Living with a Black Dog Book Review
Matthew and Ainsley Johnstone's Cartoon Guide to Depression
Mar 13, 2009
Matthew and Ainsley Johnstone’s illustrations and concise words in Living with a Black Dog vividly convey the realities of living with clinical depression to both sufferers and carers.
Depression Depicted as a Black Dog
Matthew Johnstone found it helpful to describe his depression as his “black dog,” the expression used by Winston Churchill who also suffered from the illness.
The authors use the metaphor of the black dog to explain in simple terms how depression pervades every aspect of a victim’s life, from their altered perception of reality, to the extremes to which they may go to conceal their illness.
Not Just Another Book on Depression
If you think you have read and heard all there is to be said about depression, but have not yet read Matthew and Ainsley Johnstone’s Living with a Black Dog, you may be in for a surprise. The book’s message is conveyed in a deceptively simple combination of cartoons and short sentences. This illustrated format makes it particularly suitable for sufferers, who are often exhausted and have difficulty concentrating.
The Reality of Living with Depression Explained
Friends and families of people suffering from depression often find it difficult to really understand what their loved one is going through. Living with a Black Dog may well address many of their apparently intractable questions. The book clearly explains what to say, and what not to say, to offer the best possible support in the face of what can be a baffling illness.
Advice on How to Overcome Depression
Living with a Black Dog not only describes what life with depression is like, it also offers practical suggestions on how to tackle the illness, from the range of mental health practitioners available, to simple self help ideas such as keeping a mood diary.
Advice for Carers on Caring for Themselves
Carers of people with depression need to look after themselves, and to know when professional help is needed. Living with a Black Dog includes plenty of encouraging advice on how to cope with the pressures and frustrations of caring with a loved one who is depressed.
Matthew Johnstone’s First Book I Had a Black Dog
Living with a Black Dog follows Matthew Johstone's successful first book I Had a Black Dog which describes the full range of the experience of suffering from depression, while also dispelling common misconceptions.
I Had a Black Dog was praised by well known victims of depression, Ruby Wax and Stephen Fry. Sufferers of depression may find this first book even more enlightening than Living with a Black Dog, and certainly the two volumes complement each other for both sufferers and carers alike.
Sources:
Living with a Black Dog, by Matthew and Ainsley Johnstone; Robinson Publishing (24 May 2007)
