The Devil Within: A Memoir of Depression

I couldn't put this book down and didn't want to finish it. Stephanie is inspiring and honest about her own experience but I'm sure it speaks for a lot of people who have or are suffering. Stephanie voiced things that I would not normally have seen as part of the illness, I thought it was just the way I was and it lifted me and gave me back hope.I have never been able to put into words how I've felt, as often it sounds too dramatic or selfish but the way in which it's described in this book tells the reader 'you are not alone'. I could not believe some of the things said as I have said them myself, thinking it is just me and the way I am but this book tells you that it's not just the way you are, it's the illness.I would love my friends and family to read this just to get an insight into the pain and delibilitation that the illness brings and that it's real and we aren't faking it.The best book I have ever read on the subject, I will keep it and reread it, which is not something I usually do.Thank you Stephanie for this book.

This book prompted me to do something I have never done before - I posted a letter congratulating the author. Whether or not it will reach her is a different matter! Anybody who has suffered from depression will feel a huge empathy in reading this book. Right from childhood bullying to methods of coping in one's early 30s it is like staring into the mirror and seeing one's own thoughts reflected back.The author is clearly a successful woman by most people's standards, yet even when she speaks of jetting over to New York or working on a screenplay, it still feels like reading the diary of a friend. The anecdotes create vivid and lasting images in the mind. You get the feeling that the author is holding back on nothing. Be warned though, you may just find yourself evaluating your own life after reading.

A wonderful book that seemed at every page to be detailing my own life's experiences, including even my work pattern. What makes it different to other similar books is the vivid recollections, searing honesty and, above all, the beautiful writing. This is a fabulous book even if you aren't interested in depression. The beauty of the prose, particularly in the sections where Stephanie finds love, is inspiring.

Well worth the read. Helped me understand a lot about the human condition & provides Hope for anyone who finds themselves facing similar challenges.

I found this book very interesting partly because I suffer from bi polar depression.

I can only echo what has been said in previous reviews. This is not a self help book, although of course different treatments and their effects are discussed from the authors point of view and experiences, this is a brutally honest story of one woman's hellish battle with depression. If you are depressed and feeling alone or someone you love is suffering from mental health problems, I would wholeheartedly suggest reading this book.

Really nice book. Loving to read it.

Very candid. Superbly written. Can easily relate to her story. Highly recommended for both sufferers of depression and their friends and family.