Diaries of My Older Sister

A non-fiction memoir and a self-help psychology book dedicated to the author's older sister who suffered from depression and died from suicide in college at age 20. This book goes into the types of thought patterns (comparison thinking, catastrophizing, negative self-talk, perfectionism) that may cause obsessive, harmful overthinking known as 'rumination' which is proven to be a major precursor to depression. It also discusses possible solutions at both individual and societal levels, and why we need to address issues such as the our generation’s increasing status-obsession on social media and revisiting our definition of the word 'success.'

Depression and suicide are becoming more prevalent than ever before. In the U.S, suicide rates among young adults have reached their highest point in nearly two decades and are at their highest level since 2000. South Korea now leads the OECD world rankings with the highest suicide rate, and Korean celebrities and politicians frequently commit suicide from reasons cited around shame, social pressure and negative self-image.

For the last 13 years, I've studied my sister's diaries as well as the causes that might have led to her depression and eventual suicide. What this book will clarify is that depression is a multifaceted issue that has possible causes at both individual and community levels, and we must better define, identify and understand the underlying causes depression so that we can create a much more targeted, specific and integrated system of treatment for those suffering from it.


"There’s so much we can do [in order to advance mental health treatments for patients with depression]. We have figured some important things out, but we are definitely in need of more answers. We have yet to understand what truly works for depression as well as how to communicate that to others. I strongly support individuals like Terry who take the initiative to get the right messages out there. Although there is a lot of suffering in the world, if we continue to push forward and ask the right questions, as Terry has done in his book, I believe we will eventually find our way to a world with less suffering. A meaningful book to share with the world. Thank you Terry." - Dr. Chad Ebesutani, Ph.D (Clinic Director & Licensed Psychologist at Seoul Counseling Center, Professor, Dept. of Psychology at Duksung Women's University)