My friend wrote a book...

Click to purchase! Only $2.99 on Kindle.

"Infused with quirky personality and acquainted with human frailty, this book provides a quick-read, informational guide to help those suffering with depression and suicidal ideation. Pairing a graduate education in counseling with a personal experience in depression, the author offers a warm, comically medicinal escape from overwhelming moments of darkness."

...and you probably want to read it. Here's why:

Whether you're one of the many of us who's become acquainted with the debilitating weight of this struggle personally or one of the many who's walked with us (your loved ones, coworkers, friends, patients, etc.) through the depths, few of us are left as strangers to depression these days. And whatever category you might find yourself in, I strongly recommend this short-but-valuable ebook to you. I often say that the only thing as hard as being depressed is loving someone who is. I stand by that and think that this book is valuable to those in both positions. I appreciate Becca's voice which is no different in written word than in person...communicating undeniable empathy with the person at hand, while somehow maintaining an enlivening levity, hope, and humor even while addressing such difficult realities as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.

Thank you to my friend Becca Weingard for her words, for being brave and generous enough to share them, and for sharing them so honestly in her own voice...that, as usual, is just the best mix of realness, honesty, empathy, practicality, hope, and the goofiest goofiness. For me (and so many of the people I love most), the beasts of depression and suicidal ideation are no stranger, and this book & Becca's blog resonate as deeply right, true to the experience, and as an always-valuable reminder that I haven't been/won't be alone in those seasons and that there are practical ways to move out of them. Becca was a huge part of my surviving my first major depressive episode years ago simply through her friendship, for which I'm deeply indebted with gratitude. I'm so glad to be able to "share the wealth" with so many more of you now through her writing.

So if you are or have experienced depression, please consider reading. If you've known and loved (or lost) someone who's experienced depression, please consider reading. And if you're the person who'd never sit down to willingly read or learn more about 'heavy' topics such as this but might need to know more, please consider making this the one resource you take the time to read. I think it's brevity and balance will prove to be the sort of container for this content that works for you.