NEWS
02.01.2018 | Midwest Book Review
"An exceptionally well written and impressively candid personal account." … Learn More
7.27.2017 | One Life Radio
Brent Blonigan discusses depression and the importance of detachment … Learn More
6.2.2017 | Allen American
Texas author Brent Blonigan to launch debut title with DFW book signing … Learn More
6.8.2017 | Official Book Release
Discover Brent Blonigan’s boldly honest debut book … Learn More
02.01.2018 | Midwest Book Review
"An exceptionally well written and impressively candid personal account." … Learn More
7.27.2017 | One Life Radio
Brent Blonigan discusses depression and the importance of detachment … Learn More
6.2.2017 | Allen American
Texas author Brent Blonigan to launch debut title with DFW book signing … Learn More
6.8.2017 | Official Book Release
Discover Brent Blonigan’s boldly honest debut book … Learn More
ASK THE AUTHOR
Why do you think you felt such an intense need to figure out the origin or reason behind your depression?
I have always felt different. I have had labels to contend with, and depression can be a label. These labels lead to a lot of shame. They also suggest that there is something not right, and our environment encourages us to look for a quick fix. The usage of pharmacology is one attempt to find instant relief, but the presentation that medications are magic bullets is simply wrong. We look for completion and to fill our own voids. We need and seek nurturance. However, we look for solutions that are immediately gratifying, even when it’s apparent that no such cure exists. Because there are no easy, external quick fixes for depression.
You believe depression is an addiction to passivity. What do you mean by that? I’ve debated whether or not this is indeed a truth with countless others facing the struggles of depression and anxiety. In talking and sharing stories, fear emerged as the common denominator. You become numb. Your feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and being scared compel various addictions. When you feel completely reliant on compulsive behaviors to fix what feels like an innate void, it leads to overwhelming anger and frustration – and breeds passivity. Depression is the end result, which informed my view that it’s a form of addiction that’s fed by passivity.
What do you hope readers ultimately take away from There Are No Silver Bullets? The title says it all, and the book is intended as a blunt assessment of who I am and what my belief system is. It is not intended to be an indictment, but rather to stimulate new ways of thinking about an infinitely complex, life-altering disorder. Depression and addiction are real, present, and have always been present. What has changed is the approach to coping with depression and its increasing commercialization. Instead of looking for silver bullets, I want to shift the emphasis to the narratives that come from those afflicted.
I have always felt different. I have had labels to contend with, and depression can be a label. These labels lead to a lot of shame. They also suggest that there is something not right, and our environment encourages us to look for a quick fix. The usage of pharmacology is one attempt to find instant relief, but the presentation that medications are magic bullets is simply wrong. We look for completion and to fill our own voids. We need and seek nurturance. However, we look for solutions that are immediately gratifying, even when it’s apparent that no such cure exists. Because there are no easy, external quick fixes for depression.
You believe depression is an addiction to passivity. What do you mean by that? I’ve debated whether or not this is indeed a truth with countless others facing the struggles of depression and anxiety. In talking and sharing stories, fear emerged as the common denominator. You become numb. Your feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and being scared compel various addictions. When you feel completely reliant on compulsive behaviors to fix what feels like an innate void, it leads to overwhelming anger and frustration – and breeds passivity. Depression is the end result, which informed my view that it’s a form of addiction that’s fed by passivity.
What do you hope readers ultimately take away from There Are No Silver Bullets? The title says it all, and the book is intended as a blunt assessment of who I am and what my belief system is. It is not intended to be an indictment, but rather to stimulate new ways of thinking about an infinitely complex, life-altering disorder. Depression and addiction are real, present, and have always been present. What has changed is the approach to coping with depression and its increasing commercialization. Instead of looking for silver bullets, I want to shift the emphasis to the narratives that come from those afflicted.
