Colin Jacobs Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 In light of the new Tv advert looking to encourage employers to treat Depression fairly I wondered if reading has helped you through illness I used to suffer depression but what helped me through it was the amount of reading material I was given by friends and family. From music mags to Readers digest and National Geographic. The books I was given were never "Self help" books but they were it seemed, carefully chosen to cheer me up and help me through the illness. has reading helped you recover from an illness? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Reading helped me during my Ma's illness, it kept my mind busy, which it helped alot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 It can help when I've been depressed. But I have to be very careful what I read at such times. I have to pick kind of warm-hearted, optimistic stuff, by writers who are uplifting. Not necessarily light-hearted, (that can be equally unhelpful when my head's not straight) but nothing with a dark or unpleasant edge I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Maybe not illness as such but a couple of books did help me through bereavement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 It can help when I've been depressed. But I have to be very careful what I read at such times. I have to pick kind of warm-hearted, optimistic stuff, by writers who are uplifting. Not necessarily light-hearted, (that can be equally unhelpful when my head's not straight) but nothing with a dark or unpleasant edge I suppose. I was exactly the same Andrea, in fact I was reading very old-fashioned quite banal stuff that I normally wouldn't read, as I found it comforting. When very depressed though, I was unable to concentrate on reading at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Books have never 'helped' me through anything, except life in general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Well I guess 'life in general' covers depression too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Yeah but what I meant was, books never helped me through any specific illness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 I've always used books to escape 'life in general'. Books and hockey games. I'd be the happiest when reading between hockey periods*. *laughs* Wearing a pretty new pair of shoes, of course! * I've never brought a book to a game in real life. It's just about the biggest no-no there is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andaira Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I think that it depends on the level of strength that the illness has taken. I've suffered from depression, mildly, sporadically, and I turn either to music or books instantly. Whereas listening to angry or sad music would make things worse, reading is differently in such an occasion. Personally, for me, the type of book that I read doesn't matter. Reading in general does tend to soothe me and take me to the world inside the book and ease me a bit. So when I put the book down I do feel a bit better, and the recovery is aided. But again, I think it depends on the intensity of the illness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I've suffered from depression, mildly, sporadically, and I turn either to music or books instantly. Music is my thing. 2.5 years ago I literally immersed myself in all things Andrew McMahon for about 4 weeks. I hardly left my apartment, but I got over it and now I have a tattoo on my wrist representing my getting past it all with the help of Andrew's music Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andaira Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 That's amazing, Roxi. It just goes to show the power of an art form when one welcomes it in one's life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Indeed. I adore books, but I can relate to them and understand them on a basic level. Music I can't quite so much, it just IS that thing that goes deeper. Music IS the biggest thing in my life, by miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andaira Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I can definitely understand that, as music heals and soothes me on a level that books cannot (even though reading does help me and has helped me many times when I've needed something other than music, or something along with music). It's exactly why I think that it all depends on the person, and the force of any illness acquired. Glad to see you pulled through, Roxi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Glad to see you pulled through, Roxi. Pff I'm grand, twas no big deal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andaira Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 That's one wonderful way to look at it nonetheless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 During my bouts of depression/anxiety, certainly during my most recent episode, I hardly read because my concentration levels were terrible. When I did read, it helped a little but I did get very emotional about certain books. My concentration levels are back up now and I am reading a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I've always used books to escape 'life in general'. Books and hockey games. I'd be the happiest when reading between hockey periods*. *laughs* Wearing a pretty new pair of shoes, of course! * I've never brought a book to a game in real life. It's just about the biggest no-no there is. I've never had a serious illness in life, so can't say that books have helped me through anything like that. I will be the one to admit to bringing books to sporting events, though! My husband loooves sports and I'm just not a big fan, so I bring my book along and we both win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I've never had a serious illness in life, so can't say that books have helped me through anything like that.I will be the one to admit to bringing books to sporting events, though! My husband loooves sports and I'm just not a big fan, so I bring my book along and we both win. Oh no! *smacks her head to a wall* I so need to take you to a hockey game... Well, I've personally never had to go through a serious illness, but I did hit some hard times after maman died. (thus the years in therapy.) I hated where we lived, I hated everything, really, so all I did was school, read and, as we luckily lived in a NHL city, use DD's business seats to get some hockey. And by some I mean virtually every home game. After I came to Finland for high school, I used hockey to get my head out of all the school stuff (very academically demanding school, loads of work, loads of reading required, and very high expectations from parents and teachers alike) and give me a breather. So in a way you could say hockey saved my sanity (or what's left of it, anyways). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I've never had a serious illness, but when I had glandular fever (whilst at school) I stayed in bed and read a whole lot more than I would have been able to otherwise - it certainly kept my mind off feeling so grotty. Same when I got malnutrition (staying in the halls of residence at college - first term - LOL!). I ended up having to stay off for a couple of extra weeks after the Xmas hols and read all the books I'd got off Santa (which was a fair few!). Again, it helped me take my mind off things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I was signed off all of last Summer (about 4 months) and I read the whole time. It was a great distraction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I also suffer from depression, and reading does help me a lot. It gets me out of my own head and I'm allowed to indulge in someone else's life for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Its amazing how literature provides an escape for a large number of troubled people. I knew that before this thread anyway, isn't that what art is all about? Self expression and escaping from reality, perhaps finding a link to someone else's mind in the process? But it's still interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrainFreeze Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I've never had a serious physical illness but reading helped me through when my mum was ill - and through the months and years after she died too. I also have OCD and it's helped me focus on something else other than my compulsions and obsessions when they've got really bad - not always, but some is better than none. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I've never really been I'll that much, thank god. But if I was I would imagine that I would read lots, and that it would get me away from things. When I read now, it's usually either because I enjoy it, obviously, or I want to get away from things. I've mentioned before that I don't really talk to many people at school, hence being quite quiet. I have one best-friend who means the world to me, but that's all.. I can't really think of anyone else I would call a friend. So yeah, waffling aside, books help me get away from things, and I imagine they would if I was ill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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