Ghost In The House: Mothers, Children and Depression

Code: BK4293

  Thompson, Tracy
  2006
  Self-help books on health problems - F01
  Health & Lifestyle (F1-F6)

Description

This is the first book to address maternal depression as a lifelong illness that can have ramifications for both mother and child.The Ghost in the House is a book every woman and mother must read to help them through their depression. (2006) 252pp

Washington Post reporter Thompson wrote about her experience of depression as a young woman in The Beast. Now she shares her experiences as a mother struggling with depression, mirrored in her childhood memories of her own mother\'s depression.

All of this is filtered through research about the role of this cycle in families. Meandering anecdotes from the author and a survey of 400 mothers conducted by Sherryl Goodman of Emory University serve as both a strength and weakness of the book; they\'re instructive, but the various voices become confusing at times. Further, Thompson cites only evidence that \"validates\" her conclusions. And she may be too close to her subject.

Yes, motherhood is daunting and difficult, but not every overwhelmed mother is depressed, as Thompson seems to imply. The information Thompson offers on depression (symptoms such as withdrawing and hyperirritability) and coping (\"faith, friends, feeling like a child\") will help guide and support readers. Sporadic emphasis on how children are affected includes an account of a young boy whose migraines are linked to his mother\'s depression, and another suggesting that one mother never learned healthy parenting skills because of childhood experiences with her depressed mother. Taken cautiously, this book offers support for those in the midst of struggling.

Date reviewed

05/08/2008

PDF file not available

The item you have selected does not currently have an associated PDF file. AcuMedic apologise for the inconvenience. It is possible we are adding one soon.

Related Titles

The following titles have been selected by AcuMedic as being related or of similar interest to the item above. Click picture to view the item.

Customer Reviews

Currency information and approximate prices for BK4293