The Valedictorian of Being Dead
The True Story of Dying Ten Times to Live
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Remove from Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Valedictorian of Being Dead
Narrated by:
Heather B. Armstrong
Buy Now for $21.99
-
Narrated by:
-
Heather B. Armstrong
About this listen
For years, Heather B. Armstrong has alluded to her struggle with depression on her website, dooce. It’s scattered throughout her archive, where it weaves its way through posts about pop culture, music, and motherhood. In 2016, Heather found herself in the depths of a depression she just couldn’t shake, an episode darker and longer than anything she had previously experienced. She had never felt so discouraged by the thought of waking up in the morning, and it threatened to destroy her life. For the sake of herself and her family, Heather decided to risk it all by participating in an experimental clinical trial.
Now, for the first time, Heather recalls the torturous eighteen months of suicidal depression she endured and the month-long experimental study in which doctors used propofol anesthesia to quiet all brain activity for a full fifteen minutes before bringing her back from a flatline. Ten times. The experience wasn’t easy. Not for Heather or her family. But a switch was flipped, and Heather hasn’t experienced a single moment of suicidal depression since.
“Breathtakingly honest” (Lisa Genova, New York Times bestselling author), self-deprecating, and scientifically fascinating, The Valedictorian of Being Dead brings to light a groundbreaking new treatment for depression.
The Valedictorian of Being Dead was previously published with the subtitle “The True Story of Dying Ten Times to Live.”
Critic Reviews
"Heather B. Armstrong narrates her own memoir of treatment-resistant depression with groundbreaking vocal intensity. She bravely welcomes listeners inside her painful, yet often hilarious, internal dialogue. She isn't portraying emotional desperation—she relives it for listeners. Her voice cracks because she is really crying as she screams for relief from her ceaseless desire not to be alive. This is why listeners will be surprised at how funny Armstrong can be. Her raw portrayal of the daily struggles of depression is juxtaposed with her laugh-out-loud navigation of an experimental treatment for depression. Listeners will root for Armstrong's brain to 'reboot' as she undergoes anesthesia, to quiet all brain activity, 10 times. Armstrong's powerfully honest performance is sure to enhance every listener's understanding of clinical depression."
truely inspiring - I am grateful - thank you
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Raw and Riveting
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
inspirational
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.