Product Description

There are many different breeds of Black Dog affecting millions of people from all walks of life. The Black Dog is an equal opportunity mongrel. It was Winston Churchill who popularized the phrase Black Dog to describe the bouts of depression he experienced for much of his life. Matthew Johnstone, a sufferer himself, has written and illustrated this moving and uplifting insight into what it is like to have a Black Dog as a companion and how he learned to tame it and bring it to heel.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1620 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-24
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

Sunday Times, Style Magazine, May 13, 2007
'I had a Black Dog deftly expresses how lonely and isolating
depression can be for sufferers. Poignant and humorous in equal measure.'

Sunday Times
'Finally, a book about depression that isn't a prescriptive self-help manual. Johnston's deftly expresses how lonely and isolating depression can be for sufferers. Poignant and humorous in equal measure.'

Association of Pastoral Care For Mental Health Journal Association of Pastoral Care For Mental Health Journal Association of Pastoral Care For Mental Health Journal
'This is a beautiful book, worth owning for the author's illustrations alone. In 48 pages Matthew condenses insight, advice and inspiration.'

Customer Reviews

Expresses in pictures what words struggle to
I couldn't agree more with the previous reviewer. This is a fantastic book - helpful personally and for lending. It is one of those books that you can easily put in the had of someone in the midst of the darkest of moments without feeling that it will be too pushy, overwhelming, bossy or wordy.

I'm not actually a great believer in the adage that a picture is worth more than 1000 words. For they have different functions and work best in different contexts. But the greatest art can brilliantly capture the full reality of life, with all its visceral emotions and heady passions as well as its bleak despair and lostness. Now the pictures in this book are not exactly great art as such and you wouldn't expect to find them in a posh gallery. But they DO capture the reality of depression - in such a way as to say 'i know how you feel' without overtones of being sickeningly glib and condescending. For Matthew Johnstone is clearly someone who knows what it feels like - he's been there and still battles.

So when someone is really under the storm-clouds, they can at least point to some of the individual pages in this book, and without fuss, struggles or even words, immediately articulate what it's like. That can only be good for those struggling to battle and those struggling to love those who battle.

Brilliant.

Brilliant
I adore this book! I'm suffering from depression, have been for a few years, and I find it difficult to express in words how I feel. These pictures really sum it up for me. It reminds me that I'm not alone, others feel the same too. I've been making my closest friends read this so they can see.
The only thing, for me, is that I have no happy ending yet. It says if you take the right steps it will pass, but this isn't true for me.
But I've seen nothing like this before, and I'll continue buying it for people.

Brilliant
This book says it all in a very simple way, and gives people who don't suffer from depression an idea of what it is like to live with. For loved ones, friends or family, who don't suffer, this book offers a glimpse into what can be a very lonely place for those that are suffering. This book can be read in about 5 minutes, page to page, but it says what a 300 page book says, with pictures and clear simple statements. So much simpler for loved ones and friends to understand quickly but with understanding.

It also helps people who do suffer see that they are not alone and that depression is something that can be lived with.

I loved it.