Local author shares his graphic raw story about mental illness

Mayor Al McDonald congratulates North Bay Author Len Boller on his autobiography ‘Delusions are Sound Lies' during his book launch Tuesday at PEP Place.



“It seems most people have a rather distorted Hollywood image of the mentally ill. People in society act like being mentally ill is contagious; society acts like it’s the flu, something you will contract by touching or coughing, like some spreading virus. Society does everything they can not to catch it. People with a lack of knowledge and a proper understanding, with no willingness to learn, are the ones who avoid us; it is total ignorance.
. . . The thing society doesn’t realize or understand is that we feel just as much as everyone else; all we want is to be accepted by society, a society with no fear of us. We want to live productive lives, but most of all, live happily. That is the help we need from society.”

This is a small excerpt from North Bay Author Len Boller’s autobiography ‘Delusions are Sound Lies’. The latest work is an open, honest and real look at his struggle with mental illness.



“Len speaks from the point of his last hospitalization until present day. He talks about his delusions and what he used to believe in. Author of MRRR, a mental health self-help book, Len has dedicated his life to helping others who have suffered as he has with mental illness - through awareness, hope and love. This is a gripping, shocking autobiography of a young man whose illness took hold of his life and then systematically attempted to destroy it. A must read for anyone that is determined to beat the odds in their search for hope and happiness.” is the description Wynterblue Publisher Maggie Kirton writes in the forward.

Calling the work a triumph staff and clients of PEP hosted a book launch Tuesday.

“For us it’s a success,” explains PEP’s Executive Director John Bowcott.

“For a person who has a mental illness it’s incredible because it helps reduce the stigma that we try to bring to the community. People with mental illness, even though they have the illness, they can still do great things in their life and accomplish so many great feats. And for us we’re just so proud that Len has had the ability for these books that he has written.”

“That’s a great recovery tool as well for others to be able to put your thoughts on paper … it just helps you grow and get a hold of your illness.”

Kirton says the conviction Boller had in the story he had to tell caught her attention and made her want to help bring the book through to fruition.

Boller also has a book of poetry titled Whisper of My Thought. Both books are on sale at Gulliver’s on Main Street.