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Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes
Therese Borchard may be one of the frankest, funniest people on the planet. That, combined with her keen writing abilities has made her Beliefnet blog, Beyond Blue, one of the most trafficked blogs on the site.
BEYOND BLUE, the book, is part memoir/part self-help. It describes Borchard's experience of living with manic depression as well as providing cutting-edge research and information on dealing with mood disorders. By exposing her vulnerability, she endears herself immediately to the reader and then reduces even the most depressed to laughter as she provides a companion on the journey to recovery and the knowledge that the reader is not alone.
Comprised of four sections and twenty-one chapters, BEYOND BLUE covers a wide range of topics from codependency to addiction, poor body image to postpartum depression, from alternative medicine to psychopharmacology, managing anxiety to applying lessons from therapy. Because of her laser wit and Erma Bombeck sense of humor, every chapter is entertaining as well as serious.
BEYOND BLUE, the book, is part memoir/part self-help. It describes Borchard's experience of living with manic depression as well as providing cutting-edge research and information on dealing with mood disorders. By exposing her vulnerability, she endears herself immediately to the reader and then reduces even the most depressed to laughter as she provides a companion on the journey to recovery and the knowledge that the reader is not alone.
Comprised of four sections and twenty-one chapters, BEYOND BLUE covers a wide range of topics from codependency to addiction, poor body image to postpartum depression, from alternative medicine to psychopharmacology, managing anxiety to applying lessons from therapy. Because of her laser wit and Erma Bombeck sense of humor, every chapter is entertaining as well as serious.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published December 29, 2009
18 people are currently reading
681 people want to read
About the author
Therese J. Borchard
36 books18 followersTherese Borchard is the author of the hit daily blog “Beyond Blue” on Beliefnet.com, which is featured weekly on The Huffington Post and was voted by PsychCentral.com as one of the top 10 depression blogs, and she moderates the popular depression support group, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet’s social networking site. Therese is the editor of The Imperfect Mom: Candid Confessions of Mothers Living in the Real World, featured in Real Simple, Parenting, More, Working Mother, Psychology Today, Fit Pregnancy, the Chicago Tribune, and on Salon.com, and of I Love Being a Mom: Treasured Stories, Memories, and Milestones, a Target selection, and featured in Redbook, Parenting, BabyTalk, the Chicago Tribune, and the Detroit Free Press. With Michael Leach, she is co-editor of A Celebration of a Married Life and the national bestseller I Like Being Catholic. Her newest book, The Pocket Therapist, will be published by Hachette Book Group in April of 2010.
Therese has published articles in the Washington Post, Ladies’ Home Journal, Parenting, Guideposts, Publishers Weekly, the Baltimore Sun, and on PsychCentral.com, The Huffington Post, and Yahoo! She is becoming a go-to expert in the field of pop-psychology, recently quoted in The Wall Street Journal, O, and on CNN.com and Time.com. Her nationally syndicated column, “Our Turn,” is distributed biweekly by Catholic News Service. She appears monthly on Sirius Satellite Radio, is featured regularly on radio programs throughout the country, and has been a repeated guest on national television programs, such as "Fox and Friends" (Fox News Channel) and "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher" (ABC). She lives with her husband, Eric, and their two “spirited” children in Annapolis, Maryland.
Daily Blog: Beyond Blue on Beliefnet.com
Follow @ThereseBorchard on Twitter
Therese has published articles in the Washington Post, Ladies’ Home Journal, Parenting, Guideposts, Publishers Weekly, the Baltimore Sun, and on PsychCentral.com, The Huffington Post, and Yahoo! She is becoming a go-to expert in the field of pop-psychology, recently quoted in The Wall Street Journal, O, and on CNN.com and Time.com. Her nationally syndicated column, “Our Turn,” is distributed biweekly by Catholic News Service. She appears monthly on Sirius Satellite Radio, is featured regularly on radio programs throughout the country, and has been a repeated guest on national television programs, such as "Fox and Friends" (Fox News Channel) and "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher" (ABC). She lives with her husband, Eric, and their two “spirited” children in Annapolis, Maryland.
Daily Blog: Beyond Blue on Beliefnet.com
Follow @ThereseBorchard on Twitter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
January 20, 2010
This isn't something I talk about a lot. Not that I'm ashamed of it or anything but I like to concentrate on the positive and that's hard to do if all you're talking about is how you suffer from Major Depressive Disorder. Anyway, for the longest time I struggled with my feelings. I had no idea how I felt and therefore couldn't process my emotions. It took a break-down to make me realize that something was seriously wrong with me.
Books like BEYOND BLUE give me hope. Depression isn't something that you can just get over, it's something that you either learn how to manage or it manages you. Even after years of treatment, research and trying to figure myself out, I'm still learning something everyday. Reading about topics that hit close to home help to reassure me that I'm not the only one which is exactly what depression tells you. Learning from others' experiences is therapy in itself and I'm so glad that Therese cared enough to share her story with the world.
August 29, 2012
Some things about this book annoyed the shit out of me. The style of writing. All the God stuff. Didn't resonate with me. But what did was the author's story. She puts into words pretty effectively the struggle against depression, or in her case, bipolar ii. When she tried to be self-effacing, it annoyed me. But I find the subject matter very compelling and her encouragement to others to go get help - lots of help - for their mental illness is why I give this four stars. She's fighting a good freakin' fight. I might not relate to all the ways in which she does it, but I respect that she's doing it publicly, loudly, and without shame.
March 8, 2010
I started off thinking this was the most self-absorbed erratic account of mental illness I had even encountered, but by the middle I recognized that the author was instead just honestly recounting her experiences as a bi-polar young adult--and I suppose with that came a bit of ego and narcissim. As she faces her problems head on and matures, so does her writing. Her understanding of (and guidance for others about) what it takes to maintain a balanced life is spot on.
April 12, 2011
My goodness it took me so long to finish, but it was a tough one to digest. So many emotions pouring.. the sincerity of them were rather shocking but also refreshing. Therese is a heck of a woman! way to go!
September 10, 2016
Borchard's candidness about her illness is inspiring, well-told, and necessary if stigma against mental illness is going to be addressed in any way. I valued her point of view on alternative therapies and her acknowledgement of them as potentially dangerous - this is something that needs to be said more, I think. She balances it with the awareness that traditional medical doctors are not perfect, either.
However, I think this book is better for those without mental illness who are trying to understand it, those coming to terms with a label of depression, bipolar disorder, or OCD, and those whose mental illnesses are treatment respondent.
Borchard draws a very important conclusion about the mentality of self-help cultures like AA and many mainstream media gurus - they focus on the responsibility of the individual to overcome their issues. Mental illness, when framed as a biological issue with distinct physiological causes, does not respond to this same placement of responsibility. In fact, placing the onus on the individual to heal themselves and think positively may be actively harmful. This needs to be said and I wish more people would hear it.
However, her own advice on dealing with depression sounds suspiciously similar to the positive thinking guidelines she eventually veers away from. Usually those with multiple diagnoses find recovery more difficult to define and achieve - Borchard falls into the trap of the self-help books she derides by not acknowledging that she is an outlier in the respect that she appears to have successfully managed multiple mental illnesses (in that she portrays herself as currently in a stable state in regards to her mental health). For someone with treatment-resistant mental illness that displayed severe symptoms at a younger age than Borchard, her advice feels as alienating and shaming as an AA counselor telling her to accept her mistakes and addictions as her fault and her responsibility rather than having uncontrollable physiological aspects.
Borchard is realistic... to a point. I think her book elucidates on the experiences of the mentally ill, but that of a 'recoverable' mental illness and I would not recommend it as a guide to those who have treatment-resistant mental illness. Her day to day advice advises one to do exactly the things that chronic, medication resistant depression makes it impossible to do. They may be ultimately helpful activities, but merely listing the things you /should/ be doing to get better and saying it was shitty when /she/ had to go ahead and do them doesn't actually tell me how to do them or examine why it's so hard for me to do them, it just tells me that I'm not doing enough even though she was able to.
However, I think this book is better for those without mental illness who are trying to understand it, those coming to terms with a label of depression, bipolar disorder, or OCD, and those whose mental illnesses are treatment respondent.
Borchard draws a very important conclusion about the mentality of self-help cultures like AA and many mainstream media gurus - they focus on the responsibility of the individual to overcome their issues. Mental illness, when framed as a biological issue with distinct physiological causes, does not respond to this same placement of responsibility. In fact, placing the onus on the individual to heal themselves and think positively may be actively harmful. This needs to be said and I wish more people would hear it.
However, her own advice on dealing with depression sounds suspiciously similar to the positive thinking guidelines she eventually veers away from. Usually those with multiple diagnoses find recovery more difficult to define and achieve - Borchard falls into the trap of the self-help books she derides by not acknowledging that she is an outlier in the respect that she appears to have successfully managed multiple mental illnesses (in that she portrays herself as currently in a stable state in regards to her mental health). For someone with treatment-resistant mental illness that displayed severe symptoms at a younger age than Borchard, her advice feels as alienating and shaming as an AA counselor telling her to accept her mistakes and addictions as her fault and her responsibility rather than having uncontrollable physiological aspects.
Borchard is realistic... to a point. I think her book elucidates on the experiences of the mentally ill, but that of a 'recoverable' mental illness and I would not recommend it as a guide to those who have treatment-resistant mental illness. Her day to day advice advises one to do exactly the things that chronic, medication resistant depression makes it impossible to do. They may be ultimately helpful activities, but merely listing the things you /should/ be doing to get better and saying it was shitty when /she/ had to go ahead and do them doesn't actually tell me how to do them or examine why it's so hard for me to do them, it just tells me that I'm not doing enough even though she was able to.
April 13, 2015
A fairly light-hearted tale of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and getting over them. If I'm going to read about someone's battle with depression, it needs to be well-peppered with humor otherwise I'm not going to make it through. I thought Ms. Borchard did a good job and her writing style was very appealing to me. I can see why she's a successful blogger. She writes as if you're just two friends chatting over cups of coffee, which to me, is the mark of a good blogger.
I liked the structure of the book, and while some of her methods won't work for everyone, (how can someone who is so depressed still manage to run 6 miles a day?! That makes no sense to me.) I did learn a lot from her. She held nothing back when telling her own story from start to finish and blended in a lot of research and science. I made a decent list of articles and books to check out.
I would also recommend this book to those who have family members struggling with depression. Ms. Borchard emphasizes many times that depression is a) not about being weak, b) not being able to handle the tough aspects of life, c) not always due to lack of sleep, eating the wrong things, not getting enough exercise, or not mediating/praying enough, d) not whatever history and culture have taught you to believe about mental illness, and e) not the fault of the person suffering. Depression is no different than diabetes or hypertension or some other chronic disease and shouldn't be treated or thought of in any other way. Because the author's depression was the kind that has to managed with medication, I feel like she is truly able to get this point across. She did everything possible to avoid taking drugs and still ended up in a psych ward.
For anyone who is battling or has battled with depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder, or knows someone who is struggling with mental illness, I recommend this book.
I liked the structure of the book, and while some of her methods won't work for everyone, (how can someone who is so depressed still manage to run 6 miles a day?! That makes no sense to me.) I did learn a lot from her. She held nothing back when telling her own story from start to finish and blended in a lot of research and science. I made a decent list of articles and books to check out.
I would also recommend this book to those who have family members struggling with depression. Ms. Borchard emphasizes many times that depression is a) not about being weak, b) not being able to handle the tough aspects of life, c) not always due to lack of sleep, eating the wrong things, not getting enough exercise, or not mediating/praying enough, d) not whatever history and culture have taught you to believe about mental illness, and e) not the fault of the person suffering. Depression is no different than diabetes or hypertension or some other chronic disease and shouldn't be treated or thought of in any other way. Because the author's depression was the kind that has to managed with medication, I feel like she is truly able to get this point across. She did everything possible to avoid taking drugs and still ended up in a psych ward.
For anyone who is battling or has battled with depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder, or knows someone who is struggling with mental illness, I recommend this book.
March 13, 2010
The book begins with an account of the author melting down emotionally at her son's karate class:
---
Two moms shot me the "you have no control over your kid--you're an upcoming episode of SUPERNANNY" look... I was only 3 items into my gratitude list when I caught sight of a mom plugging away at her laptop computer. Her son was seated at the kid's table readin his copy of "I'm So Well Behaved Because My Mommy's Not a Whackjob."
---
From there, she takes on a stunningly honest & uproariously funny trip through her struggles with OCD, bipolar, panic attacks, alcoholism & eating disorders. On the way, she manages to give lots of wise advice about the process of living with mental illness as well as struggling with the connection of faith & fighting for your sanity.
This is NOT a "Christian store book", however - the language is either raw or honest, depending on your point of view. The author is Catholic, which will be off-putting for some. However, if you or someone you know is dealing with these issues, I can not recommend the book highly enough. It's given me a better view of the "inside" of these kind of struggles than anything else I've read.
BTW, Therese Borchard writes a regular column for Beliefnet called "Beyond Blue," which is the genesis for this book. I'll give her credit, however - this doesn't read like a typical "blog book" - it holds together much better!
---
Two moms shot me the "you have no control over your kid--you're an upcoming episode of SUPERNANNY" look... I was only 3 items into my gratitude list when I caught sight of a mom plugging away at her laptop computer. Her son was seated at the kid's table readin his copy of "I'm So Well Behaved Because My Mommy's Not a Whackjob."
---
From there, she takes on a stunningly honest & uproariously funny trip through her struggles with OCD, bipolar, panic attacks, alcoholism & eating disorders. On the way, she manages to give lots of wise advice about the process of living with mental illness as well as struggling with the connection of faith & fighting for your sanity.
This is NOT a "Christian store book", however - the language is either raw or honest, depending on your point of view. The author is Catholic, which will be off-putting for some. However, if you or someone you know is dealing with these issues, I can not recommend the book highly enough. It's given me a better view of the "inside" of these kind of struggles than anything else I've read.
BTW, Therese Borchard writes a regular column for Beliefnet called "Beyond Blue," which is the genesis for this book. I'll give her credit, however - this doesn't read like a typical "blog book" - it holds together much better!
January 21, 2015
A literal life-saver
Beyond Blue is part memoir, and part guide to living with a mental illness. I was drawn to Borchard's writing through an e newsletter, and quickly joined Group Beyond Blue on Facebook. Naturally I had to get this book, and it's a worthwhile addition to my sanity toolkit.
While our illnesses may be different--currently I'm battling anxiety, but have dealt with depression in the past--her story helps me feel I'm not alone. In addition, every chapter contains a sanity break--tips and tricks you can do to help your healing process.
If you suffer from a mental illness, or care for someone who does, this book is a must read and a literal life line.
Beyond Blue is part memoir, and part guide to living with a mental illness. I was drawn to Borchard's writing through an e newsletter, and quickly joined Group Beyond Blue on Facebook. Naturally I had to get this book, and it's a worthwhile addition to my sanity toolkit.
While our illnesses may be different--currently I'm battling anxiety, but have dealt with depression in the past--her story helps me feel I'm not alone. In addition, every chapter contains a sanity break--tips and tricks you can do to help your healing process.
If you suffer from a mental illness, or care for someone who does, this book is a must read and a literal life line.
August 24, 2024
I’ve followed Therese’s online writing since 2016. It helped me through the worst of my mental illnesses by making me feel less alone. I also connected well with the spirituality she interwove into her writing also. She truly is a pioneer in the online mental health community and has played her role in decreasing the stigma around mental illness.
I enjoyed reading this book of hers and learning more about her. I like how she combines story with practical information and advice.
I didn’t care for the humor she included or the use of the term “depressives” in categorizing those with clinical depression.
A worthwhile read for anyone whose life is touched by mental illness. Although she has decreased her online writing presence, she still has a website up called The Second Pilgrimmage. There are lots of her writings there to explore and find encouragement in.
I enjoyed reading this book of hers and learning more about her. I like how she combines story with practical information and advice.
I didn’t care for the humor she included or the use of the term “depressives” in categorizing those with clinical depression.
A worthwhile read for anyone whose life is touched by mental illness. Although she has decreased her online writing presence, she still has a website up called The Second Pilgrimmage. There are lots of her writings there to explore and find encouragement in.
July 31, 2018
Very personal look into the difficulties and stresses facing an individual living with mental illness. Well written, with a sense of humor. Very informative.
May 12, 2019
Some interesting thoughts. Not great though and not my style.
June 1, 2013
"Perfectionism is a refusal to let yourself move ahead . . . Instead of creating freely and allowing errors to reveal themselves as insights, we often get mired in getting the details right. We correct our originality into a uniformity that lacks passion and spontaneity" (p. 25, quoting Julia Cameron in The Artist's Way).
. . . a very important message that all depressives should be reminded of when stuck in the Black Hole: that the person underneath the illness never goes away; she only waits for proper treatment in order to surface again" (87).
"The pain of severe depression is quite unimaginable to those who have not suffered it. To the tragic legion who are compelled to destroy themselves there should be no more reproof attached than to the victims of terminal cancer" (p. 109, quoting William Styron in Darkness Visible).
"The scholars who admired Levi wondered how he could have endured years of torture by the Nazis yet break under depression" (109).
"One research study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison . . . used high-definition brain imaging to reveal a breakdown in the emotional processing that impairs the depressive's ability to suppress negative emotions. In fact, the more effort that depressives put into reframing thoughts--the harder they tried to think positive--the more activation there was in the amygdala, regarded by neurobiologists as a persons 'fear center'" (120).
"I will give you a list of books you should read if you want to study depression. Until you feel stronger, I suggest you stay away from the type of self-help literature you have brought in, because those texts can do further damage if read in a very depressed state" (121).
"I remembered one morning when I discovered a cocoon in the bark of a tree, just as a butterfly was making a hole in its case and preparing to come out. I waited a while, but it was too long appearing and I was impatient. I bent over it and breathed on it to warm it. I warmed it as quickly as I could and the miracle began to happen before my eyes, faster than life. The case opened, the butterfly started slowly crawling out and I shall never forget my horror when I saw how its wings were folded back and crumpled; the wretched butterfly tried with its whole trembling body to unfold them . . . My breath had forced the butterfly to appear, all crumpled, before its time. It struggled desperately and, a few seconds later, died in the palm of my hand. . . . We should not hurry, we should not be impatient, but we should confidently obey the eternal rhythm" (p. 128 quoting Nikos Kazantzakis in Zorba the Greek).
"When two people relate to each other authentically and humanly, God is the electricity that surges between them" (p. 158 quoting Martin Buber).
"Step Nine: Keep a Mood/Sleep and Gratitude Journal: Aside from maybe the Bible, my mood/sleep journal . . . is the most important book in our house. Every morning I record the number of hours I slept that night and a number to rate my mood: one being practically normal, a stabilized person who doesn't have to record every hiccup and sneeze in her day, and five being close to hospitalization--hysteria, shaking, behaving similarly to the guy at the psych ward who drank the gallon of Tide" (160-161).
"Appreciation is the first and most fundamental happiness tool. . . . Research now shows that it is physiologically impossible to be in a state of appreciation and a state of fear at the same time. Thus appreciation is the antidote to fear" (p. 162 quoting Dan Baker in What Happy People Know).
"I don't think God cares how you pray. Because, as St. Augustine wrote: 'True, whole prayer is nothing but love'" (165).
Step One: Find the Right Doctor
Step Two: Find the Right Cocktail [Medicine]
Step Three: Exercise!
Step Four: Eat Well
Step Five: Sleep!
Step Six: Light Up (Soak up sunlight.)
Step Seven: Reach Out!
Step Eight: Get Involved
Step Nine: Keep a Mood/Sleep and Gratitude Journal
Step Ten: Therapy and Lots of It
Step Eleven: Pray and Meditate
Step Twelve: Fake it 'Til You Make It
. . . a very important message that all depressives should be reminded of when stuck in the Black Hole: that the person underneath the illness never goes away; she only waits for proper treatment in order to surface again" (87).
"The pain of severe depression is quite unimaginable to those who have not suffered it. To the tragic legion who are compelled to destroy themselves there should be no more reproof attached than to the victims of terminal cancer" (p. 109, quoting William Styron in Darkness Visible).
"The scholars who admired Levi wondered how he could have endured years of torture by the Nazis yet break under depression" (109).
"One research study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison . . . used high-definition brain imaging to reveal a breakdown in the emotional processing that impairs the depressive's ability to suppress negative emotions. In fact, the more effort that depressives put into reframing thoughts--the harder they tried to think positive--the more activation there was in the amygdala, regarded by neurobiologists as a persons 'fear center'" (120).
"I will give you a list of books you should read if you want to study depression. Until you feel stronger, I suggest you stay away from the type of self-help literature you have brought in, because those texts can do further damage if read in a very depressed state" (121).
"I remembered one morning when I discovered a cocoon in the bark of a tree, just as a butterfly was making a hole in its case and preparing to come out. I waited a while, but it was too long appearing and I was impatient. I bent over it and breathed on it to warm it. I warmed it as quickly as I could and the miracle began to happen before my eyes, faster than life. The case opened, the butterfly started slowly crawling out and I shall never forget my horror when I saw how its wings were folded back and crumpled; the wretched butterfly tried with its whole trembling body to unfold them . . . My breath had forced the butterfly to appear, all crumpled, before its time. It struggled desperately and, a few seconds later, died in the palm of my hand. . . . We should not hurry, we should not be impatient, but we should confidently obey the eternal rhythm" (p. 128 quoting Nikos Kazantzakis in Zorba the Greek).
"When two people relate to each other authentically and humanly, God is the electricity that surges between them" (p. 158 quoting Martin Buber).
"Step Nine: Keep a Mood/Sleep and Gratitude Journal: Aside from maybe the Bible, my mood/sleep journal . . . is the most important book in our house. Every morning I record the number of hours I slept that night and a number to rate my mood: one being practically normal, a stabilized person who doesn't have to record every hiccup and sneeze in her day, and five being close to hospitalization--hysteria, shaking, behaving similarly to the guy at the psych ward who drank the gallon of Tide" (160-161).
"Appreciation is the first and most fundamental happiness tool. . . . Research now shows that it is physiologically impossible to be in a state of appreciation and a state of fear at the same time. Thus appreciation is the antidote to fear" (p. 162 quoting Dan Baker in What Happy People Know).
"I don't think God cares how you pray. Because, as St. Augustine wrote: 'True, whole prayer is nothing but love'" (165).
Step One: Find the Right Doctor
Step Two: Find the Right Cocktail [Medicine]
Step Three: Exercise!
Step Four: Eat Well
Step Five: Sleep!
Step Six: Light Up (Soak up sunlight.)
Step Seven: Reach Out!
Step Eight: Get Involved
Step Nine: Keep a Mood/Sleep and Gratitude Journal
Step Ten: Therapy and Lots of It
Step Eleven: Pray and Meditate
Step Twelve: Fake it 'Til You Make It
July 31, 2016
One the one hand, I feel bad about giving this only two stars because the author has obviously suffered with bipolar depression and feels strongly about educating the public about the disease.
However --
The title clearly states "surviving depression and anxiety" and NOT "surviving one of the worst cases of bipolar depression in America." There's a HUGE difference.
I do not suffer from bipolar depression. I merely suffer from unipolar depression and anxiety. That was why I wanted to read the book in the first place -- because the title stated "Surviving Depression & Anxiety". Silly me.
And what IS it with bloggers getting so much reaction to their blogs that they get a fucking BOOK DEAL out of it? I can understand why The Daily Coyote or The Blog Goddess got book deals because their work is incredible and their stories amazing but Beyond Blue? Not so much. I don't get why it's so popular. I've been blogging since 2006. Any publisher knocking on my door with a book deal?
Borchard tries hard at times to be like Augusten Burroughs or Jenny Lawson and fails miserably. She's just not very funny. She's better playing it straight.
I also find it really hard to emphasize with her (possibly because I do not have biplolar depression.) She's a strong Catholic and personally I think the worst thing anyone who is mentally ill can do is fall for the scam of Organized Religion. She also loves to exercise. Which I guess proves she's mentally ill right there.
There also is not much here in the way of instructions or suggestions for what to do if you DO happen to have any flavor of bipolarity. Mostly this is a memoir. It really should have been packaged that way. Otherwise, you get Goodreads reviews like this.
However --
The title clearly states "surviving depression and anxiety" and NOT "surviving one of the worst cases of bipolar depression in America." There's a HUGE difference.
I do not suffer from bipolar depression. I merely suffer from unipolar depression and anxiety. That was why I wanted to read the book in the first place -- because the title stated "Surviving Depression & Anxiety". Silly me.
And what IS it with bloggers getting so much reaction to their blogs that they get a fucking BOOK DEAL out of it? I can understand why The Daily Coyote or The Blog Goddess got book deals because their work is incredible and their stories amazing but Beyond Blue? Not so much. I don't get why it's so popular. I've been blogging since 2006. Any publisher knocking on my door with a book deal?
Borchard tries hard at times to be like Augusten Burroughs or Jenny Lawson and fails miserably. She's just not very funny. She's better playing it straight.
I also find it really hard to emphasize with her (possibly because I do not have biplolar depression.) She's a strong Catholic and personally I think the worst thing anyone who is mentally ill can do is fall for the scam of Organized Religion. She also loves to exercise. Which I guess proves she's mentally ill right there.
There also is not much here in the way of instructions or suggestions for what to do if you DO happen to have any flavor of bipolarity. Mostly this is a memoir. It really should have been packaged that way. Otherwise, you get Goodreads reviews like this.
October 17, 2013
It's clear the author has read a lot of self-help books, and she often relies on quoting from them instead of sharing her own insights or anecdotes. As someone who personally battles depression and anxiety, I've felt how it can shape/focus from day to day -- but in the content of this book, depression and anxiety change shape DRAMATICALLY and unrelatably -- from substance abuse to bi-polar disorder to motherhood to father issues to abandonment to dependency to addiction to people/exercise/coffee/self-help books themselves, from medication to meditation....This book is just all over the place, particularly in the second half.
I believed the author's original mission to connect with the reader via her anecdotes, which she works on in the first half, is more effective than her second half which is mostly laundry lists of "here's how you get better and what felt like disembodied blog posts, often repetitive, from what i've gleaned from about 3958205825 occasionally contradictory sources"
There's also a really inappropriate Greg Louganis reference. And the xenophobia mentioned below. And a lot of Christianity peppered throughout. And a lot of belief in coincidence and saviors and meant-to-be'ness which, at a certain point, just made the author unreliable to me as a reader. The opposite of her intended effect.
- - -
Earlier review:
I'm about 1/2-way in, and the memoir is mostly endearing, a truthful telling of someone battling real emotional problems that far exceed the severity of anything I've ever felt, but -- and I think this is an editor's responsibility more than anyone else's -- there is a TON of xenophobic stuff. her acupuncturist is referred to as "the little Chinese man", one of her potential suicide scenarios involves showing up in Afghanistan in a bikini, it's disappointing to see so much hate in a book that's intended to connect to it's readers and provide them with hope.
I believed the author's original mission to connect with the reader via her anecdotes, which she works on in the first half, is more effective than her second half which is mostly laundry lists of "here's how you get better and what felt like disembodied blog posts, often repetitive, from what i've gleaned from about 3958205825 occasionally contradictory sources"
There's also a really inappropriate Greg Louganis reference. And the xenophobia mentioned below. And a lot of Christianity peppered throughout. And a lot of belief in coincidence and saviors and meant-to-be'ness which, at a certain point, just made the author unreliable to me as a reader. The opposite of her intended effect.
- - -
Earlier review:
I'm about 1/2-way in, and the memoir is mostly endearing, a truthful telling of someone battling real emotional problems that far exceed the severity of anything I've ever felt, but -- and I think this is an editor's responsibility more than anyone else's -- there is a TON of xenophobic stuff. her acupuncturist is referred to as "the little Chinese man", one of her potential suicide scenarios involves showing up in Afghanistan in a bikini, it's disappointing to see so much hate in a book that's intended to connect to it's readers and provide them with hope.
January 4, 2010
Therese Borchard writes a blog about her struggle with bipolar disorder that appears on Huffiington Post. The book is her personal story, what she has gone through, including being so suicidal that she was hospitalized. After years of unhelpful (to say the least) psychiatrists and other practitioners, unenlightened advice from friends, and through determination and tenacity she has found some things what has made her life as a writer, mother and wife possible. She includes a list (her "twelve-step program") what has helped her, and what has been proved to be helpful to some sufferers. She includes some great quotes from people like Peter Kramer "depression is an illness, not an attitude" and Kate Redfield Jamison. She also writes about being highly sensitive, which can lead to over-arousal and the need to set boundaries.
She writes with humor and compassion and knowledge. I found very moving her epilogue "I, Too Have a Dream" in which she lists her hopes that one day there won't be the stigma of mental illness, that genetic, neurological and biochemical research will lead to better treatments (and affordable!!), that the public will be better educated, and thus less judgmental, about depression and bipolar disorder.
I would recommend this book to an someone suffering with depression and their friends and family, especially those who might be judgmental, in denial, or put off by more impersonal, dogmatic, or overwhelming self-help books.
She writes with humor and compassion and knowledge. I found very moving her epilogue "I, Too Have a Dream" in which she lists her hopes that one day there won't be the stigma of mental illness, that genetic, neurological and biochemical research will lead to better treatments (and affordable!!), that the public will be better educated, and thus less judgmental, about depression and bipolar disorder.
I would recommend this book to an someone suffering with depression and their friends and family, especially those who might be judgmental, in denial, or put off by more impersonal, dogmatic, or overwhelming self-help books.
January 19, 2015
I only made it through 75% of the book then stopped.
For the first half, I couldn't figure out if the author was on an emotional roller coaster or if I was while reading. She refers to having Bipolar disorder herself, which is not the same as Depression and Anxiety (even combined). Bipolar includes episodes of mania (not anxiety). Bipolar disorders are very hard to treat where depression and anxiety are not as hard. So this was a disappointment to me since I couldn't figure out if this was really about bipolar symptoms or just her depression side of bipolar. I can relate to the depression situations and medicines that doctors try to test out like you are a guinea pig - BUT I do not agree that everyone can live without medication. There are some people that need it and some that don't have severe episodes where they can control the "illness" on their own. It is only my opinion that if you know how to control the disorder without medication, then you don't really have the disorder. There is a chemical imbalance that comes with having depression, and if it were easy to control without medication, I wouldn't still have an episode from time to time even on meds -- they just aren't as severe.
As far as the 2nd half of the book...because I didn't actually finish the book, the only comment I have so far is that it started to sound like every other psych or self help advice I've read. I've read a lot so that's not necessarily the fault of the author in this case.
For the first half, I couldn't figure out if the author was on an emotional roller coaster or if I was while reading. She refers to having Bipolar disorder herself, which is not the same as Depression and Anxiety (even combined). Bipolar includes episodes of mania (not anxiety). Bipolar disorders are very hard to treat where depression and anxiety are not as hard. So this was a disappointment to me since I couldn't figure out if this was really about bipolar symptoms or just her depression side of bipolar. I can relate to the depression situations and medicines that doctors try to test out like you are a guinea pig - BUT I do not agree that everyone can live without medication. There are some people that need it and some that don't have severe episodes where they can control the "illness" on their own. It is only my opinion that if you know how to control the disorder without medication, then you don't really have the disorder. There is a chemical imbalance that comes with having depression, and if it were easy to control without medication, I wouldn't still have an episode from time to time even on meds -- they just aren't as severe.
As far as the 2nd half of the book...because I didn't actually finish the book, the only comment I have so far is that it started to sound like every other psych or self help advice I've read. I've read a lot so that's not necessarily the fault of the author in this case.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2014
I chose to read Beyond Blue because of the author's life long battle with depression and anxiety.
The first half of this book is candid and raw emotional memoir. I appreciated her inside view of situations and her reaction to her own emotions.
The second half of the book is more self-help. I gleaned some understanding of myself when reading through this second half. The author lists suggestions like 1) find the right doctor 2)take the right vitamins 3)Exercise 4)eat well 5)get enough sleep 6)get enough sun light ***in which she talk about people being like plants in the aspect of some of us requiring longer exposure to intense sunlight while others thrive on very little 7)reach out and talk to people about your struggle 8)get involved in helping others 9) keep a gratitude journal 10)seek therapy 11) pray 12) fake it 'til you make it
These are steps that I had already been mostly incorporating into my life since my health has took a turn and both anxiety and depression arrived in my life uninvited.
After reading this book I can see how I need to return to my vitamin regime (I get lazy) and when I am not getting adequate sun light I am going to slip to the suntanning bed. While this might not be the 'healthiest' choice to some, to me it can make or break how I am feeling.
The first half of this book is candid and raw emotional memoir. I appreciated her inside view of situations and her reaction to her own emotions.
The second half of the book is more self-help. I gleaned some understanding of myself when reading through this second half. The author lists suggestions like 1) find the right doctor 2)take the right vitamins 3)Exercise 4)eat well 5)get enough sleep 6)get enough sun light ***in which she talk about people being like plants in the aspect of some of us requiring longer exposure to intense sunlight while others thrive on very little 7)reach out and talk to people about your struggle 8)get involved in helping others 9) keep a gratitude journal 10)seek therapy 11) pray 12) fake it 'til you make it
These are steps that I had already been mostly incorporating into my life since my health has took a turn and both anxiety and depression arrived in my life uninvited.
After reading this book I can see how I need to return to my vitamin regime (I get lazy) and when I am not getting adequate sun light I am going to slip to the suntanning bed. While this might not be the 'healthiest' choice to some, to me it can make or break how I am feeling.
June 1, 2013
As the DSM-V was being drafted, there was very early talk of merging depression, anxiety disorders, and aspergers under one banner due to so many similarities of symptoms. As we know, that didn't happen, but reading this book sure resonated with me.
The author is brilliantly casual about her experiences with a series of mental disorders, mixed in with her approaches and best practices learned through her healing.
The first half of the book was more engaging than the second, mostly because it was all about her and her story while the second half was about treatment. But still a great reference book written by a human being in a very open, honest, human voice.
Also (and I mention this only because some people get squimsh when an author rolls their faith into their personal story), while the author talks quite a bit about her devotion to Catholism, it is a personal reflection and in no way about being Catholic or that anyone needs to convert. In fact, hearing how she needed the anchoring in her faith to help her through difficult times can easily be a story of anyone in any faith leaning on their deities.
Anyone going through depression or anxiety will find this book useful. Adults newly DX'd with an ASD may also find her writing comforting.
The author is brilliantly casual about her experiences with a series of mental disorders, mixed in with her approaches and best practices learned through her healing.
The first half of the book was more engaging than the second, mostly because it was all about her and her story while the second half was about treatment. But still a great reference book written by a human being in a very open, honest, human voice.
Also (and I mention this only because some people get squimsh when an author rolls their faith into their personal story), while the author talks quite a bit about her devotion to Catholism, it is a personal reflection and in no way about being Catholic or that anyone needs to convert. In fact, hearing how she needed the anchoring in her faith to help her through difficult times can easily be a story of anyone in any faith leaning on their deities.
Anyone going through depression or anxiety will find this book useful. Adults newly DX'd with an ASD may also find her writing comforting.
February 13, 2010
The two main takeaways of "Beyond Blue" are hope and humor.
First the hope: This book was both more hopeful and less hopeful than I thought it would be. More hopeful because Therese Borchard has overcome incredible obstacles in her life and continues - CONTINUES - to do so. Less hopeful because she has gone through so much and been through so many therapists and drug combinations and hospitalizations that it is a bit overwhelming. For readers, this is definitely a hopeful book because, hopefully (please forgive me, it's the best word here!), they have been through less difficulty on their journey to deal with depression, anxiety, compulsions, etc.
Next, the humor: Therese Borchard is hilarious. I wish I could write with half as much humor as she pens on these pages about much more humorous topics. She addresses personal, painful topics with verve and a good deal of panache that I had not expected in a memoir on these topics.
I am amazed at the courage and strength revealed in this book. I highly recommend it! I am so glad I won it on goodreads. Otherwise I might have overlooked it and missed out.
First the hope: This book was both more hopeful and less hopeful than I thought it would be. More hopeful because Therese Borchard has overcome incredible obstacles in her life and continues - CONTINUES - to do so. Less hopeful because she has gone through so much and been through so many therapists and drug combinations and hospitalizations that it is a bit overwhelming. For readers, this is definitely a hopeful book because, hopefully (please forgive me, it's the best word here!), they have been through less difficulty on their journey to deal with depression, anxiety, compulsions, etc.
Next, the humor: Therese Borchard is hilarious. I wish I could write with half as much humor as she pens on these pages about much more humorous topics. She addresses personal, painful topics with verve and a good deal of panache that I had not expected in a memoir on these topics.
I am amazed at the courage and strength revealed in this book. I highly recommend it! I am so glad I won it on goodreads. Otherwise I might have overlooked it and missed out.
December 30, 2014
It's not easy to describe this book. It has, unsurprisingly, the structure of a blog-turned-book; meaty little chunks of text strung together with a strong theme. I have been called Queen of the Analogies, so... if Carrie Fisher could write at a PG level, and if she talked about faith instead of celebrity, you might get something like this awesome little book. (I'd kind of like to hear Fisher and Borchard chat.... maybe we'll all three get locked up together someday? Naw, I couldn't be so lucky.)
And if you thought that last parenthetical aside was tacky, but not unspeakable, you too may enjoy this book.
Part memoir, part neurobiology primer, part self-help book, part laughter therapy, this THE BEST book on living with mental illness I've read that I can recall. It's certainly the only one I have read that treats faith neither as The Cause of All Ills nor as The Answer to Every Ill. If you aren't struggling with depression, read this book to shlep a few yards in our ratty bedroom slippers.
And if you thought that last parenthetical aside was tacky, but not unspeakable, you too may enjoy this book.
Part memoir, part neurobiology primer, part self-help book, part laughter therapy, this THE BEST book on living with mental illness I've read that I can recall. It's certainly the only one I have read that treats faith neither as The Cause of All Ills nor as The Answer to Every Ill. If you aren't struggling with depression, read this book to shlep a few yards in our ratty bedroom slippers.
October 26, 2014
For the most part I really enjoyed this book. I liked the author's narratives, she did a good job of describing possible childhood and adolescent triggers into her condition, and I was absolutely fascinated to read about her life pre-bipolar diagnosis. The only part I didn't like (and this is no fault of the author's at all) is that her descriptions of her panic attacks and anxiety were a bit triggering for me, especially as someone who has a mood disorder. However, I can see the value in her excellent descriptions, especially for someone who is learning what it is like to live with such an illness. I loved her explanation of the black bile of depression, but I felt really bad for her at times, seeing the number of meds she was on, and had to try, to find a good combination. I am so glad she and her husband decided to go to the hospital together, it prevented her suicide, and enabled readers like me to benefit from her journey. Five stars.
June 9, 2013
While I found this book informative and well written it wasn't what I fully expected it to be. I went in hoping it would be more of a guide outlining some helpful ways to manage or overcome depression. It did contain some useful tidbits but often it just scratched the surface. Perhaps if I was not looking for more i wouldn't have been left feeling a little empty while reading and my rating would have been higher. If you are looking for more of a "self help" book on depression I'm sure there are better options. If you are looking for a read that can provide a few helpful tips but more so be a companion to help you realize you are not alone and others indeed have/are going thru what you are then this will be helpful. More of an encouragement that you can overcome or better manage your depression then a book to help provide details in how to do so.
August 28, 2014
This book was both very entertaining (funny!) and very informative. The author makes it fun to read about depression, of all things.
I picked up this book to try to understand more about depression, because that state is so alien to my own super-optimistic, hyper-happy nature. I think I understand now that some people's brains aren't awash in endless self praise... Exactly the opposite, in fact. It is enlightening to read about what some people suffer from and through.
I did pick this book up before Robin Williams's recent suicide (we are living in a world without Robin Williams. :-( ), but it turned out to be a timely read.
Before you judge others, try out their situations... Or at least read about what the experience.
I picked up this book to try to understand more about depression, because that state is so alien to my own super-optimistic, hyper-happy nature. I think I understand now that some people's brains aren't awash in endless self praise... Exactly the opposite, in fact. It is enlightening to read about what some people suffer from and through.
I did pick this book up before Robin Williams's recent suicide (we are living in a world without Robin Williams. :-( ), but it turned out to be a timely read.
Before you judge others, try out their situations... Or at least read about what the experience.
January 13, 2010
I found this an interesting read, a view from the other side of the usual stigma surrounding bipolar, and other mental, disorders. While it was informative, i also found it somewhat repetitive, and while the author emphasizes the research she's done on her disease to become more informed, sometimes her quoting of others throughout the book detracts from her own story. Nevertheless, i'd definitely recommend this book to anyone suffering from longstanding depression as she details 12 step methods and other practices that she learned to help combat her depression.
March 11, 2010
This book was very personal and appealing to me, as I am a suffering of myself long term of depression, as well as my mother unfortunately. This was actually quite a nice read, due to both the medical facts and the others personal battles, making me and I am sure others feel as if they are not necessarily alone in there battles. My mother is now borrowing this from me. Of course she has suffered issues for well over 40 years, so it will be quite interesting to see her opinions on this as well.
June 9, 2010
St. Therese of Liseaux meets St.Therese of Annapolis. I loved and related to every word in this memoir and think everyone should read it today. I hope I will be able to meet the author in person one day soon to tell her so myself. Finally, an intellectual and spiritual look at the illness that is depression by someone who has suffered and come out stronger on the other side. Thank you, Therese. Thank you.
January 10, 2011
A very personal glimpse into the dark corners of a life lived with depression and anxiety. Told with humor, heart and a great deal of courage, Borchard lays her experience bare, revealing the failings of medicine and society to understand the complex diseases of depression and bi-polar disorder. Born out of her blog, Beyond Blue, the book is highly readable, informative and frightening. Highly recommended.
November 17, 2012
I don't have clinical depression, but I do have "dark nights of the soul" and have always been into self-improvement. I have been reading Therese's blog, "Beyond Blue", for about a year. I was pleased to see this book and have the opportunity to learn more about her and about depression. It was an eye-opener and I definitely mean to remember what she has described here. Well done, Therese! I wish belessings for you and your family.
January 15, 2013
Depression isn't an uplifting topic, but it is fascinating to learn about what's happening in the brain of someone suffering from a mood disorder. Part memoir and part neuro-biology primer, Therese J. Borchard sheds some light into the turbulent lives of depressives as she chronicles her long road to recovery. She is also frank about coping with anxiety and living well with debilitating brain disease.
February 24, 2013
Fabulous, uplifting book. I recommend it to anyone who suffers with depression. I also encourage loved ones of the depressed to read it as well. I'm ready to read it again from cover to cover, this time with a highlighter. There is so much valuable information and hope in this book. I cannot recommended more! Buy it, read it, and save it on your shelf to read again and again when you need to be uplifted.
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