Trouble In My Head

Book: Trouble In My Head
Author: Mathilde Monaque
Pages: 156

At the age of 14, Mathilde develops a deep and crippling depression. She is an extremely bright young girl but can't seem to shake the terrible feelings and thoughts she is plagued with. Her parents admit her to a short-stay hospital where she tries to figure out what brought on the depression and how she will ever get through it.

Trouble In My Head is a well-written and accessible short memoir about a young girl battling depression and anorexia in a hospital setting. I would recommend picking up this book if you or anyone you know suffers from these conditions.

The link between eating disorders and depression:

• Why some people are at risk for eating disorders isn’t clear but surveys show that depression is often a factor.
• Depression may lead to eating disorders but there’s also evidence that eating disorders can result in depression. “Being severely underweight and malnourished, which is common in anorexia, can cause physiological changes that are known to negatively affect mood states,” says Lisa Lilenfeld, PhD.
• “People who develop eating disorders feel as people that they’re not good enough,” Sacker says. “They become obsessed with perfectionism. That perfectionism begins to focus on what they eat. But underlying it is depression and anxiety."

Sources:
WebMD

Butter

Book: Butter
Author: Erin Jade Lange
Pages: 316

If a story about a kid who plans to kill himself by eating and do it all on the internet doesn't peak your interest, then there's something wrong with you (or maybe it's the other way around...) Regardless, Butter is a story that will suck you in until the very last page. In a way, as a reader I almost feel as though I was no better than Butter's bullies, wanting to know whether or not he was actually going to go through with his sinister plan. Not only is Butter an intriguing story, but it deals with some pretty tough topics. I felt as though Butter's peers didn't react in a very realistic manner. After thinking about it, I realize I may unfortunately be wrong. I have taught in a high school and let's face it, teenagers can be harsh. Add in the invisibility of the internet now-a-days and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Bullying on the internet has increased majorly the last few years and we've seen the consequences it can bring to the victims. People use their internet avatars as something to hide behind (Butter is responsible for doing this as well) and they turn into people they would never be in the real world. However, I hate to think any teenager would egg a kid on who might kill himself, whether or not they thought he was going to go through with it or not. Other than this slight unrealistic aspect of the plot, Lange deals with weight issues, self-image problems, depression, suicide, addiction, personal responsibility, and relationships in a very constructive way. You finish the book feeling as though you learned something and may be a better person because of it.

Questions:
Have you ever been bullied on the internet or bullied someone esle?
Have you found that the anonymity of the internet can be used in a negative way?