Towards the Light – Jeanne Els

TOWARDS THE LIGHT: Hope in the Face of Depression, by Jeanne Els. Lux Verbi BM, Wellington. 2008. 224pp.

Reviewed by Günther Simmermacher

Depression remains a grossly misunderstood condition. Those afflicted by it will have heard the default piece of advice: “Just snap out of it.”

Those dispensing such advice compound their arrogance with the false notion that depression is a matter of choice. If it was so easy to “snap out of it”, surely those living with depression would have done so of their own accord. Nobody chooses to be depressed.

Not all depression is the same. Its localised, reactive manifestation, usually sparked by a trauma (a love lost, death, failure, unemployment, stress), tends to pass as the individual processes these emotions, or as conditions improve (a new love, a new purpose, success, a new job, time-out), perhaps aided by temporary medication and therapy. Eventually, one does “snap out” of it, but not on command.

Clinical depression, which has many forms, is more misunderstood. This type of depression can be triggered by events or may appear spontaneously as a result of neuro-chemical imbalances, or often an aggregation of both.

Clinical depression can be treated, but many suffering from it do not seek treatment. Some are unaware that their melancholy may have a diagnosable and treatable cause; others are fearful of the stigma attached to mental conditions, and never seek help.

This book is particularly useful in addressing the gratuitous stigmatisation of depression as the author and well-known South Africans tell of their experiences—Depressives Unanonymous, so to speak.

Els, an Afrikaans journalist (the book originally was published in that language  as Ligdans), details her unexpected battle with acute depression in tormenting detail, right down to a suicide attempt and fleeting homicidal thoughts. Some passages of her courageous account are distressing.

Els was fortunate to receive the unconditional, loving support of her husband and teenage sons. Fortified with their love and understanding, as well as therapy and medication, she emerged blinkingly from her dark hell. Her crisply narrated story is interspersed with the candid accounts of prominent South Africans detailing their bouts, some still on-going, with depression. These include David Kramer, Vuyelwa Booi, Amoré Bekker and Conrad Sidego. They speak about their torment and struggle with the darkness (a recurring theme among those fighting depression is the absence of light, colour and space). Experts weigh in with explanations and advice.

In separate chapters, Els’ husband and sons write movingly about their experiences of being confronted with a loved one’s depression, as do relatives of some of the other contributors. These accounts are crucial: depression is not a solitary experience; others are also affected by it. They need to learn how to offer support while still coping with an intensely stressful situation—and require support themselves. Els’ family evidently did so admirably, even heroically.

Just as the causes of depression are variable, so are the ways of dealing with it. Some go the route of medical treatment or psychotherapy, others count on a strong support system, self-help programmes, art therapy or religious faith (the latter aspect is discussed in a chapter by a pastoral counsellor), or combinations of these.

This book is a most useful resource for those faced with depression, those fighting it and those close to them. It offers solidarity, support and sound advice.