When you get trapped in darkness, finding your way out can be a long and lonely battle, especially when the war is within your own head. Here's a peep inside a mind struggling with itself.
Inside a Dark Box is a simple book about what depression can feel like.
Depression is not an important topic to discuss, talking about depression is futile because depression is just another thing, because you can easily get over it, because either people are healthy or 'mad' and there's no in-between.
Mental health is slowly coming toward the center stage but it still has a long way to go in grabbing the maximum eyeballs, attract whole attention, and make people talk about it. We would mostly find celebrities talking about their depression and in this way, they are trying to spearhead a campaign for fighting depression but do we, the common man, take this 'taboo' subject easy? Do we find it okay to speak about how we are dealing with ourselves inside of our heads? Does this thought cross our minds that we must voice our thoughts about how dark it is getting inside? We would behave erratically but still wouldn't be able to gather strength to just talk. That's how difficult going gets - we cannot bring ourselves to communicate.
Should we give up? NO. Then how to get through the darkness? Keep moving. Seek help outside. Talk. Talk. Talk. Trust my word, getting it out of your system is important and this definitely helps in healing. You need to be strong, be open. There's a dark box and however hard it gets to find light, do not stop looking for it. It's there, right around the bend :)
'Inside a Dark Box' is a simple book that deftly speaks about the depression through illustrations. The book does broach the subject with patience and clarity which helps a reader in realizing the enormity of depression and learn that quitting is just not the solution. Try, try, and try again, until you succeed.
If you've never understood the word "depression" and how people spiral into its darkness, Inside a dark box is the book for you. If you're suffering from a mental health illness and the outside world seems unfriendly to you, Inside a dark box is a book for you. If you've a friend/family member who seems to be aloof and troubled, Inside a dark box is a book for you and them. In 32-pages and 194 words, Ritu Vaishnav and Rujuta Thakurdesai have brought to life a book that talks about the hush-hush topic of mental length and oh! so magnificently. It's a simple book with measured words that talk about what depression can feel like and how having courage and a tad bit of hope in your heart can help you come out of that dark box. My faith in humanity is restored. How I wish we could talk about all taboo topics with such grace and ease. Thank you for your courage and hard work, Ritu and Rujuta.
When you get trapped in darkness, finding your way out can be a long and lonely battle, especially when the war is within your own head. Here's a peep inside a mind struggling with itself. Inside a Dark, Box is a simple book about what depression can feel like. . A book with beautiful and apt illustrations talks about Depression, and express about the things that are going in the minds of people going through depression. It helps one understand, what depression is. It sheds light on how a person feels, the chaos, the emotions. The spirit of fighting the chaos, that there's always a light and a way out is wonderfully expressed by the author. . A simple, meaningful book with some great illustrations, and an important message to convey. It's a short and a powerful read.
| Book Review | Inside a Dark Box. • Mental health is still a very hush-hush topic in most of the families, especially in India. People often can't seem to comprehend the fact that mental health needs attention too. Physical injuries can always be treated and will heal over a period of time but the recovery of any sort of mental illness is a lengthy process. Depression is often classified as grief in most of the instances. It's terribly difficult for people to understand how depression works and how can it be tackled. Most of our families and friends fail to acknowledge depression while they conveniently label it as just sadness. Because to them, mental illness is much more frightening than any physical illness. • Inside a Dark Box is a tiny book with meaningful illustrations and sentences. It took barely five minutes for me to read it but it did manage to leave a lot to think about. It's easier for someone who hasn't been through depression to preach about the silliness of it. It's not just sadness but a feeling of hollowness that one feels in the pit of their stomach. Through this book the author explains what goes on in the minds of those who are battling depression. It saddens me to read about the turmoil of emotions that one feels on any given day. It comes uninvited and stays like an unwanted guest. The illustrations support the context and makes it easier for readers to understand the seriousness of mental illness. • This book is basic in its entirety but makes for a good one time read. Even though I did like reading it, I couldn't help asking for a bit more of information. Nevertheless, pick this one up if you are still unclear about how depression works. Because what may seem easy to us, may not be the same to the ones who are experiencing it. • Rating - 3/5. (Thank you for the gifted copy @penguinindia )
𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 according to 2018 WHO survey report, conducted by NCMH, India ranks first to the greatest burden of mental and behavioral disorders followed by China and the USA respectively. With an ever-rising number of teenage suicide, where again India bags first position, and the rising rate of mental health disorders among corporate employees, its shocking that the society as a whole behaves that everything is alright. Along with that its imperative to know that most of the cases go unreported due to factors like societal stigmas, taboos, lack of proper knowledge. Even after all of these someone who wants to seek help comes the problem of unavailability of finding a psychiatrist. While its easier to find professional help in metropolitan cities the situation is blick in the sub-urban and peripheral regions. We often seek help from our friends and family during these times it's saddening how sometimes they fail to understand the gravity of the situation. Mental health can be compared to diabetics for example, both are a silent killer and both at their advanced stages have a devastating effect, then why is it so that we still lack basic awareness?! Filing to understand that both our mind and body are deeply interconnected to each other and issues with any one of them have their impact on the other. While reading this book I felt like visiting someone's mind like visiting someone's home and trying to know how the person is like in their private world, what goes inside the mind of someone who is constantly battling with their demons. The simple and sincere effort of the author and the illustrator in deciphering a complex- heartwrenching issue is worth mentioning here. The tiniest book of just over 18 pages ensured a lasting impact on the mind and think about the depression and how a person is trying endlessly to find peace.
/ living inside a dark box. // ` ` how many of us can say that we are happy? that we are content with our lives. and we have nothing to bother us? not many I suppose.
we all live in a world with our own dark box. that dark box may be comforting for many of us, but at times we do get lonely. our so called ‘comforting’ dark box becomes nothing but a cage for us from where we cannot escape. we often reach out for help but there’s mostly none as others too are trapped within their dark boxes.
“Sometimes, you can get trapped inside a dark box.” “Inside a Dark Box” by Ritu Vaishnav is a short but heart touching and a brilliant attempt to help out the people who are trapped in their dark boxes.
The book says that when you get trapped in darkness, finding your own way out can be a long and lonely battle, especially when the war is within your head.
Unhealthy coping mechanisms can keep you from maximizing the full potential of your heart, your love, your work.
Don’t let the past rob you of your present joy—see a therapist, explore alternative therapuetic models. it’s okay to look outside of yourself for care and love.
and lastly, just like darkness keeps coming back in, so does strength.
Imagine yourself being trapped inside a huge dark black box and you find yourself struggling to get out from it , you keep searching for that lost light everywhere around you and when you find it , you think you have escaped your way out .. but soon as you come out , you find yourself in another black box . . This is how depression feels like and sometime it feels much worse . Finding that longlost happy emotions is a lonely battle , a war that has to be fought with your own mind and feelings . . This book is a small short read which describes the mental trauma of depression fighters. It gives us the hope to keep searching for that light as there is always a way out from the dark box till the time we don't stop looking . . A lot of illustrations present in the book make it easier for the readers to understand the emotional turmoil depression can lead to . . Overall , a wonderful book imparting bundle of information on a sensitive and less discussed topic . Must read for all.
"You wonder how much easier it would be if someone could shine a torch..
Ritu Vaishnav's beautiful and poignant book has my heart and soul. Her book rightly claims to take you through the darkness inside the mind of people suffering from depression and dugs deep into their thoughts.
The way a person in depression acts and the desperate attempt by the person to shake of the fear and insecurities, the struggle to stand up and face the world again has been beautifully captured in illustrations that are like this book- simple yet outstanding.
Her lines though short carries a certain weight that'll pull you into a person's mind who's going through the worst times of their lives.
Lastly, as a survivor of depression, I personally felt that the thoughts and illustrations are apt and perfectly hit the mark.
Talking about depression or problems you face is not abnormal. In fact since people have started speaking out , many others have come forward to talk about the much quieter subject. This book inside a dark box carefully talks about the way we feel and how we are being pushed back even when we try to talk out, but in the end we would just need to keep trying to get out of it. With mind-blowing illustrations that don't over shadow the content but subtly support what the author is trying to convey this book is a must read and a good reminder which tells us that there is always light at the other end.
The message that it finally conveys is that as long as we stop looking out there is always a way out and we should make try marching towards it.
Have you ever felt trapped? You’re surrounded by invisible walls all around you, suffocating? These walls are closing in on you with razor sharp claws that nobody else but you can see and feel? That nobody else but you lives inside?
Depression is a tough topic for someone like me to talk about as who hasn’t gone through it and luckily neither has anyone close to me. But when I do talk about these things here I understand the place of privilege that I come from. That’s where this simple book comes in handy. This tiny little book explains what depression can feel like, and how even amidst all the darkness in the world, a little strength goes a long way.
A simple five-minutes read and you will hit a realization that depression isn't something made-up, but it's very much real. While speaking up of depression and what it feels like, it also reveals how a ray of hope can help you overcome that dark box❤.
So the next time you meet a friend/relative aloof and suffering from mental health illness, Inside a Dark Box is a book you need to make them read🌻.
One sentence that has stayed with me is "Sometimes you don't want to help because you think the darkness/person would pull you inside". Thank you, Ritu & Rujuta, for showing us that acknowledging mental health illness ain't a matter of shame but an act of courage.
Depression is a topic that is often considered as a taboo and hence, not talked about. Most of the people are unable to reach out to others for help because of the stigma associated with this term. Using subtle pencil sketching, Rujuta Thakurdesai brings the concept of the dark box to life. Written and conceptualized by Ritu Vaishnav, Inside a Dark Box is a hardback book that portrays the pathos associated with depression in measured words.
Well written book. Probably a starter for any age group as the book is written simple words and pictures do contribute to convey the message. Timely book where the mental health needs awareness and the book surely do bring about awareness.
Read this is in like 5 minutes. I don't want to give any stars, it's not my place to I feel like. The only thing I would like to add it that I wish there was more to it and of it.
Lovely poetic narrative about the discomfort and loneliness that comes with depression. I particularly loved the illustration style that worked seamlessly with the text while also adding visual layers of meaning to the story.