A Gateshead father has written a book to support parents and teenagers facing mental health difficulties, after his own daughter went through a severe struggle that he said he "just couldn't fix."
Software designer Tony Short told ChronicleLive that his 16-year-old daughter Lilly is now in better shape, but he hopes his book, The Next Small Step, can help others. Last year, Lilly began struggling to cope, and the situation became so serious that Tony wrote to her school, Thorp Academy, suggesting the family would withdraw her.
However, he said supportive staff at the school, including vice-principal and safeguarding lead Dan Tucker, "proved him wrong" and helped Lilly through her difficult final year.
A Father's Perspective
"As a dad, all you want to do is protect your children and fix things. I couldn't fix this," Tony said. "What I could do was write down the three things that have helped me most, in a way she might actually read."
The book, published in August, reached the top of Amazon's Young Adult Nonfiction chart the following month. Speaking about World Mental Health Day on October 10, Tony said he hoped to provide the book to schools and colleges free of charge.
Three Key Themes
The book features three key themes: "perspective," "direction," and "momentum." The first is to help people struggling to "work out how big a problem really is, when everything feels like a ten." The latter two points are to help people get their thoughts on paper and then to "get moving" when it is difficult.
Tony added: "I'm not a therapist and the book isn't a cure. It's a dad sharing what helped. The most important message in it is that asking for help is a strength."
Describing why he wrote the book, he said: "Over the past year, my daughter has been through a really hard time. As a dad, all you want to do is fix it. I couldn't. So I did the one thing I could. I wrote down the three simple things that have carried me through my own hardest days, so she'd have something to hold onto. Then I realised how many other young people might need it too."
School Support
Tony told ChronicleLive how Thorp Academy in Ryton stepped up, defying his expectations. He said: "The staff at Thorp took the time to understand what was really going on, not just the symptoms. I'll always be grateful for that. Mr Tucker at Thorp really proved me wrong. He showed up and supported Lilly day-in, day-out. He's been absolutely champion with her."
Now Lilly is "doing well," Tony said, and is a student at Newcastle College. The book is aimed at those aged 16 to 21 and the people who love them.
