Customer Reviews

Being Present in the Darkness: Depression as an Opportunity for Self-Discovery

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I spent most of my life in the numbing fog of depression. Unless you've experienced the horrors of chronic depression you have no idea how debilitating it is. There were times when I actually got to the point where I thought, "That's enough. I can't do this anymore," and wished I would get hit by a bus to save my family the heartache and embarrassment of having a suicide in the family. Thankfully I was able to stick it out. I learned to turn inward and rely on the strength that was part of me. There were people who helped me do this. And there was this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is depressed and is ready to kick the habit. It's not a quick fix, there are no quick fixes. All I can say is that it helped me. Maybe it could help you.

Cheri Huber, in her other books, talks about meditation as a spiritual practice, and the meditation she describes is basically sitting zen.

In this book, she describes these concepts and the practices as ways of coping with depression. For instance, the slogan, "it's not that you're depressed, it's what you're depressing," is a profound, useful insight. And "Being present in the darkness," itself, is simply sitting and watching your feelings without trying to encourage or squelch them. I've found that this practice has given me insights of the form, "OH! It's not that I want *x*, it's that I'm afraid of *y*. That's what's really going on."

I highly recommend this book and the audio-cassette version of it. It's an easy to understand, well-written, short, helpful book that don't admonish the reader to "Feel Better NOW NOW NOW" but rather help the reader to understand why they feel bad, and how to address those bad feelings constructively.

and finding your way out of darkness. Deeply affecting and calming these tapes proved of immediate value to me. Cheri's simple sounding, but incredibly powerful message of self-discovery and compassion while in the midst of this darkness called depression is a must-have. Different from other books on the topic, Cheri Huber's approach offers tools for immediate change. Powerful Stuff.

I searched the web for some of the terms and concepts my therapist was using and came across this book. Cheri Huber's approach is the same one employed by my therapist and I've found it very helpful in keeping me motivated during the week between visits. Many of the things my therapist and I talk about are echoed and expanded upon in this book, so it was like a bunch of little therapies throughout the week, reinforcing my desire to become better and motivating me to practice daily the things I learned in session. And since I could read it and re-read it at my own pace, outside the contraints of one hour weekly sessions, many things which I didn't have the time to fully understand or appreciate became crystal clear. Like other people have pointed out in their reviews, I found the author amazingly insightful and relevant in my own life and path to wellness.

I'm not sure the book could be that useful by itself, outside of any professional therapy--I don't think any mere book could be--though it's an interesting read in any context. I would urge anybody fighting depression to seek professional help first and foremost, and read Huber's books for supplemental insight and motivation.

This is an old version of what has been reprinted, and expanded, as The Depression Book. I do find the newer one to be worth it--it misses, for example, one of my favorite quotes "If you cannot be kind to the one person whose suffering you can actually feel, you will never be able to be kind to anyone." That does not make this book worthless--if you can find it and it's all you can afford, it will provide a great deal of wisdom and comfort. Huber's approach is, as always, one of kindness and self-love and just reading her words will often help.

She's not a quack and is not trying to 'cure' depression, but rather inviting the reader to sit with the depression and see what's underneath. I cannot say how it can help someone who has clinical depression, but I know that I have found it immensely useful in times of need.

See my review of the book. The audio version of the book is very good, as well