Strangers to Ourselves

Strangers to Ourselves is a nonfiction exploration of mental illness and how people navigate their identities in the face of psychiatric diagnoses. Aviv presents case studies of individuals, including her own childhood experience, to examine the complexities of mental health and how medical, cultural, and personal narratives shape our understanding of ourselves.

The book delves into the tension between medical explanations and the lived realities of those experiencing mental health challenges, raising questions about identity, treatment, and the ways in which people both embrace and resist psychiatric labels.