The Noonday Demon: An Atlas Of Depression

This is a truly remarkable book. You might wonder why on earth anyone would want to read a 400+ page book about depression, but this is not just any book about depression. It is an intelligent, comprehensive, and compassionate study of one of the most pervasive illnesses of our time. Mr. Solomon, himself a victim of severe depression, has explored every possible aspect of this devastating condition: Psychological, sociological, historical, scientific, and more. Solomon attempts to demystify the illness, offering insight into how, and possibly why, it affects its victims. I myself have been in treatment for depression for almost 20 years. I have a highly stressful job working for the District Attorney's Office, have raised two daughters (17 and 21), and have been married for 25 years. I have been successful and productive in all these aspects of my life. This book is invaluable to those who suffer from depression. It helps us better understand what is happening to us, and how to somehow make sense of the "why me" aspect of depression. But more important, this book should be read by anyone who knows, or loves, someone who suffers from depression. Knowing, loving, and/or living with someone who suffers from depression can be a miserably frustrating experience. Solomon attempts to shed insight into the physiology and psychology of depression, as well as a comprehensive exploration of the many treatment options available. Not all of his stories have happy endings. He doesn't pretend to have all the answers. But sometimes just understanding the illness makes it less overwhelming and frightening. This book could save lives. At the very least it will educate both the depressed and non-depressed, allowing them to accept depression as a real and valid illness, which for many is highly treatable. Mr. Solomon even goes so far as to suggest that those who suffer from depression can be better people for it. I am certainly one of the lucky ones. I will never be "cured", but I have learned how to work around the illness. Mr. Solomon has done the same. For your sake and/or the sake of a loved one, you should read this extraordinary book.

The field of depression is wide open now as more people learn about it and realize that they too might be a victim. New treatments,different approaches in pharmacotherapy,genetic studies,dialectics and better understanding of neurotransmitters all add to the jumble one faces when having to deal with and get help for depression.These endless and sometimes opposing vistas can boggle the mind of both the treater and the sufferer.Depression, taken alone is and of itself most vexing in its ability to resist effective,long lasting treatment and cure however,cure is possible as is symptom relief.Solomon has written a comprehensive book both in scope and explanation of not only depression but all the ancillary factors that encircle it. The writer who is also a sufferer has put forth for all to see his own battle and deftly describes the ongoing war he fights daily from within and without.He incorporates his own life and compares it to the current discussion if applicable amid the twelve or so chapters.Because of his own plight it is easy for him to understand the plight of those he interviews, relate his experiences with acute exacerbations,the need to withdraw from life, his attempts at suicide and use of medication and hospitalization and how his interpersonal relationships evolved or devolved because of it.Insights abound as you digest his clear,well written self analysis and struggles. Many areas are intelligently covered for the clinician to incorporate into a more complete armamentarium as well as a clarified,engaging sympathetic compass to help the depressed chart their way through the dark.At times the data,and discussion can get heavily clinical as it is clear that he did his homework on this topic so this book may not be for everyone as it goes deeper than some books that relay simply what happened and how I got better so do what I did and you'll be better too.No, this book does not do that at all, in fact it leaves one with the feeling that perhaps this battle will continue for sometime.As our world gets smaller our self contracts as well with isolative,impersonal e- mail,texting and a lack of person to person connectedness as in the past.This unwittingly can create anxiety and further ones sense of isolation which is a fertile breeding ground for depression.Twenty years ago, William Styron wrote his classic,Darkness Visible,which explored his own personal involvement with depression with a clarity and openess that it is unimaginable to me how he could remember and relate such a deep and enveloping flight into hell. His ability to convey that to the reader under such conditions was truly amazing and a work to be admired for its honesty and ability to find a nerve in fellow sufferers and help them come out of it using his strength as a hopeful guide.Here too, the author has utilized his own struggle to engage the reader,helping to maintain the awareness of and difficulty for those outside looking in to maintain an empathic stance not running to the old standby 'just snap out of it already',a stance easily stated by a family member, friend or even a clinician, not from any lack of empathy mind you, but from frustration at just how hard depression is to treat.Watching someone suffer from this is exhaustingly taxing because progress is so slow, avoidance is sometimes the only defence left to utilize when all other modes of treatment fail.This is what we as clinicians and others must guard against.I first learned of this book while watching a documentary on Abraham Lincoln which discussed his own fight with depression and suicidal thinking.I looked it over and was glad I read it.I don't think a more comprehensive compilation of depression and its parameters from its early history to current thought exists as good as this one.It is both honest,personal yet Solomon has the ability to step back and give concise,current information as well as write it clearly,intelligently and on a level for all to digest. This book will enhance understanding of this dreaded disease on both sides of the table. It should,in my opinion be required reading for all those who plan to enter the field or who are already in it and hopefully will be someday as well as for those who suffer from depression and want a mature guide or atlas, if you will, to help you get through it.All will benefit from this book, as did I.

This is an amazingly well researched book. Further, it is written from the author`s first hand experience. He knows the suffering, has taken the drugs, the cures both mainstream and extreme. He went all over the earth both looking for help and to meet first hand other sufferers and care givers. You will meet men and women whose lives are astonishing, complicated and often very sad. Depression is some kind of complicated disorder and very precious little is agreed upon by professionals and even less has been written about it. It is the dirty little secret and Mr. Solomon should be commended for his honesty and hard work researching then writing about this all too human reality that many persons suffer with. He has shed a very clear light on an extremely dark and painful condition.

Really good book, excellent condition and shipped quickly. Good price.

This is the most well-researched and beautiful account of depression and anxiety I have ever read, backed up by countless studies and personal experiences. Solomon is one of those rare writers - so eloquent that you want to highlight every other sentence and re-read it, so precise in his descriptions, and so humble and honest too. This is essential reading for anyone who has experienced anxiety or depression, or knows people who do.

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Ce livre est un témoignage personnel autant qu'un tour de horizon sur le sujet sous toutes les angles. C'est intéressant, c'est bien écrit et documenté et on tourne les pages facilement. C'est aussi oppressant par moments, tellement la dépression semble terrifiant et omniprésent. On se surprend souvent à penser: et moi? Ça va m'arriver quand?

Excelente leitura. Muito bem escrito!