Blog Archives
Major Depression and the Woke Government
Major Depression and the Woke Government by author Daryl V. DeMarco is an interesting book that focuses on people’s experiences with major depression, just as the title itself suggests. It mainly focuses on DeMarco’s personal fight with depression, its beginning, the ups and downs he went through, the time it took for him to get a diagnosis, and outside influences that affected him while fighting a major depressive disorder.
The author talks about how his illness first became a problem after he purchased property, which is supposed to be a happy life event for his personal life. However, it turned his world and health upside down. He discusses how the way we are taught to think impacts how we perceive the world around us, which can lead to depression. DeMarco also discusses the part that Serotonin plays in depression while keeping it on a level that ordinary people can understand.
He also covers many political topics, such as how the government is abusing its power, leading to the rise in mental health issues, especially depression. The author also includes his thoughts on what causes so many young people to be diagnosed with this disorder.
The author dug deep into his soul and past to create this book, and it shows. Sharing something as difficult to go through and yet still be so raw and uncensored is truly brave and powerful, and yet the book is written in a tone that everyone can understand, empathize with and grow from. The book is very raw and covers topics that might still be considered taboo to talk about.
Major Depression and the Woke Government is a thought-provoking book and an excellent read for anyone interested in psychology or for a person fighting depression. This book can serve as a reminder that people are not alone struggling with this or other disorders. I would also highly recommend this enlightening book to any students studying psychology.
Page: 134 | ASIN : B09QVJJQT6
Mud Flower
Mud Flower: Surviving Schizophrenia and Suicide Through Art is a memoir by Meghan J.M. Caughey that focuses on her struggles with mental health, schizophrenia, and suicidal thoughts and the way she, the people around her, and society have dealt with mental health in the past and present. This book also covers the impact that art can have on our lives and how it can save us. It’s a story that teaches us about strength, meaning, and persistence and that even though life is filled with daily struggles, some worse than others, it is worth living and enjoying every moment of it.
This perceptive memoir follows Caughey’s struggles on two separate timelines, one being the present day and the other one being the past, starting way back in the 70’s when she was a college freshman. This book is truly so much more than just a memoir. The way every line is written is so simple yet we perfectly understand what she is going through. It is so masterfully done that we feel like we are the ones experiencing everything that she is dealing with.
Perhaps the most important part of understanding her struggles is all her inner voices and thoughts that she writes and shares so eloquently. Here is a quote from the book that captures the emotional depth and incisive self-reflection that’s delivered in beautiful contemporary prose: “The Messenger of Hope? Oh, girl, there you go being grandiose again! You’re surely no messenger of hope. Watch out!!! Oh, hypocrite! Liar, liar!”
In addition to all the mental health struggles this memoir also explores the things that are happening in our day-to-day lives; mentioning the COVID-19 pandemic as well as George Floyd’s murder and other events that impacted us all.
Mud Flower: Surviving Schizophrenia and Suicide Through Art is a wonderful read for anyone looking for an emotionally resonant memoir that explores a variety of social issues. I would especially recommend it to anyone struggling with their mental health, to know that you they are not alone, and psychology students and practitioners because it will really help you understand the mind of someone who is struggling.
Pages: 198 | ASIN: B09217LYD6
Suspicious Eyes Taints The Heart
In Suspicious Eyes Taint the Heart, a collection of poems is divided into five parts. First, author Elsie Asiata explores a myriad of themes that have permeated her life. Beginning by introducing her infancy, Asiata’s verses paint the image of a headstrong child who suffered from absent parents and violent turmoil during a large part of her childhood. Next, lacking close friends and family support, the poem references multiple suicide attempts and an abysmal feeling of despair.
The second part, in contrast, shows a grown-up, mature poetic persona who is freed from the ghosts of her past and sailing through life while experiencing healthy friendships and enjoying casual sexual encounters. However, it ends on a dark note with an account of failed love and single motherhood.
Section three focuses on religious revelation and how the author returned to her faith after struggling with it during her distressing early years. The fourth part is a touching personal testimony on how she overcame her troubles and learned self-love and assertion, which she found through religion. Finally, part five ties up the book with more verses on her relationship with the sacred.
This emotional book is a quick read that will certainly resonate with women who have faced the romantic, familiar, and social hurdles imposed by a patriarchal society. The pains experienced by her as a child are consistent throughout part one, but especially and vividly captured in the first section’s final poem, A Life Is Slipping Away. This poem is an account of a traumatic experience that enticed a morbid train of thought and probably one of the most impacting pieces of poetry in the collection.
The thought-provoking poems are written really well, capturing the author’s emotions at different stages in her life. While reflecting on her past, there is a slight judgemental tone towards her prior promiscuous behavior while still accepting that it is part of what made her who she is now.
Suspicious Eyes Taints The Heart is an empowering and inspirational collection of poetry that will take the reader on an emotional rollercoaster. The author shares all the pain and joy of her struggle with her traumatic past and finding salvation with God’s love.
Pages: 74 | ISBN : 0645286036
When You Go Through Dark Times
A Study in Terminal follows a young man who has faced many hardships and is forced to realize that life won’t always follow the path you laid. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
One inspiration was working with at-risk youth when I was just out of high school. I particularly remember watching this fifteen year old boy who was basically a father to his younger siblings. And it hit me that there weren’t many YA books for him — a boy who was forced to grow up early and was faced with adult situations at a young age.
Another inspiration was personal mental health battles in my own life and realizing how life is hard and dark and broken, but there is still light and the brokenness still has a chance to become beautiful.
Sean Brogan is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind his character’s
Development? First off, thank you for being so kind! I love Sean. He’s my baby. I wanted him to come to terms with facing his own humanity but realize he wasn’t alone in the first place. When you go through dark times you can be deceived into thinking you’re alone — which is so far from the truth. There’s a moment in ASIT when Sean is hit with the realization there was someone who was walking alongside him, and it was a very powerful moment for me personally. I’m always writing to answer my own questions, and that’s what happened with Sean’s character — to direct a broken character who has felt alone all his life to suddenly realize that there was someone who understood.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
You are never alone. That there is beauty in brokenness. That healing is possible. That sometimes you have to let people meet you in your darkness. Oftentimes we hide our brokenness out of shame or fear, and I wanted people to realize that to heal sometimes means admitting how human we are.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Haha, I wish I knew. Life has been insane for me, but I’m working on two different books — one being the second book following ASIT. So we shall see…
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
He plans to slip into the sleepy town of Lake Fort, West Virginia as quietly as he did ten years before, but his life has never gone as planned. Sean never expects to see Rina, the blue-haired sister of his childhood best friend who makes it her mission to rescue the lost things. A hopeful dreamer who sits on the roof and watches the sunset, she represents all the things that he has lost. As Sean spends time in the lakeside town that has haunted his dreams since he was a little boy, he has no choice but to face the pain that he buried from a life cut off too soon. In the blink of an eye, with a gun to his head, Sean is forced to confront what it means to fight for the will to live when your world has gone dark.
An anthem for those of us who have been left behind, A Study in Terminal is a vulnerable story about the human condition that reminds us that to beat your past, you first must turn around and face it.
A Star Upon a Dream
A Star Upon a Dream, written by elementary school teacher and former wrestler Kendall T. Newell, is a short and vibrant children’s book about a child’s internal dilemmas and insecurities as her class mates taunt her on the day of the school’s professional job fair, and how her loving father kindly helped her tackle the issue.
Meleah is a little girl who is thoroughly excited about Career Day. She still has no clue what profession she would like to pursue and hopes that the talks by adults in different areas of work will shed some light on the matter. Encouraged by her father, she leaves for school with the highest of hopes. However, her spirits suffer a blow when her classmates challenge each of her suggestions of possible professions she might pursue. That night, her father comes to the rescue and uses the starry night sky as a canvas to explain how each person is unique and can achieve their dreams in their own way.
The final section conveys the book’s key message, which is to highlight to children – who are especially sensitive to criticism and may struggle in handling it with care – that any third-party opinions should not obscure their objectives and wishes. In a world where kids are frequently exposed to television, the internet, and other forms of media that facilitate comparisons to be made, such as the ones Maleah suffered by her peers, this message is particularly noteworthy.
A Star Upon a Dream is a heartwarming children’s book about learning to believe in yourself and that no two people have to follow the same path, even if they are headed in the same direction. It is written ideally for the preteen age group and covers emotional topics they will encounter in today’s world. This is an excellent book to use to open up the discussion of peer pressure, bullying, and self-confidence.
Pages: 54 | ASIN: B09C7DYFB1
A Study in Terminal
At only 19, Sean Brogan already knew more than his fair share of hardships. Childhood trauma, poor life choices, and the burning need to just feel loved had led him down a path that twisted and turned until it became a maze he could no longer escape. Now, faced with the tenth anniversary of the event that had shaped every current facet of his life, Sean makes the decision to face the demons he’s always avoided in a battle he has no expectations of winning. As he rides into a home he hasn’t seen in years, he is forced to realize all over again that life won’t always follow the path you laid.
A Study in Terminal by Kara Linaburg is a story about lost childhood, guilt, regret, depression, and the redemption that can possibly come from confronting each of them head on. The book pulls no punches from the very first page, opening with Sean as he prepares himself for death, then continues on to illuminate his journey to that point, often in a tone of gut-wrenching honesty. Linaburg uses frequent flashbacks to build tension and mystery about Sean’s life, teasing the events that have brought him to the present moment in time and giving the book an air of intrigue that makes the heavy subject matter take less of a mental toll.
At its core, A Study in Terminal explores the theme of death and all the associated traumas that come with one that is both unexpected and violent. However, it doesn’t neglect to shine a light on the other side of the coin and eventually also touches on ideas of self-love, acceptance, and the power that comes from forgiveness. It manages to pack a lot of layers into its pages without creating confusion or slowing down the action. As a result, Linaburg has created a tightly wound and efficient story where even the most minor characters play an important role to the plot progression and have an impactful place in Sean’s life.
If I have any criticism of the book, it’s only that Linaburg was so good at building tension and pacing her reveals that I almost expected something more nefarious and scandalous to be in Sean’s past. I loved the references to his famous, distant family relation and I would have enjoyed more of an exploration into that, although I completely understand why it would not have made sense in the context of the narrative. This book gets a an easy recommendation from me!
Pages: 211 | ASIN : B09PMK43V7
Garrett Bear: Finding Goals
Garrett Bear is a young bear attending the Character Zchool in the land of Character Jungle. Today in class, the students learn what a goal is and the difference between good and bad goals. Garrett’s first goal is to have 100 pots of honey. He realizes this may not be a good idea and should consider a new goal. Not knowing what to pick as a goal, he asks his friends and tries out what they want to do for their goal. After failing at several things, he goes home discouraged. There, his mom gives him sage advice, to think and look with his heart for the right goal for him, and not to try and live up to other people’s goals. Doing this, Garrett figures out what his goal will be.
Garrett Bear: Finding Goals by author K. Tang is a beautiful picture book that will capture children’s attention from the opening pages. All the animals in the Character Zchool have charming personalities and friendly attitudes. They all want to help each other, starting off this children’s story with a great moral message. The main focus of this educational story is to teach the concept of goal-setting and developing perseverance so that children can build on these skills later in life.
This imaginative world is brought to life by the charismatic illustrations of Michelle C. The characters will draw young readers into the pages and help them grasp the message that K. Tang is presenting. The world of Character Jungle comes to life, allowing readers to feel like they are part of the story as they follow Garrett through the process of finding a goal.
Garrett Bear: Finding Goals is a captivating picture book that teachers, caregivers, and parents can all use to help explain the concept of goals and how to set them for children. This educational children’s book is ideal for kindergarten and lower elementary students, but the message is also meaningful for older elementary students.
Pages: 32 | ISBN : 1737032600
Be True to Yourself
Journey into the Shadow and the Sunshine takes readers through your emotions as you battle depression. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Depression is a soul-destroying condition. It permeates every aspect of a person’s life. If it is clinical depression, it can be extremely challenging to overcome. Its pervasive nature changes a person from the inside out, so sufferers who make it to the other side are very different people to those who went into it.
My depression lasted ten years. Coming out of it as a young person in my early twenties, that was half my life. That decade was so transformative and profound that the lessons I learned—including new ways of behaving and thinking—remain my core approaches, today.
Journey into the Shadow and the Sunshine was an important book for me to write because my experiences are shared by many others: sadly, the frequency of depression remains very high, and although the triggers and causes may differ, the resultant reactions of being stuck, feeling anxiety and fear, having panic attacks and thinking suicidal thoughts are all too common.
I have a wealth of raw materials which provide a first-hand account of what it is like to be in the depth of depression, and it is now time for me to ‘pass it forward’ in a way that hopefully will assist others: fellow-sufferers whose experiences are validated through seeing them mirrored in my book; and people without direct experience who gain insight into what it is like to be in that position.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story through poetry. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest thing to write about was suicidal ideation, because people thinking these dark thoughts are the closest they can be to madness without actually being locked up. It’s terrifying to have such thoughts invade the mind, unbidden and unwelcome, unable to be stopped. When I finally crawled out the other side of my darkest days and could reflect on my past with some distance, it was petrifying to realise how unwell I had been, how deep I had sunk and how out of control my situation had been … especially when I realised the danger that had put me in. It’s challenging to come face-to-face with the reality that I actively considered death a better option to life, because that is the ultimate end-game that most people don’t go to willingly.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
Be true to yourself: ultimately, the only person anyone needs to answer to is themselves. All the kindly-provided advice and help from others amounts to little if it doesn’t feel right in your gut, so listen to your instincts and be guided by your intuition.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have ideas for several books, in various formats, which are parked at the moment. My next project is a memoir of my mother, integrating other key influences in my life. My mother is an inspiration, a trailblazer in many ways, and her life deserves to be heard about by more than her family circle.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon | Reedsy | ArtsHub | Readers Favorite
Sustained effort is required to rise out of depression once it is established as a daily state of being. The poetry and artwork in this collection exemplify the resilience required to rise above the despair of mental ill-health, and with candour and sincerity depict the internal strength which facilitates reaching a place of well-being.
LITERARY TITAN 