Book

Advice I Ignored: Stories and Wisdom from a Formerly Depressed Teen

When I was fifteen, I dropped out of high school because I was too depressed to get through the day without crying in every. single. class.

When I was sixteen, life was different. I’d been changing my habits, my thoughts, and my routines to try to recover from the misery and numbness of those lowest points. And it was working. I started writing and drawing about my experiences in recovery in little composition books.

I spent the next few years editing and illustrating this account into a book called Advice I Ignored. I wanted to write something for people like me, who usually chafed with self-help books. I ended up with something short, full of pictures and jokes, but as real and honest about the hard parts of depression and trauma as I could make it.

I have learned so much new information about myself since I wrote this book – and that’s a good thing. I’d be worried if I stopped growing my understanding of the world and my place in it at age 18. But I still stand by its message of hope and compassion. (Quick rundown of the new info: I am in fact bisexual, I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, and substance use was a really bad coping mechanism for me and I’m sober now.)

Also, the book itself contains a warning, but there is a chapter that contains a story about child-on-child sexual abuse. You can skip this part and still understand the rest of the book. Please look out for your mental health while reading.

“I finished it in 24 hours.”

I was was given a suggestion to read this book. I kind of blew it off but my friend insisted. I said “Okay! Fine!” I bought it. Now, I’m going to have to apologize to my friend for blowing it off. I finished it in 24 hours. Yes, you read that right. I stayed up way too late because Ruby’s real life advice is fantastic. It’s both humorous and deep with practicality and adorable artwork. I bought a second book so I can loan it out without my copy going missing. This book is great for anyone at any age.

— jaynie9 (Amazon review)

“Very useful tool for parents and professional therapists alike”

Mental health professionals or parents, relatives and friends of teenagers suffering from depression: “Advice I Ignored: Stories and Wisdom from a Formerly Depressed Teenager” is full of no-nonsense, plain-spoken tips on combating inner demons. It’s a valuable resource you can use immediately—and it was written by a teenager, which means that other teens will be more likely to absorb and learn from it, than they would from a book written by an adult. Highly recommended and an easy read.

— Forrest (Amazon review)

“Brilliant writing on a difficult topic.”

Brilliant! Ruby is a natural story teller, expressing emotions and experiences with a clear, well done style. I especially liked her steps to recovery, and followed her goal setting formula for a personal issue of my own. Ruby takes the reader in, and makes them feel comfortable in understanding a difficult topic. I’m going to get more copies to lend out!

— Linda (Amazon review)

“True insight here: Hard won, wise and compassionately shared.”

I’m astonished and deeply moved by this book. It’s beautifully written, intelligently structured and very engaging. I NEVER read books like this. I’ll read this one many times.

— Paul (Amazon review)

“Good advice, bad language, lesbian author”

I got this for my 14 year old daughter who has been struggling lately, based on the glowing reviews. She read the whole thing in one evening, and told me this morning that the advice in the book was good, but the author is a lesbian and she uses a lot of bad words throughout the book. We don’t use bad language in our home, and don’t read books that do. I always read reviews to try to find out about bad language and lgbt stuff in books, so I’m just sharing that information here for anyone else who finds it helpful.

— Hutch Family (Amazon review)

“Certain lines illustrate with spectacular accuracy the way the mind works”

Ruby Walker’s Advice I Ignored offers exactly that: good advice that so often gets ignored . . . I’m personally not much of a self-help book type of reader, so I entered this one with some hesitance. But I found I rather enjoyed Walker’s brand of sarcasm, wit, and heartwarming compassion . . . While as a whole the advice and wisdom in the book are nothing new, at certain points, Walker hits a note so right that it feels like a revelation.

— Meagan Kimberly (For Lesbrary.com, full review here)