When enough light shines in
Published Saturday July 4th, 2009
During the darkness of depression, books can offer consolation, comfort.
In the thick of depression, it's not always possible to read. But when the windows open, enough to let in light to read by, there are some wonderful books that can be a resource and comfort during various stages of the recovery process. In the last few years, in dealing with my own experiences of depression and recovery, I've read a lot on the subject, most recently Women and Depression: Recovery and Resistance by Michelle N. Lafrance.
Lafrance is a local scholar, an associate professor of psychology at St. Thomas University in Fredericton. Through interviews with women, Lafrance explores how depression and recovery are framed and talked about in a patriarchal society.
She considers how a pervasive but very narrow notion of what it is to be a "good woman" makes it impossible for women to ever measure up and contributes to their distress in fundamental ways. She then explores how women find and talk about their own paths to healing, and how they grapple with and resist dominant ideas of femininity as they recover.
My social work training was grounded in structural social work, which-rather than focusing on individual pathology - highlights how oppressive social structures influence the decisions people are able to make and the paths their lives follow. Yet as I struggled to make sense of my own depression, I forgot all about the oppression of women and what impact that might have had on my experiences. I needed Lafrance to remind me that the picture is bigger than me alone.
For me, as for many of Lafrance's participants, it has helped me to understand depression within a medical framework, as an illness that can be named and that can be treated. But Lafrance's book reminded me that that is only part of the story, and that we must consider how the archaic ideal of the selfless, pleasing, caregiving woman is unrealistic and unhealthy. I saw my journey reflected in the stories of some of the women in the book, such as those who cared for themselves by connecting with nature, and I felt inspired by what Lafrance calls their "narratives of personal transformation."
My only caution is that this, although more accessible than many texts, is an academic read, and it is too dense for somebody stuck in the darkness to easily navigate. For mental health professionals, though, and for people with an academic interest in women's experiences of depression and recovery, this is an important and empowering resource.
For people who are currently going through a depression, sometimes a few words at a time is all that is manageable. Last year a friend gave me a gift of a book called Stumbling Towards Enlightenment: An Illustrated Crisis Companion by Barbara Lewis-Marco. This little book is full of commiseration and comfort. Each page features a word or a phrase and an illustration, and it's a gentle book to hold onto as you stumble through the darkness.
A bit wordier but just as comforting is Sunbathing In The Rain: A Cheerful Book About Depression by Gwyneth Lewis. I read this book during what I call DepressionFestival: Round One, and read it again when my old friend came back for Round Two. It has been like a manual for me and has become one of my favourite books. Lewis, a Welsh writer, gives an honest and beautiful account of her journey in and out of depression. She emphasizes listening to what your depression is trying to tell you and learning from your experiences of it. Written in precise prose and interspersed with quotes from various other literary works, Sunbathing In The Rain is manageable for someone in the midst of the struggle.
Infused with hope without being saccharine, Sunbathing In The Rain is the ultimate guidebook for the depression journey.
Rebecca Higgins is a writer, social worker and teacher living in Fredericton.
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