âMark Henick is a powerful storyteller.â âRosie OâDonnell
âSo-Called Normal is a call to arms, yes, but itâs also a call to care, highlighting the power of kindness. Required reading for anyone working with children and teens.â âThe Globe and Mail
A vital and triumphant story of perseverance and recovery by one of Canadaâs foremost advocates for mental health
When Mark Henick was a teenager in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, he was overwhelmed by depression and anxiety that led to a series of increasingly dangerous suicide attempts. One night, he climbed onto a bridge over an overpass and stood in the wind, clinging to a girder. Someone shouted, âJump, you coward!â Another man, a stranger in a brown coat, talked to him quietly, calmly and with deep empathy. Just as Henickâs feet touched open air, the man in the brown coat encircled his chest and pulled him to safety. This near-death experience changed Henickâs life forever.
So-Called Normal is Henickâs memoir about growing up in a broken home and the events that led to that fateful night on the bridge. It is a vivid and personal account of the mental health challenges he experienced in childhood and his subsequent journey toward healing and recovery.