6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Matthew,

I just wanted to let you know how fantastic your book is at explaining what it's like to have a persistant dark canine stalking you.
I have a black dog...most of the time he's kennelled but occassionally he gets out and runs riot. This book is so important because it is so to the point and illustrates EXACTLY what it feels like to have depression. I have given it my partner to read and will tell other people to buy a copy. As Stephen Fry said 'brilliant and indispenable' Thank you SO much for writing and illustrating it.
And I hope your dog is behaving itself...threaten it with neutering if not ;o)
Kind Regards and respect
Donna R Cuthbert

Unknown said...

Kia Ora Matthew

my mum has just sent me a copy of your book! Im a Kiwi living in London. I too work in advertising as an Art Director.

I hate my black dog, which i call an Octopus because its arms are everywhere and when you escape one you get caught by another!

Its really comforting to read your book and as Donna says "its so to the point and illustrates EXACTLY what it feels like".

thank you, its really inspiring!

Kia Kaha
Rory

Anonymous said...

Hello Matthew
I have just bought your wonderful book for a friend currently struggling with a ferocious black dog. Your book explains the pain of depression so simply and so accuratly. It helps us around a depressed person understand a little better. And that means we are more able to be helpful and aid recovery. As a society we need to acknowledge this widespread illness and remove the feeling of stigma in order to promote health. Your book is so charming and straightforward I think it will help in that fight. What a role model to recovery you are. Thankyou. SJ

Steve Taylor said...

Dear Matthew,
Yep, I am going to give my wife orders to read this book, you see my daughter is suffering from depression and being essentially a healthy person its hard for me or her to understand whats going on.However the smoke seems to be clearing-a little!
One thing puzzles me- only one comment in two years, must be because no comments -good book

Tegan said...

thankyou so so SO much matthew. i'm seventeen and have been living with a black dog for about 2 years now, being at it's worst most recently. with no triggers or specific cause, i have found it difficult to manage or understand. i'd just like to thankyou so much for your book 'i had a black dog'. today was a hard day, being one of my last days of highschool and having the additional exhaustion from keeping up with the black dog. i found the book in my school library and it helped so much. it felt like you were reading my feelings and thoughts aloud to me. i felt just a little bit less alone, and overwhelmed by it all. the black dog lost some weight ;)
simply said;
thankyou.

tegan swift.

Gordon Johnston said...

I was introduced to your book by a Peer Support worker Whilst I was in hospital for severe depressive episode.Of all the information leaflets and books I was shown this book stood out and hit a nerve in my brain.It explained exactly what was going on in my mind and as I was trying to explain to doctors,and not very well I should say, this was so clear and simple.Not something that is confusing and muddled as I had first tried too explain myself. This is the first time I have been able to thank you personally and I continue to read over your book every now and again just to refresh myself of where I am at certain important times in my life.