8 Helpful Books About Depression
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, depression affects over 15 million people in the United States.
There have been some remarkable books about depression from how-to/self-help books to memoirs from people living with the chaos depression brings in its wake.
If you want to read up about depression, here are some great books worth checking out.
When Someone You Love Is Depressed by Mitch Galant, Ph.D.
When Someone You Love Is Depressed is an excellent guide for people who have a loved one suffering from depression. Written by a clinical psychologist, this book has helped thousands of people by offering advice and comfort.
Among the many topics covered in this book are:
- The warning signs of depression
- Maintaining intimacy and communicating
- Successful treatment options
- Responding when someone threatens suicide
- Finding the right type of help
- The role of medication
- Specific examples of challenges and how to handle them.
The Black Veil by Rick Moody
This is the memoir of the fictional writer, Rick Moody. Moody shares his experiences of living with and struggling with substance abuse and depression.
From his stay in a psychiatric hospital to his many transgressions, Moody bares it all. He also touches on the painful loss of his sister and his many fears and anxieties.
When he is not talking about the things he has endured, he is digging into his family history and trying to figure out whether depression is a common occurrence amongst family members.
More Than Moody by Harold Koplewicz
Child psychiatrist, Harold Koplewicz, writes to help parents understand the difference between a moody child and one who is struggling with depression. Koplewciz goes further to explain the triggers in adolescents and the link between gender and depression.
According to Koplewicz, there are five specific symptoms in adolescents that parents should be on the lookout for. These are mood changes, sleep problems, appetite changes, social isolation, and concentration struggles.
Koplewicz further discusses the best treatments for adolescent depression and the role parents play in helping to ensure treatment successes.
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornbya
Nick Hornbya’s novel is a fictional story about four people who meet when trying to commit suicide by jumping off a London building on New Year’s Eve. He writes honestly about the lives of these people and their struggles with depression.
The foursome in Hornbya’s novel is an interesting group – a disgraced TV host, an art school burnout, a musician whose band has broken up and who recently had his heart broken and a mother with a brain dead soon. They become friends, support each other and have many interesting and unusual adventures throughout the rest of the novel.
Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression by Brooke Shields
Actress Brooke Shields shares her journey with postpartum depression. She reflects upon her struggles, the impact on her family, friends and new baby, and how she focused on getting better and strong with talk therapy and medication.
While postpartum is very common, it is rarely discussed or given enough attention by medical professionals. Here, Shields offers a human voice to this type of depression and the realities of being a new mother and trying to balance your emotional and mental health while tending to your child’s needs.
Depression: The Way Out of Your Prison by Dorothy Rowe
Rowe originally wrote this book in 1983, but the message this holds true in her second edition. Rowe has an amazing ability to capture the feelings of depression making this an excellent read for anyone trying to understand the complexities of depression.
According to Rowe, depression is like being alone in prison and by understanding how we play a role in building that jail, we can work towards taking it apart. She notes depression isn’t a medical illness requiring medication, but, rather, a protection method we use to hold ourselves together when our lives are following apart.
The changed idea of depression challenges our thoughts and our beliefs and forces us to take responsibility in managing depression and getting better.
You Are Not Alone: Words of Experience and Hope for the Journey Through Depression by Julia Thorne
This is a wonderful book based on Julia Thorne’s personal story of depression that offers a journal opportunity for readers to write about their struggles to aid in the recovery process.
This book is divided into five sections to help the reader work through the experience of depression, searching for support, healing, the role loved ones play and lists of various resources.
You Are Not Alone is exactly what the title tells us. It is an excellent manual about depression, healing, regrets that come with a life of depression, and the understanding that you are not alone in what you are feeling.
Darkness Visible: A Memory of Madness by William Styron
Author William Styron, best known for his novel, Sophie’s Choice, writes an inspiring memoir about his struggle with depression and his road to recovery. Styron connects his depression onset to his lifelong alcohol use and careless prescription abuse.
His depression led to suicidal ideation, hospitalization and eventually recovery. But before recovery was possible, Styron found himself struggling and relapsing many times.
At the end of his memoir, Styron assures his readers that despite everything, he was able to write and make a career out of his hardship. His goal is to give the reader hope that the darkness does ease and can bring out many wonderful opportunities to triumph.