My Depression: A Picture Book [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Swados (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2005

A moving memoir in words and pictures of one woman's struggle with the little black cloud of depression pening up the darkest corners of her world, author Elizabeth Swados takes us on an unforgettable journey that is by turns poignant and funny, and will be undoubtedly familiar to those who suffer from depression and those who love them. Through the author's whimsical drawings, readers get a unique view of the experience of depression: from the struggle to keep her condition a secret, to the strange effects of 'new' drugs, to the small things that can trigger relapses. For the thousands of Americans who suffer from depression, My Depression is a gentle reminder that they are not alone and that they can lead a fulfilling and happy life. It is an evocative, readable, and engaging story of an illness that is finally gaining widespread attention.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The multitalented Swados is the author of six children's books; three novels, including Flamboyant (1998); and an indelible family memoir, The Four of Us (1991). She is also a musician, director, and composer and the recipient of three Obies, among many other honors. She now presents a zingy cartoon memoir in which she chronicles her struggles with severe depression, a condition made all the more alarming by the fact that both Swados' mother and brother committed suicide. In expressively scribbled drawings and scrawled, to-the-point commentary, Swados charts the course her depression takes and itemizes the symptoms, which range from her insulting her friends to failing to get out of bed. The jangled, even manic energy of her drawings and text plays in effective counterpoint to the "black hole" of depression as Swados' candid, seemingly simple tale conveys a wealth of helpful information and dispels the gloom a bit by making readers laugh. This appealingly casual and upbeat volume is a good choice for readers unwilling to work their way through more substantial tomes. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A startling honest account. . . a surprisingly charming, funny, and poignant illustrated memoir." -- Time Out New York

"With a light touch, Swados draws aside the dark curtain of depression . . . a painfully honest, humorous, helpful, and hopeful story." -- Buffalo News

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; First Edition first Printing edition (April 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401307892
• ISBN-13: 978-1401307899
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #933,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars For This 7-Star Book, April 25, 2005

By 

Kent Ponder (Albuquerque., NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Depression: A Picture Book (Hardcover)

The in-your-face, simple genius of this book is difficult to describe. I would not have thought a book of captioned cartoons could so powerfully and honestly draw (pun intended) the reader into profound, empathetic understanding of how depression feels as it is lived. If one picture is worth a thousand words, these hundreds of powerful pictures are worth far more than mere words could ever communicate. Everything about this book pulls the reader in, and pulls the reader along, effortlessly and entertainingly.

Additional power is gained in that the presentation is autobiographical, tragically painful in some portions, but exceptionally witty throughout.

If you have ever been depressed, or know anyone who is or has been, please BUY THIS BOOK. I would like to recommend it to all the readers of my study, Mormon Women, Prozac® and Therapy. Reading the book is, quite honestly, genuinely therapeutic.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Psychologist gives 5 stars, January 8, 2006

By 

Debra Moore, Ph.D. (Sacramento, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Depression: A Picture Book (Hardcover)

I highly recommend this unique book. The author, who has suffered from repeated episodes of severe depression, has put her turmoil into line drawings and short captions.

She shows you what depression feels and sounds like - how it affects body, mind, spirit, self image, relationships, and view of life itself.

Her drawings are simple, stark and moving and the accompanying writing blunt, and alternately laugh out loud funny and grimacingly painful.

I would recommend this book to anyone - we all know someone who is or has fought depression, and we owe it to them to understand their experience.

For those who are battling depression, this book will not make glib promises, but will offer gritty affirmation and realistic hope.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books written on depression, April 6, 2005

By 

therapy writer (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Depression: A Picture Book (Hardcover)

As a licensed clinical social worker, I give this book my highest rating and will be recommending it to everyone that suffers from depression, as well as their friends and loved ones. In straightforward and humorous terms, Ms. Swados talks about the course of her depression and treatment. She discusses how distorted her thinking becomes during periods of increased depression and how her functional status suffers. The pictures are moving, sad and funny at the same time. Depression has a tendency to slow down thinking, and I view this book as being helpful during this periods due to it's simple layout. There is no judgement here, and no quick fix or solution to the struggle of depression. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.