
Coping with Huntington's
A Path to Better Mental Wellbeing
Sarah Gunn(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 1. July 2026
Book
Hardback
212 pages
978-1-041-00856-9 (ISBN)
Description
Coping with Huntington's is a compassionate guide providing practical yet therapeutically oriented mental health support and self-care strategies for people with Huntington's disease (often referred to as HD) and their families, to empower them in navigating this journey with hope and clarity.
It offers strategies for self-help and wellbeing that are firmly grounded in the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It bridges professional and personal insight by bringing together the author's expertise as a clinical psychologist and researcher, and lived experience as a member of a family affected by Huntington's. Topics covered include, but are not limited to:
Physical symptoms and mental health difficulties associated with Huntington's
Understanding Huntington's in both individual and family contexts, including impacts across families
Benefits of ACT strategies for managing difficulties associated with Huntington's
Practical guidance aligned with ACT around emotional resilience, acceptance, and meaningful living
The book covers impacts on people with the Huntington's gene expansion, and also explores the experiences of "at-risk" family members, people without the gene expansion, caregivers and loved ones, and specific challenges that these respective groups may face.
With evidence-based strategies to support mental health and wellbeing, this is a compelling read for families and individuals with lived experience of Huntington's disease. It will also interest practitioners and healthcare professionals who wish to better understand Huntington's and provide more effective support.
It offers strategies for self-help and wellbeing that are firmly grounded in the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It bridges professional and personal insight by bringing together the author's expertise as a clinical psychologist and researcher, and lived experience as a member of a family affected by Huntington's. Topics covered include, but are not limited to:
Physical symptoms and mental health difficulties associated with Huntington's
Understanding Huntington's in both individual and family contexts, including impacts across families
Benefits of ACT strategies for managing difficulties associated with Huntington's
Practical guidance aligned with ACT around emotional resilience, acceptance, and meaningful living
The book covers impacts on people with the Huntington's gene expansion, and also explores the experiences of "at-risk" family members, people without the gene expansion, caregivers and loved ones, and specific challenges that these respective groups may face.
With evidence-based strategies to support mental health and wellbeing, this is a compelling read for families and individuals with lived experience of Huntington's disease. It will also interest practitioners and healthcare professionals who wish to better understand Huntington's and provide more effective support.
Reviews / Votes
'This book offers an extremely unique perspective on the many facets of Huntington's disease - telling the story from a personal perspective, then offering some really practical insights on coping with the disease, and into psychological research. What stands out to me is the resilience families with Huntington's disease have: as Sarah points out "people from Huntington's families are not helpless, and Huntington's disease doesn't get to beat us.'Cath Stanley, Chief Executive, Huntington's Disease Association - England and Wales
'A very brave and personal book and an important resource. Moving and inspiring, it will be very useful for our community of people affected by or dealing with Huntington's.'
Patrick Weydt, MD, Chair of the European Huntington's Disease Network
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
General, Professional Practice & Development, and Professional Reference
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-041-00856-9 (9781041008569)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
approx. 07/2026
Routledge
€21.99
Available for download

Book
approx. 07/2026
1st Edition
Routledge
€21.50
Not yet published

E-Book
approx. 07/2026
Routledge
€21.99
Available for download
Person
Sarah Gunn, DClinPsy, is a clinical psychologist and researcher from a Huntington's family, specialising in mental healthcare for people affected by Huntington's. She uses ACT in her work and leads research into the psychological impacts of Huntington's, taking a compassionate approach to understanding and supporting people and families navigating the challenges of this condition.
Content
1. Wearing three Huntington's hats: Family member, therapist and researcher 2. Knowing the enemy: Impacts of Huntington's on individuals 3. Knowing yourself and your family 4. Introducing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy 5. "Your dad does that!": The stories we tell ourselves 6. Inviting the monster in for tea 7. "The price we pay for love": Grief and Huntington's 8. To defeat it, we have to name it: Shame, stigma and Huntington's 9. Finding what matters 10. Bringing values to life: Aiming for "better, not perfect" 11. Committed action: Setting a meaningful goal 12. "All roads lead to Huntington's": Difficult decisions 13. Building your forward plan 14. Testing your brakes regularly 15. Reaching out for more support 16. It's better in the light 17. Appendix A: Exercises and resources 18. Appendix B: Mental health concerns