Title: Hiding Behind the Mask: Dealing and Living with Mental Health a personal narrative through the storms
Author: Giulio Veglio
Publisher: Amazon Kindle Direct Publisher
ISBN: 978-1963250930
Pages: 75
Genre: Memoir / Non-Fiction
Reviewer: Susan Brown

Read Book Review

The stigma of mental illness, for many, manifests in an excess of negative responses. By speaking out about the struggle to find and maintain a healthy emotional well-being, we better understand the challenges people with poor mental health face. The author has shown enormous courage in sharing his struggle in this memoir, providing insight for all readers about the “storms of mental health challenges that have both ravaged and reshaped the shores of my existence.”

Mr. Veglio’s suffering began early. He was “all too familiar with the sting of discipline.” His parents said they “…hit you because we love you” and he “desperate for any sign of affection, believed it.” Those early years were the cornerstone on which the stress to his mental wellbeing was built. Atop that unstable base, turmoil, depression and anxiety were formed, burdening what was already his fragile state-of-mind. School was filled with personal anguish and distress.

As a “coping strategy,” he adopted the moniker of class clown, channeling all his despair into becoming the “ever-entertaining fool.” A strategy that only served to chip away at his vulnerable mental health. Upon completion of high school, he opted out of higher education and into trade school — and enrolled in beauty school to learn the craft of hairdressing.

During his story, the author spends some time identifying the hazards of social media that “erode the sanctity of the mind and prey on the vulnerable.” This perspective leads him to write a chapter that identifies a call to arms, “to protect, nurture and heal.” In it he implores parents to “engage and protect,” to ensure children have a safe and loving environment in which to thrive.

As the narrative continues, the author’s story gets bleaker before promising. He struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, ebbing faith, an abusive business relationship and a health crisis that pushed him into a coma, trapped in his mind, experiencing a myriad of “surreal scenarios.” But out of adversity quite often comes prosperity. The author’s came as a “spiritual awakening” which led to a “renewed commitment to live a life of purpose and service.”

It’s very apparent in this narrative the author truly suffered with emotional and mental health issues. What I found so remarkable, though, was the honesty with which he told his story, as well as his commitment to encouraging others to not only seek help, if needed, but also resources on how to do that. He truly embodies the message in his preface that his story “serves as a beacon of hope … a voice in the quiet, letting you know that you are not alone.”

That’s what memoir’s do. They shine a light on painful topics, through the power of personal exposition, and provide a vehicle for those who are struggling, with any issue, to recognize there is a community that stands ready to help. That is the gift of this memoir to all who read it.  Hiding Behind the Mask must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of mental health on a deeper level. Through his journey, Veglio not only sheds light on his own life but empowers others to seek their own paths toward healing and acceptance.