Abstract

From a young age, Lucy Nichol has always been on edge. Whether it’s because of her fear of beards, a general sense that she can catch a disease from anything, or the belief that she’s going to throw up at any given moment, she’s never really felt safe. In A Series of Unfortunate Stereotypes, Lucy explores the different lenses through which she – and other people – have viewed her mental health problems. She tackles a number of different stereotypes placed on people living with mental illness, including the idea that they are narcissists, hypochondriacs, and psychos.
After writing a blog post about her journey, Lucy realised that she wasn’t alone in feeling this way. And so she began to talk more about her experience, eventually becoming a columnist in Sarah Millican’s magazine Standard Issue. In writing about her life in such an open way, Lucy has been able to claw herself back from the grips of her anxiety.
A Series of Unfortunate Stereotypes is one of the most fortunate things you could read!

Trigger are proud to announce Theinspirationalseries partner to their innovative Pullingthetrigger range. Theinspirationalseries promotes the idea that mental illness should be talked about freely and without fear. Find out more at www.triggerpublishing.com

Lucy Nichol is a fresh and important voice in the world of mental health (...) this book will offer people who suffer from mental health issues some relief, and for those who don't suffer – they'll get some understanding. Read it! - Amber Tozer

If you’ve ever had someone in your orbit say an ignorant thing about mental health and wished you had a clever repost, this book is your instruction manual. - Natasha Devon, MBE 

A Series of Unfortunate Stereotypes is essentially an exercise in empathy. Lucy has been there and she cares: reflection and resonance. - Kristin Hersh

Lucy has the gift of sparkling prose and a mischievous, self-deprecating sense of humour. - David Whetstone, Arts Editor, The Journal

I love Lucy's writing. It's an insightful and incredibly accurate account of living with mental illness and the stigma that surrounds it, written with humour and intelligence. - Denise Welch

Lucy's book really struck a chord with me. Anxiety is a medium-sized word with plus-size consequences, and opening up about what it actually means is the only way to break down those 'unfortunate stereotypes... - Andrea McLean