A cure for darkness : the story of depression and how we treat it

Title:

Author:

Summary:

What is depression? Is it a persistent low mood or a complex range of symptoms? Is it a single diagnosis or a diversity of mental disorders requiring different treatments? In A Cure for Darkness, science writer Alex Riley explores these questions, digging into the long history of depression and chronicling the lives of psychiatrists and scientists who sought cures for their patients.

Edition:

First Scribner hardcover edition.

Contents:

Part one. Cutting steps into the mountain. The anatomists ; Über Coca ; "Psychiatry's Linnaeus" ; A melancholic humor ; Instruments of cure ; The talking cure ; Love and hate ; A first sketch -- Part two. "The biological approach seems to be working." Fighting fire with fire ; Unfixing thoughts ; "The brain has ceased to be sacred" ; The most powerful reaction ; Legacy ; Cerletti's monster ; The psychic energizers ; The shoes that Prozac would fill ; G22355 ; The mysterious case of the lethal headaches -- Part three. Getting therapy. In your dreams, Freud ; More than one psychotherapy ; "If mom ain't happy ain't nobody happy" ; "Happier than we Europeans" ; Kufungisisa ; Care by the community ; "I live and breathe peer" -- Part four. The universe within. It feels like spring ; Rebirth ; The epitome of hopelessness ; Mind on fire ; "For life" ; The beginning ; Surfing in the brain scanner ; "Turn on, tune in, and drop out" ; Building a new system ; Seeing with eyes shut -- Epilogue. New life.

Physical Description:

xi, 452 pages ; 24 cm

Genre:

Biographies.

Personal narratives.

Subject Term:

Depression, Mental -- History.

Depression, Mental -- Treatment.

Depression, Mental -- Treatment -- Biography.

Depression, Mental -- Biography.

Psychiatrists -- Biography.

Depressed persons.

Publisher:

Scribner,

Publication Date:

2021

ISBN:

9781501198779

Publication Information:

New York : Scribner, 2021.

Call Number:

616.85 RILEY

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003520601	Adult Nonfiction	615.85 RILEY	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

A fascinating, "rich, and generous" ( Financial Times ) look at the treatment of depression by an award-winning science writer that blends popular science, narrative history, and memoir.

Is depression a persistent low mood, or is it a range of symptoms? Can it be expressed through a single diagnosis, or does depression actually refer to a diversity of mental disorders? Is there, or will there ever be, a cure? In seeking the answers to these questions, Riley finds a rich history of ideas and treatments--and takes the reader on a gripping narrative journey, packed with fascinating stories like the junior doctor who discovered that some of the first antidepressants had a deadly reaction with cheese.

"Interweaving memoir, case histories, and accounts of new therapies, Riley anatomizes what is still a fairly young science, and a troubled one" ( The New Yorker ). Reporting on the field of global mental health from its colonial past to the present day, Riley highlights a range of scalable therapies, including how a group of grandmothers stands on the frontline of a mental health revolution.

Hopeful, fascinating, and profound, A Cure for Darkness is "recommended reading for anyone with even a peripheral interest in depression" ( Washington Examiner ).

Author Notes

Alex Riley is an award-winning science writer living in Bristol, UK. His work has been published by Aeon Magazine , the BBC, The Guardian , PBS's NOVA Next , and New Scientist , among others. In 2019, he received a best feature award from the Association of British Science Writers for his reporting on The Friendship Bench, a project that provides mental healthcare to low-income communities in Zimbabwe and has been adopted in countries around the world.

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

Science writer Riley has spent the last six years dealing with depression, which has given him feelings of sadness and hopelessness as well as thoughts of suicide. The support of his wife and friends has helped him to seek treatment from psychiatrists, psychotherapists, neurologists, and others. His experience with a range of antidepressants, psychedelic drugs, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and other talk therapies inspired him to write this in-depth study of the history of depression, and to contemplate what the future might hold for this often debilitating disease. In his broadly researched and compassionate debut, Riley traces the history of treatments for depression and our changing understanding of the human brain. His exploration ranges from physician-philosopher Claudius Galen (129-c. 210 AD), to Sigmund Freud (who also dealt with depression), to contemporary researchers. After examining treatment options and the vast assortment of antidepressant drugs, Riley concludes that "the treatment of depression is a story that connects us all no matter our sex, age, or where we live," and that we might now be at a "turning point in the history of mental illness." VERDICT An essential book that brings much-needed awareness to depression and the lingering stigma and misinformation surrounding it.--Marcia G. Welsh, former with Dartmouth Coll. Lib., Hanover, NH

Introduction	p. 1
Part 1 Cutting Steps into the Mountain
The Anatomists	p. 17
Über Coca	p. 33
"Psychiatry's Linnaeus"	p. 42
A Melancholic Humor	p. 47
Instruments of Cure	p. 54
The Talking Cure	p. 63
Love and Hate	p. 74
A First Sketch	p. 82
Part 2 "The Biological Approach Seems to Be Working"
Fighting Fire with Fire	p. 95
Unfixing Thoughts	p. 100
"The Brain Has Ceased to Be Sacred"	p. 107
The Most Powerful Reaction	p. 124
Legacy	p. 137
Cerletti's Monster	p. 144
The Psychic Energizers	p. 154
The Shoes That Prozac Would Fill	p. 165
G22355	p. 173
The Mysterious Case of the Lethal Headaches	p. 185
Part 3 Getting Therapy
In Your Dreams, Freud	p. 205
More Than One Psychotherapy	p. 215
"If Mom Ain't Happy Ain't Nobody Happy"	p. 227
"Happier Than We Europeans"	p. 237
Kufungisisa	p. 245
Care by the Community	p. 257
"I Live and Breathe Peer"	p. 266
Part 4 The Universe Within
It Feels Like Spring	p. 277
Rebirth	p. 285
The Epitome of Hopelessness	p. 297
Mind on Fire	p. 301
"For Life"	p. 312
The Beginning	p. 326
Surfing in the Brain Scanner	p. 329
"Turn On, Tune In, and Drop Out"	p. 333
Building a New System	p. 341
Seeing with Eyes Shut	p. 349
Epilogue: New Life	p. 359
Notes	p. 367
Selected Bibliography	p. 433
Acknowledgments	p. 437
Index	p. 439

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents