Darkness Visible: A memoir of Madness by William Styron illustrates Williams Styron's battle with depression. Although physiology text books and scientist can give someone a definition of what depression is, nothing hits home harder then a detailed first hand experience. His fight with depression started in 1985 when he flew to Paris to obtain the Prix Mondial Cino Del Duca. Who would of though getting to fly out and explore another country to recirve an award could be the begining of a dowaward spiral?
Interestingly enough Styron almost gives depression a character. This character is rather puzzling and contradictory. This same character almost took Styron's life via suicide. So how does he fight it? But self medicating. He dwells and reflects on his past alcohol abuse and current usage of prescription medicine. With help of others, he was able to fully recover and defeat the demon in his mind.
Styron published this work for many reason but I think the first is is because he's a writer. Writing is a form of expression and I know for a fact that he wanted to express, in his own words, the power of depression and what it's truly like to go through it. In closing I must add that Styron wanted to let others know that they can triumphantly face, and conquer any enemy that saddens them.
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