Literature Therapy in History: John Stuart Mill

Literature therapy is a research-backed solution to anxiety and other mental illnesses. Therapy through literature is a rising field of study which uses books and literature as a therapeutic tool.

When I first started looking into literature therapy it was because it was something that I had experienced in my own life. I have always loved to read. When possible, reading is the number one way I spend my time. There is no better thrill than being placed into someone else’s life and discovering your own. That’s why I love reading. I love for other people to teach me how I feel by showing me how they feel.

This is the basis of literature therapy: that you can learn to understand your own emotions by reading stories. (Simply put, that’s how I view it)

I was at university when I started looking into literature therapy and realized that it was an actual research-backed solution to mental illness. During this time I was taking a European literature course and, while discussing this with my professor, was pointed to the story of John Stuart Mill.

John Stuart Mill was an influential philosopher and writer of the 19th century. In his autobiography he describes a mental breakdown which occurred in his early twenties. This state of mind left him depressed and completely incapable of work. A condition which no doubt could be diagnosed in today’s world.

After months of dwelling in despair, he is finally pulled out of this darkness. How does he overcome this despair? It is a passage of literature from William Wordsworth that ultimately frees him from this depression.

A.W. Levi in “The ‘mental crisis’ of John Stuart Mill” described that as Mill read that passage he realized he was once again capable of feeling, that literature allowed him to feel and connect to what was behind his depression and ultimately connect with his own inner thoughts.

In his own words John Stuart Mill described this experience in his autobiography:

“[W]hat made Wordsworth’s poems a medicine for my state of mind, was that they expressed, not mere outward beauty, but states of feeling and of thought coloured by feeling, under the excitement of beauty. They seemed to be the very culture of the feelings, which I was in quest of. In them I seemed to draw from a source of inward joy, of sympathetic and imaginative pleasure, which could be shared in by all human beings.”

More than a hundred years later, I am able to share that same experience as John Stuart Mill and feel the healing power that literature can offer. There are countless examples to be found throughout history, because the human experience is universal, and few things connect us better to it than our own stories.

If you’re looking for a story that speaks to you, check out our highlighted books for recommendations.

Who is Affected by Anxiety?

Mental illness is isolating. Personally, that is the scariest thing about suffering from mental illness.

The good news is that you are not alone. Although anxiety might makes us feel alone, it’s probably something you have in common with almost everyone you meet. We just never know, because it’s not a common conversation starter. However, anxiety is the most common mental illness in the world.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA),Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. Anxiety affects 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older every year (That’s 18.1% of the population). Anxiety disorders affect 25.1% of children between 13 and 18 years old.

Even on a global scale, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that 1 in 13 globally suffer from anxiety. Further, depression, an anxiety disorder, is the leading cause of disability worldwide.

One of the most tragic facts about anxiety is that most people do not recognize that it is an illness. Consequently, the majority of those affected by anxiety don’t receive help. The ADAA says that although anxiety disorders are highly treatable, only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment. According to WHO, almost 75% of people with mental disorders remain untreated in developing countries with almost 1 million people taking their lives each year.

Below are some compiled facts about those suffering from anxiety who do not receive help:

  • Each year, approximately 20% of children in the USA and 10 to 20% of youth worldwide struggle with a mental disorder which significantly impacts their daily functioning (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
  • In the USA, less than one third of children with mental health needs receive professional intervention (National Center for Children in Poverty).
  • Youth who are initially identified with mental health disorders do not typically receive ongoing psychological treatment, nor do their families receive the support to adequately address mental health needs (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
  • Children who are considered at greater risk for struggling with mental health challenges are also the least likely to seek and receive services (CDC).
  • Furthermore, the vast majority of existing mental health services are reactionary rather than preventive and proactive. Sadly, mental health problems are typically addressed when individuals are in crisis, often placing the afflicted individuals and others in volatile and dangerous situations (WHO).

The light in this dark fog is that there is help available and it is everywhere. Resources have never been easier to find.

Our Mission

At I Came from a Book we work to achieve our mission: Attacking Anxiety through the Remedy of Reading.

The purpose of I Came from a Book is to give children and youth the resources and techniques to deal with or prevent mental health concerns before they experience them. Our ultimate goal is to prepare the world for the mental illnesses that all people inevitably face to some degree in their life with the hope that we will create a world full of people prepared to face life and succeed.

I Came from a Book is based on the core values of Kindness, Strength, and Connection.

A key belief in I Came from a Book is that to some degree everyone experiences mental illness at some point in their lives. With the research showing that most people are suffering in silence, at I Came from a Book we believe in treating everyone with Kindness at all times. This applies to everyone we come in contact with because just as A. A. Milne stated through the mouth of Winnie the Pooh, “A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.”

In accordance with the belief that everyone suffers sometimes, we believe that everyone has the Strength to stand up and face the world whether through the help of professionals, friends, family, or themselves. We promote personal strength with the firm belief that it’s okay to fall down sometimes as long as you stand back up. We remember this through the wise words of J.K Rowling through Albus Dumbledore, “suffering like this proves you are still a [person]! This pain is part of being human…the fact that you can feel pain like this is your greatest strength.”

The most foundational principle of I Came from a Book is Connection. Connection is the epitome of what we are trying to achieve. Connection to ideas, to feelings and emotions, to characters, to experiences, and to those around us. It is connection to others that brings about the greatest healing and connection to each other that brings about the greatest success. We progress together. Through true connection the human soul is sustained as C.S. Lewis described, “Friendship…is born at the moment when one man says to another ‘What! You too? I thought no on but myself…’”

What is Anxiety?

Our goal at I Came from a Book is to attack anxiety through the remedy of reading.

Before understanding how reading can help, however, it is important to understand what anxiety is. Anxiety comes in many different forms and manifests in everyone differently. Anxiety is a mental illness—one of the widest spread mental illnesses in the world.

Anxiety is a normal emotion. We all feel it and that’s okay.

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.”

When the emotion of anxiety becomes too much to deal with or starts affecting our lives it becomes an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) says that anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events. The World Health Organization (WHO) explains that anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders worldwide with specific phobia, major depressive disorder and social phobia being the most common anxiety disorders.

Anxiety can affect all aspects of our health. WHO states that people with an anxiety disorder are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who do not suffer from anxiety disorders. ADAA Research shows that untreated children with anxiety disorders are at higher risk to perform poorly in school, miss out on important social experiences, and engage in substance abuse.

An anxiety disorder can significantly impact our life. It’s an illness and like any other illness it’s important to treat it.