Subjects:  1. Depression    2. Depression, Mental    3. Mental Depression    4. Mental Health    5. Mental Illness    6. Patient Care Planning    7. Problems and Exercises    8. Psychology    9. Psychopathology - Compulsive Behavior    10. Psychotherapy    11. Psychotherapy - General    12. Treatment    13. therapy    14. Clinical psychology    15. Psychology & Psychiatry / Psychotherapy   

Reviews (5)

Living Without Depression and Maniac Depression: A workbook for maintaining Mood Stability
This book was not as helpful as I had hoped. It does contain legal information that was helpful, and legal papers to fill out in case of emergency. The rest of the worksheets were pretty basic and I dont think if I had the change to buy it again, that I would.

Pensbybruno
I ordered this book used from a private seller.Not only was the book in the condition promised but it arrived well before the time when I expected it to.

Excellent Resource With Qualifications
This book helped me immensely as I was coping with major depression. I couldn't stop crying, feeling sorry for myself and being completely terrified of the total loss of control in my life. The book examines many aspects of wellbeing, and is BEST in providing practical suggestions and solutions while being sensitive to a very diverse audience (uraban/rural/old/young..). however...the book does have a tendency of making you feel too sorry for yourself. I am an adventurous, intelligent, sensitive person, and depression crippled my feelings. The book seems to suggest that "stability" is better than extreme emotions or living with too much adventure. I believe you can radically transform your life - you just need enough motivation to overcome repeated setbacks. Use this book in conjunction with some motivational reading that charges you up. Also, the book spends a lot of time on medication. I decided NOT to use any medication, and managed to restore my serotonin levels by daily exercise and proper nutrition. The book does stress the importance of natural remedies to depression, but seems to suggest medication is an unavoidable necessity. This isn't the case. Read "Prozac Backlash" or "Beyond Prozac" (forget the authors), which discredit this culture of chemical dependency to get better. You CAN get well. Stay focussed, and use the book's suggestions to eliminate triggers. Happy recovery! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Depressed persons    2. Depression    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Manic-depressive persons    5. Psychology    6. Psychopathology - General    7. Rehabilitation    8. Self-help techniques    9. Coping with personal problems   

Reviews (8)

Courageous and Important Work
Did you know that antidepressant dose reduction and discontinuation can cause severe and debilitating withdrawal reactions?While 10% of the US population are taking antidepressants, most people, including most doctors, have never heard of antidepressant addiction and withdrawal.Glenmullen does a fine job getting the word out about this urgent health crisis.In 2004 Congress had to force the FDA and drug manufacturers to acknowledge the well-established link between antidepressant use and increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.Glenmullen shows how severe withdrawal symptoms, which can occur within hours of a missed dose, can actually drive a person to suicide.Many face a horrible dilemma when their withdrawal symptoms are misdiagnosed as relapse.Glenmullen must be applauded for taking on his own colleagues, some of whom have accepted huge fees from the drug companies to suppress and misrepressent the severity of antidepressant "discontinuation syndrome."Numerous misdeeds are revealed in Glenmullen's astute analysis, but the book's primary purpose is not critical.He presents a detailed 5 step method for helping those who want or need to stop taking these drugs.The good news, according to Glenmullen, is that patients are "almost always" able to wean off these drugs if the dose is reduced gradually (according to each individual's tolerance) with the vigilant care of a knowledgable doctor who is willing to put in the many weeks, sometimes many months, required.To his credit, Glenmullen explores the limits to his method in the story of Andy, a 16 year old boy, who after a month on Effexor, decided he wanted off, but had to spend a whole year of his young life in hell caught between the side effects and severe withdrawal, despite a painfully slow dose reduction. Glenmullen would like to believe such reactions are rare, but what if they're not?Just because some people can reduce gradually with few problems, does not prove all people can.I am one like Andy.I too took Effexor.I spent 4 months reducing gradually and became so sick and debilitated, I had to quit my job.It's now been 10 weeks since I took my last dose and I am still too sick to function.I'm worried I may have been permanently damaged by this drug.I'm not depressed, but I have considered suicide.I'm a 53 year old woman with no husband or family to support me financially.If I had known when I started this drug 10 years ago that I could become this sick when I gradually reduced and discontinued it, I never would have taken it--but I couldn't have known 10 years ago because back then, the drug companies denied the existence of antidepressant withdrawal and deliberated suppressed and misrepresented the truth.They can't deny it any longer.Babies are being born addicted to Effexor.Their mothers may have known of the dangers, they may have tried to stop, but they couldn't because the withdrawal was too much to bear.These mothers were addicted by prescription with FDA approval.This is a major health crisis, much worse than crack babies.Glenmullen's book doesn't address addicted newborns, but you can read the horrible truth in Wyeth's most recent drug label for Effexor (June 2006, p24). In the debate over the risks and benefits of antidepressants, Glenmullen identifies himself as a moderate.He is, after all, a psychiatrist whose job is to dispense these meds.He deserves credit for trying to help the thousands of desperate victims, but his "solution" may offer only false hope, masking the problem and prolonging the suffering.Eventually the people will come to know the truth about these drugs and they will be banned or boycotted.Then those who have been profitting from the people's suffering will have to undergo their own painful withdrawal--from all that money.

Book didn't offer a VIABLE alternative for me
I've been suffering from panic disorder all my life.
Pretty good
But he fails to mention that SSRIs can cause permanent sexual side effects even after discontinuance. Long overlooked by the medical community. Do google search for details. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antidepressants    2. Depression    3. General    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health/Fitness    6. Self-Help    7. Substance Abuse & Addictions - Drug Dependence    8. Health & Fitness / Reference   

Editorial Review

SAM-e (pronounced "sammy"), short for S-adenosyl-methionine, will revolutionize the treatment of depression in the U.S. as it has for two decades in Europe, claim authors Richard Brown and Teodoro Bottiglieri. Not an herb, not a prescription drug, SAM-e is an over-the-counter natural supplement that has undergone extensive testing and has just become available in the U.S. "Study after study has confirmed that SAM-e works as well as or better than any other antidepressant," say the authors. It also works faster and with far fewer side effects, and it seems to help osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia as well.Read more

Reviews (26)

Excellent Book on Clinical Depression
I found this to be an excellent book about clinical depression and the options for its treatment.Different brain chemistries require different approaches to relieve chronic depression.The important thing is to keep trying until you find what works for your unique brain chemistry. SAM-e works for me, and I am grateful that an MD, psychiatrist wrote this book and helped me to find the SAM-e option. Yes, life is good after depression is in remission!

All that matters is that IT WORKS FOR YOU
This book provides a good overview of Sam-e- but who cares as long as you have given Sam-e a proper trial. The reality is that most people read a book like this and give it a short run, do not follow the directions, and take an inadequate dose. Much of the research on Sam-e was given by injection(intramuscular or intravenous)dosage ranged up to 1,600mg/d. Due to costs of oral Sam-e and the nature of depression most people often give up too early and at a fairly low dose. And Sam-e needs to be taken on AN EMPTY STOMACH ( like after waking up in the morning) and one needs to wait AT LEAST A HALF AN HOUR before eating. In addition an effective dosage may mean up to 2,400mg a day, and it is important to buy a box of Sam-e that has that has a good expiration date. Combining Sam-e with a fair dosage of omega 3 (6 gm/d EPA & 4 gm/d DHA) may be a major benefit for Unipolar as well as Bipolar depression. So give both at least a full eight week trial- at least!

Very Helpful, Especially for Those Who Have Been Depressed!
The book is good.It help to explain how to use SAM-e.It is SAM-e that is the miracle worker!Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative treatment    2. Chemotherapy    3. Depression    4. Depression, Mental    5. Herbal Medications    6. Psychology    7. Self-Help   

Editorial Review

"A life shaken by depression is also a life open to the possibility of deep transformation," write John McQuaid, Ph.D., and Paula Carmona, R.N., M.S.N., experts in treating depression. They recommend a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and meditation. CBT teaches you to track your thoughts, observe behaviors, and notice how these affect depression. By changing thoughts and behaviors, you learn to change your emotions and mood. Meditation trains you to observe your life and thoughts. Both can help you identify, then change, core beliefs that influence depression, resulting in new core beliefs based on your values. Read more

Reviews (11)

Changed my life
I have to say upfront that I have read and practiced numerous methods/variations of mindfulness meditation.However, none have struck just the right chord with me.
Not what you think
You might think that this is yet another book on mindfulness.Or, if you are into mindfulness based therapies, you may assume that this is yet another book that covers the "Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction" (MBSR, a la Kabat-Zinn) or "Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy" (MBCT, a la Segal, Williams and Teasdale).
time consuming but helpful
I am finding this book quite helpful to getting to know myself better and to have greater control over my emotional responses, or mood. The authors guide you through several approaches of specific steps you should take to get to know some of your core beliefs, which they say may be causing depression. You are free to choose the approach that works best for you, but you do need to try them all to see what works. It is quite time consuming. One of the approaches requires you to record your activities and asses your mood every hour. The instructions are clear and concice and examples provided are helpful, however it does take a true commitment. I suppose it may be fair to say that true change most often does take real work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Depression    2. Psychology    3. Self-Help    4. Coping with personal problems    5. Popular psychology   

Reviews (6)

1 of the BEST books on Manic Depression
By far, this is one of the best books I've read on manic depression. I should know -I'm a PhD-MD cannidate at the university that is the brother school to the college (sister school) I attended- (Ivy L, 7 Sisters, CT, MA -figure it out...;)- in psychiatric medicine, focusing on mood disorders and substance abuse. I'm also a person living with Bipolar I and who is sick and tired of everyone yapping about Bipolar Illness and not doing much research on it (which is pointed out at the very end of the book.) However, this book is a refreshing surprise in a sea of far too many "I have BP disorder, read MY book b/c I'll tell YOU how to survive!!!" narratives.
Disappointed
As a person with manic depression, I found this book lacking tact. Why refer to the person in question as a "maniac"? Why always refer to the person in question as "he" -- except for the one time the authors pointed out that female "maniacs" often erroneously believe that men are in love with them. (Well! I never! I'll have you know that men ARE in love with me.) It was as if the authors assumed that no person with the illness would actually pick up the book and read it. I felt the whole time as if I were eavesdropping on a conversation about people like me but from which people like me were excluded. (I also found it striking that although the authors chose 4 great men to write about, the cover of the book has on it a sad and scary-looking crazy woman.)
Much needed
While we have some great examples of depression and its link to creativity (think Conroy's "Prince of Tides" or "The Bark of the Dogwood"), there hasn't been enough written about this subject from the perspective that Hershman and Lieb give us.Thisbook is an overview of four talented and well-know men--Newton, Beethoven, Dickens, and Van Gogh.I'm sure the list of manic depressive creative persons is miles longer, but the book focuses on these four.This is an extremely valuable book for anyone attempting to understand the creative mind and how it works (or doesn't).Highly recommended along with "Touched with Fire." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. Creative Ability    3. Creativity    4. Depression    5. Genius and mental illness    6. Manic-depressive illness    7. Mental Depression    8. Mental Illness    9. Psychology    10. Creative therapy (eg art, music, drama)    11. Psychiatry   

Editorial Review

We are all students in the "Earth school," according to authors Gary Zukav and Linda Francis in Read more

Reviews (34)

Reflection of yourself in this book
I must say I don't understand the other negative reviews.I found this book to be absolutely wonderful.Gary and Linda tackle the seeds of addictive behaviors, be it food, alcohol, drugs or sex.They also tackle issues such as perfectionism and work-aholism as well as others.I love the gentleness with which this book presents itself.It is not a book that you quickly read through and/or skim along.You need to read a section and actually think about what is stated to receive the full and rich benefits.Yes, it is written in a simple language and does repeat certain concepts; however, the concept is written to further stress that we need to look inward rather than be constantly reactive to our outside stressors. It offers yet another way of looking at our emotions by focusing on the energy of them and where that energy is released in our bodies. It also offers more seeds of self reflection. I loved this book and will recommend it to others whole-heartedly.

Emotions, Soul, and Heart Combine to Make a Person Whole.
This is a continuation of The Mind of The Soul by this pair and The Seat of the Soul by Mr. Zukav.He has published three others about the soul, yet he is not a psychologist or specialist in this field.This is an extremely simplified textbook which found its way to the library sale.The bold-faced "highlighted" parts throughout are distracting.
Journey from Your Head to Your Heart
Gary Zukav and Linda Francis did a wonderful job in bringing those who have a hard time feeling and dealing with their emotions a powerful book that will help you journey "from your head to your heart."
Read more

Subjects:  1. Depression    2. Devotional    3. Emotions    4. General    5. Miscellanea    6. New Age movement    7. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    8. Self-Help    9. Spirituality - General    10. Body, Mind & Spirit / General    11. Coping with illness    12. Self-Help & Practical Interests   

Subjects:  1. Alternative Therapies    2. Alternative treatment    3. Depression    4. Depression, Mental    5. Diet / Health / Fitness    6. Health & Fitness    7. Health/Fitness    8. Manic depressive illness    9. Psychology    10. Health & Fitness / Alternative Therapies   

Reviews (5)

This book helped me when nothing else did
I'm a psych nurse, and this is a wonderful book that a great therapist I know always recommends to her patients.
Wasn't Impressed
I thought far too much of the book was used discussing how male dominated the work force is.I would not have bought the book if I knew a good part of it was about white males being favored in the work force, because I know that isn't my problem. I rated it 2 stars instead of 1 star because there were some useful parts of the book unrelated to favoring white males.I learned some ways to better stand up for myself and reword my requests so I sound stronger.Although there were some good points, overall the book was too feminist for me (even though of course I'm for women's rights, that's just not the problem I'm dealing with right now), and a little too anti white male (my white husband is currently my best support system). I thought the author Lois P. Frankel wrote about some controversial issues that didn't need to be included in this book, such as when she suggested that readers join a group supporting a women's right to choose.

Good, easy book, nice exercises
The best thing about this book, in my opinion, is that Dr. Frankel includes exercises along the way to get the readers to think about their depression and their anger, their causes, and how they can get in touch with their anger and express it appropriately.I generally agree with her premise--that women have been taught not to show their anger, to stuff their feelings, to accept the "glass ceiling," and all these stuffed emotions can lead to depression. But I think she fails to see the chemical component of depression. Why do some women deal with these issues and not get depressed, and some do? Still, medication alone doesn't "cure" depression, any more than therapy alone, and certainly giving women permission to express their anger will help them deal with their depression. After all, what is depression but anger turned inward? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anger    2. Depression    3. Depression, Mental    4. General    5. Health aspects    6. Mental health    7. Psychopathology - General    8. Self-Help    9. Women    10. Child & developmental psychology    11. Coping with personal problems    12. Self-Help / Depression   

Reviews (7)

getting yuor life back: the complete guide to recovery from depresion
A very nice book.

The most helpful book on depression I have ever read
This is an excellent book, honoring the WHOLE person (body, mind and spirit), down-to-earth and very respectful of the different ways people deal with their personal distress.I am very surprised at the Publisher's Weekly review, as I found the book to be just the opposite of that assessment.In fact, this is the only book I've read whose authors, in fact, DID seem like they knew from experience the dark maze of depression.I have shared the book with others and will continue to recommend it.I discovered the book by accident at a bookstore one lonely gray day and read it three times.It truly is a life-changer.

The key to unlocking depression is in this book!
This was a very informative book, written in plain English for those who are depressed and their families. There are many good exercises besides the profound text it provides. It covers the many forms and facets of depression in a very user-friendly way and I will not hesitate to use it and pass it one to others who may need it. It contains all the keys plus suggestions on how to put them into action and if that alone is not enough, how to talk to your doctor about medications. It gives life coping strategies that anyone can use. I couldn't put this book down. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Depression    2. Depression (Psychology)    3. Depression, Mental    4. Mental Health    5. Popular works    6. Psychology    7. Self-Help    8. Self-help techniques    9. Coping with illness    10. Self-Help & Practical Interests    11. Self-Help / Depression   

Reviews (7)

Great book if you are depressed and skeptical
This book treats the reader very well.He acknowledges the problem of getting started with a program to overcome depression, and even suggests which chapters to skip if you want to get going quickly.Mr. Gilbert never talks down to the reader.For its focus on practical results and its thoughtfully organized, compassionate approach to the reader, I say this book is a cut above all others I've seen and a great thing to have if you would like to overcome depression.If you are depressed, then you will know that many writings on this subject speak an alien language that makes it clear that the author doesn't really understand depressed people.This book is the opposite of that. It anticipates your skepticisms and doubts in a straightforward way that are incredibly useful in keeping your mind applied to the goal of overcoming depression.

Every depressed or insecure person should read this book - and I should know.
I know the guidelines asks us not to comment on other reviews but I signed up to write a review specifically because I was afraid the last review might turn off someone like me who really could benefit from reading this excellent book. I don't know why the last review mischaracterized the book - I wonder if she's got the right book, because she doesn't mention a single thing about what this book is entirely about: recognizing the negative leaps in logic that we make that bring us down. It's very rational and well-thought out and it's the first thing that's given me any hope in a very long time. It's all about normal mental habits and trying to break them when they aren't helping us. Warm milk? Naps? If they're in there somewhere, I must have missed them. I don't know what that person has against this book but it sounds like they didn't read it.
Warmed-up fare
I find "Overcoming Depression" an uninspiring read. It feels too flabby. And like another book I've read in this series (the Melanie Fennell), it can sometimes come across as fairly trite. Here are some examples: "Don't worry about not getting enough sleep. Margaret Thatcher only slept for four hours a day!" So that's alright then. "A milky drink before bed may help." And yet it may not: is this cold or warm milk we're talking about here? don't some kinds of milk actually stimulate the brain? "Also don't catnap during the day. If I sleep for longer than fifteen minutes during the afternoon, this can really mess up my night's sleep." First he says don't catnap, then he says he does catnap, then he doesn't give any advice on how to avoid catnapping which is surely the essential bit. This might seem like nitpicking but these sample quotes are just from a couple of pages, and turning the page I see we have the following howler on antidepressant drugs: "Many people worry that these drugs are addictive, but they are not." Not a word about the major issue of withdrawal symptoms, something which can occur even when the drugs haven't worked. The later chapter on drugs is also silent on the matter. Maybe this is all straightened out in the American edition, or the revised edition (I admit I got hold of the English edition from 2000). It needs to be. As it stands it feels at best uninformed and at worst irresponsible - a book about depression written by someone who doesn't appear to know about antidepressants, not good is it."Overcoming Depression" could simply do with a going over by a semi-intelligent editor's red pen. It's a shame really, because cognitive behavioral therapy is such a gold mine. Hence the two stars - it's not worthless, just not very well written. Self-help books can be intelligent, informative, *and* feature inspired and interesting writing. Check out "Essential Help for your Nerves" by Dr Claire Weekes. If you have nervous fatigue, or want to overcome stress, fear, panic attacks, you couldn't do better. It just feels as if it's written by someone who's not copying out of the manual, who writes as if they're setting down their life's work, who writes advice in an interesting and unpatronising way that will stay with you, that you'll remember - which is the point really. Mind you, she mentions the milk thing too. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Mental Illness    2. Psychology    3. Psychology | Clinical    4. Self-Help / Depression    5. Depression    6. Cognition Disorders    7. Mental Depression    8. Cognitive therapy    9. Depression, Mental   

Reviews (2)

Very Helpful Book
The reviewer below, C Fink, wrote a great review of this book, but I have one comment to add: although the author is a runner and some of the studies he cites are based on runners, the author states clearly that any aerobic exercise is fine.I'm not a runner and as I was reading, I didn't think of it as a running book (I prefer bicycling and hiking/walking).
Good News from a Runner's World
I came to Johnsgard's book as a recreational runner with none of the psychological disorders he addresses in his book (none diagnosed, anyway). Actually, the title of this delightful book is something of a misnomer; only one of the four sections deals specifically with mental health. In the other three sections, Johnsgard-a psychology professor and a long-time distance runner-takes what I would call an anthropological view of the sport, addressing, as he does, the history of Homo Sapiens and our natural inclination to run. Johnsgard's book is a training manual, a DSM4, and a natural history all in one.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Depression    2. Depression, Mental    3. Exercise    4. Exercise Therapy    5. Health aspects    6. Mental Depression    7. Mood Disorders    8. Psychology    9. Self-Help    10. Treatment    11. Coping with illness    12. Exercise & workout books    13. Popular medicine   

Reviews (28)

Fascinating, but exercise some healthy skepticism.
Amen's "new program" actually has less to do with the patient's protocol than the physician's basis for selecting it.The author maintains that his research in "imaging" various brain patterns and wave activity in selected portions of the brain enables him to determine the precise sort of depressive-anxiety disorder (the author identifies seven) being experienced by the patient.Upon making this determination, the prescribed therapies are along familiar lines--tricyclic medications, SSRI's, SNRI's, etc.The photos are interesting and possibly useful (thoughnot necessarily proof of cause and effect), and the readerly prose insures that the reader will pick up a good deal of information about the structure of the brain.Also, the author provides a questionnaire to enable a reader to approximate what the brain images might have confirmed, thus enabling him to determine his type of depressive disorder(s), if any.From there, the practical information and applications are likely to be of value in proportion to the amount of information the reader already has about depression and anxiety.
Don't buy this book from Amazon
After page 186, the book repeats pages 123 through 186. After the second page 186, the book jumps right to page 251. Page 187 through page page 250 are missing from the book. The information I was able to look through was really great. There must have been problems with the printing.

knowledge is power!!!
Very intresting book,, it explains the MEDICAL stand point about depression which involves diffrent parts of the brain,,also explains that a diet higer in protein lower in sugar is very beneficial to people who suffer from chemical imbalance! I learned a lot reading this book, and recommend it to anybody suffering from medical depression, because its not your fault! And you don't have to suffer alone anymore!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Depression    2. General    3. Health & Fitness    4. Health/Fitness    5. Psychology    6. Health & Fitness / General   

Reviews (38)

A MUST READ FOR ANYONE TOUCHED BY THE DISEASE CALLED DEPRESSION
THIS IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ ON THE SUBJECT. NOT ONLY DOES IT COME TO US IN FIRST PERSON, IT IS WRITTEN BY A WOMEN WHOSE GIFTED USE OF IMAGERY HELP US TO COME AS CLOSE TO KNOWING WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO SUFFER FROM DEPRESSION AS ONE CAN WITHOUT EXPERIENCING IT. I HAVE ALREADY TOLD 10 OF MY FRIENDS TO GO OUT AND BUY THIS.
One of the best books abot Depression I have ever read
This is a book from the inside out, meaning the author writes well about the subject because it comes from within. I have read several books about depression, and this is the one that has impressed me the most. Honest, well-written, and it tells it like it is. At times I found myself disagreeing with the author's actions (but who am I to judge) as if she was a character (see, it reads like a good book, a novel even, definitely not self-help and never ever patronizing), but I always appreciated her honesty and "straightford-ness." Somehow I found this book at the time I needed it the most, when I had given up all hope of getting better. I'm still not convinced I will, but this book has me rooting for the author. I am ever grateful and thankful it exists.
Hope for those who suffer
I read this book shortly after it was released.My first thought was "Wow, someone understands how I feel."It is an excellent book for those around us who do not understand depression and the mental and physical problems that accompany it.I have read this book several times.I have also recommended it to many including my counselor.Tracy Thompson helped remove the stigma associated with mentai illness. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Case studies    5. Depressed persons    6. Depression    7. Depression (Psychology)    8. Depression, Mental    9. Specific Groups - General    10. Thompson, Tracy    11. United States    12. Coping with personal problems    13. Psychology / Depression   

Reviews (10)

a remarkable exploration of grief and depression
Terry Wise tells the story of her husband's illness and her grief and downward spiral into depression following his death through the lens of therapy. She shares not only her innermost fears but her exploration of them in an honest and insightful manner. Working through grief is exactly that-work- and Terry shows us just how hard this work can be. Terry's courageous story includes her therapist, whose tenacity permitted Terry to face and work toward conquering her demons. Waking Up is a glorious account of the therapeutic process and the determination of the human spirit to survive.

Wow.
This was a *profound* book written with brutal honesty.Ms. Wise doesn't just captivate you from the first page... she holds you by the gut and pulls you into her life (and death) experience.There is nothing flowery about this book.It takes you right into the heart of her grief and pain... and more, it shows vividly how this downward spiral is such a slippery slope.
Letter to Terry Wise
My dear Terry,
Read more

Subjects:  1. Death / Grief / Consolation    2. Death, Grief, Bereavement    3. Depression    4. Mental Depression    5. Mental Health    6. Rehabilitation Counseling    7. Self-Help    8. Suicide    9. Coping with illness    10. Self-Help / Death, Grief, Bereavement   

Reviews (21)

A Powerful and Practical Guide to Overcoming Depression
I read this book when I was recovering both from heart surgery and major depression. I had been told by my doctors that the two were linked-that depression was one of the contributory factors in heart disease-but I never really realized the force of the link until I read "Creating Optimism."
Creating Optimism
This is a great book , it gives excellent insight into the base causes of depression and practical and easy to follow steps on how to go about overcoming depression . I can't recommend ithighly enough for those who have found depression a reoccuring pattern in there lives. You can work through this with the help of this seven step program and you'll never look back. And it's on going with a website that you can visit to keep up with any new information , fantastic effort to Bob and Alicia you have given the world a great gift,

a happy customer
I had the pleasure of reading a truly wonderful book, and meeting the authors yesterday.I recommend that everyone who has or has had depression in some way,read the book.There were tons of new ideas that I have not received in ay type of therapy before.The book is truly revolutionary.By the way, my e mail address is pkh117@earthlink.net.My old address was not put onto this new computer.Read more

Subjects:  1. Depression    2. Psychology    3. Self-Help    4. Popular psychology    5. Self-Help / Depression   

Reviews (11)

interessant mais lacunaire
Un commentaire sur un livre qui a �t� �norm�ment vendu: DSS propose dans son livre une m�decine des �motions et l'explique en proposant 7 m�thodes alternatives � la m�decine classique: la d�sensibiliation par les mouvements oculaires (EMDR), la r�gulation du rythme cardiaque, la synchronisation des horloges biologiques par des simulateurs d'aube, l'acupuncture, l'exercice physique, l'apport en Omega-3 et le techniques de communication affective. Ce livre est interessant car l'approche de cette m�decine quine dissocie pas corps et esprit est malheureusement rarement comprise par la majorit� des m�decins, pour ne pas dire ignor�e. Ce livre est en soi une ouverture et j'esp�re qu'il va continue � faire remuer le milieu m�dical pour que les m�decins cessent de se focaliser sur la maladie comme si elle �tai une entit� differente dela personne.
Lots of fascinating and well-researched information
I tend to be a bit skeptical of self-help books because I have seen so many sloppy "new-age" versions, but this one is definitely on a different plane.Using the workings of the limbic (emotional) brain as his organizing principle, the author covers the therapeutic effects of diverse topics, from acupuncture, exercise, diet, light therapy, enhancing communication skills, and community service, to the lesser known practices of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and cardiac coherence.All of the chapters are very well presented with generous reliance on scientific information and studies, so that even being a skeptic accustomed to picking apart scientific literature, all the approaches struck me as at least worth exploring.Because many of these therapies are inexpensive, take time to explain, and are not capable of being patented, the business and medical establishments tend to underplay them.Many a time I have gone to the doctor for some problem or other, and left with a prescription for a medication that gave me side effects worse than the underlying condition.If this book were taken to heart, many people who go to their internist with symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, and pain, would get a prescription to exercise and meditate, instructions on how to eat more beneficially for their brain chemistry, and advice on how to reduce interpersonal conflicts.Even if you're not depressed (I am not and bought the book for someone close to me), it is a fascinating and rewarding read, and suggests many ways (some extremely simple) in which we can enhance the quality of life for ourselves and those around us.

First Book To Help Me
I have been battling depression (aka: The Big D) for over two years - since I was riffed - and this is the first book to actually help me.A lot of the books on depression seemed to be too academic.Or they focused on somebody else's depression.This book really talked to me.There are valuable suggestions, lots of practical advice, enough experimental data to make it sound like it might actually work for me, and no preaching.I highly recomend it to anybody who is fighting depression or knows somebody who is. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative treatment    2. Anxiety    3. Depression    4. Depression (Psychology)    5. Depression, Mental    6. Health & Fitness    7. Mental Depression    8. Mood Disorders    9. Psychology    10. Psychotherapy    11. Self-Help    12. Stress Management    13. Women's Health - General