Accidently read Styron's "Darkness Visible"

[MsAmerica]

It was being discarded, and I'd heard so much about it - plus which it was short, and I needed something lightweight that I could read on the bus. It didn't bowl me over as I night have expected, but I can see where there might have been a big fuss when it came out because of the intense description of his depression, the twisting of his "mind's labyrinth." But it doesn't really have anything about the etiology or recovery.

The most interesting tidbit is that, even though he believes that therapy can help, he believes that depression is a disease that runs its course. Implying that even if you do absolutely nothing, if you can hang on, you'll get through it. No idea if that's true, but it's the first time I ever heard that.

Anyone else heard that?

Implying that even if you do absolutely nothing, if you can hang on, you'll get through it

That's so daft. How long exactly constitutes "hanging on"?
Those that commit suicide hang on until they cannot hang on any longer. Often they've been going through depression for years or decades.
It's a load of absolute sounds-clever-but-is-a-load-of-crap-if-you-give-it-more-than-a-seconds-thought nonsense.

Well, I think he may not be right in all cases - but I also think you may not be right in all cases. For instance, some people commit suicide, or try to, during a temporary moment when things seem worse.
It's about his personal experience, and apparently tons of people thought it was helpful and rang true.

If it's a temporary moment then it's not depresssion is it? Depression is over a period of time, not a 'moment'.

Many people believe horoscopes are right and/or ring true because 'personal experience'.

Are you well at the moment?

Thank you for so kindly asking if I'm well. Yes. I read the book not because of any depression of my own, but because it's a famous book by a famous author, and I happened to stumble across a free copy.

But I think I'll disagree with you. Depression can certainly be temporary. It's not necessarily a life-long affliction, regardless of whether caused by a biochemical imbalance or by a distressing life situation.