I wrote a post about anxiety audiobooks that have helped to give me a new perspective on worrying but I felt a need to also share the best depression audiobooks that have also helped me and others to pull ourselves up when we’re feeling lost. To be honest, I’ve never really been a reader but more of a writer. When I want to learn something new, I usually listen to a podcast about a subject or download an audiobook. It’s easier for me when I’m at home or I’m driving to take in information. Amazon has been great for this because they offer 90 days free on Audible and you get a free audiobook every single month.
You can sign up for that here and get the audiobooks below for free.
As some readers may know by now, I’ve had various bouts of depression in my life so far and I’ve come to realise that depression is not something you ‘overcome’ and forget. Instead, it’s something to be mindful of as you navigate through life. As you learn more, you gain more perspective on life and what depression means, but more importantly, how you can stay above it. As I said, for me it’s been about constantly realigning my perspective on what life means.
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So with that said, here are some of the best depression audiobooks on Amazon that I have come across;
1. Lost Connections
Author/Narrator: Johann Hari
The first depression audiobook on this list is from someone that I really enjoy listening to, mainly because he believes in the same things as I do. Hari has also been on one of my favourite podcasts: The Joe Rogan Experience, where he talks about his books and ideas in great length. Hari has studied depression and its causes and isn’t like most people. He doesn’t talk about chemicals in our brains, instead, he talks about other causes of depression that he believes are more likely to be the cause. This audiobook describes how the lives we are living are influencing us to feel depressed and sad. Hari talks about finding some kind of meaning in your life like finding a way to find a job that actually makes you feel empowered. This is a really informing audiobook and could be the ‘something different’ you’ve been looking for. I love how this guy talks so I think you will too!
2. Reasons To Stay Alive
Author/Narrator: Matt Haig
The next depression audiobook on the list might be one that you’ve heard of before. Matt Haig is a very successful author and this book “Reasons To Stay Alive” has sold very well all over the world. I believe the reason for this is his down to earth attitude towards depression. This is the audiobook version of that book. Matt talks about his own experience with depression and how he finally managed to change his perspective towards it. That’s one of the reasons why I think that it deserves a place on this list. This audiobook is a beautiful tale of how Matt changes how he saw the world and decided to see it in a different light. Reasons To Stay Alive is exactly what it says on the tin. Matt talks about the beauty of life and why it’s important to keep going when you feel like you’ve had enough.
3. Hardcore Self Help: F**k Depression
Author/Narrator: Robert Duff
The next audiobook is a little different. Robert Duff has authored similar books about anxiety that have been received very well by readers. As you may be able to tell, this audiobook is a little more in your face than most. Robert Duff does not hold back in this book and doesn’t mind throwing in a few swear words to get his point across. Whilst the easily offended might be offended by this, a lot of people find it refreshing. Many people have said that adding this sort of honest humour into the conversation makes it easier to digest rather than another doctor talking in boring medical terms. Robert covers the chemicals in your brain and your lifestyle.
4. Depression Is A Liar
Author: Danny L Baker / Narrator: Gary Furlong
Danny Baker suffered from depression for over four years. This audiobook is a memoir of how he worked through it and how depression caused him to fall into addiction. Baker’s experience is all too common in that he felt totally isolated and alone when he was going through depression. His explains that his need to be perfect drove him to misery and admits that changing that helped to change his life. Depression was causing him to question himself as if he wasn’t good enough unless he was ‘perfect’. However, his depression was a liar. It was an invading force that was telling him lies. This is a humbling, honest, and to the point story of one man’s journey through it.
5. It’s Not Always Depression
Author: Hilary Hendel / Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
The next depression audiobook is brought to us by Hilary Jacobs Hendel, a psychotherapist who uses an emotional angle to try and help her clients move through depression. Hendel explains that depression is not so much caused by our thoughts affecting our emotions, but our emotions affecting our thoughts. Because of this angle, Hendel talks about understanding our core emotions like joy, anger, happiness and depression. She explains that if we can understand how these emotions interact with each other, we can learn to observe them better – kind of like in a mindfulness way I suppose. This is a very in-depth audiobook about depression that uses references from real-life examples.
6. Mindful Way Through Depression
Author/Narrator: Multiple
The next depression audiobook is brought to us by multiple narrators and is a work of collaboration. This audiobook is interesting because it combines the power and wisdom of eastern practices (mindfulness) and more western practices like CBT. This audiobook explores interrupting depressions ‘cycle’ by using mindfulness. Mindfulness or zen mindfulness has been used for many centuries in different forms to help those in the East understand and put space between them and their emotions. It’s now becoming more and more popular in the West and there are now plenty of mindfulness courses available. If you’ve tried most of the most popular treatments out there, mindfulness could be very beneficial to you. It’s not easy for most because it’s not something we naturally do as humans. However, mindfulness in different forms has helped me personally put space between myself and my emotions and overall helps me to keep a healthy perspective on emotions like anxiety.
7. The Upward Spiral
Author: Alex Korb / Narrator: David DeVires
The Upward Spiral is an audiobook that aims to show you how making small changes can lead to big gains. When we become depressed, it’s often not something that happens right away. Instead, it is usually something that happens over time and eventually, the weight cripples us. It is a ‘downward spiral’. The Upward Spiral teaches us about all of the little habits we need to address if we want to feel better. It’s a very realistic book that doesn’t promise to cure your depression but instead points you in the right direction. I personally like the way this audiobook doesn’t tell you that you need to do X Y and Z but explains realistic goals that you can start to achieve within your current lifestyle.
8. Making Peace With Depression
Author: Sarah Rayner / Narrator: Kate Harrison
This depression audiobook is like a warm hug through your headphones. Super down to earth, the narrators talk through all the experiences associated with depression like low mood, suicidal thoughts, loneliness and negative thinking. Both have suffered from depression themselves which makes this audiobook highly relatable and easy to listen to. As you might have guessed, this audiobook isn’t about ‘fighting’ emotions but is instead about viewing emotions with compassion. There’s plenty of humour that runs throughout this audiobook which I like. If you’re looking for an extremely gentle listen but still full of useful evidence-based advice, this is the one for you.
Sean C is a writer, passionate about improving one’s self by maintaining healthy habits and doing the things that make life more meaningful.