Darkness Before Dawn: Redefining the Journey Through Depression

by Tami Simon (Editor), Amy Weintraub (Contributor)

There's no shortage of psychology self-help books on depression-but this collection, envisioned and edited by Sounds True founder Tami Simon, is not one of them.

You won't be revisiting familiar therapies or antidepressant options. What you will find is a gathering of 16 exceptional and compassionate teachers who have faced profound depression themselves. Their purpose? To radically shift the way that we perceive the experience. To offer insights and practices that reach beyond conventional models. And to help us receive depression's uninvited yet singular gifts.

The guidance presented here supports traditional psychotherapy and medication as valuable tools. But for those who've found these approaches incomplete-or seek to help others at an impasse-there's much to discover within these pages, including:

Thomas Moore, PhD, on Saturn's gifts; Sally Kempton on shifting from suffering and into witnessing awareness; poet Mark Nepo on embracing both emptiness and aliveness; Mary Pipher, PhD, on how despair can open us to long-hidden joy; Christina Baldwin on "ineffable sorrow"; plus exceptional contributions by Parker J. Palmer, PhD; Ann Marie Chiasson, MD; James Gordon, MD; Sandra Ingerman; Karla McLaren; Robert Augustus Masters, PhD; Amy Weintraub; Jeff Foster; Elizabeth Rabia Roberts, EdD; Michael Bernard Beckwith; and Reginald A. Ray, PhD.

"Depression is more than a medical diagnosis-it is part of the sacred human journey. And this book is intended to serve as a friend and companion on that journey."
-Tami Simon, editor, Darkness Before Dawn

"This book is not meant to "fix" us, but to befriend, accompany, and inspire us in our experience of depression." 
-Tami Simon, editor, Darkness Before Dawn

Genres: Nonfiction

235 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2015

Reviews

[aden]

This is a good book - surprisingly good, which I didn't expect - but it's starting to piss me off - because of my own issues - so I'm done with it. I like that there are a lot of different contributors, and there's a lot of great wisdom about depression, but basically every chapter is like Yeah, depression sucks, but it is actually good, it's trying to tell you something, but this doesn't really apply to chronic depression, which is super debilitating; anyways, here's how we help mild depression.
There's like one little part at the end about suicidal depression.

And stuff like this annoys me:
"When you walk through the door of the dark night, know that you do not enter alone. Remind yourself that you are being accompanied by all of the bodhisattvas, enlightened ones, and mystics who have gone before you. The dark knight is a sacred initiation into a deeper realization and confidence that we are, all along the way, escorted through our lifetime by the presence of unconditional love, compassion, and guidance.... [Blah blah blah]... Celebrate your life!

Fuck off. You are accompanied by no one. Metaphor is not reality. There are no ghosts accompanying you through despair. You have to deal with it on your own.

Despite my negativity, again, this book was good; I just only write about the stuff that pisses me off sometimes - probably the depression.

[Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saved my life, my sanity & gave me tools & hope

Several of my family members chose suicide; some died, others survived.
My own suicidal thoughts have been with me for years... finding these voices has made management & understanding possible.

[Wannie Michelmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and poetic proses and essays on depression where sometimes words are difficult to utter about the subject. Each author did it wonderfully. Except for the yoga part which I don't subscribe to, but I understand the context it is written in.

[KieraK · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was helpful to understand what a dear friend is going through.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it had some good insights. I liked that it embraced depression as a part of life rather than thinking of it as a disease

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! It's an invitation to look at darkness as your friend. When depression arrives on your doorstep, invite him in. He has an important message for you.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Sounds True for an e-galley!

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Especially liked the chapter by Karla Mc Larlen - Ingenious Stagnation. A very helpful book for those struggling with depression.