From Depression To Wholeness : The Anatomy of Healing [Paperback]

Debbie Thurman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2000

A refreshing look at depression through a Christian lens. Meticulously researched with poignant examples from the author's 10 year struggle with major depression.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Depression strikes across the spectrum of human experience. Debbie Thurman reminds us that no one is immune, but anyone can overcome. Her faith and insight, forged in her own adversity, point us toward higher ground and solid answers. I also urge pastors to read this book." -- Rev. Jerry Falwell

"I couldn't put this book down. It is heart-breaking, informative, encouraging, real and, most of all, a love story. Bravo!" -- Colleen Hughes, "Guideposts"

"You don't have to cower before the beast of depression forever. The simple truths Debbie Thurman outlines can help anyone who really wants to find healing and freedom." -- Shad Helmstetter, Ph.D., author of "The Self-talk Solution"

A personal, articulate and engaging story of the complex and multiple issues of depression. Insightful, enthusiastically recommended reading. -- Internet Bookwatch, November 2000

Recommended book. -- InnerSelf Magazine

Thurman lays it all on the line with the honesty of an emotional CAT scan. Not preachy or self-righteous. -- The News & Advance, Lynchburg, Virginia, February 2000

About the Author

Debbie Thurman is a 45-year-old wife and mother of two daughters. She and her family reside in Central Virginia. The author served in the U.S. Marine Corps for eight years as a public affairs officer. She has a background in corporate communications and journalism, and has been managing editor of two national magazines as well as a free-lance writer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Cedar House Publishers (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967628903
• ISBN-13: 978-0967628905
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,888,562 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Debbie Thurman is a Christian journalist, award-winning columnist and author of seven nonfiction books between 2000 and 2011. She has written scores of articles and commentaries published in a variety of newspapers and magazines over her 35-year writing career. She has been a church teacher and ministry leader for more than 25 years. She is also the founder of Sheer Faith Ministries.

Married for 29 years, she and her husband reside in Central Virginia and have two married daughters. Debbie holds an A.B. degree in English from Sweet Briar College in Virginia and served eight years as a public affairs officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Debbie's ministry mission has been to educate and encourage families battling emotional and spiritual brokenness, whatever form that takes, and to help facilitate the Church's outreach to them. Mostly, Debbie seeks to fulfill the Christ-given "ministry of reconciliation" the Apostle Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 5:18 through her writing, speaking, and discipling efforts.

Debbie says that her current book, "Post-Gay? Post-Christian?: Anatomy of a Cultural and Faith Identity Crisis," has placed her in a position "rather like that of Frodo in 'The Lord of the Rings' Trilogy. Being the ring bearer is a heavy burden he'd rather not have, but he faces it bravely and sees it through. I am the bearer of a weighty message that two communities at odds need to hear. At times it feels as if all the forces of hate and self-righteousness are gunning for me."

A former struggler with gender identity confusion, Debbie longs to see the Church equipped for discipleship to all who wrestle with sexual sin. "We Christians have not always done the best job of explaining what we believe or why we believe it," she says. "We have greatly damaged our witness by winking at many of our own sexual sins but hammering the gay community for theirs."

You may read Debbie's commentaries at her ministry website (http://www.debbiethurman.com). She also writes at the Sheer Faith Ministries Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/sheer.faith.ministries). Follow her on Twitter @sheerfaith.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Layman Explains Healing of the Soul; Christian Worldview, May 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: From Depression To Wholeness : The Anatomy of Healing (Paperback)

Debbie Thurman has given us a much-needed book that, if anything, is well-organized and clearly written. The reader from Cleveland couldn't have read the book carefully. I take this person to be a post-modern revisionist, typifying those individuals who can't allow themselves to accept godly wisdom and the truth that Jesus Christ represents. It's easy to write off any attempt at illumination as being "preachy" or "short-sighted." The author clearly states she is offering a Christian viewpoint and lays out her thesis intelligently, acknowledging all the while that many people won't get it, a reality that Christ, himself, was well aware of. Thurman talks about the differences between relief and true healing. One may come from medications and various therapies while the other is the result of a spiritual quest, she says. Both avenues are pursued through choice, but the concept of grace is what ultimately separates them. The title of the book isn't "From Depression To Coping." The author chose the word "Wholeness" for a reason. Thurman makes beautiful use of scripture and classical literature to enlighten and comfort. She has clearly done her homework. Don't let fear or ignorance of the Christian worldview keep you from reading this valuable book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wise Guide to Healing from Depression, March 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: From Depression To Wholeness : The Anatomy of Healing (Paperback)

As a psychologist, I read Debbie Thurman's FROM DEPRESSION TO WHOLENESS with a great deal of interest -- and ultimately, amazement and gratitude. With the power of personal experience, she shares her own battle with depression, and her long journey toward healing. Through the traditional therapeutic model - counseling and drug therapy, and a deeper search in the realm of the spirit, she shares the transformational power that she has found available through faith in God.

This beautifully written book will be of enormous value to anyone who struggles with depression, as well as to family members and friends who love someone who suffers from the illness. It will also be an insightful resource for therapists, pastors, social workers, teachers, and all those who work with depressed people.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're a Christian, this book will be helpful, July 29, 2001

By 

steve@upperaccess. (Burlington, Vermont) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Depression To Wholeness : The Anatomy of Healing (Paperback)

Depression is one of the worst of all human afflictions, so any book that provides genuine help to sufferers is a blessing. Without question, Debbie Thurman's book will provide significant help to a great many people.

The author generously shares the details of her private life, detailing her own road to recovery. That may not sound like interesting reading, but Thurman is a marvelously skilled writer who keeps us turning the pages. This isn't just dry theory--we can see what worked for her, and what can work for others.

As a devout Christian, Thurman's own recovery is closely linked to her religious beliefs. Therefore, her book will be most helpful to people who accept Christian faith. Her insights are probably transferrable to other belief systems, and one could argue that the usefulness of the book would become more universal if the author were more ecumenical in her writing. However, she chose to write to fellow Christians, thereby probably strengthening the messages for her selected audience.