Book Review: Eucatastrophe by Josh Bottomly

Reviewed by Tomi Alo | Content warnings: suicidal ideation

A memoir that offers a fresh, thoughtful take on depression

 Eucatastrophe plunges readers into the depths of depression and displays the slow, uneven climb toward recovery. This memoir is a deeply introspective and surprisingly humorous meditation on the nature and impact of mental health issues, healing, and hope.

April 14, 2019, was the day Bottomly wanted to end it all, the lowest point of his life. The months leading up to that moment had been rough and exhausting. He didn’t realize the symptoms he was experiencing were signs of acute depression.

For Bottomly, the downward spiral wasn’t immediate. It crept in gradually after his career shift from English teacher to Associate Head of Academics and interim Middle Division (MD) director. Instead of fulfillment, the position brought isolation, self-doubt, and a deepening depression that pushed him to the brink of suicide.

With raw honesty and clarity, Bottomly retraces the suffocating weight of this mental illness and the slow process of healing and rediscovering happiness in life.

Depression, as Bottomly illustrates, is not a singular event but a relentless presence. He explains that it doesn’t look the same for everyone and can take many forms. At its best, “depression merely clouds happiness, making it fleeting and temporary.” At its worst, it “casts a long shadow that follows you everywhere. It feels like bats are living in your chest, and the mind becomes a black hole—a tormentor spinning endlessly through the void of intergalactic space.” There are moments when it creeps in quietly, dulling joy without notice, and other times when it crashes down like a force too heavy to bear.

Eucatastrophe tackles a serious and challenging topic with humor, honesty, and creative storytelling. Rather than leaning on clinical explanations or rigid solutions, Bottomly blends his personal experiences with insights from literature, philosophy, and psychology to create something that feels both relatable and enlightening. He highlights the alarming reality of mental illness today and just how many people are suffering from one form of mental issue. Through his experience, we get to see how easily one can get sucked into a depressive state, especially those in a high-pressure environment. 

Eucatastrophe also serves as a great self-help resource. Bottomly advises people who want to improve their lives and overcome depression to take it one step at a time. He testifies that small actions every day can lead to significant long-term change. Also shared in this book is a list of things readers should embrace, avoid, and do more of in order to improve their mental and overall health.

Bottomly imparts methods and insights he learned from his therapist during his recovery. One such method is the Corkscrew effect, a process that “illustrates progress as a process of trial and error—practice and refinement.” It’s a gradual journey of ups and downs as we discover what works and what else is needed for growth and development on our path to recovery.

Bottomly doesn’t promise an easy way out in this memoir, nor does he paint recovery as a neatly wrapped success story. Instead, he offers what many need most: a voice that understands, a story that resonates, and a reminder that even in our darkest moments, a eucatastrophe is just around the corner.

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