Gwyneth Lewis’ book about her experience of depression is in sharp contrast to those of William Styron or Stuart Sutherland. It is longer than both of the others but in smaller bite-sized chunks of reminiscence or description, or suggested rules for the depressed, or guidelines for carers, all interspersed with bizarre newspaper stories, and quotations from authors ranging from Kirkegaard to Lewis Carroll. Running through it all is a positive thought that may not be shared by all who have experienced depression. This thought is that her depression came out of an internal contradiction within her original way of life, and that depression was the body-mind’s method of forcing her to reappraise and change before something more serious occurred.
Genetics, body chemistry, use of alcohol and drugs, even the creative personality, all seem to contribute to a predisposition to depression. Lewis tells of the history of depression running through her mother’s family, confirming the genetic element. She describes her reliance on alcohol to cope with her doubts about her poetry and career. A sudden reduction in alcohol consumption and the body’s tolerance to alcohol, was a common factor in both Styron’s and Lewis’ depressions.
There are some commonalities in the subjective accounts of depression, even amidst the particularity and individual memories. Physical symptoms such as sleep disturbance, profound fatigue, and vertigo are described vividly by Lewis – indeed she describes prolonged sea-sickness as the closest comparison to depression due to an external illness. Psychological symptoms include loss of self-worth, and hopelessness.
Gwyneth Lewis is a poet, so it is perhaps not surprising that one of the strengths of this book lies in the metaphors and images that she uses to describe what depression is like for those who have not experienced it. That she had to all intents died and remained as a ghost, is an image that recurs: she cannot feel, she does not think, she cannot remember, so she must be dead. Some of those images occurred to her during the period of acute depression, and some are later attempts to describe the symptoms that are indescribable. One of the problems of writing about acute depression is that it can only be done retrospectively. As Lewis explains, words are an effort, talking with friends is an effort, writing is worse. ‘It was beyond me how other people could talk so much.’
The chapter on dogs, weather and surfing is an entertaining description of the recovery and rehabilitation process. Everyone is no doubt different in what suits their recovery, but this chapter gives many anecdotes from which we can understand the basic principles: rest, space, kindness.
This is highly recommended for anyone wanting to understand depression, for anyone merging from depression, and for any carers of people with depression.
Gwyneth Lewis (2002) Sunbathing In the Rain, London, Flamingo
Audiobook is available here: https://listening-books.overdrive.com/media/492250
This book is a very well-written piece of work by Gwyneth Lewis mainly drawing upon the experiences she went through when she was in depression. Throughout the chapters she has mentioned factors which could predispose an individual towards depression such as, genetic susceptibility and dependancy of the individual on alcohol and drugs. Most importantly, this book has helped me realize what exactly occurs in depression and how to identify people going through the same. This book can be very useful for relatives and carers of people who are going through depression, so that they know how to support and be patient with them as they are not doing anything on purpose and they genuinely cannot put their feelings into words. The analogy which she has made about the broken Japanese plate seems very positive as she has said that the Japanese people would deliberately break the plates so that it could be restored to something much better than the original. She has said depression is somewhat similar, the ones who have survived through it have a much better life now would never give that away for anything. Therefore overall, it is indeed a very cheerful book about how the depressive episode made her emerge as a very strong person.