Free Downloads Shadows In The Sun: Healing From Depression And Finding The Light Within
As a young girl in Bangalore, Gayathri was surrounded by the fragrance of jasmine and flickering oil lamps, her family protected by Hindu gods and goddesses. But as she grew older, demons came forth from the dark corners of her idyllic kingdom--with the scariest creatures lurking within her.The daughter of a respected Brahmin family, Gayathri began to feel different. "I can hardly eat, sleep, or think straight. The only thing I can do is cry unending tears." Her parents insisted it was all in her head. Because traditional Indian culture had no concept of depression as an illness, no doctor could diagnose and no medicine could heal her mysterious malady.This memoir traces Gayathri's courageous battle with the depression that consumed her from adolescence through marriage and a move to the United States. It was only after the birth of her first child, when her husband discovered her in the backyard "clawing the earth furiously with my bare hands, intent on digging a grave so that I could bury myself alive," that she finally found help. After a stay in a psych ward she eventually found "the light within," an emotional and spiritual awakening from the darkness of her tortured mind.Gayathri's inspiring story provides a first-of-its-kind cross-cultural view of mental illness--how it is regarded in India and in America, and how she drew on both her rich Hindu heritage and Western medicine to find healing.
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Hazelden (March 4, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616494751
ISBN-13: 978-1616494759
Product Dimensions: 1 x 6.2 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #657,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #32 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Postpartum Depression #816 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Depression #3112 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Women's Health
I also read this book in a day. Then I reread my favorite parts the next day. It was available through a pre release book selection from my local library via my account.It takes a surprising turn from the beginning to the end.It starts as a semi-autobiographical novel of sorts, about the daily life of a young girl who bobs her hair, wears miniskirts and rebels, then dons a sari, gets married and moves to the United States. Her first impressions of America are quite funny. It gently coaxes the reader into the world of a woman who experiences depression and anxiety and then how she manages with the illness and not only overcomes the pain and suffering but succeeds in becoming a spokesperson and takes a leadership role for those who suffer as she did.The compelling story morphs into a helpful book without being too complicated or instructional.The story is uplifting in every aspect and that was skillfully done considering the main theme was fighting mental illness.I read a lot of novels and this book provides both an interesting story line and the possible benefit of some therapeutic information as well as hope for those struggling. The end of the book lists some helpful resources and has consideration for alternative therapies. Shadows in the Sun: Healing from Depression and Finding the Light Within
Could not put the book down, but I read a few pages at a time. The colors of India come alive, its bells ring gently and the aromas waft a little longer. Whether you read this book as a fellow traveller on this long and yet beautiful journey of constant healing or someone with a blessed heart that wants to know more about those amongst us to whom the gods gave mansions to own but light bulbs that occasionally didn't work in dark nights.Buy it, read it. This book is a must read for South Asians, for it will wash away the layers of prejudice that may have been accumulated inadvertently .There are few words in hindi, hold on to them they reveal their meaning to you.
“A truly masterful piece of work! This strikingly honest memoir gives a deeply personal insight into one woman’s experience with depression in the US and in India. Anyone living in any country will be hooked as I was to this stunning narrative that reveals Gayathri’s day-to-day struggle with depression through times of unrelenting despair, to a truly fascinating and momentous road to recovery and a life devoted to mental health advocacy.”—Delaney Ruston, MD, Fulbright Scholar, Filmmaker, and Mental Health Advocate
Gayathri's passion as a professional advocate for mental health is grounded by her genuinely personal life story, first as an adolescent, then as a wife and finally as a parent. As she unwinds the gut wrenching depth of her despair in the face of social norms and inability to articulate a shadowy sickness, the reader is her co-traveller across the east west cultural divide. It leaves one in awe of the power of the mind to imagine and overcome. A must read for the sociologist and humanist in all of us.
This is an amazing journey that anyone who has experienced depression will resonate with. If you feel alone in your suffering, read this book! If you know someone suffering with depression and need insight into what they are experiencing, read this book! It is beautifully written, painfully honest, and I swear, I could not put it down. And layered beneath the story of one woman's struggle to cope with recurrent, debilitating depression, are the sights and sounds and smells of the Indian culture. The imagery is rich and colorful and the story is inspirational. I loved this book.
Like any good story, “Shadows in the Sun” took me on a journey that provoked all of my senses. Along the way, I experienced Gayathri’s odyssey most eloquently in my heart. In recounting her experience with depression, Gayathri’s memoir is for anyone affected by depression themselves, for their loved ones, and for professionals seeking to help them. With 450 million suffering from mental disorders worldwide and 350 million struggling with depression, Gayathri’s story of hope is one that the world needs to hear right now.
By her courageous willingness to share her most private horrors, Gayathri Ramprasad will touch many hearts. In addition to helping people with depression feel hope and companionship in their sorrows, this memoir will touch the caregivers—both family members and service providers. Ramprasad sheds light on the person in the darkness, providing a reminder that depression is a matter of life and death, that this illness casts a very wide shadow, and that even the smallest spark of hope can light the candle that guides the way back from despair to recovery and wellness.
Gayathri Ramprasad pulls back the veil of stigma surrounding her life as an Indian woman to invite us into her very personal struggle with a life-threatening illness. This is a beautifully written tale, exotic yet terrifyingly familiar. SHADOWS IN THE SUN reminds us how closely we are interconnected and how we all have a stake in the mental wellness of everyone on our planet. Read it and share! Cinda Johnson, author, professor
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