Dark Clouds Silver Lining

by Archibald D. Hart

Book Overview

Insightful, compassionate, and authoritative, Dark Clouds, Silver Linings offers practical help for those suffering from depression. Helps you understand depression, overcome its devastating effects,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1561792489
• ISBN13: 9781561792481
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A must-read for anyone who's depressed, Christian or not

This is the most helpful book I've ever read. If you suffer from depression (or love someone who does), this is a must-read. It will change your whole perspective on depression, will help you get through it, and could even save a life. I strongly feel that "Dark Clouds, Silver Linings" is appropriate for Christians and non-Christians alike. The basic facts of depression are not dependent upon a particular spiritual point of view. While Dr. Hart refers to God throughout, he does NOT say that the way to overcome depression is just to pray harder or trust God more. His suggestions are practical, effective, and based on years of experience as a researcher and a practicing psychiatrist. What I expected from a Christian book on depression was a guilt-inducing message like, "If you trusted God enough, you wouldn't be having this problem." Or perhaps, "Rejoice in the Lord always... and get moving." Instead, Dr. Hart explains how and why depression happens (and no, it's not a faith issue), and provides realistic ways to get through it. Dr. Hart's central idea about depression is that *most* of it happens for a reason. Depression is usually a reaction to a loss of some sort. Its purpose is to get you to STOP and FEEL the emotions connected to that loss. When you understand that, you can give yourself the space to heal the underlying issue(s). This is not to say that he recommends wallowing in a slimy mess of self-pity. He wants to help you heal the hurt, then get out of that mess and move forward. The author acknowledges that some forms of depression are biological in nature and respond best to medication. He sees medication as neither an evil nor a panacea. It's just a tool to combat a physiological problem. The style of the book makes the information very accessible to the average reader. The last thing you want to do when you are down in the dumps is wade through a heavy book that is full of abstract information. Dr. Hart seems to get that. He uses a Q & A style to keep the information clear, concise, relevant and easy to find. The book is not published on fancy paper, but give it a try. There is a silver lining out there, and this book will help you find it.