Roman Kemp: Are You Really OK?

Product Information

There are plenty of ways we can ask, “are you okay” without using the phrase. Most of it comes down to what kind of answer you expect someone to give. Here are the best options to choose from: Painful. Difficult. Confronting. Hopeful. Optimistic. Promising. Empowering. This is all things in spades and a must-read for everyone. Books like these, potential lifesavers. That's what counts.

This book was a combination of self help and autobiography. Overall I liked Roman's gentle, humble, friendly and honest approach. He doesn't sugar coat and he is pretty explicit about his struggles. I only wish he was a little bolder about his opinions - at some points it feels like he is apologising for himself or preempting people saying negative things, which I don't think he needs to do. At times it felt like he was searching for things to say, for example coming up with a fantasy football league and going into the credentials of various players. But his story was reasonably interesting and of course, as an educational tool the book achieved its purpose in warning and teaching about suicide and the importance of mental health. There were quite a few errors in the writing, I'm not sure if this is an editing or a writing issue? Whilst I’ve seen Roman in programmes such as DNA Journey and the documentary he did on mental health and suicide, I don’t listen to Capital Radio and so that side of his story was interesting to me. And I know of his parents and enjoyed their music but they were necessarily a family I followed (figuratively of course), but it was a real eye opener learning about them as people rather than just their names. It had e substance than I was expecting. I thought it was “just” going to be a book about mental health with anecdotes and helpful advice. And that would have been perfectly fine. But it’s so much more. He’s taken us through his life, his childhood, adolescence and adulthood, his family life, his career, his ups and downs, and the things that have built up to crate this picture of mental health. It’s not a self-help book as such. He doesn’t pretend he’s a know-it-all expert or guru, he’s just telling us his experience.Whatever you’re going through, I’m happy to help. You should never have to fight something like this alone. Is there anything I can do to help” works when we want to ask whether we can be of assistance. It doesn’t pry into their personal issues, which is great if they’re not comfortable sharing them with us. Still, we can always be of service to someone. Roman - thank you for a book that covers mental health without being statistical and/ or regimented, but being real and honest. the biases that lead to scientific information being presented as a challenge—rather than a complement—to Christianity But if enough wrong things happen that exceed someone’s ability to cope, no matter how privileged they are, they will get ill’

We may not always be able to do much to help them with whatever they’re feeling. Still, it’s a nice thing to tell someone to let them know they do not have to suffer alone. The preferred version is “I just want you to know that I love you.” This isn’t a question, but it works really well to show someone that they are valued, loved, and cared for. Whatever they might be going through, our love will always come through to help them. I Just Want You To Know That I Love You Instead, letting them know they are loved encourages them to open up a little more. Even if they didn’t intend to, they might be ready to share their troubles with you. To be human is to have a line that is finite. There is a limit to every one of our abilities, and there is only so much we can take. This is as true mentally and emotionally as it is physically and spiritually. Maybe, like Daisy, you’re feeling that no matter how much you spin your wheels, you just aren’t gaining traction. So you struggle with stress and worry, anxiousness or dread. The answer isn’t to just try harder. Muscle can’t win this battle. This requires two things: a space to speak and say what is really going on and to have a good hearing. It can be surprisingly hard to find a good listener, especially during a pandemic.

How are you feeling today? I know it’s still a fresh wound, but I also know that you’re strong enough to get through this. As the saying goes, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Simply put, keep doing what you’ve always done and you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got. The tension you are feeling is telling you that you have reached the end of your line.