They Don't Understand Depression:
Saying What You're Not Supposed to Say and Finding Meaning in the Dark

Have you ever wished you were dead? Do you understand that hopelessness? Is it lonely?

In severe depression, you know how it feels when nobody else really understands. It’s obvious from what “they” do and say that they’ve never felt what you feel. This book is not for them.

If you do know what “they don’t understand” means without my even explaining it, then this book is for you. I will say the uncomfortable, quiet parts out loud, even though we’re not supposed to say what we really think.

I’m just a guy who struggled for 14 years with strange, undiagnosed health problems, followed by 7 years in an emotional hellhole, before I miraculously found a glimmer of meaning in the dark.

I can’t understand your personal hell. However, if I articulate even a small part of what it means that “they don’t understand,” I ask you to consider my unique perspective on why your suffering matters.

You can find peace to know that you do not suffer in vain. Your life can have meaning, and you can hope for relief.

About the Author

Driven by a deep fascination with psychology, influence, and persuasion, Michael D. Griffith has coached hundreds of individuals to rise above communication mediocrity, command attention, and leave a more lasting impact. In 2013, he distilled hundreds of communication techniques into a one-of-a-kind communication skills program, SpeechDeck.com, which he's used to help clients raging from professional athletes, politicians, C-level executives, and ordinary folks with stage fright.

In his quest to formalize the process of ethically influencing an audience, Michael became keenly aware of the rampant unethical deception and manipulation pervading nearly every facet of modern culture. As a result, he expanded his teaching to include topics related to health, spirituality, deception, and inspiration.

Early in his career, Michael invented the world's first online click-exchange service and developed other interactive online services. Between projects, he also traveled coast-to-coast teaching financial planning. However, personal struggles with physical and mental health altered his course. As his own physical health deteriorated and he descended into depression's abyss, he became a devout student of theology, health, and inspiration. Drawing from his diverse experiences, his own internal battles with depression's demon, and recognizing the blossoming crisis of depression and deception in the greater society, Michael now directs his energy to teaching the fundamental truths of existence that will help others cope with the harsh realities of this broken world.

Michael's communication style is very candid, personal, and confident. His distinctiveness, however, comes from unique perspectives that you will not hear anywhere else. In every project he showcases a peculiar talent for weaving analogies into his writing, public speaking, and coaching to produce captivating narratives with multiple layers of symbolic meaning.