I am in the middle of a severe depressive episode and my therapist suggested I look into books about depression that will help me feel seen and see hope about the future.
1. I’m open to fiction or non-fiction. Memoirs would be great.
2. Specifically NOT wanting any of the “ditch your meds and take up running and you’ll be cured!” type of self help books. I know exercise/routines/healthy eating/time outdoors/etc. helps depression and can even “cure” mild situational depression. I have severe major depressive disorder. I cannot ditch meds. Books that might help me do some of those things while not preaching them as the be all and end all would be welcome.
3. I am Christian so religious books might be welcome, but I despise pop Christianity and do NOT want any nonsense about “if you trusted in God more you wouldn’t be depressed”. I’m wary to include this because, honestly, a lot of Christian books I’ve read don’t do it for me. Would be open to devotions, memoirs, other types of non-fiction. I generally don’t like Christian fiction so unless it’s really good I’m not interested.
4. The most important part is that it be uplifting and hopeful.
Thanks!
by Educational_Zebra_40
15 Comments
Long comment ahead so apologies in advance, I have three vastly different recommendations for you.
1) I just recommended this yesterday and think it’s perfectly fitting here so I’ll copy and paste:
*How to Stop Time* by Matt Haig. It’s about a man who has a supernatural “condition” which makes him age tremendously slowly, dw he’s not a vampire or anything like that lol he’s a middle-aged history teacher but one who has been alive since the Elizabethan age.
On the one hand this book offers some nice escapism as we see his various experiences through the centuries, and the bits set in Elizabethan England were cozy in a way- but on the other hand it explores his deep solitude and dissatisfaction with life as a result of outliving everyone he knew. Somehow the book manages to touch on this without making you miserable, instead it is calming and reassuring as it moves from past to present and we watch the protagonist attempt even after all his difficulties to make the most of new experiences and open himself up to others. It’s warm, wise and written in easy prose.
Matt Haig also has a nonfiction memoir called *Reasons to Stay Alive* which deals with his struggle with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation, and how he learned to live again. I’m not sure of his religious status however.
2) This is actually a manga+anime but so good when it comes to mental health: *Fruits Basket,* a wonderfully unique story using light fantasy/mythology elements to explore a myriad of emotional problems and different types of loneliness the character suffer from, but how they find light, take comfort in each other and push forward despite their anxieties and silent battles. May start slow/slice of life at first but it gets much more intense later on, and has a comforting happy ending. Everyone I know who has watched it including myself has found a character they strongly identify with which makes the experience that much more cathartic.
3) Idk how this came to mind but an academic philosophy book approaching the rise in mental illness cases from a new angle is *The Burnout Society* by Byung-Chul Han. He argues that modern life and culture by its very design overwhelms us as individuals and contributes to mass depression, anxiety and burnout. You may not agree with all of it but it’s a refreshing and mind-stimulating read.
As someone who has been there and found merely staying alive a painful burden (and still gets bad days): hang in there. No matter how many years it’s been, how many setbacks you’ve had, and how much it feels like nothing will ever change, the crushing weight will lift, slowly but surely. Try not to drown in the melancholy although it’s tempting, I’d suggest avoid reading stuff that’s gratuitous misery porn or listening to super depressing music for “relatability” as that can exacerbate our wounds for no good reason. My faith in God helped tremendously and was a lifeline when nothing else mattered, I’m not Christian but I pray for your recovery. Stay strong.
A Tale for the Time Being
Fiction. Stormlight archive by Brandon Sanderson. You’ll see why
Non-fiction: I honestly haven’t found one for me. I need a story.
Sorrow and Bliss
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
The Midnight Library
When depression is winning I read Franny and Zooey because I find it hopeful.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
Happy by Derren Brown.
It’s basically how to stop worrying about shit outside of your control.
I personally love Japanese literature, while not always about depression, it often has apathetic characters learning something about themselves. Books like There’s no such thing as an easy job or What you’re looking for is in the library could be of interest 🙂
Seconding Matt Haig’s books. That is really his niche.
Just read Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. So good and gives you an outlook on anxiety/depression that just makes sense. I just ordered pretty much every other one of his books.
The Midnight Library is amazing. Fiction but very uplifting whilst still being so interesting.
Not specifically about depression…. but I really liked Tattoos on the Heart. It’s a memoir about a preist that works with gang members and touches on some serious subjects. But there’s a lot of humor and a lot of good messages with some spiritual aspects as well.
* Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin. (The main character is an atheist lesbian who accidentally gets a job at a Catholic church, which is a source of some fish-out-of-water humor, but you sound like the type of Christian who would be okay with that.)
* If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude.
The Magic Shop by Dr. James Doty was the first in a series of books I read that transformed my whole mindset. More recently I read Seeing is Believing by Michael Guillen, PHD—had a lot of objective observations on spirituality. Man’s Search for Meaning is also good, read it at a low point in my life and it helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The Midnight Library is good but i wouldn’t say it impacted me the same way non-fiction I’ve read did…I couldn’t even get through How to Stop Time. I may give his other books a chance someday, but as far as fiction goes I feel Matt Haig’s concepts are a bit trite.