Depression

There are galaxies within the human mind, and madness wants to risk everything for the daring flight, reckless and beautiful and crazed. Everyone knows Icarus fell.But I love him for the fact that he dared to fly. Mania unfurls the invitation to fly too high, too near the sun... "

Elizabeth Wurtzel writes with her finger on the faint pulse of an overdiagnosed generation whose ruling icons are Kurt Cobain, Xanax, and pierced tongues.

"I wrote Welcome to the Jungle because it's the book I should have been given when I was diagnosed." Bipolar disorder is one of the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric conditions among teens and twentysomethings, yet there are few books out there written specifically for this demographic.

This Close to Happy is the rare, vividly personal account of what it feels like to suffer from clinical depression, written from a woman's perspective and informed by an acute understanding of the implications of this disease over a lifetime.

Where does 'self' end and 'illness' begin? Is manic depression a quintessential part of oneself, or quite the opposite: an illness which skews the self to its own image? Does the medication alter who you are? Does one become inauthentic in taking these mind-altering substances?

This small-format book answers two key questions:

What is depression and what causes it?

If I have depression, what can I do about it?

Offering real hope to those suffering from depression, Harnessing Hope explains depression in approachable language and shows how simple lifestyle changes can make a difference.

Written in an easy-to-navigate question-and-answer format, this useful and compassionate guide explores and explains absolutely everything that someone with bipolar disorder (and those who love them) needs to know: from how to recognize the symptoms to how to deal with stigma in the workplace.