Trafford Publishing: With Humour and Hope: Learning From Our Mothers' Depression and Alcoholism

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With Humour and Hope: Learning From Our Mothers' Depression and Alcoholism

by Christine Peets; co-published with CAPTIONS Communications

131 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #01-0366; ISBN 1-55212-964-0; US$18.50, C$21.50, EUR15.50, £11.00

We can learn from our family health problems, and move forward to a happier, healthier life.
Inspirational stories of breaking the patterns of depression and alcoholism passed on from mothers (and in some cases, fathers). This book tells, with humour, that there is hope for the future.

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about the book about the author reviews sample excerpt catalogue info

About the Book

This book tells, with humour, that there is hope for the future.
Read the inspirational stories of breaking the patterns of depression and alcoholism passed on from mothers (and in some cases, fathers). Research from literature and an analysis of the use of alcohol and drugs in popular culture help to put the personal stories into perspective.
Explore a number of techniques including both conventional and alternative medications and therapies: psychoanalysis, massage therapy, reiki, yoga, herbal remedies and chiropractic care these women are using to help them on their journey to healthier lives. See how diet influences mood.
Also included are reference charts, tables, a selective bibliography and list of resources for help.
"But it is the personal stories, sometimes funny, and other times sad and poignant that give this book its life," Christine says. "You either laugh, or you cry, and laughing is a lot more fun, although there is somthing to be said for a damn good cry being good for the soul."

About the Author

Christine Peets is a mother, writer, and researcher who lives with her husband, two sons, and their dog in Southeastern Ontario. Her work has been published in academic journals and a number of trade and consumer publications. This is her first book.

Reviews

The book With Humour and Hope, Learning from our Mothers' Depression and Alcoholism, by Christine Peets, addresses two important gender problems that are often surrounded by silence * alcoholism/substance abuse and depression. Only in the past quarter of a century have clinicians and researchers begun to publicly acknowledge that alcoholism and substance abuse in women are critical health and mental health issues that affect substantial numbers of women. These are issues that require treatment specific to women's needs.
Additionally, Ms. Peets has addressed another important mental health issue that has particular ramifications for women * that of depression. Substance abuse and depression are a dual diagnosis that affects a significant number of women. While often intertwined, each disease needs to be diagnosed and treated individually, as well as in combination.
While these diseases affect many women, they are often not recognized or diagnosed, either by the woman who is suffering from them, or by professionals. Many women cannot clearly identify what is bothering them and they often do not have the language with which to seek help and get the attention they require. This book provides a number of descriptions that can aid in this identification. There is not just one picture of an alcoholic woman; there are many. Because of its many manifestations, alcoholism is often difficult to identify by others and by the women themselves. Even with the identification, finding and asking for help is often a lonely and difficult task.
The same issues face women who are clinically depressed. While alcoholism and depression are different diseases, the identification of the condition and the seeking of help are the same * difficult.
Ms. Peets used the stories of others throughout the book, as well as openly describing her own experiences, and the very personal story of her mother and family. An important aspect of this book was the connection the author made between the effect of her mother's alcoholism and depression and her own life. Throughout the book, the author employed as illustrations and examples the many preventive steps that she has taken and will continue to take throughout her life. For people who want to interrupt the multigenerational effects of substance abuse and depression, this author demonstrates how she is doing it.
This short, 131 page, six chapter book also includes a selective bibliography and an extensive international resource list. The resource list includes substance abuse, health and mental health sources.
I congratulate Christine Peets for writing this book.
While it was clearly a cathartic activity for the author, the book can be used to help others recognize that they are not alone. This is a good book to add to the self-help shelves. While it is not academic, it is a good reading to add to a syllabus for classes on mental health and substance abuse in women.
This book was reviewed by Rivka Greenberg for the Journal of The Association for Research on Mothering (ARM), Fall/Winter 2002, Vol. 4, Number 2, "Mothering and Literature".
Rivka Greenburg, Ph.D., is an independent consultant working in the field of maternal, child, and family education and welfare, which encompasses infant mental health, special needs and substance abuse. She has worked in education, social services, and health care programs in the United States and abroad.

Napanee resident Christine Peets attempts to offer some humour and hope in her book, "Learning from Our Mothers' Depression and Alcoholism." Peets tells her own story and shares the stories of several other women.
"It's partly cathartic to help cope with my mother's death. It's partly to put her life and death in perspective. I'm 49 and I looked at what her life was like at my age," says Peets, who was in Sarnia visiting her aunt, Bette Kane.
Peets' mother died in September 2000 from diseases related to alcoholism and smoking. She began taking medication in her 30s, "supposedly to help her with occasional sleepless nights and control her blood pressure." She never talked about being diagnosed with depression and denied having a problem with alcohol. Within the last 10 years of her life, Peets' mother "crossed over that dark line from being a social drinker to being an alcoholic."
"She played a lot of sports. She had an active social life. Gradually that all fell away."
Like her mother, Peets also suffered from depression. The first episode was in 1980, five months after the birth of her first child. Another major bout was in 1985, one year after her second child's birth. There were mini episodes of depression in between.
"I did not feel well at all. I may not have been throwing up, or have any outward signs of illness. In fact, I probably looked fine, and everyone may have thought I was just weak, or being lazy. I was depressed, and it is an illness -- but one for which there is a cure," says Peets in the introduction.
While Peets sought the assistance of a doctor, her depressions were considered a "hormonal, chemical imbalance" in her brain. The doctor prescribed a course of anti-depressants for six months. She was never asked about a family history or given a referral to another professional.The episodes continued and almost cost Peets her marriage. She was later diagnosed with fibromyalgia and clinical depression. In the early '90s, after another serious bout of depression, Peets stopped taking medication and began alternative treatments such as yoga, chiropractic, reiki and massage as well as herbal remedies. She now sees a psychiatrist and has a "very good" family doctor.
Peets' biggest concern throughout the book is repeating the past."However, I do think about it. I have to. It is part of my genetic code, and I may not be able to change that, but I can alter how I deal with that history. I choose moving toward a healthy future," Peets says in the book.
While the two subjects of alcohol and depression may often go hand-in-hand, the book is not large enough to do a comprehensive job covering both subjects.
"With Humour and Hope: Learning From Our Mothers' Depression and Alcoholism" is easy to read and succeeds in its goal of offering hope. It should not be taken as a reference book. Peets quotes a few experts and always ends those quotes with "check with your doctor."
Peets has worked for community newspapers for 11 years and had articles published in academic journals and consumer publications. "With Humour and Hope: Learning from Other Mothers' Depression and Alcoholism" is her first book.
"I admire her for having the gumption to write it. I hope it helps other people -- to show that there is a way to end these illnesses if they affect you or someone you know. It is possible to forge a healthy future from an unhealthy past," says Kane.
"With Humour and Hope: Learning from Our Mothers' Depression and Alcoholism" is available at The Book Keeper in Northgate.

Sample Excerpt - From the Introduction
In doing the research for this book, I read many other books and periodical articles on depression. That was almost enough to send me into another depression! I also read a number of books and pamphlets on alcoholism, which had me reaching for a glass of wine! You get the picture. You see, there can be humour when talking about depression or alcoholism. If you can look at living with these diseases with a sense of humour, there is hope that you can end them.
If you are looking for a lot of medical jargon, and easy answers to ending depression and alcoholism (because you may have read a lot of other books on these subjects and not found those answers), you will have to keep looking. I do not have a medical background, nor do I understand the physiology of these diseases well enough to write about them. As I said, I read a number of books on these subjects, many of them written by medical professionals. I have referred to many, quoted some, and listed them all in the bibliography to help you undersand this stuff better. Just remember to read them when you're in a good mood-otherwise, you might end up depressed!
What you will find are some inspirational stories from other women, from many walks of life, who have experienced depression and alcoholism. They have looked at their lives, and their mother's lives, and found familial patterns. They are trying to live healthier lives and break free of those patterns, for themselves and for their children.
At the end of the book (past the bibliography and endnotes), there is a list of resources, and organizations, which you may find useful. The list and the bibliography should be called "selective", because I am sure there are some resources I have left out!
In writing the book, I hope I have injected some humour into what could otherwise be a dreary subject. I don't want to make anyone more depressed than they already might be! I may not make you laugh out loud, but I hope to atleast put a smile on your face, and leave you feeling that, with humour and hope, we can learn from our past, and more forward to a better future. Writing this book is another step on my journey to a long healthy life. Maybe we'll get there together.

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