Books Don't Help

Books don’t help.

That may be one reason why there is no participation in this group. Well, that, and the embarrassment. Who wants to admit that they are less than perfect?

Reading is an intellectual experience. Depression is not a question of intellect. It affects high intellects and low. It can no more be controlled by intellect than can a common cold. When was the last time you thought your way out of a cold? Mind over matter? Sure.

If there is interest, I will post more, in a thread called “Misery Loves Company,” in which I talk about some famous people who have suffered from depression. After all, reading may not make you feel better in the darkest of moments, but I have heard it said that misery loves company. There is a perverse human pleasure in seeing that someone is worse off than we are. Or perhaps there is comfort in knowing that we are not alone (no Close Encounters pun intended).

Is it possible that all compulsive readers suffer from depression, compulsive being the key word? That would mean this should be the biggest group of all.

I agree - books help about as much as doctors do. Most people with high IQs (over 120) suffer from depression and over 140 suffer from OCD.

I've given up on both doctors and books. Well, I'm currently seeing a neurologist because I have an inoperable arachnoid cyst in my brain that has to be controlled with medication or I get monster migraines and turn into a psycho. I've been back at work from medical leave for three weeks now and I've lost 20 lbs in three months.

Anyways, books only help as an escape plan - that's why I own mostly fiction. I'd rather sink into a hot tub with a book and isolate myself and my brain rather than dwell on my own thoughts or torture other people. It's a much better drug/addiction than the ones the docs try to give me and if I go through withdrawl, I can pick up a replacement for very little cost legally. ;) It just happens to take up a lot of space...

My doctor recommended "Manage Your Mind" by Butler & Hope to me... managed to sort the insomnia for a while if nothing else (!!)

Ambien works well for insomnia, as do interviews with Henry Kissinger. There's also Ambien CR.

imaginelove: If you want to get into more detail, send me a private message. Otherwise I can add only a few things:

You mentioned three things, the cyst, the migraines, and the depression. Make sure your doctor is not automatically linking them. For example, someone probably looked at an MRI and said, "Aha, a cyst, that's what's causing your headaches." But suppose the migraine is related to the depression. And the depression could have nothing to do with the cyst.

I know it's hard to find a good doctor, esp. family/primary care and psychiatrist.

You'd think as 'creator' of this group I'd be more on top of things here...like imaginelove my collection of books is steeped in fiction (about 1/2 of it is) - and escapism is a main reason i own so many titles; "fiction" is my largest tag at 1k+ titles.

Honestly, books on and about depression are depressing themselves. And nothing makes the mind more perilous to ownership of a disease than a shelf-full of volumes on it.

Looking at deniro's post, a good alternate discussion thread on the types of doctors and physical/mental therapies would be greatly illuminating. Just a thought.

Yes, I haven't read many books about depression. Maybe I feel I know too much about it. Or maybe the books would make me feel worse.

A question I like to ask when I stare at my bookshelves: Is there anything here that offers comfort?

At the worst moments, no.

Other times, a favorite book will revive (or is it divert?) my attention.

Sometimes the essays of Joseph Epstein work, probably because they are so conversational, among other things.

I noticed my interests going away from fiction and toward nonfiction, particularly books of adventure, survival, and exploration like Endurance, Great Heart, We Die Alone, The Long Walk, etc.

I suppose that is no accident. In these books life is reduced to its most basic elements where the goal is survival.

Even The Odyssey is a survival epic about finding one's way home.

> 5: Honestly, books on and about depression are depressing themselves.

No kidding! I used to think I avoided self-help books because I somehow didn't quite want to get better. Now that I'm reading Undoing Depression by Richard O'Connor (on the enthusiastic recommendation of a friend), I'm reconsidering. The first day I read it, I fell asleep for five hours in the middle of the afternoon. Being overly cerebral seems to be what makes me get and stay sad; performing a cerebral, solitary act like reading doesn't make me feel any better unless what I'm reading is somehow pleasantly diverting.

I think "books don't help" is partly true but not totally. It depends on what you want from books, I think. Comfort, distraction, illumination, facts, inspiration, explanation? I have read for all these reasons. When depressed, reading is very difficult but on the way down and on the way up, I turn to fiction for comfort - familiar books which I have read time and time again. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell is perhaps my favourite. But at other times, I read for other reasons and have found I get comfort from them when depressed as I can remember some key things from them. Sunbathing in the Rain makes me smile because I can recognise some of my own experience in Gwyneth Lewis's account of her recovery from depression and she also inspires me to think differently, to treat myself well and to have hope.

Over the years, no doubt, there are books which have not helped at all, which kept me stuck in a sense of self-blame and negative thinking. But I can't remember them now, which is interesting - especially as my mood is not very good at the moment. Some good things about having a poor memory (was it the medication or the depression?)

But overall, I think books have helped me - they are not a cure - but even at low moments, lying on my bed, seeing my bookshelves has been a comfort and a promise of future reading joys.

And as for not wishing to admit being less than perfect - I have found that for myself, admitting my imperfections has been part of the recovery journey for me and of reclaiming my humanity - important as when in the depths, I have doubted this.

I have found that self help books about most of the mental health issues don't help while one is in the throes of the mental plague. However, I do find that some books offer good tips for keeping an eye out for anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc before it becomes more full blown. I do agree that in the worst moments, a lot of the books seem to exacerbate the lows and worse, the anectdotal accounts can 'inspire' me to new lows..weird, but I can be competitive even with depression?? Yep, I'm a freak:)

With my artistic temperament, I've gotten used to the fact that I'll have swings larger than the average population, and even doctors after getting to know me admit that for me, it's not an illness, but since those swings also account for most of the vitality of my work, I seek only to saw off the most ragged edges of the worst moods. Some self help books have given me good suggestions on self care, early awareness and coping skills to ward off the worst of an upcoming episode. That's my 2 cents.

I generally avoid self help books; escapism is more my style. I've found a lot of respite in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Laughter is good medicine.

There's a wonderful poem I'd like to recommend by Jane Kenyon, who battled depression for many years. It's called "Having It Out With Melancholy," and it appears in her book Constance and also in her collection Otherwise.

'Books don't help' is not in itself terribly helpful. Books may not help you but they do help some people. I would agree that books probably do not help when you are in the depths of a depression but they certainly can help in between - tips on keeping mentally healthy, inspiring stories about people who have learned to cope or even overcome their depression, learning that you are not alone. I found Monty Don's description of his own fight with depression in The Jewel Garden very moving. I also admire him for being open and honest about his illness. I also find books help to distract me when I am depressed. I tend to read a lot of detective fiction because I can't cope with anything that needs me to think too much. By the way, I have no problem admitting to myself and the world that I am less than perfect. I'm a work in progress.