The other day at Crowvus HQ, we were discussing our favourite Jane Austen novels. Amazingly, for saying there were four of us with a positive opinion, each person had a different favourite. Jane Austen's books, of course, are not historical fiction, but books written contemporaneously to what is now an historical era. But! All the multitude of spinoffs which her books have invoked are historical fiction. Pride and Prejudice is not my favourite Austen story, nor my second or third, but I absolutely love the series Lost in Austen . People hear the phrase "fan fiction" and immediately think lesser of it, but this is a little unfair. Fan fiction is not a new thing, it is how folk stories grew into legends, adventures becoming more daring with every telling. But what has changed is the way in which these stories are retold and the care which is now (quite rightly!) taken to preserve and protect the rights of the original author. In the case of Lost in Austen , this is not t...
Living with Depression by Nick Weatherhogg
Blurb from Goodreads:
"It has been estimated that almost one in ten adults and teenagers in the United Kingdom are affected by some form of depressive illness. This is a ten-fold increase in the last seventy years. If this growth were to continue unchecked, then about 95 percent of the population would have depression by the year 2100. It is further believed that depression will be the number 1 health problem worldwide by the year 2030. And yet for every three sufferers, less than 5 is spent each year on research. At least a half of all sufferers never seek any form of medical or psychiatric intervention.
The origin of depression can be situational or biochemical or a combination of many different factors. People do not choose to become depressed, but they do choose how they are going to deal with it and what they will do. A range of treatments are available as standard, ranging from medication to talking therapies, but various treatments may be more or less effective than others with different people and in different situations.
Even in the very darkest moments of the deepest depressions, there will always be that glimmer of hope. In Living with Depression, Nick Weatherhogg shares some hope, some light, some techniques, and a little optimism in the midst of depression born not only from psychological training, but also from a personal battle for many years with his own black dog."
The origin of depression can be situational or biochemical or a combination of many different factors. People do not choose to become depressed, but they do choose how they are going to deal with it and what they will do. A range of treatments are available as standard, ranging from medication to talking therapies, but various treatments may be more or less effective than others with different people and in different situations.
Even in the very darkest moments of the deepest depressions, there will always be that glimmer of hope. In Living with Depression, Nick Weatherhogg shares some hope, some light, some techniques, and a little optimism in the midst of depression born not only from psychological training, but also from a personal battle for many years with his own black dog."
Nick Weatherhogg draws a line between being depressed and feeling depressed which I find interesting. I'm sure everyone in their lifetime feels depressed at some point, but it doesn't mean they have the illness depression.
The book is well written and although the author makes the point that it has taken a lot of effort to put his story out there, he should be assured that it is a book worth a place on your shelf.
I can see why the author emphasised the many famous people who have suffered from depression but I think a little less emphasis on this could be beneficial. It's great to know that celebrities have come through this illness. However, it is just as important, and just as interesting, to know how the author or anyone else (including Joe Bloggs down the road) has coped with depression. Celebrities are great...but don't do yourself down in comparison with them.
You can buy this super book here.
Great book! I will use it to understand my depression in a better way. I have only read this article about depression https://modafinilxl.com/depression/
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