Such an incredible book! I would recommend this to any person struggling with anxiety or depression.

Gruver explores 7 saints who struggled with depression or anxiety. This is a brutally honest yet hopeful book inspiring readers of all ages to know that they are not alone in their struggle.
For me the most surprising was hearing about Martin Luther and his struggle with depression. I want to buy this book for my girlfriend who deeply struggles with depression.

In “Companions in the Darkness,” Diana Gruver looks back into church history and finds signs of depression in the lives of seven saints (everyday Christians and church leaders). Without trying to diagnose these figures from a distance, Gruver tells their stories in fresh ways, taking from each a particular lesson that can encourage or guide those who suffer today.
The book addresses the reality of the church's relationship with depression. For centuries, depression was assumed to be evidence of personal sin or even demonic influence, and people with depression were ostracized or institutionalized. In recent years the conversation has begun to change, and the stigma has lessened--but as anyone who suffers from depression knows, we still have a long way to go.
Gruver herself suffered from depression in college, and she ties in her experience with each of the saints she discusses. This is one part of the book I would change - I get that she had depression, but she appears to be healed, and that’s not how depression works in real life or in the lives of the saints she discusses.
“Companions in the Darkness” does offer a wealth of practical wisdom for those with depression and their caregivers. I found myself taking notes as I read, and plan to keep these notes for future reference. I would give this book to friends and caregivers, too, as an attempt to spread awareness about how to address depression and survive it. Through this book, we learn valuable lessons about the experience of depression and can find hope and empathy for us today. The saints in this book can be our companions in the darkness.

Yes! One of my greatest passions is authenticity. We desperately need to be honest, to give one another safe spaces to share, to be heard, and to understand that we are not alone. And what an important subject this is to tackle. I applaud Diana Gruver for being honest about her own struggles, but also providing well-researched information about some of the most well known of historical Christians that we hold up as pillars of our faith. To know they struggled with the darkness of depression will no doubt help so many. She is right - stories are so important and their stories 'need to be told'. I am so glad she has done so, sharing their experiences, wisdom and hope.

Those in the Christian faith seeking to understand and come alongside sisters and brothers suffering from and living with depression will find this book helpful and instructive. Gruber begins with an extended introduction of depression: what it is, a brief history, and why we need to discuss this illness in the context of the Christian church. What follows is 7 essays, each focusing on one historical Christian great who suffered from depression or depression-like illnesses. Gruber presents these figures as companions in our own journeys who can give us insight and hope when considering the onset, effects, losses, changes, and living reality of depression. She does not offer curative strategies or false hope, which is refreshingly honest and needed at a time when depression- still today- invokes negative stigma in many Christian circles. An Appendix is included titled “When One You Love is in the Dark” and the 10 suggestions are helpful for those new to depression who want to offer practical love and support to friends and family suffering from the disease. Again, these are not cures or quick fixes. Gruber makes it plain throughout the book that professional help and advice from the medical community are always and should be the first steps in acknowledging and seeking treatment for depression. The book concludes with brief biographies of all 7 companions including ideas for further reading. I would have preferred this information to be woven into the essays, as I found myself wishing I had read these before I read about the companions and their battles with depression. However, I appreciate that the biographies are included, even if at the end. As one who suffers from depression, I could not have appreciated this book during my initial struggles or subsequent low points. So if you are in that place with your depression, this book might not be right for you. However, if you are managing your depression well or are caring for a loved one suffering from depression, this book will be an insightful and relevant read.

Depression is a subject that needs to be treated with insight and tenderness. It should not be treated as a sinful condition that comes to believers because they are bad or immature, since treating this matter so superficially causes more harm.

In that sense of importance, precision and affection, this book entitled "Companions in the Darkness" by Diana Gruver comes to our hands, it presents how depression was present in various believers throughout the time of christian history. It is important to note that these believers, even though they were instruments of God in their day, also struggled in some way with depression. The book does not seek to be a guide on how to solve depression, but to show us a group of friends, of brothers and sisters, who like many crossed the valley of darkness. These voices speak to us and tell us that depression is not the end of our lives.

The reader will find seven characters, whose stories will be of strength for our lives.

Even when we are in 2020 there is so much stigma related to depression. We may have more information now, but if you have suffered from depression you know there is a long way to overcome this issue. There is a lot of stigma around this topic. This book talks about people we all know who suffered from depression: Spurgeon, Martin Luther King Jr, and other saints. It is encouraging to read this and know that even in deep and dark holes, hope rises. It is amazing to me to realize God not just knows about this but He let this happen, for a reason. There are valuable lessons you will get from this book. It is beautiful to remember we don´t walk alone when going through lonely and dark valleys.

Anyone who's dealt with depression and feeling isolated will tell you how valuable, well researched and written this book is for others on the outside looking in to read. Should be required reading for ministry workers maybe then church won't feel so uninviting for those that struggle. I'm really looking forward to seeing this books make its rounds in the Christian community.

The author researched her subject well and wrote compelling stories. I think this would be a good book for all to read to understand depression better. I'm not sure it would be helpful going through depression, I would have struggled to read it in my depression, however, I think it would be helpful to have read it before or to read it after. To have read it before would give you a good reference point during, and to read it after would help put things in perspective and take away guilt that often follows depression.
I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

Walking the journey of depression and anxiety can be lonely and isolating. This book is valuable to believers as they reflect on the lives of men and women who have traversed a similar path and shared truth and learning from their experiences.

The cover is beautiful and the words within are moving. Some of the names and stories were brand new to me, while others were more familiar, but I'm glad to better know each one. However, the author's own story often seems to "interrupt" each chapter. Perhaps this is only the case in the Kindle/digital version and is much more clear when printed, but reading the version provided by NetGalley, it's sometimes a guessing game as to whose story you're reading/learning about. It's also, as to be expected, a heavy book. There is not a bow to wrap things up, which I appreciate as a reader, but I mention in case that is helpful to know for those considering the title.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed,low, suffocated, tired, and like you would never be emotionally "up" again? Has this feeling lasted for days, weeks, or longer, do you just want to sleep your life away?? Then you may be suffering from depression, so you should seek a counselor, doctor, or therapist so that you do not do something drastic or harmful.

Quote:
"Medical professionals, however, don’t work in word pictures.They distill depression into a list of symptoms, as stated in the official diagnostic manual, the DSM‑5: •depressed mood • loss of interest or pleasure in things or activities you once enjoyed • increased or decreased appetite or unexplained weight loss or gain •fatigue or loss of energy •sleep difficulties—either insomnia or sleeping more than usual •noticeable slowing down of thoughts and physical movement or noticeable agitation and restlessness •difficulty concentrating and making decisions •feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt •thoughts or plans of suicide or recurring thoughts of death1 To be diagnosed with depression, a person must have at least five of these symptoms for a two-week period, and at least one of them must be either a depressed mood or the loss of interest and pleasure in activities they once enjoyed. Symptoms must also cause distress and interfere with a person’s ability to function in work or social settings."

You are given testimonies of famous believers to show you that mental health affects all people.
Martin Luther struggled with depression when he hid from those who were persecuting him for posting his 95 thesis on the church door and starting the Reformation.
Martin's wife, Katie, encouraged him by deceitfully wearing a funeral dress to church because he was so depressed and acted as though God was dead. Loneliness was discouraged, Martin went out with the pigs to keep busy, and he encouraged young men to go out with friends, ride horses and enjoy their lives.
Hannah was a young woman with little boy whose husband Hannibal had died at sea. Now she was depressed and wanted to die, people came to her and tried to encourage her but she refused to go to church or take communion. She was encouraged to find a doctor who could treat her melancholy and to be with friends and family and attend church. Finally her relatives the Shorthouses, were able to visit, Mr. AAAand Mrs. Shorthouse took her home, Mr. Shorthouse a physician and a minister put her on a course of medical treatment and she gradually improved, she even remarried!
David Brainerd was a Yale college student during the period of "the Great Awakening", and he was excited and fervent about the changes that were being done. His zeal got him into trouble when a new law said no one could criticize the faculty, which he did, and he was expelled. He mellowed out and got his minister's license and felt called to minister on a Native American Reservation. The Native Americans were suspicious of him because he was white, and whites defrauded Indians of their land and encouraged alcoholism. The nearby settlers disliked him because he was honest with the Indians and discouraged alcoholism.
He learned their language, lived with them in a wigwam and enjoyed their company. He held communion with them and saw them as Fellow Believers.
Brainerd was then assigned to a new post and he had to go through a desolate wilderness by himself, he felt cut off from all humanity and he even felt cut off from God and he despaired of life and felt his labors were fruitless.
He established a small group of believers and moved with them to Cranberry, New Jersey. Shortly afterwards his tuberculosis came back, he asked his brother John to take over his flock, and he died a few months later.
You will empathize and identify with these spiritual ancestors and realize people have always suffered from depression, anxiety and loneliness.

This is a beautiful examination of depression and suffering in the lives of seven influential Christians. I felt very connected to the author and the material.

Wow, this was a powerful read. As someone who struggles with depression, it meant a lot to learn about those with much stronger faith than mine who did, too.