At one point my daughter Daisy said, “Dad, I think I have a bite!” And so I leaped to her side and encouraged her to steadily reel the fish in.

Are You Really Ok? by Roman Kemp | Goodreads Are You Really Ok? by Roman Kemp | Goodreads

This book really doesn't know what it wants to be. The cover and particularly the title leads oneself to believe that you're going to get at the very least something substantial on mental health. The reality is the contents (or at least the first two thirds of it, I'll get to why I didn't finish it) consist of some basic discussion of the topic but I actually felt the effectiveness of even this was undermined by the way in which the author switches to discussion of random things that have happened in his life, many of which being subjectively amazing experiences many could only dream of. Roman claims he taught his dad Martin everything he knows about manscaping (Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images for Sony Pictures) Are you really OK? I don’t think there’d be too many people who could answer that question with a resounding yes after living through what the 2020’s have given us so far. Now, more than ever, we need to do whatever we can to look after our mental health. The majority of the issues we're facing in the present have their roots in the experiences of our past (p29)I just hope that by talking openly and honestly about my life, other young guys like me, guys like the ones you might know, and live with I've been fortunate enough to meet many remarkable people over the last decade of making documentaries - sometimes in incredibly hostile environments, where they've been really up against it - and I've seen the devastating effect that poverty, trauma, violence, abuse, stigma, stress, prejudice and discrimination can have on people's mental health. It has always been the common thread. None of us get through life unscathed. Sean, a psychiatrist Stacey spoke to, is helping to destigmatise mental illness. No one is immune to mental health issues, Sean says. At first, I was disappointed as it felt like it was just going to be a transcript for the TV series. So much was repeated from what I have already watched in Dooley's 'on the psych ward' documentaries.

Roman Kemp on heartfelt inspiration for mental health book

Every one of us has been damaged by others, has damaged others, and has damaged ourselves by unwise words and unhealthy actions. As a result, we all have hurts, hang-ups, and bad habits. So where do we go to get help? In her newest book, Are You Really OK?, Debra is your personal counselor and life coach who shares openly about her journey toward health and makes clear next steps for you to take toward personal healing.” I also particularly liked the end “Stuff that’s Good to Know” and will be taking ideas such as “The Wellness Menu” and “The Safety Plan” on board. This was an eye-opening and informative read. I’ve watched many of Stacey’s documentaries and always come away having learnt more, and that’s exactly what happened with this, too.

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Roman is clearly living a highly privileged life and I don't begrudge him that. That being said it doesn't put him in a good position to write a book on the subject of mental health for the masses. Possibly the best part of the book I read was that in which he shares his experiences of his friend and colleague dying by suicide. This is real and an experience that cuts across class divides. That being so folk in Roman's position are very much better equipped to cope with loss since access to mental health support in the UK and much of the world depends, to a large extent, on how wealthy you are. Roman simply can't speak to the experiences that the majority of those struggling with mental health face and as such the book perpetuates the narrative that if we all just got our mates talking a bit more or went for an extra walk everything would be alright. And there are some topics I have heard about but want to know more -- Generational curses and hypervigilance. But then, in the pandemic, my best mate Joe took his own life and it turned my whole world upside down. In August 2020, Joe Lyons, Roman Kemp’s much-loved best friend and work colleague died by suicide. Roman and his tight knit group of mates were totally blindsided by Joe’s sudden and unexpected death, and understandably their devastation at the loss of such a special person remains to this day. One surprise for me was about emotions. Being in tune with our emotions is not something we are born knowing how to do. It is a skill we must learn. Fileta suggests using the tool of expressive writing as a practical way of developing the skill.

Are You Really OK? | Harvest House Are You Really OK? | Harvest House

Hope and understanding, comes in conversations with groups of mates, who like Roman, find themselves trying to come to terms with missing a friend and the endless questions around what happened, and why. Fileta covers all aspects of being, mental, emotional, spiritual and physical, because they all work together. She helps us investigate the influence from the past, how we understand our identity and relationships, identifies cognitive distortions, writes on trauma, and much more. I appreciate her strategy of calling us to awareness first, taking inventory, and then intentional living, giving practical ideas and strategies. She includes insightful and thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter. This is a book to work through, not just read. You'll need a journal or notebook as Fileta prescribes lots of writing. None of us are immune to life’s challenges whether that’s a relationship breakdown, financial worries, work pressure or, sadly for some, the loss of a loved one,” said Ms Newton. “Sometimes it won’t be obvious that someone is having a hard time but we know that when we ask early and in a genuine way, we can help someone who might be struggling feel connected and supported, long before they are in crisis.” Ashley’s death, however, has prompted the three friends to share more about their own feelings. “We would talk before, but it wasn’t as in depth,” Lysander explains. “Now we have the two ok rule. ‘How are you doing, but how are you doing really - mentally? Are things a bit hard, are you down’?”One of my favorite quotes is from a section discussing the emotional distress of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. “His emotions were telling Him to run. But He stayed. JESUS stayed for you. He stayed, even when everything inside Him told Him to run. And because He stayed, so can we. Because with confidence, we too can declare that though our feelings can’t always be trusted, our God can always be trusted.” I was like, ‘Yeah, it looks fit.’ I’d just finished a whole live broadcast and we’d had a few drinks then all of a sudden I liked the way the book was structured, chapters were separated by the type of mental health condition and was very easy to read Roman Kemp would love to replicate his parents Martin and Shirlie’s true romance after a string of failed relationships. But even though he is tentatively on dating apps, he admits he’s not yet ready for a relationship.