Interactions

There was one glaring omission in your article. It's fine that the book focuses on mothers, because every book needs a focus. But underlying this there is a sense that this is a self-help book. If there's anything I learned in working with the families of alcoholics, it's that the healing only takes place once they give up trying to do it by themselves and let in the support structure of people who love them.

I see no mention in your article about either the impact on spouses of this situation or the role that spouses can, must and do play in helping depression sufferers get better and, absent that, just get through the day.

I would love to see someone address the important symbiotic relationship between the depression sufferer and the spouse, etc. -- not just to describe the difficulties of being married to such a person but also coping and healing strategies.

Leo J. Vidal

Millersville

Spilled Milk Isn't Always a Small Matter

The most difficult part of having a son with a milk allergy was getting people to understand the seriousness of the condition. People "get" that a peanut allergy can be life-threatening, but they falsely assume an allergy to milk is similar to lactose intolerance.