by Anura Guruge
on September 25, 2021
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Yes, alas, I suffer from it & I am going through it right now. My latest book, ‘Bold Coast — An Ambling Guide for Seniors‘ is now finally available in (updated) print & ebook. I am done BUT I cannot rejoice, I cannot bask in an afterglow. I am going through postinvolgo depression. Please do NOT feel sorry for I. It is not crippling nor sorrowful. In my case, & I have been through this too many times. It is just a sense of restlessness, disorientation & uneasiness. It is an acute & profound loss of purpose.
In my case it is beyond trivial to fix & the cure is instantaneous & 100% effective. I just got to start working on another book.
But, I am trying not to! For the last five- or six-years, if not more, I have never taken a break from writing a book. Not, thankfully, the same one — different books. Knowing that I will fall foul of postinvolgo I invariably start working on a new book as soon as I send the one I was working on for proofing. Well, I should clarify. I compose the starts of books & chapters in my head. I do that while I drive, amble, eat, etc. So, I am working on two books in my head. That is not unusual. I usually start two books at the same time & see which one grabs my fancy. But, this time around I am determined to take a 4- to 6-week break before I start TYPING the next book. So much other things I have to do. As soon as I start typing I get consumed. It is a curse. But, it could be worse. As far as addictions or obsessions go, it is harmless & inexpensive.
I first learnt of this affliction in 1979. I heard it from ‘Dr. Tom Westerdale‘, the U.S. draft-‘protester’ who was a lecturer in computer science at ‘Birkbeck College‘, ‘University of London‘. Dr. Tom Westerdale was one of the cleverest & kindest humans I have ever had the privilege of knowing. He, though small in stature, was larger than life in every way. He, as I have chronicled in other places, single handedly & for NO personal gain (whatsoever) taught me to write! To say that I am awfully grateful to him does not even go close to expressing how beholden I am to him. Writing, in one way or another, is what defined my adult life & enabled me to live the life I did — & still do. I owe it all, totally, to dear Dr. Westerdale.
Well, in 1979 he was talking about one of his ex-students in the U.S. He had just been talking to him on the phone & said that this student, who had just submitted his Ph.D. thesis, was suffering from postpartum depression. I had yet to write a book or be a parent. I was 26. He, as was his wont, patiently explained it all to me. Dr. Westerdale was, as so often the case, 100% right. So, thanks to him I recognized what the problem was the very first time I encountered it.
Well, IF you are an author I do NOT have to belabor this. You will know. SMILE. We are in the same boat.
If you are not an author, ask one when you get a chance.
I will conclude by stressing that this is NOT serious & the cure is simple.
