Laughing in the Dark: A Comedian's Journey Through Depression

Chonda Pierce has been tops on my list since I saw her perform in the Washington area about a year and a half ago. I've savored many of her books and videos since that time. This particular book is close to home, honest and still demonstrates her wonderful gift of humor. An enjoyable and educational read.

I recently saw Chondra on stage. I knew with her type of humor, I needed to read her book.Being diagnosed with Clinical Depression myself, I felt we had something in common. I was not disappointed, her book is excellent. She is able to put into words thoughts and feelings just like mine. It seems God put people into her life just like He did me. This is a must read!!!!!

Laughing in the Dark: A Comedian's Journey Through Depression is the true story of comedian, Christian, and depression survivor Chonda Pierce, in her own words. Pierce recovered with help from close friends, therapy, and a Zoloft prescription; she candidly shares her story as affirmation that "depression" is neither shameful nor a sign of faltering faith. Though the author's abiding faith in God is quite evident, Laughing in the Dark is intended for readers of all belief systems. "When your mind has been captivated by the dark for a long time and you finally experience some healing - whether instantaneously through an act of God or gradually through the gift of medicine - you feel liberated... But there's more work to be done. It's like having any other serious, debilitating injury. You're excited when you make it through all the surgeries, but you still have to battle through rehabilitation in order to learn to walk, talk, and feed yourself again." Highly recommended, especially for the personal shelves and reading lists of anyone suffering depression or their friends and families.

What happens when you're supposed to be funny and you're suffering from deep depression? It was no joke for comedian Chonda Pierce, who in LAUGHING IN THE DARK tells of her 18-month journey through depression and offers hope to fellow sufferers. Nicknamed "the Queen of Clean," the 15-year comedy circuit veteran and mother of two teens chronicles her annual "winter break" from work that became a winter breakdown. In a warm, person-to-person style, she tells of childhood events and tragedies, therapies and a search for wholeness, all interspersed with one-liners and zingers that will keep you laughing even while reaching for the Kleenex. Included throughout Pierce's story are separate insights from a psychotherapist on recognizing and dealing with depression, which will be good starting points for reflection. These insights include everything from recognizing the signs of depression to helping a friend who is going through depression. She also incorporates emails from her fans, thanking her for helping them deal with their depression, which feel a little more like rah-rah filler but might be of interest to some readers. On her journey, Pierce learns that there is more to a relationship with God than emotion (especially when she goes through a period of feeling nothing). She learns to rely more on what she knows; that God loves her and wants the best for her. Pierce also comes to believe that her depression was not because of a sin she had committed as so many Christians are told: "there was nothing wrong between God and me." Rather, it was a combination of medical problems and past events that needed to be dealt with. "What's hard is uncoiling all those wound-up experiences so that you start thinking straight again," she writes. "In my case (like most people with clinical depression), I couldn't do it on my own. I needed help from my doctors, my therapist, my friends --- and most of all from God." As her story unfolds, Pierce tells of her father, a bi-polar/manic-depressive pastor, who left her family the day of her brother's wedding. Her childhood years were punctuated with his threats of suicide, sexual abuse, her fear of abusive punishment and insecurity. Pierce's two sisters both died unexpectedly in childhood, and her brother became an alcoholic. When she finally sees a licensed counselor and psychiatrist (besides a friend, who had helped her along the way), the influence of these tragedies --- which she calls "old ghosts and demons" --- and others are brought to light and examined. Among the need for confronting her past and taking medication to get her brain chemically "balanced" is Pierce's realization that she is frantically busy. And, ironically, the comedian realizes it is important to find ways to have fun. "It's no big surprise that depression disorders occur twice as often in women as men, since women tend to take on extra responsibilities more often," she writes, adding later, "Find some ways to give yourself more hours in the

Chonda Pierce addresses the depth of depression through Christian eyes without hesitancy or shame. Laughing in the Dark is well written and I raced through it, partly because I have seen and heard her live and could hardly believe that she could be hit so hard by depression. She is very funny, and yet as a Christian reading the book I was drawn into her pain and depth of despair that many Christians don't want to feel, much less talk about. She also talked about the therapy, drugs, and friends that helped her instead of being "preachy" about "all I need is God," another common Christian attitude. I would highly recommend this to anyone.