Inspired by the memoirs of Ralph M.’s experience with bullying, My Life Beyond Bullying: Stories from Mayo Clinic Patients uses 36 pages of full illustrations to tell the true story of how kids view friendships, bullying, and challenging social situations. When some kids at Alex’s new school start bullying him, he just wants to escape. He feels guilty and stressed about what’s happening. But what can he do? The challenges Alex experienced are common. Still, there are important steps you can take when you or someone you know is being bullied. Find out how Alex gets help and discovers his life beyond bullying. Children’s voices are rarely heard amid the complexity of modern medicine. That's why every story in the My Life Beyond series stems from the imagination and experience of a Mayo Clinic patient. The books were developed through collaboration between these patients, Mayo Clinic physicians and author-illustrator Hey Gee. Through this unique lens of inspiring real-life experiences, the series explores how children view illness, challenges and recovery. As kids go through adolescence, they’re likely to experience some form of bullying. Inspired by Ralph M.’s experience with bullying, Bullying: True Stories from Mayo Clinic Patients uses 40 pages of full illustrations to provide an approachable look at improving mental health and emotional happiness when facing childhood bullies. The “My Life Beyond” graphic novel book series is published in collaboration with Fondation Ipsen.

In this ambitious new work, Dr. Jonathan Fast proposes a new way of understanding the bullying experience (of the bully, the bullied, and the bystander), via the lens of shame. Beyond Bullying posits that shame is the powerful emotion that is often at the heart of many of the dynamics classified as bullying. Shame is a common human emotion for which Fast establishes a hierarchy of reactions. The following is an example of "healthy shame": when 5-year-old Sam finger-paints on his plate with his mashed potatoes, his mother says "you won't be allowed to eat at the grownup table until you stop sticking your fingers in your food." The shame in this scenario is healthy because it encourages Sam to master skills that will make him more autonomous and socially appealing, compared to "toxic shame" that damages one's self-concept by critiquing what one is rather than what one does. The distinction can be seen in the example of a parent whose child constantly forgets to complete her homework. The parent who says "your mother and I expect you to study and get good grades" is employing healthy shame, while the parent who shouts in frustration and anger "you're so lazy! You'll never amount to anything!" is administering a dose of toxic shame, directed at his daughter's self-concept rather than that act of neglecting her homework. "Weaponized Shame," which forms the core focus of this book, is the intentional use of those attacks on another person's self-concept for the purpose of inflicting emotional and psychological harm. The premise of the book is that all bullying involves "weaponized shame." Through the use of Shame Maps, simple iconographic diagrams similar to the genograms used by family therapists, Dr. Fast visually represents the overlapping shame dynamics in play in many common interactions, emphasizing the use of weaponized shame in bullying situations. The Shame Maps provide a useful tool for parents, teachers, therapists, school mental-health professionals, and others to use when discussing bullying with children, adolescents, and other adults. Fast traces different nuances of shame dynamics through several common types of bullying, highlighting LGBTQ, gender, and race among other bases for bullying actions, before extending the analysis to terminal acts of violence including school shootings, terrorism, homicide, and suicide. The book will both give readers concrete suggestions for healthy ways to discharge shame and equip them with techniques to help diffuse potentially harmful situations before they lead to dangerous extremes. The author is developing an interactive companion website to the book that will allow visitors to create personal shame maps based on their own scenario, to help readers employ this tool in real-world situations.

"Tracy likes to draw, make movies and play, just like other kids. She also has autism spectrum disorder. This means she processes many everyday situations differently, such as making friends. Over time, she's learned tricks for communicationg and coping when things are hard for her. Follow along as Tracy gives a peek at what life is really like for someone living with autism and how she discovered life beyond this common disorder."--Provided by publisher.

The “My Life Beyond” graphic book series tells the true stories of Mayo Clinic patients. Featuring 36 beautiful, fully illustrated pages, this graphic novel shares the inspiring story of Rae Burremo’s experience with leukemia. After going through treatment for leukemia, Amy is used to visiting the hospital. As she falls asleep for another medical test, she suddenly finds herself on an adventure. With the help of a shrinking potion, other magic tools and some friends, she’s on a mission to help other kids face leukemia and its treatment. What is it really like to have this childhood cancer? Find out how Amy beats leukemia and discovers life beyond her illness. Children’s voices are rarely heard amid the complexity of modern medicine. That's why every story in the My Life Beyond series stems from the imagination and experience of a Mayo Clinic patient. The books were developed through collaboration between these patients, Mayo Clinic physicians and author-illustrator Hey Gee. Through this unique lens of inspiring real-life experiences, the series explores how children view illness, challenges and recovery. Leukemia is estimated to affect 1 in every 1000 children, but children’s voices and their experiences with this disease are rarely heard. Created through collaboration between pediatric patients, their doctors, and children’s author and illustrator Hey Gee, My Life Beyond Leukemia dives into the minds and imaginations of child patients at Mayo Clinic to explain how children experience illness, challenges, and recovery. The “My Life Beyond” graphic novel book series is published in collaboration with Fondation Ipsen.

Bullying victims often suffer from social anxiety and low self-worth throughout their lives. Many do not realize that bullying from many years ago lies at the root of the problem. It is possible to overcome all of this and reclaim your life, as Lotte Vesterli has done. In Life After Bullying, for the first time, Lotte shares her personal story and introduces the complete method she has developed from her own experience, as well as through extensive work with trauma victims. Starting from wherever you are today, you will follow a logical progression of specific steps to heal yourself and recover from the trauma of bullying. Lotte guides you through a sequence of practical exercises that allow you to take stock of your situation, appreciate yourself, and set vivid goals for your future. She also provides a comprehensive toolbox of techniques you can use to overcome anxiety, work on your limiting beliefs, and achieve your goals. Lotte has completed the journey from a timid girl hiding in the shadows to a confident woman living a loving and fulfilling life. You can, too. Live the life of your dreams by putting bullying behind you for good. To learn more about the book, please visit the book website at https://www.lifeafterbullying.com

From victim to victor. From reactive to proactive. From suffering to succeeding. Martial arts master Phil Nguyen teaches the nine treasures to help children and their parents discover their inner strength so they can deal powerfully with bullying now and face adversity confidently for the rest of their lives. By applying the powerful principles in Bully Busters & Beyond, you can help your children build the self-confidence, self-esteem, and strength of character to go beyond their bullying challenges to lead happy, healthy, and successful lives. To obtain your accompanying Bully Busters & Beyond Family Action Guide, learn more about the complete Bully Busters educational video program, or to bring Bully Busters into your elementary school or special event, please visit www.bullybustersandbeyond.com.

An explosion of research on bullying has raised our collective awareness of the serious impacts it can have on children. No longer do we accept it as an innocuous rite of passage, just a part of growing up that we grin and bear and grow out of later. But do we grow out of it, or are there lingering effects that last well beyond the school playgrounds and lunchrooms? Is bullying traumatic and, if so, does it last into adult life? Are there life-long consequences or are the effects pretty much shed as people grow? Are some of us more resilient than others? Are there any positive or unexpected outcomes as a result of being bullied (or having been a bully) as a child? In an effort to answer these questions, Bullying Scars describes childhood bullying from the vantage point of those victims, bullies, and bystanders who are now adults; the book discusses how lives have been changed, and explores the range of reactions adults exhibit.The research gathered for this book, through interviews with over 800 people, points out that even adult decision-making is often altered by the victimization they experience as children at the hands of peers, siblings, parents, or educators. Written in an engaging and accessible style that draws heavily from the rich interview data that deLara has collected, this book will be of interest to anyone struggling with the lingering effects of being bullied. Additionally, it is highly relevant to mental health professionals -- counselors, therapists, social workers, clinical psychologists -- working with clients who are dealing with these issues.