Three years ago, I read and reviewed author Emily J. Johnson’s debut book ‘Pushing Through The Cracks, which details her family’s journey with mental illness. Emily then released a book called BELLY about her binge eating and how she found recovery.
I was saddened when I heard that Emily had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2023, after all she had faced. A lump found by chance at the doctor in her neck, led to her diagnosis. However, in true Emily style (she is a fighter), she not only went through a lot of trauma and medical treatment, but she has come out the other side to find her own SUNSHINE. The thyroid cancer diagnosis left her struggling to cope as she navigated the impact on her loved ones. During her treatment, a medical emergency lead to a profound experience in theatre that changed everything.
As you can see from the cover of this book, this is a story of hope after trauma and adversity. It’s a life-affirming story about love, hope, and rediscovering joy in simple things.
Emily returned to writing during her recovery, publishing her third book SUNSHINE, sharing her cancer journey. Once fully recovered, she re-trained as a mindfulness and meditation practitioner and will embark on her teaching practice in 2025, supporting cancer patients along with other members of her community in learning these beneficial practices.
Emily is always helping others whether that is through her talent as an author and sharing her thoughts in writing and now through her work helping people.
The book is beautifully written and hugely eye opening about a cancer that does not get huge amounts of media air time. Emily goes through treatment and comes out the other side stronger. As she says,
‘A chance discovery leads to a shock diagnosis;.
A traumatic experience leaves me questioning everything.
But in the darkness, I discover the light. My light, my sunshine.’
SUNSHINE by Emily J. Johnson is a remarkable book and is out now on Amazon here.
Pushing Through The Cracks: In the Darkness of Her Family’s Mental Illness She Found Light by Emily J. Johnson is an incredible book. It is a story that I don’t believe has ever been written about before in such a way in the mental health space, I have certainly never come across it. Its a true memoir that occurred here in the UK during lockdown.
Emily wrote to me and kindly sent me a free copy of her book. I was hooked from the first page- this is a story of survival against the odds, of how mental illness can rip a family apart but how healing and hope are possible. Of strength through immense difficulty. Of light winning over darkness.
Four years ago, in the UK, Emily, a divorced mother of two, was living her best life with a new partner and blended family of six. But then addiction and mental illness entered her home uninvited, threatening to tear the whole family apart.
With an alcoholic husband and two teenage sons – one a depressed gambler and the other with chronic obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)– Emily is left to cope alone. And when the Covid pandemic hits, Emily, a ‘serial people-pleaser, enabler and born rescuer’, almost breaks too.
This true story delves into the darkest sides of mental illness and addiction with raw, often harrowing honesty. It shines a light on taboo subjects including self-harm, suicidal feelings, gambling, alcoholism, depression, severe OCD and eating disorders, all exacerbated by an unprecedented global pandemic and dwindling support services.
This is a story of remarkable strength, self-realisation and reclamation of a lost identity. This is a story of finding hope, pushing through the cracks in the darkness. It is also a story that touches on the difficulties of accessing UK NHS mental health services at times, especially CAMHS.
I found Emily’s strength through such severe adversity – dealing with a husband and two sons with severe mental illness, whilst carrying on with her own life when mental illness permeated every part, to be so inspiring. Her marriage falls apart, her children are unable to attend work and education, the family embarks on several different recovery journeys- navigating NHS mental health care and all its difficulties. Her sons addictions and acute OCD worsen and add to the pressures for Emily. How does she as a mother fix it all? She realises.. she can’t fix anyone and its not her job too.
The front cover features a dandelion pushing through the cracks of the ground. Emily describes the moment she hits rock bottom but then saw a dandelion poking through- which symbolised hope and light for her,
‘(image: Emily J. Johnson)
‘I pick up my phone and call a crisis support line…I desperately want someone to listen to me, to ease my pain, to hear my stories…(of mental illness at home)
I throw my phone across the path in frustration… something catches my eye, a beautiful yellow dandelion is growing through a crack in the concrete. Its golden yellow petals cut through the greyness of the broken path and it overshadows the filth and discarded cigarette butts around it. Despite its surroundings, it has found ways to push up through that crack, to have life. it is. not complaining or giving up, it’s surviving and it will go on to finish flowering. One day soon, the wind will carry its dainty seeds somewhere else to carry on the cycle of its life.
Just like that dandelion, I have pushed through adversity and survived. …I close my eyes and raise my face to the sunshine… Even in the midst of all this chaos, this darkness, there is warmth and light. There is hope.” (from chapter Dandelion) (Emily J. Johnson)
This is also a book which exposes the difficulties and realities of living with mental illness. I will add a trigger warning- it doesn’t hold back on the reality of mental illness including self harm, addiction, alcoholism, suicidal thoughts etc- so please read with care.
Thank you Emily for letting me read and follow the journey of your family. I hope your husband and sons are able to fully battle their demons and recover or stay in remission. Pushing Through the Cracks by Emily J. Johnson can be bought from Amazon and good book shops.
beurownlight.com 