“Depression is a Liar” The Danny Baker Story

Depression is a Liar is a memoir by Danny Baker about his struggles with Depression which took him down the road of alcoholism, substance abuse and many failed suicide attempts. He eventually succeeded in overcoming his Depression. The book caught my attention while browsing through Goodreads and can be said as a touching firsthand account, not too grave.

Looking back at my reading list, I’m quite surprised that I have never actually picked up many books about mental health. Even though this is an area I would like to get to know more accurately and have made failed attempts before to read books before especially “Quiet by Susan Cain”.

The book is an excellent recommendation to begin to get to know more into the sphere. According to the author, Depression is a Liar (the title of the book) as those who suffer through such a phase would feel that there is absolutely no cure from the stage and the continued spirals and bouts of Depression would convince them that this state of mind is something they will have to live with for the rest of their lives. Sadly, such a mindset would push many to not look out for the lifesaving options like therapy and self-help books from renowned experts available out there. The book also brings into picture the lack of awareness and the social stigma associated with mental health and states.

The book is narrated at a very relatable level as the author draws a clear picture of his days through years after joining the university with a scholarship.

I want to record here my significant takeaways from the book.

The author brings to our attention one major flaw at our attitude moving forward, leading an everyday life or trying to overcome all the spiralling negative emotions. We pin our happiness and confidence in the achievement of a goal or any form of external validation. The author illustrates with his experiences that one has to love and value oneself from inside. Happiness has to origin from inside us so that the external conditions will have least or reduced influence over our happiness and peace.

Very often, the reason people suffer from Depression is not entirely due to the situation their lives are in, but due to the way they think about their situation. Unless we take help at the pint, we may not be able to rewire our thoughts. To quote the author “You should be able to find elements of yourself that you love that will be there no matter what. That will let you love yourself no matter what” and “You need to focus more on the journey you’re on, and less on the end outcome”. Mindfulness should become part of us like our breath.