What Worked for Lincoln?

Hi, Deborah. I loved Joshua Shenk’s book and I loved your review. Not all of us can aspire to be a Lincoln, but we can all take heart in the courage we have displayed in the face of one of the most malevolent forces in nature. This is what I told a DBSA conference in 2002: “In the New English Version translation of the Book of Ecclesiastes, it says: "In dealing with men it is God's purpose to test them and see what they truly are." It’s the only explanation, in my opinion, for why bad things happen to good people. For all the suffering all of us in this room have endured - all the pain, tragedy, humiliation, hardship, and loss - I know we are far better beings as a consequence. We may hate our illness, but we can hardly hate what our illness has made of us.” Your family may tell you to snap out of it, but believe me Lincoln is very proud of all of us.

I agree. We have no control over whether a mental illness chooses us, but we can control how gracefully we deal with it and integrate the more positive aspects into ourselves. I admired Lincoln before I read this book because of what he accomplished, and now I admire him even more for how he accomplished it.

Is/was Lincoln's depression the same as 'dysthymia'? Would Zoloft have been prescribed for Lincoln? Dysthymia? ******************************* Even for a doctor, it would be hard to definitively diagnose Lincoln at this point, but his depression does seem dysthymic, with some bouts of major depression. It's possible that a doctor would have prescribed psychotherapy if he were alive today with dysthymia, as opposed to an antidepressant. It's hard to say with so many variables to consider. Thanks for reading! Deborah