The good news on beating the blues
Do you want the good, the bad, or the best news first? OK, the bad news is that an estimated 264+ million people worldwide suffer from a depressive illness. The good news is that we know how to defeat these illnesses better than ever before using a growing range of highly effective psychotherapies, medications, and other therapeutic methods that are improving all the time. And the best news: because of these advances, the majority of people no longer need to suffer the debilitating–and sometimes dangerous–effects of long-term depressive illness.
The new edition of Depression For Dummies shows how you can make this happen for you by providing the latest and best information on how to banish the noonday demon and bring the sunshine back into your world. In this friendly, cheerful, no-nonsense guide, leading clinical psychologists Laura L. Smith and Charles H. Elliot give you the straight talk on what you face and proven, practical advice on how to punch back and win. Showing you how to know your enemy, they demystify common types of depression, explain its physical effects, and help identify the kind you have. Armed in this way, you can take firmer steps toward the lifestyle changes–as well as therapy or medication–that will put you back in control.
* Learn about different forms of depression
* Build simple, daily habits into your life that help banish the blues
* Understand conventional, alternative, and experimental therapies
* Move on: avoid relapses and stay happy!
Whatever your level of depression–occasional bouts or long-term–this book gives you the insight, the tools, and the inner strength and persistence to put enjoyment back in your life.
Table of Content
Introduction 1
Part 1: Discovering Depression and Preparing a Plan 5
Chapter 1: Demystifying and Defeating Depression 7
Chapter 2: Detecting Depression 19
Chapter 3: When Bad Things Happen 45
Chapter 4: Breaking Barriers to Change 57
Chapter 5: Finding Help for Depression 79
Part 2: Understanding and Accepting Thoughts and Feelings 95
Chapter 6: Understanding the Thought/Feeling Connection 97
Chapter 7: Defeating Distorted Thinking 109
Chapter 8: Rethinking Thoughts Lurking Behind Depression 127
Chapter 9: Accepting Thoughts and Feelings 151
Chapter 10: Thinking the Worst: Suicide 171
Part 3: Taking Action Against Depression 185
Chapter 11: Getting Out of Bed 187
Chapter 12: Working Out to Lift Depression 199
Chapter 13: Rediscovering Healthy Pleasures 209
Chapter 14: Solving Life’s Headaches 221
Part 4: Rebuilding Connections 239
Chapter 15: Working Through Loss, Grief, and Mourning 241
Chapter 16: Relationship Enhancement 255
Part 5: Fighting the Physical Foe: Biological Therapies 271
Chapter 17: Prescribing Pleasure 273
Chapter 18: Hype, Help, or Hope? Alternative Treatments for Depression 291
Part 6: Looking Beyond Depression 301
Chapter 19: Reducing the Risk of Relapse 303
Chapter 20: Mending Your Memory 317
Chapter 21: Pursuing Happiness 327
Part 7: The Part of Tens 343
Chapter 22: Ten Ways Out of a Bad Mood 345
Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Help Kids with Depression 349
Chapter 24: Ten Ways to Help a Friend or Lover with Depression 355
Appendix: Resources for You 361
Index 365
About the author
Laura L. Smith, Ph D, is a clinical psychologist and former President of the New Mexico Psychological Association.
Charles H. Elliott, Ph D, is a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus at Fielding Graduate University.
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