Man's Search for the Right Book About Depression
December 5, 2011 7:32 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for a book about depression for a smart fella who has been feeling down.
I'd like to get him a book he'd enjoy that would perhaps get him thinking about the topic of depression more seriously. (The underlying motive is to get him to consider getting into treatment if he needs it, but he isn't ready to talk about that right now.) He considers himself a hardcore rationalist. Self-help and spiritual works are unlikely to go down well. Something intellectually rigorous and pleasurable would be ideal. I've thought of a few options, but none seems quite right: The Noonday Demon seems too heavy a tome to give as a present to someone wary of the topic in the first place. I suspect that many of the best memoirs will strike him as self-indulgent. I was thinking that one of the Peter Kramer books might be right, but I've read neither Against Depression nor Talking to Prozac. Would either of those be suitable? Have you any other suggestions?
I'd like to get him a book he'd enjoy that would perhaps get him thinking about the topic of depression more seriously. (The underlying motive is to get him to consider getting into treatment if he needs it, but he isn't ready to talk about that right now.) He considers himself a hardcore rationalist. Self-help and spiritual works are unlikely to go down well. Something intellectually rigorous and pleasurable would be ideal. I've thought of a few options, but none seems quite right: The Noonday Demon seems too heavy a tome to give as a present to someone wary of the topic in the first place. I suspect that many of the best memoirs will strike him as self-indulgent. I was thinking that one of the Peter Kramer books might be right, but I've read neither Against Depression nor Talking to Prozac. Would either of those be suitable? Have you any other suggestions?
Lewis Wolpert's Malignant Sadness perhaps? I think that would tick the rationalist and rigorous boxes. I can't think of anything in this area that's going to be particularly pleasurable to read particularly if it's related to his personal situation. Maybe fiction that has depression as a theme - The Corrections is what always springs to mind for me in that context, but it's not everyone's cup of tea.
posted by crocomancer at 8:23 AM on December 5, 2011
posted by crocomancer at 8:23 AM on December 5, 2011
The metafilter favorite is The Feeling Good Handbook. It's incredible, offers great explanations and exercises and the language is respectful. It's based on changing the way that you think and react to situations to change the way that you feel, very cognitive-behavioral based. It would be helpful to use on his own, and may encourage him to get outside help if it doesn't work for him.
posted by shortyJBot at 8:30 AM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by shortyJBot at 8:30 AM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Reading David Foster Wallace's Oblivion, I (also a self-described hardcore rationalist) went "hey, these depressed characters are exactly like me" a lot. Might aid self-diagnosis, but unlike the other answers, has no information about getting better at all.
posted by themel at 9:02 AM on December 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by themel at 9:02 AM on December 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
Someone I know was greatly helped by Authentic Happiness, Martin Seligman
posted by theora55 at 9:06 AM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 9:06 AM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Darkness Visible by William Styron; and only 84 pages.
posted by dgeiser13 at 9:25 AM on December 5, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by dgeiser13 at 9:25 AM on December 5, 2011 [3 favorites]
Seconding Darkness Visible. Not in any way a self-help or inspirational book...just a brilliantly written account of an experience that any depressed smart fella might see himself in.
posted by El Sabor Asiatico at 1:50 PM on December 5, 2011
posted by El Sabor Asiatico at 1:50 PM on December 5, 2011
Here's two :
Manufacturing Depression: The Secret History of a Modern Disease by Gary Greenberg. It tells the story of how depression was "discovered" and how it has been treated through the ages, while telling the story of his own depression. It has plenty of critical things to say about all the different approaches, including Peter Kramer. I can't guarantee it will help you towards your ulterior motive or not, but it gave me a new perspective on the condition, and it isn't in the slightest bit patronising.
The Happiness Myth: An Expose: Why What We Think Is Right Is Wrong by Jennfier Hecht. This book analyses the way people have tried to be happy throughout civilisation. Its a sort of anti-self-help book and offers no easy answers.
posted by devious truculent and unreliable at 8:12 AM on December 6, 2011
Manufacturing Depression: The Secret History of a Modern Disease by Gary Greenberg. It tells the story of how depression was "discovered" and how it has been treated through the ages, while telling the story of his own depression. It has plenty of critical things to say about all the different approaches, including Peter Kramer. I can't guarantee it will help you towards your ulterior motive or not, but it gave me a new perspective on the condition, and it isn't in the slightest bit patronising.
The Happiness Myth: An Expose: Why What We Think Is Right Is Wrong by Jennfier Hecht. This book analyses the way people have tried to be happy throughout civilisation. Its a sort of anti-self-help book and offers no easy answers.
posted by devious truculent and unreliable at 8:12 AM on December 6, 2011
Martin Seligman's Authentic Happiness (as mentioned by theora55) might be perfect. Seligman is an extremely well-respected researcher, and built his career working on depression and learned helplessness before he founded (!) the field of positive psychology. His pop psychology books can feel a little self-helpish at times, but he generally balances it out by talking about science and describing ground-breaking studies that he's done. I've found him interesting from a scientific perspective and also very accessible.
For bonus points, Authentic Happiness isn't quite about depression, so it may be easier to get him to read than The Feeling Good Handbook. (I loved The Feeling Good Handbook - read all 600+ pages in about four days - but I haven't had great luck in convincing other people to pick it up.)
If you're hoping to get him into treatment, I would avoid anything like Manufacturing Depression, or even Listening to Prozac. I find works on the medicalization of human emotion really interesting, but they are the opposite of helpful if I'm very depressed. Depression, for me, has a lot of guilt and self-doubt and self-blame, trudging through life with my head barely above water, wondering why I can't just cope like everyone else. I don't need to be told that big pharma has made millions by over-prescribing Prozac, I need to be told that going to therapy is less shameful than walking in front of a bus and ending it all.
On the other hand, "feeling down" and "clinically depressed" are pretty different. I'm assuming that you're worried about the latter.
posted by catalytics at 8:29 AM on December 6, 2011
For bonus points, Authentic Happiness isn't quite about depression, so it may be easier to get him to read than The Feeling Good Handbook. (I loved The Feeling Good Handbook - read all 600+ pages in about four days - but I haven't had great luck in convincing other people to pick it up.)
If you're hoping to get him into treatment, I would avoid anything like Manufacturing Depression, or even Listening to Prozac. I find works on the medicalization of human emotion really interesting, but they are the opposite of helpful if I'm very depressed. Depression, for me, has a lot of guilt and self-doubt and self-blame, trudging through life with my head barely above water, wondering why I can't just cope like everyone else. I don't need to be told that big pharma has made millions by over-prescribing Prozac, I need to be told that going to therapy is less shameful than walking in front of a bus and ending it all.
On the other hand, "feeling down" and "clinically depressed" are pretty different. I'm assuming that you're worried about the latter.
posted by catalytics at 8:29 AM on December 6, 2011
There is a Kabbalah Centre book, Reboot by Yehuda Berg that finally got me out of my persistent depression.
Kabbalah (or Berg? lol) says that depression is a lack or weak desire.
Although it doesn't say how to increase your level of desire, just knowing that it's a lack instead of a reason why you are depressed, made all the difference.
It has changed for me, and for my clients, where I am looking.
You can increase desire (or Life Force) in minor and major ways, the minor is very well known... seeking activity, physical or other, companionship, etc.
To increase desire fundamentally is often a digging process, much like digging for water: you need to go through and remove layers of crud... but such is life.
Nothing is free in this life.
posted by brentcoates at 7:20 AM on October 4, 2012
Kabbalah (or Berg? lol) says that depression is a lack or weak desire.
Although it doesn't say how to increase your level of desire, just knowing that it's a lack instead of a reason why you are depressed, made all the difference.
It has changed for me, and for my clients, where I am looking.
You can increase desire (or Life Force) in minor and major ways, the minor is very well known... seeking activity, physical or other, companionship, etc.
To increase desire fundamentally is often a digging process, much like digging for water: you need to go through and remove layers of crud... but such is life.
Nothing is free in this life.
posted by brentcoates at 7:20 AM on October 4, 2012
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posted by jquinby at 7:34 AM on December 5, 2011