Cover Image: Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don't Want to Talk About

Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don't Want to Talk About

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Member Reviews

This book is really good. I really enjoyed the unique perspective it offered. It is such a hard thing to go through and to find quality books on mental health issues. So to come across, it was a tremendous gift.

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Thank you for giving me the chance to read this. I wanted to like this but didn't. I'm not sure if I realized it would be written from a Christian perspective-nothing wrong with that just surprised. It is a topic that needs to be appropriately addressed in society particularly in religious/spiritual communities. Sharing his own experience helped.

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I really enjoyed the faith perspective on mental health in this book. So often it is hush hush in the church, when many people deal with it on a day-to-day basis. I also greatly appreciated the author's vulnerability in his writing.

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This is a great book that more Christians should read. Open discussions on depression and anxiety within the body of Christ is so important. This book adds helpful insight into this ever-timely topic so that more Christians will find practical answers for the mind.

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I haven't read a lot of books from a Christian perspective on mental health and illness, because many of them have been filled with platitudes or overspiritualized the struggle. I am so glad that I didn't let those hesitancies stop me from reading Ryan Waller's book.

This book is honest, vulnerable and practical. It is filled with theological truth, reads like a coffee meeting with a good friend, but also answers questions about a lot of clinical practices like therapy and medication that many struggling be facing.

Everyone should read this book.

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The best way to describe this read is that it is a huge gulp of fresh air. Anxiety, depression, and mental illness are such stigmatized things. It's so wonderful to read a book that leans into a compassionate view of mental health and gives explanations for things that no one else is willing to talk about. I didn't really realize this was a Christian book until I began to read it, which was a nice surprise. I would recommend making that more clear in the marketing for the book!

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Several people have brought up the fact it's encouraging to get advice from someone who's actually experienced the struggle you're facing, and that there are things which only a "fellow sufferer" can tell you. Waller really dives into that idea, alternating between telling you his journey through depression and alcoholism with sections of advice and guidelines for finding better mental health. The combination is very refreshing, well worth reading.

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After reading the first few pages, I almost stopped reading. He tells of his experience coming to church, as a pastor, drunk, and I cannot relate to that at all and wondered if the whole book would relate mental illness to drug and alcohol abuse, which are non-applicable to myself and just wasn't what I expected.

Fortunately, the book did not just focus on that but began to apply more and more as I kept reading. Additionally, I found that I could also replace alcohol with other vices, such as food. While not exactly the same, the root of the addiction is similar enough to empathize with his situation, even if it was different than my own.

I really enjoyed this book overall! It looks at mental illness from a Christian viewpoint. I have read a lot of books on the subject since I have suffered from depression and anxiety since I was a child, and a lot of books tend to either be completely agnostic and claim that therapy and drugs are the only remedy, while there are some religious ones that claim you can make it all go away by just praying or becoming closer to God. I don't agree with either of those stances, and thankfully, Waller doesn't either. He recognizes that mental illness, like physical illness, is a condition of life. It is not a punishment from God, a sign one is not close enough to Him, or anything of the sort. God recognizes our challenges and while they are not usually completely lifted, He does support us and is there with us so we are not alone. This is akin to what I have always been taught and felt, but different than the usual black or white I have read in other books.

He details the loneliness, exhaustion, and apathy that mental illness can cause quite well and points out how it doesn't discriminate and can affect anyone. He covers multiple paths to recover and getting help while also acknowledging the trajectory that is depression. Those with it understand that it never truly goes away, or is cured, but requires vigilance and constant self checks. I learned a lot of new tips and tricks in this book and really enjoyed reading from the perspective of someone who understands, in a way, how I feel.

I didn't necessarily agree with 100% of what he wrote, but I think it is a great book with tons of wonderful insight that can be gleaned.

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I felt like this book was speaking directly to me and I am so thankful I had the chance to read this. Even if you do not struggle with anxiety or depression, it's a good way to educate yourself and learn a little bit about people who do and what they may be thinking and/or feeling. Their is inclusion of God and the Bible which I personally enjoyed but I know others may not appreciate that like I did. Thank you to #netgalley and Ryan Casey Waller for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest review.

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I learned a lot from this book. The author uses his own story of depression and anxiety to illustrate many truths about that type of mental illness which affects many more people than we realize. I also love that the author connects clinical information about depression with a relationship with God that is real and personal. Depression does not mean the absence of God; it just means those who suffer from it can turn to a God who loves them and who will walk with them in their time of darkness. The author also encourages churches to remove the stigma of mental illness in order to encourage people to fine hope and healing within its doors and among its people. If you struggle with depression, or if you know someone who does, I encourage you to read this book.

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I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was extremely helpful. I appreciated the author’s transparency - it couldn’t have been easy. I think anyone who leads in ministry should read this: either for help for themselves or to help them help others.

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You don't get a lot of books that tackle mental illness from a spiritual perspective, and I appreciated this book a ton for that. Would recommend for anyone who struggles with mental health or has a loved one who does.

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As someone who has personally dealt with depression and anxiety, I was very interested to read this book. The author does a really good job of explaining what potential causes and treatments are as well as working in how it relates to our lives as Christians. There were definitely things that I could relate to in this book and things that I found helpful. From the title, I expected the book to talk more about how to bring these issues more to the forefront and get people talking about them, but there wasn't a whole lot of that.

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This book felt like it was written for me. As a practicing Christian who struggles with mental health, I've often felt angry and hopeless about the lack of conversation about mental health in our religion. The solution is to pray - but this is usually not enough, given that issues like depression are caused by hormone imbalances. This is biology as much as mood stability and purity of the soul.

Ryan Casey Waller is a really interesting person because he's a pastor, mental health practitioner, and a sufferer of mental issues at the same time. His writing is authentic and personal and I think readers will relate to it a lot. I highly recommend the chapter: "Why Does God Allow Mental Illness" which I found most useful, but actually all the chapters very informative, analytical AND intimate.

One thing I would have changed is the emphasis on church. I couldn't relate to it as a Catholic. I wished some of these fragments were replaced with thoughts on religion and mental health instead of church. Nonetheless, I found this book very useful and would still recommend it to everyone puzzled by the same issues.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Ryan Casey Waller, pastor and therapist, has written this excellent guidebook for anyone who is struggling with depression/anxiety or loves someone who is on their own mental health journey. I appreciated his candor and transparency, and was moved by the personal anecdotes he shared. In "Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don't Want to Talk About", Waller does a fantastic job weaving psychology and Biblical principles together. He also writes about the difficulties Christians in particular have with being honest about their mental health struggles. I would highly recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

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A very practical book with information that will be helpful to many people. The explanation and descriptions relate to people who have and are suffering as well as people watching others suffer. It was an encouraging read. I recommend this to many.

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**I received an ARC from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The best thing about this book was how the author made the argument that it's important for churches to openly talk about mental illness and incouraged providing support for those suffering with different types of mental illnesses and not making them feel like an outcast. Especially in the church.

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How frustrating is it to be told by all the different sources the things you must do to be successful in life? This book definitely does NOT do that. It instead takes an empathetic approach and gives bite size approaches and allows you to have kindness and patience with yourself when dealing with life. This is so necessary for everyone to read in life. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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This is a great book for someone who is just recently learning about their mental health issues, especially anyone who came from a Christian tradition that (unfortunately!) does not give much credence to them.

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This book is for anyone that needs a pick me up or to read about someone struggling with depression or anxiety. I was not able to finish the book bc it hit too close to home. I do think that this book is for people who need some help with knowing there are others like them out there.

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