AUTHOR

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

It’s not easy being a parent in a world of TikTok and bubblegum-flavoured vapes, but new release book 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– 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! And sometimes I felt that parenting sucked. 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 or the theory of what to do?” – Dr Jo.

• Not your ordinary general parenting book – it also covers topics at the gritty end of mental health including bipolar and psychosis, self-harm and suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, and antisocial behaviour.
• Includes topics that many parents want to understand – eating and body image, neurodivergence and gender identity.
• Dr Jo writes not only as a psychiatrist but also as a parent and a comedian – her easy-to-read book contains humour, realness and understanding.
• Helps parents build the parenting foundations for supporting their teens, while also providing practical tips for common mental health challenges that their teen may face.

Dr Jo says that when life sucks, it can take all our strength to keep showing up with an open mind for our teens and she hopes that, alongside some practical ideas for supporting teens, this book helps parents feel less alone.

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.