Dustjacket notes...

"Spike Milligan suffers from depression.   For a long time he wanted to share his experience, to reveal this private side of the public figure, with a view to helping fellow sufferers.

In 1982 Anthony Clare interviewed Spike Milligan for the popular radio series In The Psychiatrist's Chair and was so overwhelmed by Milligan's account of his depressive experiences that he knew he had found the person to help him illuminate and explore the mysterious and sometimes terrifying illness that is clinical depression.

Depression And How To Survive It is a result of this collaboration.   It charts the development of Spike's illness and his strategies for dealing with it, both improvised (such as getting drunk with Peter Sellers!) and clinical.   Recalling his sometimes brutal colonial upbringing, his highly strung mother and largely absent father, the break-up of his first marriage, the mortar bomb which blew him up in Italy and the overwork which led to a nervous breakdown during the Goon Show, Spike Milligan reveals the dark side of his life - the part he left out of his own hilarious memoires - and describes how early tendencies developed into full-blown manic depression.

Anthony Clare examines Spike's experiences of the illness over the forty years that he has suffered it and draws inspiration and advice which will help all sufferers.   He outlines its nature, course, outcome, treatment and complications, and includes discussion of related subjects such as viruses, suicide and drug therapy.

Depression And How To Survive It is a book which takes you to the depths of human unhappiness in order to show you the ways out."

Synopsis

Spike Milligan recalls the traumas of his childhood, his highly-strung mother, his largely absent father, the cruelties of a colonial upbringing, the break-up of his first marriage, the mortar bomb which blew him up in Italy and the overwork which gave him a mental breakdown during the "Goon Show".

Synopsis

Spike Milligan reveals the dark side of his life in this book which is co-written with his psychiatrist Anthony Clare. He recalls the traumas of his childhood, his highly-strung mother, his largely absent father, the cruelties of a colonial upbringing and of sadism towards animals, the break-up of his first marriage, the mortar bomb which blew him up in Italy and the overwork which gave him a mental breakdown during the "Goon Show".

This book charts the development of this depression and his strategies for dealing with it were improvised, as both when he would get drunk with Peter Sellers, and clinically in his discussions with Clare. Spike Milligan's previous books include "Silly Verse for Kids" and "Where have all the Bullets Gone?". Anthony Clare is the author of "Psychiatry and General Practice" and presents the BBC Radio series, "In the Psychiatrist's Chair".

Reviews

Depression and How to Survive It

This is a useful but ultimately disappointing book. It reads for the most part like a medical textbook, exploring the causes of depression and reviewing the available treatments. Spike Milligan's contribution is limited, and he disappears for large parts of the book. This is emphatically not a user-friendly guide on how to limit the effects of depression; it is more a scholarly review leavened by Spike Milligan's own observations.

Intelligently written and very illuminating

This was the first book on depression that I have read having suffered several bouts of severe depression over the last 12 years. More than anything it made me feel not so alone in my symptoms and that people can live full and rewarding lives suffering from this disabling clinical condition.

It was very intelligently written and the personal anecdotes made it all the more real. As an introduction and insight into depression and manic depression I would recommend it. The only thing I would say is that since it was written several years ago now, it doesn't deal with the latest developments in medications (i.e. SSRIs) which have helped me and many others I suspect in recovery from depression.

An enlightening introduction to my research on depression

After years of not understanding what depression actually was, this book gave me a thorough insight into the 'disease'. Whilst reading Spike's candid story, his ups and downs and such struggle with this debilitating illness, I have been thoroughly enlightened. It was the first book on depression which I chose to read and how it mirrored the history of my own life. I read it from back to front in 2 hours, so gripping was the material.

Thank goodness someone had the good sense to write of their experience of a manic depressive life. It has opened a new world of understanding to me, since it not only disclosed Spike's problems, anxieties and tribulations, but also spoke of the medical diagnoses which have meant such a stigma being attached to individuals and families in the past, and which is no longer the case.

Spike has intended to help fellow sufferers of depression and manic depression through recounting his own story, He has certainly helped me.

I highly recommend this book.