness
To expose the insanity of mental health institutions, Norah Vincent had herself committed. Twice
Losing hope
At seven year old, Andrew Bridge was taken from his mentally ill mother and sent to a notorious children's home in Los Angeles. This is his story of survival
When the only way was down
Stephanie Merritt's The Devil Within is a memoir of a devastating mental illness, says Anushka Asthana
Maybe baby
Peggy Orenstein's Waiting For Daisy captures the pain of infertility, says Anushka Asthana
What’s up doc?
Max Pemberton's Trust Me, I'm a (Junior) Doctor jokingly reveals the reality of working in the NHS, says Katie Toms
When the only way is down
Sally Brampton's Shoot the Damn Dog is a lucid account of mental illness and attempted suicide
Not just a bread-and-butter case of murder
James Fergusson's The Vitamin Murders explores the bloody end of Britain's first foodie, says Paul Levy.
Passion for life
Dina Rabinovitch shows that living with serious illness strips the soul of all pretence in Take Off Your Party Dress: When Life's Too Busy for Breast Cancer, says Meg Rosoff.