A Dorset woman has started a book club to help others who might struggle with socialising.
With all the mental health problems emerging within the recent years, Shannon Cunningham from Poole set up the Daffodil & Tulip Book Club to help herself and others.
Statistics from Public Health Dorset show that 11% of over-18s in Dorset struggle with depression and anxiety, which is higher than the 10.7% for all of England.
Shannon set up the club after being helped by books through her panic disorder and anxiety.
She said: “I found comfort in reading. Almost putting myself in the character’s shoes and using it to push me out of my comfort zone.”
After going through anxiety herself, she plans to start the club to help herself and others socialise through books.
Thriller books helped her a lot as reading about them pushing themselves made her want to recover so she could feel the same but in her own way.
She hopes that reading could allow people to discover more about themselves and speak up about their mental illness.
She said: “Too many of us suffer in silence and struggle to meet ends meet in our minds. Bringing people together with something as simple as a book can have a massive impact on people.”
She aims to make a community of people who can relate and confide in each other and to be able to talk over their common love of books.
The subscription costs £15 a month and includes a book and care package.
Anyone who wants to join should click here.
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