Plagued by depression her entire life, it wasn’t until her early fifties that writer and book critic Bethanne Patrick, advocating for her own care, received a medical diagnosis that would set her on the path to wellness and stability.
Recognizing the intergenerational effects of trauma and mental health struggles, Patrick unearths the stories of her past in order to forge a better future for herself and her two daughters, dismantling the stigmas surrounding mental health challenges that can plague families into silence and resignation.
Life B is an intimate portrait we haven’t yet seen—of a lifelong struggle with depression, of midlife diagnosis and newly found strength. Most important, it’s a life-affirming blueprint of how to accept and transcend the limitations of mental illness.
Praise for Life B
"Insightful, honest, and ultimately life-affirming, Life B shines a light on a secret life many experience in shame and silence, and shows that it's never too late to take those first steps toward healing.”
— Lori Gottlieb, NYT bestselling author of Maybe Your Should Talk to Someone
“ Life B makes such a powerful and timely argument for finally dismantling our culture’s stigma around mental illness and disability.”
— James Tate Hill, author of
Blind Man’s Bluff
“In Life B, Bethanne Patrick takes readers on a harrowing journey to the cliff edge of suicidal despair, so that they might stare into the abyss of depression, and better understand this debilitating condition.”
— Adrienne Brodeur, author of
Wild Game:A Memoir
“Bethanne Patrick has long been a hero in the literary world — a tireless supporter of writers and writing. Now she has given us this brave, elegant work. It’s so good. Radical truth.”
– Luis Urrea, author of
The Devil’s Highway
Hello there. You may have read “Life B” or you may have read something about it and you know that it’s a memoir concerning my journey with double depression. “Overcoming Double Depression,” to be specific. I live with depression. I will never be “cured.” There are many treatments now for different types of depression, far more than there were when I was an adolescent and first knew that my deep and persistent low moods were something different from a temporary case of the blues. As it says in my book, I will be on medication for the rest of my life. (No need to spend a lot of time on this here, but I’m not a good candidate for trans-cranial magnetic therapy, for example.)
Medication for mental conditions has its advantages, and disadvantages. I am not a medical professional and I am not qualified to debate medication versus other treatments and therapies. This book is about my journey and about what works well for me with proper medical and professional supervision. I have a lot of support from family, friends, colleagues, caregivers, and my community. That’s a huge amount of privilege and at this point in my life I give thanks for it all every day.
If you are depressed (or have any other mental-health concern), I urge you to seek help, and, perhaps even more important, to accept help. Depression lies, and so does mania, and so does anxiety, and so on. These conditions, which can result from different combinations of genetics, trauma, stressors, and substances, do not tell us who we really are and who we can be when we become truly healthy.
Some resources that I trust:
Mental Health Resources
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
This may be the most important text in this book. If you are considering suicide, please call 988. That’s it: 988. You are not alone. You are never alone. Your life is worthwhile
The National Association for the Mentally Ill
NAMI, based in Northern Virginia and operating nationwide, has its own helpline: 800-950-6264, as well as an online chat at nami.org. The Association is an incredible resource for people who have mental illnesses, but also supports families and family members with resources, education, outreach, and more. NAMI helps children and adolescents, active-duty military and veterans, and frontline professionals whose own mental health may be affected by their roles.
The Anxiety & Depression Association of America
One of my psychiatrists told me “Once you treat a mental illness, you have to face the anxiety that lies beneath all mental illnesses.” Anxiety and depression often go hand-in-hand, and it’s crucial to look into the disorders (I wish there were a better word) that can affect anxiety, like obsessive-compulsive disorder. The ADAA is a great place to start if you want to learn more about your own depression and work with a doctor to treat it.