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Michelle Balge is a mental health advocate, web designer, and animal lover. She has won awards thanks to her dedication to mental health, and has spoken about her experiences to students, the community, and professionals in the field. Michelle holds an Honours BA in Sociology with a Concentration in Critical Animal Studies, and will receive a Web Design Graduate Certificate in June, 2018. She was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, with a taste of city and small-town life.
Reviewed by Lesley Jones for Readers' Favorite
A Way Out by Michelle Balge follows one brave woman's battle against depression and mental illness. What actually goes through the mind of someone with this illness? This is a brutally straightforward account of how this dark shadow follows her from childhood. She is trapped in a world of panic, helplessness, thoughts of inadequacy and guilt. Michelle recounts candidly the social anxiety and negative inner talk which finally led to her first suicide attempt. She places no blame on her illness and this book is, above all, a story of a relentless search for answers and treatment. Michelle takes you on the long journey of mental illness with its highs and lows until she finally finds the answers she has spent years looking for. A story of triumph and bravery against all odds.
A Way Out by Michelle Balge is a style of book that is a unique and truthful account of depression, the symptoms and the feelings associated with this mental illness. We follow a young girl throughout her childhood and into adulthood. She takes you on the journey of darkness and powerlessness with her. The skilled use of descriptions and honesty was sometimes hard to read because I, like most people, had felt those emotions of guilt and panic. The story is not a depressing one, however; it is a tale of triumph over the darkness and how a young woman finally breaks through the gloom and comes out on the other side with a clearer outlook on the future. A very brave book from the author. I commend her for that. This book should be available in every mental health organisation.
