As
a lapsed Christian, this has no particular meaning for me and I have never been
able to agree with TS Eliot’s statement that April is “the cruellest
month”. That, for me in the mid 1980s in Scotland, was rather
November when I was afflicted for 3 consecutive winters by what the scientists
then had started to call the S.A.D syndrome (better known
to Churchill as his “black dog”).
This
was a simple reflection of the career quandary which had trapped me as I tried for
more than a decade to straddle both an academic and political career – killing
my chances, in the process, of success in either…..Students drove me out of
academia and I was soon jobless – still with my prominent political position
but the time to reflect on what had gone wrong and how I might avoid future
bouts of depression.
I
had the beginnings of a European network - which I cultivated further – but it
was the fall of the Berlin Wall which presented me with the opportunity –
seized with both hands - to be the "consultant" I then became for the next 25 years….(see my Just Words for a definition of that term!)
But nowadays this time of
the year tends to be marked by 2 rather different but significant and linked
events.
The
bad one is the onset of pollen allergy…..with all that entails with sneezing
and stuffed nose
The good one is the
arrival of nettles, lettuce, spring garlic and onion, radish, red pepper et al in the markets
here – particularly the Obor one a few tramstops away. Allowing the concocting
of nettle stew with mamaliga; and of
wonderful salads with the freshly-picked greens with grated carrots, bread
crumbs, olives, walnuts, apple vinegar, goat cheese and olive oil….
Far
from being a cruel month, April was (in the late 1980s) when I emerged from
what was almost like a hibernation. Ever since then, however, I have had great
sympathy for those who suffer – the most prominent Brits being Stephen Fry and Alastair Campbell. At the time
Philip Toynbee was about the only prominent person admitting to the condition
(I remember reading his “Part of a Journey – autobiographical notes 1977-79”)
although Dorothy Rowe’s Depression – the way out
of your prison;(1983) became, deservedly, a best-seller.
Of
course, as I have slowly slid into retirement, it is not surprising that the
black dog sometimes barks. So Matt Haig’s recent book was a useful
reminder for me – although I was disappointed with its self-indulgence and think that Hari’s Lost Connections (2018) is a more useful read – with
chapters on the suggested reconnections focus on:
a) other people, b) ‘social prescribing’, c) meaningful work, d) meaningful
values, e) sympathetic joy and overcoming an addiction to the self, f)
acknowledging and overcoming childhood trauma, and g) restoring the future.
This is a good review – and this a
video of the author making
a presentation about the book which I found yesterday and which I simply cannot put down, it is such a gripping read as he traces his journey from a decade of popping pills, followed by several years of asking questions, reading research and tracking down what seemed to be the people and places to help him answer the questions....On the way he targets myths, medics and the pharma companies and comes up with deeply political answers about the power of collective action.....I hope to do a separate post on the issue soon....
..
..
Was
it neurologist Oliver Sachs who started (in the mid 90s) what has become the
genre of literary medical writing? I was aware of his “The Man who mistook his
wife for a hat” but never read his works. It was Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal which alerted
me a few years back to the new genre – well represented by Edinburgh GP Gavin
Francis’s Shapeshifters (2018) which I
picked up last week from “Carturesti and Friends”
And
it’s appropriate that it should be Francis who reviews another book which came
from Vlad’s place – The Novel Cure – an A-Z of
Literary Remedies - a delightful compendium of reading
recommendations for those suffering from various travails….The Guardian even
has a book clinic in the same
vein….The authors of “The Novel Cure” have a website https://thenovelcure.com
which serves up new offerings but, sadly, my PC denies me access……
It gives me the thought that someone should do a non-fiction version.......using indices of social and economic malaise to suggest the most accessible non-fiction reads???????
It gives me the thought that someone should do a non-fiction version.......using indices of social and economic malaise to suggest the most accessible non-fiction reads???????
Resource on Depression (starting with the oldest)
Depression – the way out
of your prison; Dorothy Rowe (1983)
One
of the few books which was around in those dark ages, Rowe was a journalist and “agony
aunt” and has a very easy tone
Life
– and how to survive it; John Cleese and Robin Skynner (1996)
definitely one of the most helpful books of the decade ! A therapist and
leading British comic (!) have a Socratic dialogue about the principles of
healthy (family) relationships and then use these to explore the preconditions
for healthy organisations and societies: and for leadership viz -
- valuing and respecting others
- ability to communicate
- willingness to wield authority firmly but always for the general welfare and with as much consultation as possible while handing power back when the crisis is over)
- capacity to face reality squarely
- flexiblity and willingness to change
- belief in values above and beyond the personal or considerations of party.
- valuing and respecting others
- ability to communicate
- willingness to wield authority firmly but always for the general welfare and with as much consultation as possible while handing power back when the crisis is over)
- capacity to face reality squarely
- flexiblity and willingness to change
- belief in values above and beyond the personal or considerations of party.
The
noonday demon – the atlas of depression; Andrew Solomon (2001)
A much praised book, I must confess that I found
its discursive style off-putting. Solomon is an essayist – although fully one
third of the (large) book consists of notes. But no attempt is to break the
relentless text up into headed sections to give us a hint of where the text is
going
The Compassionate
Mind; Paul Gilbert (2009)
This
is also a bit forbidding with almost 600 pages but us well structured
Reasons
to stay alive; Matt Haig (2015)
A bit too self-indulgent – but read for yourself
Its short
Rip it UP – the as if principle; Richard Wiseman (2016)
One of the quotes which adorn my blog is from William
James - “I will act as if what I do makes a difference”. In this entertaining
and original book, Wiseman sets out a philosophy that encourages us to
discipline our minds
Lost Connections; Johann Hari (2018)
I came to this book prepared (by Hari’s reputation for plagiarism) to dislike
it but was completely won over……
Book of the Day - https://www.theguardian.com/books/series/book-of-the-day
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