What to read when you’re depressed
When that chemical imbalance acts up, these are books to soothe.
Hi, my name is Emma and I have depression. I always have. I was diagnosed with clinical depression at eleven, but it existed in me long before my mother took me to the doctor to treat the mental illness she so kindly passed down to me. I’ve been lucky; it didn’t take me long to find the right medication to stabilise my chemical imbalance. With little tweak every few years, I’ve been able to live a relatively happy and balanced life. But, as anyone with depression can tell you, medication is not a cure, it’s simply a treatment. My chosen cocktail of antidepressants and therapy is effective, but it doesn’t erase my mental illness entirely.
There are still days when my depression creeps back in like that orange fuzzy monster from Looney Tunes — whose name, according to Google, is Gossamer — and sits right on my chest in the middle of a sunny, otherwise happy day. On these days, I’ve learned to accept the unexpected return of my gloom and take care of myself, knowing that tomorrow I’ll probably feel better.
Reading — along with hours of reality TV — is something that has always made me feel safe, especially at my lowest. When I’m feeling down, the type of book I’m interested in reading shifts a little. My ability to concentrate on…
