what you get here

This is not a blog which opines on current events. It rather uses incidents, books (old and new), links and papers to muse about our social endeavours.
So old posts are as good as new! And lots of useful links!

The Bucegi mountains - the range I see from the front balcony of my mountain house - are almost 120 kms from Bucharest and cannot normally be seen from the capital but some extraordinary weather conditions allowed this pic to be taken from the top of the Intercontinental Hotel in late Feb 2020

Monday, May 8, 2023

The Black Dog barks again

I’ve not posted for a full four weeks. Let me try to explain my silence. Some knee problems caused me to seek some help from the local physiotherapist who warned me that the blood-thinning (Xarelto) I used for my atrial fibrillation required him to treat me with a lower dosage than normal. But my third treatment produced an incident which put me in a hospital for a few hours – and has triggered a dark mood which has brought this silence.Far from being thecruellest monthof TS Eliot’s famous poem, 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 from de[ression – the most prominent Brits being Winston Churchill, Stephen Fry and Alistair CampbellAt that 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 Depression – the way out of your prison;(1983) became, deservedly, a best-seller.

As I have slowly slid into retirement, it is not surprising that the black dog sometimes barks. So “Reasons to stay alive(2015) was a useful reminder for me – although I was disappointed with its self-indulgence and consider 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 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 (the book van be accessed in the link on the title in the liast below)
The Novel Cure – an A-Z of Literary Remedies is a delightful compendium of reading recommendations for those suffering from various travails….


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.

Malignant Sadness; the anatomy of depression ; Lewis Wolpert (1999) Looks quite excellent

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 is 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 by the author’s 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

How to be Depressed; George Scialabbas (2020) a terrific short read which records how the medical establishment have dealt with the author since the 1960s and offers a harrowing series of advice notes which made me realise that my present condition bears no comparison with his. Reviews are here and here

1 comment:

  1. Having suffered with depression back in 2000 I have every sympathy. Even having done Yoga since I was 14 didn't help. My depression was caused by actual problems of life, some of which, as with my son suffering with Asperger's don't go away.

    I was talking to a friend of mine a couple of weeks ago, who told me about going into work despite being very upset after his wife had first miscarried, and hen, subsequently left him for someone at work. As he said, the bosses comment that "Everyone has problems, just get a hold of yourself", was one of the least useful contributions.

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