Book Review – Now I Know Why I’m Depressed
Image: Now I Know Why I’m Depressed by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 4 out of 10. A book with Christian spiritual perspectives on depression that reuses content from the author’s previous book, An Answer to Depression.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD / 1.15.2022; No. 66
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Star Rating – 4 out of 10
Rating guide: 1 = horrible, 5 = average and 10 = wow
Author
Norman Wright
About the author
Dr. H. Norman Wright is a licensed marriage, family, and child therapist, was in private practice for over thirty years, and is a prolific author of over ninety books from a Christian perspective on mental health, marriage, parenting, and grief/loss. He has held several academic posts and was the former director of the Graduate Department of Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling at Biola University. He achieved a master of religious education (MRE) from Fuller Theological Seminary and his DMin at Primus School of Theology.
General description
Now I Know Why I’m Depressed is a Christian book on depression that includes extensive quotes from the Bible as well as other authors. Topics covered in this book include:
Symptoms of depression
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) strategies
Behavioral activation approaches
How to help a depressed family member
Unique and most important aspects
Now I Know Why I’m Depressed appears to be a re-write of the author’s previous book, An Answer to Depression, without referencing the previous work. There is frequent borrowing from the earlier book. This book was published in 1984, so the section covering antidepressant medications is understandably out-of-date, however, the author’s language use also is quite dated even for the 1980s. Additionally, there are subtly stigmatizing concepts in this book that were less evident in the author’s book, An Answer to Depression.
Best quotes
“Dr. Theodore Rubin has stated that being depressed is a signal that a change is needed. This can be one of the most constructive times in a person’s life – if he responds to the signals. Depression can clear the air and help a person rid himself of years of accumulated anger and hurt. By doing this the depressed person can move toward feeling warmth and love, and can reevaluate his expectations of life, of himself, and of other people.”
“But all too often a depressed individual thinks his depression is caused by sin when in reality it is not. This is often a reflection of the person’s feeling of worthlessness which accompanies depression.”
“God uses many means to bring us out of depression, including therapy, prayer, reading, exercise, and medication.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Readers who are interested in an expanded version of the author’s previous book, An Answer to Depression, would likely enjoy Now I Know Why I’m Depressed.
Who would not enjoy this book?
Readers who are looking for an updated, original Christian book on depression are unlikely to enjoy Now I Know Why I’m Depressed.
Conclusion
Now I Know Why I’m Depressed is a book with Christian spiritual perspectives on depression and reuses content from the author’s previous book, An Answer to Depression.
