Books for depressed friend?

[Anonymous No.21749842]

Have a good buddy that’s dealing with a major depression episode (won’t leave his house, spends all day in bed, etc.). Want to give him a book to give him a different perspective on life. Is this even a good idea in the first place? Was thinking about “Meditations” since it is really basic and straightforward. To me Marcus Aurelius’s story is inspiring how he went from bastard to emperor but I can also see how a depressed person could take it the wrong way. Any suggestions /lit/? My friend is very materialistic, in the philosophical way not in the modern greedy way, so I do not want to get into anything too metaphysical.

[Anonymous No.21749859]

Bump, I read Meditations when I was depressed, and it provided me with a healthy mindset to emulate, so it's a good book to give someone once they're decided that they want to pull themselves out of the muck. But in the meantime, he might want something less intensive to read that'll still wake him up. I recommend Notes from the Underground by Dostoevsky. That book made me self consciousness enough to try and push myself out of my depression.

[Anonymous No.21749933]

>>21749842
It's pretty iffy whether you can read anything at all during a major depressive episode. I would binge Megg and Mogg and feel something resembling catharsis, numb to how fucked up it is. Get him Megahex. Real reading is for when you're stable and climbing out of hell.

[Anonymous No.21749955]

>>21749933
Yeah when I was in major depression mode I couldn't read shit. It was all equally pointless no matter what the content of the books was. The only thing that snapped me out of it was writing my thoughts out in a journal until I realized how lame I sounded. Once I got there It was either suicide or find something to live for. Thank allah Im such a coward.

[Anonymous No.21749979]

>>21749955
Journalling does work wonders as long as you reflect on it and see how bullshit it sounds. Sometimes you use it as "proof" of some sort of persistence of the thoughts and situation. Hence why trashy comics go over so well in the mental wards. A bit of diversion, a bit of hyperbolic truth, if it's genuinely depressive you feel like someone actually gets you and you snap out of it because you're reading about a stoner witch and her shitty roommates.

YA has some moments because it's so shitty, we crave nostalgia and garbage when at our worst. Breaking out Artemis Fowl wouldn't be out of place and would do more good than heavy lit you aren't going to read.

[cockler No.21749997]

sci-fi / fantasy bullshit is my default in depressive episodes. any story that distracts you from reality has the same effect.

[Anonymous No.21750216]

Thanks for the input looks like a blank book and a nice pen is the way to go. Free writing helps me sort out my feelings as well although I’ve never been actually depressed.

[Anonymous No.21750224]

>>21750216
Don't give some depressed asshole a blank book, it's like giving a wino hard liquor. Draw a dick in it at least.

[Anonymous No.21750553]

>>21749842
>To me Marcus Aurelius’s story is inspiring how he went from bastard to emperor but I can also see how a depressed person could take it the wrong way.
He could take it as advice - drinking opium all day.
Books don't really help with depression.

[Anonymous No.21751287]

>>21749842
Life for Sale

[Anonymous No.21752768]

>>21749842
Just get him some uplifting self-help books.

[Anonymous No.21752854]

>>21749842
>Want to give him a book to give him a different perspective on life
Maybe spend some time with him.

[Anonymous No.21752876]

>>21749842
"I Have Guns in My House, For Self-Defense" doesn't have the same impact

[Anonymous No.21752919]

>>21749842
Something funny, black humor, grotesque. Gotta double-negative short circuit that shit. Bataille, Burroughs, Alfred Jarry, Don Quixote even.

[Anonymous No.21752927]

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

[Anonymous No.21753043]

>>21749842
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, philosophy is a spook.

[Anonymous No.21753484]

>>21749842
My friend gave me the myth of sisyphus by camus because I've been depressed.
I don't know if it's helping though

>>21749997
Me too, I usually go for schlock when depressed since I don't have the effort for much else. Sometimes darker themed stories like A Scanner Darkly