You Were Here, by Cori McCarthy

You Were Here, by Cori McCarthy
Release date March 1st, 2016
This book was given to me by the publisher
through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review

In order to deal with the psychological grief of her brother dying, Jaycee is on a quest to rediscover him by reliving his dangerous stunts. When a group of erstwhile friends gets sucked into her antics, Jaycee learns love and forgiveness. 

Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf

Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf
Narrated by Juliet Stevenson

Spoilers below.

This experimental book takes place in one day in June 1923, as Clarissa Dalloway prepares for and then gives a very successful high society party. In parallel, we follow the story of Septimus Smith, who has shell shock after witnessing the death of his friend during the war.

Suicide - An Overview

Suicide is a huge issue that is extremely stigmatized and ignored. It ranks among the 10 leading causes of death in most Western countries - and the number of suicides is likely higher than estimated since many deaths are ruled "accidental" rather than being given the stigmatized label of "suicide." 

The Noonday Demon, by Andrew Solomon

The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression,
by Andrew Solomon, narrated by Barrett Whitener 

Noonday Demon is Andrew Solomon's amazing memoir / history of depression - it's a must-read for anyone who wants to delve deeply into the causes and effects of depression. Solomon begins with his own journey through several severe depressive episodes. For a broader personal understanding of depression, he intermittently includes stories of "depressives" that he's interviewed. In his research for this book, Solomon explored many standard therapies for depression (i.e. medicine, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, etc.); but he also explored some very atypical therapies such as an African ritual in which he lay naked and covered in goat blood while people danced around him with a dead chicken. (He actually found it very cathartic.) 

Depression - an overview

Depression is a surprisingly common mental health issue, affecting 17% of Americans at some point throughout their lifetimes. Depressions almost always are a result of a stressful life event, though not all of these depressions are severe enough or long enough in duration to be considered a mood disorder. 

Fighting the Healthy Battle

So that time of year has come - the one in which the days become more dark - along with my thoughts. Every year about this time, I get bipolar depression. Or perhaps I should call it seasonal affective disorder. Regardless of the name, it's very real. I become lethargic, I cry for no reason, and suicidal thoughts traipse through my brain. 

But that can't happen to me this year because I've got a full time job to hold down at the same time as taking Abnormal Psychology and an EMT training class. So what do I do? Preemptive strike!