Bedford author's book on autism and high-anxiety gets therapist's seal of approval

A fledgling author from Bedford has been given a seal of approval from his therapist before publishing his groundbreaking memoirs.

Phillip Ireland has lived his entire life dealing with the difficulties autism and high-anxiety brings.

And he’s now charted his journey during adulthood in the book I’m 39 Now.

The 40-year-old father of three admits the positive reaction from his therapist convinced him to share his remarkable story by going to print.

He said: “After looking for books on mental health, I only saw two types – ones for young kids or thick books explaining every detail of every type of mental health problem.

“I wanted to create something people can pick up at any time and read as much as they want.

“I’m 39 Now is a short, informative book, so I’m hopeful I accomplished that goal.

“I showed it to my therapist before it was published. They seemed to enjoy reading it.

“When I presented them with a published, printed copy they broadly smiled and gave me a positive reaction to it.”

The book is available from Amazon in paperback or Kindle

Phillip’s harrowing story of mental anguish, physical pain and constant illness is one that many who live with autism and anxiety will be able to relate to.

He believes I’m 39 Now is also a story of hope and encouragement, as the IT and maintenance technician adopted self-help methods to compliment his therapy.

Phillip’s story provides many helpful tips and tools for improving short and long-term mental health.

He added: “I used to suffer in silence – I would go to bed in mental pain and wake up physically hurting. I felt unwell most of the time and life was passing me by.

“I didn't know that my past had caused these constant feelings of dread, low mood and loneliness.

“I’m 39 Now lets you in on how my past influenced years of anxiety. I cover how it impacted my life, my day-to-day activities and the people living around me.

“The book tells you about the skills I developed to help me on my way to becoming the person I am today, and I hope it helps you too.”