10 Blogs on Depression

Someone recently asked me if there were seriously really any blogs worth reading. Pause. Pause longer. It depends. Funny thing to say on a blog, but maybe not. Thing is, the vast majority of blogs are inherently frivolous. They tend to be self-promotional projects. Or driven by a very specific interest. But if you happen to have a specific interest — a blog might be worth dipping into. That’s how I’ve found most blogs. I dip into them. I often don’t return. But occasionally someone writes well, and grabs you. You come back for more. You are compelled. You find yourself reading about topics  you didn’t even think you were interested in. Now that’s a successful blog. So, while there are an awful lot of frivolous blogs, I have to answer “yes” to the general question of whether there are any blogs worth reading. Or maybe this is really about the question of whether frivolous things have any value.

But I digress. I think blogs on the topic of depression can be very valuable. Depression is inherently isolating. Anything that can contribute to reducing that sense isolation is valuable.

So thought I’d take at and update my resources on depression. So I headed over to PsychCentral, which is a pretty good starting point when you’re looking for something psychology-related on the internet, to see what they’ve been up to. Here’s a link to their Depression page.

They haven’t updated their best depression blogs category since 2010 — so I thought I’d check out the links and see what’s going on there. This is what I came up with:

1. Una Bella Vita. So far so good. Activity seems to have dropped off a bit in the last few months, but there’s lots of good material in the archives. Last updated 4/22/12. The author was also running a blog called Depression Diaries, which is worth a look for some introductory material.
2. Dr. Deb: Psychological Perspectives. Also continues to be active. Dr. Deb knows her stuff, and frequently posts interesting items. She is the author of the book, Living With Depression, which seems to receive quite favorable reviews. You could also click on the “Labels” sidebar to the right (scroll down a little). That will link to 42 articles related to depression, as of this writing.
3. Storied Mind. I was immediately drawn to this post, Leaving Lamictal and Antidepressants for Now, not because I think it’s absolutely the way to go — there is no one-size-fits-all treatment — but because you don’t see it taken up that often. An open, honest blog about one man’s ongoing experience with depression. Definitely worth a look.
4. My Postpartum Voice. Still going strong. Thoughtful and incisive writing. Of course, the “postpartum” partly refers to post-partum depression — not to be confused with the stress and moodiness that can result during the weeks and months following birth — which can be quite crippling. See her post on the controversial TIME magazine cover, TIME Magazine Fails to Support Mothers.
5. Postpartum Progress. It appears this blog has grown a lot since the last time I looked, with a full roster of regular contributors. Check out this post on the Difference Between Post Partum Depression and Normal New Mom Stress.
6. Draw That Beast. Art project on depression. Continues to be active. Interesting.
7. Mayo Clinic Depression Blog. Updated about every other month recently, but good expert thoughts on interesting specific topics dating back several years. You might check out this post, Depression Is Painful, But Don’t Give Up Hope.
8. Depression Marathon. Still running! (Sorry for the pun.) This blog lives up to its name. The author has put in a lot of blogging miles since 2008 and touches upon a very important — and often under examined in mental health circles — the importance of physical fitness. I hope to read this blog more closely in the near future. Anyone that was ever depressed knows the experience of falling into repetitive, cycling thoughts. See her post: Thinking, Thinking, Thinking. 
9. About.com blog on depression. Appears to present short snippets from the research literature on depression. You might find some news here — though it’s couched in the language of research, which means the “news” should be taken with a grain of salt. Language of research? When you hear words and phrases such as these you should always wonder what they really mean — some examples: “Linked”, “may cause”, “may help”, “may be safe”, “less likely”.
10. Pick The Brain: Motivation and Self-Improvement. Light. Might be most appropriate if you’re feeling a little blue, rather than really depressed. Because quite frankly, you might be annoyed by some of the advice here if you are really depressed. Here’s a sample: 10 All Natural Ways to Stop Feeling Depressed.