Author Gail Woods lived 38+ years under the guise of a smile mask. Her revealing memoir, Smile of Depression… brings to life the author’s truth-revealing journey of searching first to understand and then to begin the process of healing from her undiagnosed clinical depression.
A sensitive child, born to stoic parents, with an unknown genetic disposition for depression, creates a story that crescendos into a powerful perfect storm. Especially in a medical world that does not yet understand this disease.
Smiling depression may read like an oxymoron, but now doctors recognize it as very real. That mask becomes a part of you, a shield used to survive.
A pathway toward emotional mindfulness is possible. Anyone who has pretended to be someone they are NOT should open the front cover and begin reading. Join the author on her journey to healing….
Smile of Depression is a candid memoir shining a light on a life lived totally through a mask. Conditioning as a child to ‘be a good girl,” mushrooms into years of undiagnosed clinical depression. In between, there are countless ‘is this normal?’ jaw-dropping moments growing up in a family of four-then five children…with stoic parents.
Begun as a story that needed to be told for her grandchildren’s generation, Smile of Depression turned into a timely story about the vital importance of ‘communication matters,’ ‘radical mindfulness,’ and the necessity of truthfully sharing our stories. Anyone who has pretended to be someone they are NOT should open the front cover and begin reading.
“I invite you to accompany me as I share this authentic pilgrimage into the questions of Who, What, When, Where, and How contributed to both my descent into, and ascent out of, the depths of depression.”
Blessings, Gail
“Behind every mask, there is a face, and behind that, a story” – authentic and empowering words, the focus of Gail’s book – Smile of Depression. We have all worn that “smile” at one time or another. Perhaps it wasn’t a permanent fixture for us as it was in Gail’s case, but it was there – pasted on for all to see.
Behind each smile is a story—your story, my story—this happens to be Gail’s story. A quarter of the way into “Smiles …” I recognized myself behind the mask and the fake smile. Gail’s method of writing a letter to the players and herself through her adult eyes to address those past situations is invaluable. Having ripped away my mask, I still find that ‘smile” crops up occasionally. Using Gail’s letter-writing tool, I have addressed childhood experiences I hadn’t understood until now.
In removing your mask and finding your authentic smile, an empowering story emerges – yours. Earth Angels are all around us. Gail is my Earth Angel; she didn’t even know that until now. I didn’t realize I needed an Earth Angel; I wasn’t depressed, or was I? Smiles challenges you to remove the mask behind the smile, eat the strawberries, and this time, let your smile and story shine for all to see. As Gail did me, I challenge you to find your own Earth Angels and thank them as you recognize a depression you didn’t know you had.
An amazing book written by an Earth Angel named Gail F. Woods, who teaches us how to eat the strawberries and flush the shit.
Writers Publishing House is an American-owned book publisher committed to helping authors fulfill their publishing goals. Since 2007.
Have you ever wondered how to go about learning to communicate with the spirit world? The opportunities are available in the most unusual places if you only look, and sometimes you will find them through the most unusual circumstances.
My father and his buddy, Al, spent a few years mustanging during the summers in Eastern Oregon. It was a life of freedom and not much responsibility for two single guys. They captured and broke the young horses, then sold them to ranchers.
My earliest memories are all wrapped up around horses and as an extension of that, my father. He was a true-life horse trader; making his living and feeding his family by trading horses.
Family ties are the ties that bind us to the past. And give us hope for the future. They are also the ties that take the greatest beating in life. Often frayed, dirty, and imperfectly woven, they still mold us; shape us in ways that are sometimes beyond understanding.
Writing SEO-friendly blog posts for an author/business website can seem challenging. Therefore, keyword research is an essential part of increasing online engagement. However, the SEO algorithm puzzle is just one step in writing blogs.
A good book description, no matter the genre, should leave the reader so engrossed in the content they want to learn more…. The initial sentence must capture the reader instantly….
Writers Publishing House is a full-service book publishing company based in Arizona. We assist Writers become Authors. Self-publishing simplified. Discover the easiest way to print, publish, and sell your book.
