Book Review – What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: Discouragement & Depression
Image: What to Do by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 7 out of 10. A short, positive book on dealing with sadness and depression from a Christian perspective.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD / 1.1.2022; No. 61
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 – 7 out of 10
Rating guide: 1 = horrible, 5 = average and 10 = wow
Authors
Henry Cloud and John Townsend
About the authors
Henry Cloud, PhD, is a best-selling author and is most widely known for his books and work in leadership performance/development and personal growth. Dr. Cloud obtained his doctorate in clinical psychology from Biola University. He has two podcasts: Boundaries.me and The Leader’s Panel.
John Townsend, PhD, is a psychologist, best-selling author, consultant, and leadership coach. Dr. Townsend obtained a Master of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and a PhD in clinical psychology from Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University. He founded the Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling and has co-authored several popular books with Dr. Cloud. Dr. Townsend has an online, live-video call-in program called Dr. Townsend Live and he co-hosts a syndicated Christian counseling talk show called New Life Live.
General description
What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: Discouragement & Depression is a brief book on depression from a Christian perspective. This book is a spinoff of the authors’ bestseller What to Do When You Don't Know What to Do: 8 Principles for Finding God's Way. This book is reported to help readers as a “starting point to deal with their problems.” Drs. Cloud and Townsend divided the book into three sections:
Eight Principles to Guide You Out of Depression
Discouragement and Depression
Begin Your Journey Today
Unique and most important aspects
What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: Discouragement & Depression is both a small and short book. It is about the size of a greeting card and is 80 pages long. Drs. Cloud and Townsend do an excellent job of addressing the stigma that Christians with depression experience. The first half of the book appears mostly to address sadness and provides helpful ideas and common sense with a theme for the reader to rely on God in all things. The second half of the book addresses major depression, which I found to be much more personal in its tone and the advice to be more practical. The final pages include 10 helpful suggestions on dealing with depression with recommendations for action.
Best quotes
“When you invite God into your life and participate with him in the process, you will begin to see results. So do your part. Seek help and surround yourself with support and accountability. The more engaged you are, the less you will feel the pressure of time.”
“At the same time, however, it is simply not true that sin causes all depression, just as it is not true that sin causes all the pain we endure. Many bad things happen to everyone – things that they have no control over and are not their fault. Suffering and depression can have causes that have nothing to do with any moral or spiritual lapse on the part of the victim.”
“The solutions and treatments are effective not only for the short term but also in the long run. The two of us strongly believe that many, many depressions can be resolved. Even people who struggle with a chemical component to their depression can make great progress with the medication technology available today. We do not follow the notion that all victims of depression must simply learn to cope with it or resign themselves to accepting that it is a part of them forever. We do not believe that depression is something they must live with and manage and that is as good as it gets.”
“So if you struggle with a severe depression, we encourage you to consult with a psychiatrist in order to look at the possibility of medications that can help alleviate your symptoms while you are addressing the emotional and relational aspects of your healing.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Readers who are interested in a short, encouraging book on depression from a Christian perspective would likely enjoy What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: Discouragement & Depression.
Who would not enjoy this book?
Readers who are looking for a longer and more comprehensive guide on depression from a Christian perspective are unlikely to enjoy What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: Discouragement & Depression.
Conclusion
What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: Discouragement & Depression is a short, positive book on dealing with sadness and depression from a Christian perspective.