Monochrome Days: A First-Hand Account of One Teenager's Experience with Depression »

Cait Irwin is an artist and lives in northern Wisconsin. She also serves as a spokesperson for the Suicide Prevention Action Network USA, and is the author of Conquering the Beast Within: How I Fought Depression and Won and How You Can, Too, an illustrated book about depression.

Dwight L. Evans, M.D., the medical adviser for Monochrome Days, is the Ruth Meltzer Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Professor of Psychiatry, Medicine and Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He is the lead author of If Your Adolescent Has Depression or Bipolar Disorder: An Essential Resource for Parents.

Linda Wasmer Andrews is a freelance health and psychology writer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is the co-author of If Your Adolescent Has Depression or Bipolar Disorder: An Essential Resource for Parents as well as the author or co-author of eight other books, including Stress Control for Peace of Mind. Her writing has appeared in magazines such as Self, Parenting and Psychology Today.

If you are one of the nearly twenty percent of adolescents who experience the symptoms of major depression before the end of high school, then you are probably already familiar with the sadness, isolation, and confusion that depression can bring. You may have questions about symptoms, medications, treatments, and how to deal with depression at school and at home. Monochrome Days: A Firsthand Account of One Teenager's Experience with Depression was written specifically for you.

Cait Irwin was diagnosed with major depression at the age of fourteen, and she nearly lost her battle with the illness before she was able to receive the treatment she so desperately needed. In Monochrom Days, Irwin, now an adult and a successful artist, shares her experiences as a young woman who suffered from a crippling depression but was able to recover with the help of a supportive family and expert psychiatric care. In telling her remarkable story, Irwin and science writer Linda Andrews explain what is currently known about major depression in adolescents, demystifying the often confusing science behind the illness. In easy-to-understand language, the book also
-Provides an accessible yet in-depth look at the causes, treatment, and management of depression -Discusses such difficult topics as psychiatric hospitalization and antidepressant medications -Offers tips on how to deal with depression both at school and at home, and how to talk about it to teachers, family, and friends Thoughtful, inspiring, and full of practical wisdom, Monochrome Days is both a compelling memoir and a useful resource that will help to ease the pain of major depression. Cait Irwin's story is one that offers hope and guidance that you yourself can use to overcome the challenges of this illness, and go on to lead a healthy, productive life.

KLIATT

While this is not Cait Irwin's first book about her experience with major depressive illness, it is both a summary of what she experienced and a direct attempt to aid other teens who suffer through a major depression. She does not write alone in her attempt to communicate with other teen depressives, but has on her writing team a psychiatrist and a journalist, who specializes in writing on mental health issues. Each chapter has two sections. In the first, entitled "My Story," Irwin recounts in sometimes-painful detail the saga of her downslide into a deep depression in the summer between the 8th and 9th grades. In the second section, "The Big Picture," she shifts into an analysis of what was happening to her, suggestions for appropriate actions, and possible treatment alternatives. Thus, this little book is also a manual, a guide for teens experiencing depression. Toward the end, there is an FAQ section and lists of resources and service organizations. While Monochrome Days does not in any way provide all the help needed by a depressed teen, it certainly demonstrates to the reader that he or she is not alone in the experience of depression and that there are people and methods available to help. Age Range: Ages 12 to adult. REVIEWER: Patricia Moore (Vol. 42, No. 1)

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