UK's leading mental health trainer reveals connection between mental illness surge and undiagnosed autism in ground-breaking book
[Oct 10th2022 World Mental Health Day: Make Mental Health and Wellbeing For All a Global Priority]
Jane McNeice's new book, The Umbrella Picker, illustrates the struggles of living for 45 years as undiagnosed Autistic and being misdiagnosed with mental illness.
Fact: Not knowing you're neurodivergent and receiving late diagnosis of autism statistically increases the likelihood of mental illness in adults.
Solution: Identification and early diagnosis gives earlier support and happier people (and can save the NHS £s)
The Umbrella Pickertells the story of how Jane finally found her neurological truth after being a ‘lost girl' for four and a half decades. After a long and relentless journey of searching for answers, the hand of fate finally revealed to her what she had waited a lifetime for.
Jane explores what it was like growing up as an undiagnosed neurodivergent in a neurotypical world. She shares her honest account of some of her differences including: feeling ugly, lost, lonely, and unlovable as a child, socially masking to fit in and being unable to express how she felt without knowing why.
Finally, having found the truth to her suffering, Jane is no longer lost, and having found her own, unique way, Jane has written the book she wished was available to her 30 years earlier.
If you are feeling lost to yourself, this heartfelt and compelling book may answer your unanswered questions and help you to finally find yourself as you connect with the traits illustrated.
Praise for The Umbrella Picker
"The fact that you have been so open and honest about your life journey is so inspirational to Autistic women." -Helen Pass, another ‘Lost Girl' found
"Jane does not shy away from addressing her own mental health experiences, her fears and feelings of isolation. The reader is left feeling Jane has truly peeled away masking layers to portray her true self through her writing."-Manar Matusiak from Living Autism
"This book has been written with so much sensitivity, insight and wisdom. It comes from a place of truth, generosity and compassion which will most certainly help other lost girls to know themselves." - Alyson McGregor from Altogether Better
About Jane McNeice
Jane McNeice is a wife, mother, grandmother, and business owner from South Yorkshire. Jane's debut book is 'The Umbrella Picker' which documents her life living undiagnosed Autistic and the related struggles and challenges therein. Jane was diagnosed Autistic at the age of forty-five, two months later her 26-year-old daughter was also diagnosed, followed three months later by her 8-year-old son in December 2022.
Three diagnoses in seven months, and none would have been discovered were it not for their own self-identification. Jane has written the book she wishes someone had written for her 30 years earlier, a book that shares the lived experience of being undiagnosed Autistic, a 'Lost Girl'.
She authored her book 'The Umbrella Picker' with the intention of helping other 'Lost Girls' to self-identify, because 'Lost Girl' experiences are often a mirror to one another. Forty-five years is too long a wait to learn who you are - your identity.
Book Details
Title: The Umbrella Picker
Author: Jane McNeice
Genre: Health, Family and Lifestyle, Mental Health
Publisher: Fuzzy Flamingo
Publication Date: 16thAugust 2022
Availability: Paperback, eBook (Available onAmazon)
Number of Pages: 248
Price: £12.99 paperback, £5.99 eBook
Connect online:www.mindmatterstraining.co.ukandwww.umbrellapicker.com
For more information, extracts, editorial opportunities, interview requests, or review copies please contact Jane McNeice:
T - 07833 470979
E -jane@mindmatterstraining.co.uk
Notes To Editors:
- Information on the day Jane ‘Stopped searching' can be foundhere.
- Jane and her daughter first self-identified as Autistic, before searching for clinical diagnosis.
- From a survey of 750,000 people, Cambridge University established that 87,000 people met the cut off criteria for Autism, illustrating societal numbers of 11.6% Autistic, much higher than the 1.57 actually diagnosed.
- Many undiagnosed Autistics are suffering, often ‘trapped' within mental health services, substance misuse services, and the criminal justice system.
- Females are often known to socially mask and hide in plain sight presenting as neurotypical
- Estimates suggest between 4-23% of people with eating disorder are Autistic.