Description
Combining personal anecdotes with the latest scientific research, this searingly honest memoir sheds new light on the darkness of depression
Millions people suffer from major depressive episodes. All of them want relief but, more importantly, most simply want to know that they are not alone. With gentle wry humor and a compassionate tone, David's Inferno offers a tale of realization, acceptance, and hope. It is neither prescriptive nor opinionated, seeing all forms of therapy as potentially beneficial in the continuum of care.
Combining intensely personal reminiscences of a two-year nervous breakdown with contemporary insights on how manic-depression manifests and how it is diagnosed and treated; David Blistein shares his experiences to shed light on the darkness of depression for fellow travelers as well as those who care about them. David's Inferno serves as an ideal book for friends and family of those suffering from depression, helping them to better understand what their loved ones are experiencing.
“Blistein takes us into the heart of his Inferno and combs through clinical and scientific literature to create a vivid, unforgettable image of this very personal form of hell.” —Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies
Table of Contents
Foreword
Preface
THE DARK WOOD
Words Fail
LIMBO
Fifty-Three Years, Four Months, and one Helluva Week
Make Up Your Mind
HELL
Looking for Traction
Road Trip
Diagnosis
PURGATORY
Hard Turns and False Tops
The Wit and Wisdom of Neurotransmitters
Prescription Medicines
Alternative Medicine
Self-Medication
Who Knows?
Visible Means of Support
Married to the Madness
Therapy
Strange Obsessions and Glimmers of Light
HEAVEN ON EARTH
The Labyrinth
PARADISE
Miracle of Miracles
Crazy Wisdom and Creativity
Depression and Spirituality
THE DIVINE COMEDY
Beholding the Stars
Psychiatric Notes
Annotations, References, and Random Notes
Chapter Notes
Glossary
Index
Acknowledgments
