A Cure for Darkness: The Story of Depression and How We Treat It, Paperback/Alex Riley

A fascinating, "rich, and generous" (Financial Times) look at the treatment of depression by an award-winning science writer that blends popular science, narrative history, and memoir.Is depression a persistent low mood, or is it a range of symptoms? Can it be expressed through a single diagnosis, or does depression actually refer to a diversity of mental disorders? Is there, or will there ever be, a cure? In seeking the answers to these questions, Riley finds a rich history of ideas and treatments--and takes the reader on a gripping narrative journey, packed with fascinating stories like the junior doctor who discovered that some of the first antidepressants had a deadly reaction with cheese. "Interweaving memoir, case histories, and accounts of new therapies, Riley anatomizes what is still a fairly young science, and a troubled one" (The New Yorker). Reporting on the field of global mental health from its colonial past to the present day, Riley highlights a range of scalable therapies, including how a group of grandmothers stands on the frontline of a mental health revolution. Hopeful, fascinating, and profound, A Cure for Darkness is "recommended reading for anyone with even a peripheral interest in depression" (Washington Examiner). Alex Riley is an award-winning science writer living in Bristol, UK. His work has been published by Aeon Magazine , the BBC, The Guardian , PBS's NOVA Next , and New Scientist , among others. In 2019, he received a best feature award from the Association of British Science Writers for his reporting on The Friendship Bench, a project that provides mental healthcare to low-income communities in Zimbabwe and has been adopted in countries around the world. Book specifications: Dimensions: 208 x 140 Author: Alex Riley Cover type: Paperback Publishing Year: 2022 Publishing Month: 3 Pages: 464 Language: English Publisher: Scribner Book Company Weight: 408 g