About a year ago, I posted some material on the new field of "bibliotherapy," the employment of literature "as a therapeutic tool." At the time, I disliked the idea -- or, at least, its execution; according to the BBC, the titles most likely to be "prescribed" were those "that act as an inspiration to help the reader forget their troubles, or those that will cheer them up by making them laugh." But, in my opinion and experience, misery loves company, and that love can be the start of mental health. When depressed, I want identification, not distraction.
Less objectionable is a new scheme in the UK to prescribe self-help books to patients who might otherwise recieve little to no treatment. "By the summer," the Guardian reports, "there will be 80 self-help clinics in Devon, all using books based on cognitive behavioural therapy." While the books won't solve the problems of the UK's mental health system, quotes like these (excepting the last sentence, and its attitude towards therapy) prove encouraging:
'The best thing about these books are they are full of case studies that make you realise you are not alone,' [one woman] said. 'Depression means you feel extremely isolated. [The books] also remove the stigma as you can do it in the privacy of your home. For me, the antidepressants stopped working but the book did not and it meant I was making myself better instead of relying on someone else.'Posted by nchicha at January 16, 2005 04:33 AM