The Precipice of Mental Health

In The Precipice of Mental Health, Achea Redd shares her personal battle with mental illness and helps readers understand that there is a path to help and healing for those who are suffering, struggling, and stressed. The mental health crisis is worse than ever: In an age of increasing isolation, insecurity, and loss, people are suffering, and not everyone is able to afford or access the help that they need. Mental health activist Achea Redd wants to change that, because for her, it’s personal. Though Redd seemingly led a charmed life as the daughter of a pastor and wife of NBA legend and former Olympian Michael Redd, the mother of two battled debilitating mental illness and is determined to help others overcome their own trauma and mental health struggles to thrive—all while knowing and acknowledging that it’s OK to not be OK. In this remarkably reflective story about the societal issues of mental health, Redd opens up and shares a broader perspective through her journey through depression, anxiety, and atypical anorexia, including the impact that COVID-19 and its variants imparted on her battle, to prevent others from reaching the precipice of mental health. Through her own personal experiences in the trenches of her own mental health struggles, including eating disorders, panic attacks, and suicidal ideation, Redd reveals raw and valuable insight that will help readers understand themselves and others who suffer from mental illness—and let them know that their mental illness does not define them. As Redd says, “Anxiety and depression are what I have. They are not who I am.” Redd taps into topics that are not commonly spoken of, but are necessary for managing mental health, to ensure those struggling feel seen and understood. The Precipice of Mental Health offers encouragement to seek the proper and necessary help to a path of healing and understanding before it's too late: It’s important for readers to know that things can and will get better, and it’s just as important for them to know that they aren’t alone.