Dr. Gary E Nelson
c/o Wipf and Stock Publishers
www.wipfandstock.com
www.survivingteendepression.com
199 West 8th Avenue, Suite 3
Eugene, OR 97401
541-344-1528
A Relentless Hope written by Dr. Gary Nelson is a book
about teen depression. This is not just an author writing
about something he was interested in; he's writing about
his son's depression and the struggles the family went
through for three years.
I really have enjoyed reading this book and gathered
quite a bit of information on the struggles of teen depression.
I realize there are families all over the world that
are probably struggling with this illness and don't even
know it. I personally, can think of two or three families
within my group of "homeschool friends" that may be going
through this and not realize yet what it is. If my own
family situation hadn't changed two years ago, I think
I would be dealing with this same illness. I've never
accepted the old adage that "it's just a phase" or the
child is just being "rebellious." Everything in a person's
life has a reason for being what it is. Depression presents
itself in a slow-moving set of stages, and sometimes
those stages include "phases" or rebellious behavior,
but there is a reason for that and there is a way to
move beyond it without having teens that are misbehaving
and getting into problems with the law. I like the way
Dr. Nelson puts things into a picture, as in this quote: "Do
you remember the last time you smashed a finger? It's
a truly weird sort of feeling. It hurts like crazy but
has almost a numb feeling all at the same time." I also
like the way he describes willpower: "The point is you
never want to have to use it, instead try to live your
life in a way that you can avoid that crisis." He goes
on to tell about his love for ice cream and says that
if he has a half-gallon in the freezer at home, his willpower
cannot withstand the temptation. So instead he buys a
smaller portion and enjoys it right away instead of taking
it home where he knows he cannot resist eating it. He
took the situation and put it into a more manageable
position. He uses this example to encourage the reader
not to rely on willpower to keep from hurting someone
with angry words or actions. Satan knows our weak points
better than we do ourselves, so he's going to be lurking
around to provoke those dark moments in our lives.
This book is a very informative read, even for parents
who don't have children going through this. If you love
digging into new realms, this book is good to read. On
the other hand, a person who is not of the Christ-believing
faith probably would not enjoy it. This book is written
in such a way that there should be some understanding
of Christianity. It's well worth the price and is a good
way to get a start with some help, if it's necessary.
Product review by Nancy King,
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November
2008
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