Image: Flirting with Darkness by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 4 out of 10. A book that provides a personal account of depression from a Christian viewpoint.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD, author of unJoy / 3.17.2022; No. 81
Disclaimer: Yes, I am a physician, but I’m not your doctor and this article does not create a doctor-patient relationship. This article is for educational purposes and should not be seen as medical advice. You should consult with your physician before you rely on this information. This post also contains affiliate links. Please click this LINK for the full disclaimer.
Star Rating – 4 out of 10
Rating guide: 1 = horrible, 5 = average and 10 = wow
Author
Ben Courson
About the author
Ben Courson is a motivational speaker, author of several books from a Christian perspective, pastor at Applegate Christian Fellowship, and founder of a TV show called Hope Generation.
General description
Flirting with Darkness is a book about the author’s personal struggles with depression, anxiety, and suicidality. He offers several strategies that he found to help improve his depression and suicide risk. The first section of the book discusses his personal struggles. In the second section, Ben Corson has eleven separate chapters on “weapons” for dealing with depression. In the final section of the book, he includes many chapters on encouragement and hope.
Unique and most important aspects
Flirting with Darkness is a courageous book in which the author shares his struggles with his mental health. He writes in an entertaining and engaging style and overall works to reduce mental health stigma among Christians. The chapters in the last section were quite short and had the feel of blog posts in style and length.
I found myself disagreeing with a few of the author's points, such as on the back cover, which states that the reader must “reject depression as a way of life,” as the vast majority of people I have known with depression have not viewed or accepted their depression as a way of life. Also, I found his use of aggressive language to be unhelpful, such as the author's statement, “My journey out of depression was a process. In this book I will open up my arsenal to arm you with some of the weapons I took on that journey.”
I greatly appreciated Ben Courson’s efforts to decrease suicide risk. However, I would caution the reader regarding his detailed descriptions of his suicidality, as newer research suggests that people at high risk might be more likely to remember negative, unhelpful information about suicide rather than the helpful content (Wiglesworth, et al. Crisis. 2021).
Best quotes
“As someone who once journeyed quite a distance down the long, dark tunnel of depression and faced the temptation of suicide, I can assure you that suicide is not the answer.”
“Almost nothing can make you unhappy more quickly than comparing your life with that of others. On the outside, everybody else’s life looks more interesting. Comparison is the surest thief of your joy and contentment. It robs the happiness from your heart.”
“Let’s work to change attitudes about depression, counseling, and medication so that people can get the help they need.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Readers who are interested in a book that provides a personal account of depression from a primarily Christian viewpoint would likely enjoy Flirting with Darkness.
Who would not enjoy this book?
Readers looking for a Christian viewpoint on depression but who might also be triggered by detailed descriptions of suicidality are unlikely to enjoy Flirting with Darkness and, instead, would likely enjoy Hope Prevails by Michelle Bengtson (See Len’s Book Review).
Conclusion
Flirting with Darkness is a book that provides a personal account of depression from a Christian viewpoint.