David's Inferno My Journey Through the Dark Wood of Depression

David's Infernocombines intensely personal reminiscences of a two-year nervous breakdown with contemporary insights on how manic-depression manifests and how it is diagnosed and treated. Author David Blistein shares his experiences to shed light on the darkness of depression for fellow travelers as well as those who care about them. Millions of people suffer from major depressive episodes. All of them want relief but, more importantly, most simply want to know that they are not alone. With gentle wry humor and a compassionate tone, David's Infernooffers a tale of realization, acceptance, and hope. It is neither prescriptive nor opinionated, seeing all forms of therapy as potentially beneficial in the continuum of care. David's Infernois also an ideal book for friends and family of those suffering from depression, helping them to better understand what their loved ones are experiencing.

David Blistein is a novelist, essayist, and former advertising agency executive whose writing is the culmination of a lifelong pursuit of wisdom, transcendence, and humor. After a long career as a copywriter and advertising executive, he left the business world to travel the country in a VW van and pursue his own writing. His works-in-progress include books and blogs that present unconventional perspectives on nature, psychology, spirituality and writing. He lives with his wife Wendy O'Connell in Southern Vermont, where he balances his writing with professional consulting, serious road biking, intrepid wood-splitting, and working with children in the Vermont court system. For more information, see www.davidblistein.com.

Ken Burns, founder of Florentine Films, is a director, producer, and writer who has been making documentaries for more than twenty years. Among his productions are The Civil War (1990), Baseball (1994), Jazz (2001), The War (2007), The National Parks: America's Best Idea (2009) and Prohibition (2011). His work has won numerous prizes, including the Emmy and Peabody Awards, and has received two Academy Award nominations. He received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2008. He lives in Walpole, New Hampshire.

Foreword
Preface
 
THE DARK WOOD
Words Fail
 
LIMBO
Fifty-Three Years, Four Months, and one Helluva Week
Make Up Your Mind
 
HELL
Looking for Traction
Road Trip
Diagnosis
 
PURGATORY
Hard Turns and False Tops
The Wit and Wisdom of Neurotransmitters
Prescription Medicines
Alternative Medicine
Self-Medication
Who Knows?
Visible Means of Support
Married to the Madness
Therapy
Strange Obsessions and Glimmers of Light
 
HEAVEN ON EARTH
The Labyrinth
 
PARADISE
Miracle of Miracles
Crazy Wisdom and Creativity
Depression and Spirituality
 
THE DIVINE COMEDY
Beholding the Stars
 
Psychiatric Notes
Annotations, References, and Random Notes
Chapter Notes
Glossary
Index
Acknowledgments