HarperCollins · AU / NZ / UK

When Life Sucks

A first-aid manual for supporting your teen’s mental health, by psychiatrist and comedian Dr Jo Prendergast

About the book

It’s not easy being a parent in a world of TikTok and bubblegum-flavoured vapes, but When Life Sucks gives you the practical tools to help make your life a little lighter and to support your teen towards a healthy headspace. As a parent herself, Dr Jo knows how hard it can be, especially if a teen communicates only in eye rolls and grunts.

“I’ve been through some difficult times when my own teens thought that life sucked. Sometimes they said life sucked because of me! So I know what it’s like to struggle and to feel that you don’t know how to help your teen, and I’m a psychiatrist. What on earth is it like for parents who don’t know their way around the mental health system?”

Dr Jo Prendergast

✓Not your ordinary parenting book: it also covers the gritty end of mental health including bipolar and psychosis, self-harm and suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, and antisocial behaviour.

✓Covers topics many parents want to understand: eating and body image, neurodivergence and gender identity.

✓Written as a psychiatrist, a parent and a comedian, so it is easy to read, with humour, realness and understanding.

✓Helps parents build the foundations for supporting their teens, with practical tips for common mental health challenges.

When Life Sucks is an essential guide to supporting your teen’s mental health, for every parent who is reaching for ‘Dr Google’ or a chardonnay in despair.

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