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Can books help beat the blues?
Posted Friday 8 January 2010
Harper Lee has Scout say it best in To Kill a Mockingbird: “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”
People can turn to books for comfort or to match their moods. As noted in the news, Marian Keyes has told her fans via her website that she is experiencing a depressive episode. The post has a number of quotes, some from other authors that show a profound understanding of dark, low moods. A. A. Milne’s donkey Eeyore gets a mention, as might be expected. I think that this Eeyore quote captures it well:
"Good morning, Pooh Bear," said Eeyore gloomily.
"If it is a good morning," he said.
"Which I doubt," said he.
"Why, what's the matter?"
"Nothing, Pooh Bear, nothing. We can't all, and some of us don't. That's all there is to it."
"Can't all what?" said Pooh, rubbing his nose.
"Gaiety. Song-and-dance. Here we go round the mulberry bush."
Notable on Ms Keyes’ site is the tremendous support from her fans, also demonstrating that she is not alone in her feelings. TashiK writes “Your books are the one thing that helps me through my bad day. I wish I could do the same for you.”
If only Ms Keyes could use her own books for bibliotherapy as others have done. Diane Shipley, who has declared her appreciation of Keyes’ work, gives advice on what and how to read when depressed. There’s even a website recommending books to read when you’re depressed.
A number of Primary Care Trusts have recognised the power of the written word and offer books on prescription. The NHS site says that reading books about various conditions “can bring many of the benefits of conventional medication without the potential side-effects associated with drugs.”
Here’s hoping that the power of books can help move those mired in depression forwards towards a lighter, brighter place. Again, Eeyore helps us put it all into perspective:
"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.
"So it is."
"And freezing."
"Is it?"
"Yes," said Eeyore. "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."
Bridget O'Connell, Head of Information
4 Comments
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All hail philosopher Eeyore!
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It depends on who you are and where you're at. There isn't one book that suits everybody. Self help books are best read when recovering or at the first signs of depression not when you're really down. Sometimes there are no instant results.
I watched 'The Consolations of Philosophy' by Alain De Botton on television in 1999 but it didn't cheer me up immediately or get rid of my anxieties and hang ups. Only by living by those philosophies over the next few years they provided some immunity and clarity of thought especially the theories of Seneca (don't be too optimistic otherwise you'll only meet frustration) and Montaigne (be accepting of self with warts and all and cultural differences). Oliver James is also a good read as like De Botton he delves into society and economics as well as self help.
Having said that I read 'This Charming Man' by Marian Keyes after ending a relationship and being not sure if I was psychologically abused or whether I was being selfish as I was told I was by him. The anti-hero showed all the early warning signs my ex did so everything fitted into place. Had I stayed in that relationship it would have got worse.
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I'm no expert and speak solely from my own experience. I'm recovering from depression. My concentration and motivation are much better now than they were, but even now I am still not able to concentrate sufficiently to read a book. I am sort of expecting that my concentration will improve in time.
It appears to me that this blog item uses 'the blues' and 'depression' almost interchangeably, but I think 'the blues' equate to feeling low, and are quite different from depression. If I had read this item in a newspaper or general magazine, I would most probably have assumed that the person had no real knowledge/experience of depression. But that isn't the case as this blog is for/by a mental health charity. So I am a bit confused.
The content just does not equate with my experience of depression, but I can imagine that if I felt low or down it could be helpful to get lost in a good book. -
It is certainly true that many people experiencing severe depression are unable to read or even undertake other self-help activities to aid their recovery.
Marian Keyes writes on her website that she is unable to eat, sleep, write or read at the moment due to her severe depression. She then lists a number of quotes that she is reading as she is unable to manage reading novels that she is trying to use to help bolster her mood. A number of messsages posted on her site show that her books have helped people when they were experiencing problems, including depression.
Books on prescription are recognised as a viable alternative or complementary treatment to medication for people experiencing a range of mental health problems. As with many treatments, it might not work for everyone, but it is an option that some might like to explore. I am sorry if I did not make clear distinctions between levels of depression in my blog post and caused confusion or upset to anyone.
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