TRIGGER WARNING!
This website contains poetry and true stories about trauma, personality disorders, suicidal thoughts, self-harming, depression and other significant mental health issues, as well as personal stories of emotional neglect and abuse, which some people might find upsetting.
Poetry for Mental Health
Supporting people around the world through words and poetry.
It is undeniable that putting thoughts, feelings and emotions into words, on paper, can be both therapeutic and an incredibly effective method of self-help and healing
Poetry for Mental Health has supported thousands of people through words and poetry! No matter what your age, background and experience, culture, nationality, or identity; whether an established writer with many published titles to your credit, or an aspiring poet who has never written a word of poetry in your life, our philosophy here is to embrace, welcome and support everyone, everywhere, and help you cope through words and poetry.
About ...
"I formed
Poetry for Mental Health at the outbreak of COVID, as a way of helping people cope mentally through lockdown and the pandemic by inspiring them to write poetry. Six years, eight books, and many thousands of pieces of poetry later,
Poetry for Mental Health
is still inspiring people to write poetry for positive mental health! And with almost 1500 visitors a the month, it
is now probably the largest and most visited website of its kind on the net!"
ROBIN BARRATT - Founder POETRY FOR MENTAL HEALTH
OUT NOW!
PTSD - Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
A collection of personal stories and poetry about life and living with PTSD.
Available from Amazon websites worldwide as a larger format 6 x 9 inch (15.24 x 22.86 cm) paperback and Kindle, and directly from us as paperback and pdf e-book.
ISBN: 9798255872770
277 pages
109 contributors
Over 29 countries represented.
Our Next Title ...
Working cover only
My Mental Health
Writers and poets around the world talk about their own personal journeys with mental health.
We are doing something slightly different for our next title by focusing purely on personal stories about mental health, so if you are a writer and/or a poet, and would like to contribute to this title and share your mental health journey with others, please click on the button below:
DEADLINE END JUNE 2026.
PUBLICATION MID JULY, 2026.
NEW - This Week's Featured Poetry (x4)
Week commencing Monday 25th May, 2026.
ACCEPTANCE OF ALONE
By Dr. Roger G. Singer
it was from burned seasons
and hard labor
a harvest of strange eyes
within a fever mist,
words etched on glass
with broken rules
and veiled threats
while honoring barbed lines
and stormy wrinkles
here without regret
HEALING
McKenna Henricksen
Healing takes time
Flowers bloom and die,
But once the sun comes again,
The flowers again will rise,
Sometimes it rains,
And sometimes it’s cold,
But the point of pain,
Is to know when you’re truly happy,
And know when you’re not
Learning to fix your smile,
Your problems and embrace it altogether,
Healing takes time,
Just like seasons will change,
The pain will come and go again
The darkness will disappear
When the sun comes
The pain goes away with the wind
Yes the snow falls
And yes the wind blows
But pain will come and go
Then the cycle will repeat
Until you learned to be
Ok with pain
And used to joy
DISSOCIATION
By Jackie Chou
When I travel to my wonderland
I am no longer held by your hands
or your gaze
I can no longer hear mother's voice
urging me to tango
as you press your sweaty pelvis against me
the strobe lights illumining our linked bodies
slow, slow, quick quick slow
When I am in my wonderland
blue and white balloons and streamers
our class colors
float above my head
as I slow dance with the boy I like
from physics class
who has nothing to do
with chasing stardom
In my wonderland
I am free from the propinquity
of your breath
on my face
FREE ME
By Bobby Z
Deep inside, My exiled soul.
I’m a prisoner of my own torment.
It’s a costly toll.
Chained to the memories, Of times gone bad.
A self-imposed solitary.
To reflect and be sad.
To be free of these chains, I must forget the past.
Release me from this bondage.
Is all I ask.
I’ve served my sentence, Only ask to be free.
To resume my life.
And return to being me.
Lots more Featured Poetry here:
Our Books
ONLINE SHORTLY - A list of book retailers that stock paperback copies of our
Poetry for Mental Health titles.
Featured Poets
Featuring poets from around the world, with up to six pieces of their work, and a little about the author and the stories behind their work.
And lots more ...
Personal Journeys
In their own words, writers and poets write about their own personal journey with mental health.
Interviews
Ten amazing writers and poets talking about their own personal journey with mental health.
Featured Books
Promoting poetry books and publications.
And lots more ...
Other ...
Directory of Support Services
Charities, groups and organisations worldwide offering mental health help and support to people in crisis.
Mental Health First Aid
Identifying warning signs of common mental health crisis, and how to guide a person towards safety and appropriate help.
Poetry for Mental Health is open for sponsorship from mental health related businesses, products and services.
Sponsorship includes the website, our publications, & our monthly newsletters.
Boost your brand's visibility by reaching thousands of engaged viewers around the world.
Contact us
for further details.
What's new at Poetry for Mental Health ...
Poetry for Mental Health's newsletter, April 2026.
Click the button below to download a pdf version.
NEWSLETTER
Send us your name and email address and we'll keep you updated with what's new at
Poetry for Mental Health, plus calls for submissions for our titles and website. IMPORTANT: we'll never pass your details onto anyone else ... ever!
Publishing Services
We publish books for other people too!!!
Would you like to see your poetry collection published as a paperback and Kindle, and available for other people to read around the world? Prices start from just £150.00 for a chapbook / short collection. Click on the link for more info. Plus Promoting Your Book- information and advice for promoting and marketing your book. We have published over 100 books for other people. Just a few examples below:
We have published over 100 books for other people. Just a few examples below:
NOTE ON CONTRIBUTIONS: We publish mental health poetry from around the world, and for a number contributors to this website, English is not their first language. Unlike some other platforms, we don't heavily edit a poet's own work (if we did, it would then not be their own work!), so please focus on a poet's messages and meanings, and not necessarily on any grammatical mistakes or translated imperfections that may arise within their contribution.