Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Book Review: The Recovery Letters: Addressed to People Experiencing Depression, Edited by Olivia Sagan & James Withey



The Recovery Letters: Addressed to People Experiencing Depression 
Edited by James Withey and Olivia Sagan
Publication Date: July 21, 2017 
by Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 232
Source: Edelweiss ARC
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars)


*I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through Edelweiss for review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  Book cover and synopsis from Goodreads.




In 2012, The Recovery Letters was launched to host a series of letters online written by people recovering from depression, addressed to those currently affected by a mental health condition. Addressed to 'Dear You', the inspirational and heartfelt letters provided hope and support to those experiencing depression and were testament that recovery was possible.
Now for the first time, these letters have been compiled into an anthology for people living with depression and are interspersed with motivating quotes and additional resources as well as new material written specifically for the book. This powerful collection of personal letters from people with first-hand experiences of depression will serve as a comforting resource for anyone on the journey to recovery.


I'm so glad there is a book like this, especially since I suffer from depression.  I had never heard of The Recovery Letters before I requested to read this book.  The synopsis sounded interesting and I felt like I needed to read it, and I'm so glad I did.

The Recovery Letters was originally an online series of letters written by everyday people who have struggled with, and have since recovered from, depression.  These letters are all addressed to a person currently suffering from depression, each letter addressed to 'Dear You.'  This book compiles these letters, as well as some positive quotes and additional resources.  I feel this is an important read for people currently struggling with depression.  The letters, although all from different people, have one main theme or message: that one can eventually recover from crippling depression.  

I loved reading about others' experiences with depression and how they have since recovered from this terrible illness.  I read a couple of letters a day and each letter made me feel a little more hopeful that I could eventually recover from depression.  These are heartfelt letters that are coming from people who have gone through some of the same things that I've gone through, who have felt some of the same emotions that I've felt, so I could relate to many of the letters in this book.

Time to get personal.  I read this book when I was feeling kind of low.  Actually, most days I feel more than kind of low.  I've been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Agoraphobia.  I often have crippling panic attacks which lead to depression and fear of even leaving my house.  I've always had anxiety and depression, ever since I was little.  Reading the letters in this book made me feel better, they made me feel less alone.  It was comforting knowing other people have recovered from depression, and these letters gave me hope that the sun can come out again (I know, I sound overly dramatic, but that's how it feels).

I definitely recommend reading this book, especially if you are currently suffering from depression.  This is an important book and I'm glad I had the chance to read it.  

___________________________

Follow Me on Social Media




Subscribe to Tara's Book Addiction for Post Updates

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner


No comments:

Post a Comment