9 best mental health books to read when you are feeling down

Life is a journey with many ups and downs and not everyone has the mental, physical and emotional capacity to storm through them with a smile on their face and no worry in their mind. With everyone's life being different, we face many experiences that shape our brain and its functioning differently. In such cases, while most people turn to professional help, others prefer doing the task hands-on with the help of books that heal them. These are 9 books on mental health that you can read when feeling down.

Emotional pain can be the result of any event in life. From something as simple as failing an exam or something as drastic as losing a loved one. Dealing with such complex and heavy feelings can be easy if you pick up 'The Body Keeps the Score' by Bessel van der Kolk. The author dives deep into trauma research from its origin to its diagnosis and treatment. Many claim this book changed the way they viewed their own and others' emotions.

For many, it is easier to self-diagnose their mental troubles as depression as it seems to be the only popular term related to mental-health struggles. Whether you are trying to find out what depression means or how you can deal with it, this book by Andrew Solomon is a must-pick. With personal storylines and cultural and scientific explorations, it will change and deepen your comprehensiveness of depression and its subtle complexities.

The concept of self-love always remains an external journey until you make the conscious step to personalise and internalise it. Everyone on the internet claims to be on a self-love journey but not many follow the steps that actually benefit them. Tam Kaur, a popular YouTuber and self-growth coach wrote this book that has a step-by-step guide for those venturing into the realm.

If you think love is the solution for all things difficult and the one for you has the wand that can 'depulso' every single problem you face, then reading this book is imperative for your hopeless romantic heart. Vex King takes great effort into making the reader realise how love isn't something you receive from the outside but feel on the inside along with clearing the haze around the many romantic misconceptions people carry.

Sometimes we spend years trying to figure out how we wanted to live them. The search for life's meaning, its true purpose and its achievement drags one into a race that is never-ending unless you read this one. For those feeling lost and hopeless, this book by Viktor Frankl shares his journey in a Nazi death camp and leads you to the revelation that the pursuit of life is not pleasure but meaning.

Stress is the leading cause of everything troublesome in your life- be it a pimple the size of a metaphorical crater or a disease that makes getting up difficult. Why does one feel stress and how can they mitigate the feeling for a more calm and happy life? Find out by reading this work of literature by a leading researcher and journalist duo.

Life begins when you decide, and at times it's better to do it alone. You can let the winter huddle you up in a space, where you reflect, reset and understand that life is cyclical in pain and pleasure and you can usher through it all by nourishing yourself.

Not all mental health books are just about reading and reflecting, some might just make you pick up a paper and a pen. This book by a climate scientist and nature lover has the perfect combination of art and nature with exercises that will make you take some time out for yourself, abandon the fears of inadequacy and explore your own abilities.

Can you ever imagine being furious with life but still being happy? No? Well, Jenny Lawson did it! In a humorous memoir tinged with real life, the author shares with the reader how to stay happy even in times of duress. If you are looking for ways to experience joy by yourself- pick this ASAP!