Book Reviews

When I read the foreword, I thought this is what I am needing, a humorous view of depression.   Having experienced depression for many years I have a good understanding of what thoughts go through your mind, how other people react to you and how people reject you.

As a rule, I don’t read self-help books. And when I do, I approach them with trepidation; I’m averse to raising my expectations of change just because someone I’ve never met suspects that by reducing my inner monologue to a carousel of clichés, I can earn more money, feel more worthy, be more worthy, smile less ruefully when listening to Talking Head’s Once In A Lifetime, etc., etc..

The Journey Home is subtitled “A collection of poetry, artwork and photography embracing the theme of recovery from severe depression.” And that is pretty much what it is. There is no ambiguity; you know what you’re getting when you pick it up.

There is little background to Lorraine Nicholson’s story. We know that she suffered from depression, but we don’t know in what circumstances. That said, those facts are probably unimportant. Indeed, were they known, it might restrict the appeal of the book to those whose experiences were similar to her own, when of course depression and its effects are diverse and wide-ranging.

It’s not often that many people would want to read a book on depression written by a psychiatrist. Sometimes we can have preconceived ideas about what they are going to have to say on the subject and we think we’ve heard it all before. Well, with this book you are in for a pleasant surprise. Not only is it written by a British psychiatrist it also approaches depression from a very different angle than what we would expect. It’s a small book which delivers a powerful punch and rekindles hope in the psychiatric profession.

Straight away Dr Cantopher identifies the dreadful stigma and hurt caused by the ignorance of others which is felt by many of us who suffer from emotional health problems. This catches the reader’s attention and immediately one feels the author’s empathy, it is not patronising in any way at all, just down right honest. It’s a breath of fresh air - “someone does understand” comes to mind.

Sally Brampton was the founding editor of Elle and now writes a column in the Sunday Times. Shoot the Damn Dog is her story of her experiences with depression. She deliberately writes it as a story and not a manual or textbook as she believes that we learn better through stories. Each chapter has a distinct theme and while suffering the early onset of depression I cheated slightly and read the recovery chapters first as the first few chapters were so true to life they hurt. I have now read the book in order assured that there is a happy ending.

This book is subtitled '"Women’s destructive relationship with food, alcohol and depression – and how to break free'.  It is the second of Dr Nolen-Hoesksema’s books focussing on women and depression. 

The book looks at how unhelpful behaviours such as eating too much or too little or drinking too much slow down, and make more complicated, recovery from depression. It also takes an in-depth look at the ways that unhelpful or negative ways of thinking (especially the tendency to chew things over or “ruminate”) can fuel depression and unhelpful behaviours to create what she calls a “toxic triangle” that can be difficult to get out of.