Living with Depression by Deborah Seranti is a must read for anyone who has depression and for those who treat depression. I believe that it would also be helpful to have friends and family of anyone depressed read it.

Deborah Serani is a psychologist with a private practice and in this book, she tells of her own plans to commit suicide. But medication, psychotherapy and research by herself she is able to live with depression. I am interested in this book because I too, have major depression. It runs in my family.

She explains that depression is not a nature vs. nurture question but is the result of nature and nurture. Stress and the lack of a support system can throw you over to suicidal thoughts.

But this book is not a gloomy, recital of facts that contribute to depression. Rather it is a message of hope and healing.

Society needs to recognize that depression is a chronic illness. This is something that we have to live with through our lives. Stigma is a great problem; this can prevent people from getting help. Mental illness is not something to be laughed at but rather means that person may need medicine, counseling and support. In this book, Deborah Serani, gives ways that she personally confronts stigma.

I have two favorite parts of this book. First are the twelve pages of well know people who have lived with or have some form of depression. On that list, you will see Mark Twain, John Quincy Adams, Alex Baldwin, and Dick Clark to just name a few. She put them in this book to show that even though you have depression, you can still be successful.

The other part that enjoyed was about healthcare officials and the ways that they employ tactics to either avoid or delay payment. I had experiences some of these and had not realized that they were intentional.

In this book are steps for a personal “Suicide Prevention Plan” and information on “Living with Depression”. I was very happy to see that some of tips were ones that I had figured out for myself, like refraining from watching violent TV shows and movies, and staying away from noisy environments.

Again I strongly recommend this book to anyone dealing with the chronic illness of depression and their friends and family. ( )