The Beast: A Journey Through Depression

This is a fascinating first-person account of grappling with a lifelong pattern of depression. Tracy Thompson is tough and honest in looking at herself. She fearlessly searches to find out why this happens to her and what she can do to stop it.With her training as a journalist, she turns an objective eye on herself. It is this honesty that gives the book its strength. The portrait she paints of herself is not flattering. She sees the manipulative and deceptive behavior that she carries on in an effort to keep others near her, to secure herself from falling into another episode of depression. We watch her growth and her setbacks. We go along with her to therapy and to the hospital. It is not an easy book to read; it is painful at times, but it is also a remarkable achievement.

I have read many books on Depression and other mental health problems since the summer of 1993 and this is the best that I have read yet. I would highly recommend it to anyone that either suffers with, or knows someone who suffers with Depression. The way Ms. Thompson has written this book really hits home for me and it was inspiring to know that there are people who have overcome this terrible disease and are successful at their chosen careers. IT IS THE BEST, THANK YOU MS. THOMPSON FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.

Although not as poetic as Styron, funny as Manning or star-studded as Conkrite in their wonderful depression accounts, The Beast occupies a unique niche because of the author's brutally honest account of her low self esteem and acceptance-starved pysche that existed in spite of her career successes. I felt Ms. Thompson had looked inside my brain and revealed to me things I had never even admitted to myself.Yes, depression is an illness, with biological as well as psychological roots. But, while I would like to think of myself as an innocent victim of depression, it is closer to the truth to admit that I have held to incorrect perceptions since childhood that may have pre-disposed me to this illness. Ms. Thompson has accepted that painful fact about herself, and has shared it to our great benefit.

What hope and comfort the author gives to the depressed person or their loved ones. The author has clearly expressed the suffering one does when they are depressed, often able to put in writing my very own thoughts and fears. This book gives hope of recovery from re-current depression and gives tools that anyone with a mental illness can use, despite the fact that it wasn't meant to be a "this is how to fix your life book". It is the story of one woman and her trials with re-curring depression and how she overcame her "Beast". A must read for anyone involved in mental health or suffering with depression. I keep my copy close at all times to refer to when I feel I have lost hope of ever being "well". If you feel the same I would strongly encourage reading this book.

Tracy Thompson's personal story of her lifelong struggle with Depression was extremely enlightening to me. A close friend of mine has been suffering through bouts of Depression during most of her life. While I knew instinctively there was something drastically wrong at times, I never fully understood the pain and anguish she was coping with until I read Tracy's story. While portions were very unsettling to read, it was heartwarming to see Tracy finally coming to grips with The Beast (her term for severe Depression) and understanding it's power. Throughout the book I saw incredible similarities between Tracy and my friend's behavior. I now can relate to what my friend has been going through, and understand why she behaved as she did from time to time. I also gained the respect that The Beast is a formidable force to be reckoned with. However, thanks to modern science and pharmacology, it appears that the taming of The Beast is a possibility for many who suffer from it's unrelenting grasp. This book is a must read for both those who are suffering with severe Depression AND those who care about a loved one who is dealing with this debilitating disorder.