Review The Unknown Truth by Libby Hall – The Book Report

       

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The Unknown Truth
Libby Hall
Tellwell Talent (2025)
ISBN: 978-1779626394
Reviewed by Lily Andrews for Reader Views (03/2025)

5*- Identifying Root Causes of Mental Health Issues

“The Unknown Truth” by Libby Hall is a wonderfully rendered true story of her early hardships; trying to prove herself to the world, and her quest to find what she thought was a missing piece in her “jigsaw” existence, which she had spent the majority of on self-blame.

Despite having loving parents and siblings, having her needs met, going on vacations, and feeling generally happy (or so she thought,) Libby had a strong sense that something was “lacking” in her life. At school, she was often sitting alone on the playground with no friends, hoping that someone would invite her to join them. When someone one day invited her to join her group for lunch, Libby was so lonely and so desperate for company that she practically shook and considered it a miracle. Constantly striving for high grades, she constantly sought approval and likeability from her teachers as she yearned for friendships like those she observed among her peers.

Under the shadow of a mother who was desperate for her own serenity and mental wellness, Libby was unable to express her thoughts or true feelings. Worried about her behavior, shortcomings, and fears later in life as a mother, she sought mental health therapy, which revealed what she had missed as a child. This insight was critical because she now understood what had pushed her to constantly walk on eggshells, strive for perfection, and develop a phobia of rejection.

Libby discusses key tactics in this autobiography that helped her start and continue her journey toward recovery from a startling diagnosis. Although she tries to avoid placing blame on her mother, she has interwoven their tales, mostly about her mother’s mental health struggles before her untimely death. From their interactions readers may learn a few things about healthy parenting. Her narrative is notable for not “blaming others” but for being full of lessons she has learned and things she observes every day as she reflects on how far she has come. She has meticulously highlighted the effects of long-term medication use, which may generate discussion about healthier alternatives such as therapy beginning shortly after diagnosis for mental health-related cases.

“The Unknown Truth” by Libby Hall will broaden your perspective and offer you insightful information on a number of issues, such as how to determine the underlying source of deeply rooted anxieties that may be hard to locate on the surface. The work’s realistic portrayal of the author’s life, including its good, bad, and ugly parts, as well as the difficulties of being a new mother and a daughter who was always watching over her shoulder, will surely reveal to readers how a person’s upbringing could have shaped their choices and actions as adults. This is an undeniably good book with a solid message that things can change, and anyone who believes there are missing pieces to their experiences should not pass it up.

MEET THE AUTHOR – A conversation with Libby Hall, author of “The Unknown Truth”

BIO: Libby Hall is an everyday person who, through no fault of her own, stumbled across mental health very early in life.

With thanks to some wonderful professionals, she is now on a journey of self-healing, self-compassion, and strategies to help her throughout life’s journey.

This book is written solely to help others believe there are answers to their questions.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Hi Libby, welcome to Reader Views! What is The Unknown Truth about and what was your inspiration behind the story?

Hi, The Unknown Truth is an honest journey through my own mental health journey, and the signs I missed, until I got the correct help and diagnosis.  My inspiration to write the book was easy:  my beautiful family deserved the best version of myself I could be.  My inspiration to publish, as this was the most difficult part, was to let others know that there are answers to questions you may have, when things aren’t ‘quite right’.  If one person finds the help available for themselves, and starts the same path I took, this will all be worth it.

How did your family environment influence your understanding of mental health growing up?

As a young child, I grew up knowing my mum would often go to hospital, for extended stays, and I remember finding it ‘odd’ as she wasn’t having any surgery, and I didn’t know any different.  As I grew up, I learnt about my mum’s own battle with mental health, from her own childhood history.  Up to very recently, pieces of the ‘jigsaw puzzle’ started filling in the ‘blanks’, and I contiued to learn about how this has affected my own life, but the most important message is:  no one is to blame!

When did you first begin to suspect there was something deeper going on beneath the surface of your everyday life?

Wow!  This is a surprisingly relevant question, but also very easy for me to answer.  Growing up I thought my life was ‘normal’.  As a young adult I knew I was a ‘perfectionist’, just to myself, and got very annoyed if I didn’t do things the way they ‘should’ have been done.  As a new mum, everything changed.  My perfectionism started getting manifested onto my three boys, and that was when things began unravelling.

You describe clinging to the belief that “it’s not that bad.” What finally shifted your perspective?

As mentioned in the previous question, as a child I was alone, with very littled emotional validation from important family members, but that was ‘okay’.  When I saw the effect of my habits on my children, and my lack of ability to control my emotons, I knew it was time for change.

Were there signs in childhood or adolescence that hinted at an underlying issue that went undiagnosed for too long?

Looking back there were definite signs that things ‘weren’t quite right’.  Some of these were:  lack of emotional validation, unable to make friends, mum’s mental health etc. Unfortunately, my ‘hints’ weren’t recognised until after I started my mental health journey in 2000, when my boys were 4, 5 and 7 and I realised that my behaviour did not fit in the “everyone gets cranky with their children” box.

What kind of beliefs did you carry from childhood that later conflicted with your adult reality?

Another ‘wow’ question!  Looking back, there were quite a few.  As a young child, I had to be ‘perfect’:  sit up straight, do everything that was ever asked of me, definitely no mistakes in my schoolwork and very intimidated by both peers and teachers.  As I grew up, my belief system centred around ‘I’m just not one of the ‘lucky’ ones (no friends, though desperate to have some).  A big belief I carried was “if I do everything right, mum won’t get sick and everything will be okay”.  This was a hard one to learn.

Was there a particular moment or event that finally compelled you to seek help?

When I battled with the effect of my own mental health on my children, my husband told me about an ‘EAP’ (Employee Assistance Program) at his workplace, available for all employees:  totally confidential, free of charge and available 24 hour/day.  I later discovered that these programs are available in every government/high profile jobs and, in many other companies, which I have promoted heavily in my career as a First Aid Trainer.  This service opened the door to an inpatient hospital treatment plan.

How did the experience of Chelmsford sleep therapy shape your understanding of mental health care?

‘Fortunately’ (I say, because this therapy was nothing short of ‘horrific’), I wasn’t aware of this program, and that my own mum had participated in it, until much later in life (in my 50’s).  While this was many years after my mum had passed, it certainly opened my eyes to how desperate mum must have been for ‘help’ in any way possible.  Especially when I learnt that the entire program was hauled over the coals and all it’s staff were taken to court and imprisoned for their practices during this period.

You write candidly about the process of finding the right diagnosis—what emotions surfaced during that search?

Easy to answer, but very broad in response.  On a positive side, the words that come to mind are ‘enlightening’, ‘empowering’ and ‘eye opening’. On the less positive side (I won’t use the word ‘negative’ here, as I believe every step was worth the end result), it was challenging, emotional and raw.  All of these emotions have led me to be able to talk about my own journey honestly and positively.

Once you had a proper diagnosis, what pieces of your life suddenly made more sense?

Easy to answer, a little difficult to admit, but so important! In a nutshell:  my whole life!  As a young child, needing everything I do to be ‘perfect’; desperately wanting friends, but never invited to parties, other class mates’ houses etc, doing activities on my own (building cubbies, playing with dolls, drawing etc).  As an adult, my eyes were opened wide to my mum’s mental health, how it had affected my own belief system (without blame), and what she must have experienced.  I learned how to be a better friend, wife and mum and, for that, I will be eternally grateful.

Were there any misconceptions about yourself that were completely shattered by the truth?

Absolutely!  Although these ‘misconceptions’ weren’t even realised until I started my own mental health journey.  I thought I didn’t deserve anything I yearned for; friendship, personal attention etc.  And the big one:  my boys had a ‘lemon’ of a mother (as I ‘revealed’ in a group session one day); just like you can get a lemon for a car, it doesn’t do or work like it’s supposed to, and my boys deserved so much better!  I was adamant they would all run away as soon as they were old enough!

How did this journey affect your personal identity and how you see yourself today?

Simple:  “I am a good person”.  I am kind, loving, caring, loyal, trustworthy and a good wife, mother and friend.  Wow, did I just say that?

What’s changed most in your daily life since embracing your diagnosis?

Definitely my relationship with my husband and boys; being able to let go of my vulnerability to tell them I love them, admit my weaknesses (they’re not ‘mistakes’) from an ‘earlier life’ and my belief that I can, and desperately want to, help others realise what can change, if you just take the first step.

Did writing The Unknown Truth serve as a form of therapy or release for you?

Absolutely!  I have always been one to write things down, originally more out of a fear of forgetting it!  It was my intention to write my own personal journey, but it was my psychiatrist, and professional support, that encourage me to take the next step:  get it published.  This was easier said than done because “who would want to read my story?  It’s not ‘major’ enough.”

Were there any parts of the story that were especially difficult to revisit or put into words?

Probably the most difficult part for me was to open up with all the parts to my journey; as I quote in the book “the good, the bad and the ugly”. Those ‘ugly’ parts were writing about my mum’s journey, after she passed and the guilt I felt for doing that, despite emphasising she did the best job she could, given her own demons, and admitting some of the actions I took that I’m not so proud of.

How did you decide what to include versus what to keep private?

Quite simply, I left nothing out.  That was the whole purpose of the book; the whole truth.  My goal was always to help others, and ‘burying’ the hard parts was not going to achieve my goal.

Have you received responses from readers who’ve shared similar experiences? What has that meant to you?

As at today, I haven’t had the ‘official’ final product released, but I have spoken to many friends, colleagues and fellow patients about my journal, and the support and sharing of their own experiences has been overwhelming and so important to my decision to have my story published.

What would you say to someone who feels like something is missing in their own life but can’t quite identify what?

I believe everybody’s life is a ‘jigsaw puzzle’.  I also believe that nobody’s life is ‘perfect’ and we all have pieces missing from our own puzzle.  If anybody is feeling that one of their pieces ‘missing’, it is being felt for a reason.  We can bury it, pretend it doesn’t matter, say everything’s ‘okay’, say others are so much worse off (that’s a big one!) or we can take the first step and talk to someone.  If I hadn’t taken that first step, I can’t imagine what my life would be like today, and I am thankful, every day of my life, for the lessons, opportunities and values I have received since I recognised that ‘missing piece’ and did something about it.

How do you think society can better support early intervention for mental health issues?

The one, and only, thing I regret, is not becoming aware of ‘what was happening’ until after it affected my own children.  I do believe times have changed dramatically in dealing with mental health education, resources, and public promotion, but there is always more we can do.

Thanks to some help from very important sources, I truly believe ‘mental health’ is just as any other ‘physical’ medical condition such as diabetes, cancer or infectious diseases.  Just because others may not see, hear or understand the ‘diagnosis’ does not mean mental health does not deserve the same attention.  In fact, in some cases, ‘treatment’ can be just as, or even more, important.

Early intervention with public information and resources, from early school age, at the relevant level, is imperative to address issues that will not just ‘go away’ if they are ignored, or denied.

If you could dispel one myth or stigma surrounding mental health, what would it be?

Mental health is not ‘made up’ or a sign of ‘failure’, just because it may not be visible to others.

How do you define healing now that you’ve made it to the “other side”?

Facing the ‘truth’ whatever that may entail; getting the right diagnosis, and looking forward, not back at everything that lies ahead for you and those most important to you.

How do you care for your mental health today—what practices keep you grounded?

So glad this question was asked, as it is probably the most important message for me to make.  Returning to programs for ‘maintenance’ as I call it, whenever it is needed, is not a sign of failure or weakness!

For me, I have overcome these feelings of guilt in the past, and am revisiting the programs when I need to and reminding myself, every day, how lucky I am for what I have learnt, and what I have now, for all the hard work I have accomplished.

What’s next for you? Are you working on another book or continuing your advocacy in a new way?

I have always enjoyed writing.  As a Nanna, I have expanded my genres recently, and have another 5 books ‘in the pipeline’.  The first is a biography for a friend, who has experienced many issues with ‘the black dog’ who has kindly given me permission to write his story, in his own words, with exactly the same goal:  that if one person sees a piece of themselves in our stories, and gets the help they need, then this journey has been worth every word.

I also have a non-fiction story about ‘divine intervention’ in a real life situation for young children; a fantasy story about a hot air balloon ride, a rhyming story for young children, and a story about the daily life of a young girl.

List your website/social media links here.

www.libbyhall.com (author website)