Books: Depression, S.A.D, Manic Depression etc

Here are some books on Depression. Click on the link to read more on the books and to see their covers. These books are from Amazon.ca but there are other online books stores, and bookstores, library's that would more then likely have the book(s) that you are looking for as well. Please feel free to add to the list.

1. The Truth about Depression: Choices for Healing

2. Against Depression

3. Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression

4. The Feeling Good Handbook

5. An Unquiet Mind: a Memoir of Moods and Madness

6. Breaking the Patterns of Depression

7. Self-Coaching: How to Heal Anxiety and Depression

8. Undoing Depression: What Therapy Doesn't Teach You and Medication Can't Give You

9. Escaping Emotional Entrapment

10. The Thyroid Solution: a Mind-Body Program for Beating Depression and Regaining Your Emotional Andphysical Health

11. The Optimistic Child: Proven Program to Safeguard Children from Depression & Build Lifelong Resistance

12. The Depression Workbook: A Guide for Living with Depression and Manic Depression

13. Conquer the Crash: You Can Survive and Prosper in a Deflationary Depression (Expanded and Updated Edition)

14. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse

15. The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know

16. Undoing Perpetual Stress: The Missing Connection Between Depression, Anxiety and 21stcentury Illness

[quote="sadgurl"]Here are some books on Depression. Click on the link to read more on the books and to see their covers. These books are from Amazon.ca but there are other online books stores, and bookstores, library's that would more then likely have the book(s) that you are looking for as well. Please feel free to add to the list.

1. The Truth about Depression: Choices for Healing

2. Against Depression

3. Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression

4. The Feeling Good Handbook

5. An Unquiet Mind: a Memoir of Moods and Madness

6. Breaking the Patterns of Depression

7. Self-Coaching: How to Heal Anxiety and Depression

8. Undoing Depression: What Therapy Doesn't Teach You and Medication Can't Give You

9. Escaping Emotional Entrapment

10. The Thyroid Solution: a Mind-Body Program for Beating Depression and Regaining Your Emotional Andphysical Health

11. The Optimistic Child: Proven Program to Safeguard Children from Depression & Build Lifelong Resistance

12. The Depression Workbook: A Guide for Living with Depression and Manic Depression

13. [URL=http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0470870907/qid=1116269070/sr=1-16/ref=sr_1_2_16/701-6871354-7049917]Conquer the Crash: You Can Survive and Prosper in a Deflationary e4s toija;tiljnkl;js dare evfecion

There is a new ebook that deals with depression available at www.chipmunkapublishing.co.uk 'SUICIDE JUNKIE' is a memoir by S.Westwood - a sufferer of Body dysmorphic disorder, boderline personality disorder and depression. It might be of interest to some of you. Click this link to be taken to Chipmunka and buy the book: http://www.chipmunkapublishing.co.u...products_id=504 S.Westwood also has a web site www.swestwood.com

Chipmunka is a publisher for mental health related books and ebooks. There might be some books that will interest to you.
Thanks for reading.

Here is a book that I just read and found helpful for depression and bipolar disorder.

Allen, J. 2006. Coping with Depression From Catch-22 to Hope. American Psychiatric Publishing, DC

Excellent survey of the latest ideas and theories about depression. The book contains up-to-date research with over 500 literature citations throughout the text. In contrast to some experts, the author believes that mood changes are not just due to a single neurotransmitter (such as serotonin). Rather the increase in synaptice levels of neurochemical levels leads to a cascade of changes in the neurons.

Cognitive therapy was pointed out to be an effective, proven method of dealing with depression. This therapy involves identifying automatic negative thoughts, challenging them, examining the evidence for the thoughts, and brainstorming for other alternatives.

Among the best strategies for getting yourself out of a bad mood is to exercise. Regular aerobic exercise at 70% maximum heart rate seems best.

Manic episodes in polar depression can be brought on by sleep schedule disruption. Also, positive life events like a promotion or new romance can trigger mania. This notion goes along with my struggles with polar. The times I've experienced a mania phase have been times of major achievemnet.

If you want the lastest ideas about depression, this is the book for you.

Spark your Dream by Candelaria and Herman Zapp ISBN:978-987-23134-1-8

Spark your Dream by Candelaria and Herman Zapp is the true story of two young people who traveled from Arrgentina to Alaska in a very old car. Along the way they encountered many problems, but with the help of hundreds of people in many countries they finished their journey and had a child along the way.

Good hearted people gave them food, places to stay, and helped them repair their car. Reading this excdllent book will restore your faith in people's willingness to share. Depressed people often do not have must trust in their fellows. This book will help one get a more positive view of the world.

They concluded that the hardest part of this multi-year trek was getting started. That's how most projects seem to be. If you want something, but keep putting it off you might experience depression because you are not being true to yourself.

Reading the book made me think that perhaps if more of us chased our dreams we would need less pills for depression and less illegal drugs to boast our happiness. Their story would make a great movie. Depression often brings feelings of being hopeless with no choice but more and more misery. Going after your dreams will help you become in control of your life. Read this book to build up your hope.

James

This book was helpful for me to see how my childhood affected me. It also gave me a number of things to try to fight my mood swings.

Bradshaw, J. 1988. Healing the Shame that Binds You. Health Communications, Deerfield Beach, Florida

John Bradshaw's book is full of references to various philosphies and methods of treating psychological problems. He expalins how many of our difficulties relate to how we were made to feel unworthy of love.

I especially enjoyed how he described the work of Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck. Thinking that we should be perfect or that we know what someone is thinking can lead us into depression.

John Bradshaw goes from quoting famous people to mentioning the simple praises that are heard in 12-step meetings. So people who attend 12-step meetings are likely to get a lot from this book.

Here are comments about a book I just read: Surviving Ben's Suicide by C. Comfort Shields

Comfort Shields shares her painful feelings connected with her boyfriend's death in Surviving Ben's Suicide. The book does not give general information and statistics about suicide or depression. Rather, it is a compilation of memores pondered over with the hope of gaining understanding. Much of the book details pleasent memories of a college romance, which most of us can relate to. At first, Ben seemed so wonderful, however, hints of a dark side became apparent after Comfort looked at events from the perspective of years. As is typical when someone close to us commits suicide, the author wrestles with heavy questions: Why did it happen? Could I have prevented the act? What made me be attracted to such a person? Is there something wrong with me? Comfort recalls and sometimes agonizes over conversations, interactions, and other observations from the past. Writing this memoir enabled the author to grow past the experience. In the end, she concludes that she will never know the real answers to her questions, but that she has to just move on with life. The book is well written; once one begins reading it, one can't put it down.

The book can be particulary useful to several groups of people. Of course all people who have been through a similar experience will realize that they are not alone with their questions and preoocupations. But another group who might benefit greatly are those who have mood swings--those with clinical depression or bipolar disorder. Often these people contemplate suicide, but fail to realize how deeply their death will affect others. This book shows that a person is affected for a long time when a friend takes his/her own life. Maybe by reading this book, people will think twice about the option of suicide. Suicide is common, but it is not easily understood. Ben was treated by a number of doctors and with a variety of medications. Our medical profession was unable to save Comfort's boyfriend.

In the end, Comfort discovered that we can not always solve life's mysteries. At times, we just have to let go and move on. It is painful, but remains the only alternative. Epictetus once said, "It is not things that disturb people but their judgements about things." The author with her searching and speculating has found some good in the awful event of Ben's suicide. In the end, she wrote that she came out with more strength and tenderness. At times Comfort seemed to blame herself, but on the other hand, just maybe, Ben's time with Comfort may have been the the best time of his life. We want to think that we can say magic words to save someone from depression, but maybe no such words exist. Maybe some depressions can not be helped. If the doctors with their arsenal of powerful drugs could not help Ben, what makes a person think she can do better. But we still try. Thank God we still try.

I enjoyed this book and thought it helpful.
Jim S
Depression for Dummies by L. Smith and C. Elliott, 2003.

The authors, two clinical psychologists, have done an excellent job in describing many methods of fighting depression. Unlike some books, the emphesis is on alternative therapies and talking treatments like cognitive therapy, rather than just finding the right combination of pills. However, the various medications for depression are listed, classified, and explained. Ideas used by 12-step programs like acceptance, gratitude, and helping others are noted. Many studies have proved that exercise is useful for treating depression. This book devotes an entire chapter to starting an exercise program. Much of the book deals with wrestling with the thinking distortions common in depressed folk. Depressed people tend to search for bad news and the negative side of things. They fail to notice the positive or argue it away. They jump to major conclusions about the future and what people are thinking. Winning over the power of a low mood often requires one to methodically sort through one's beliefs.

This is the best book for getting an comprehensive view of the many ways of conquering depression. Every person suffering from low moods should read this book before accepting that pills are their only option.

This book opened my eyes about expecting happiness from a pill.
Jim S
Before Prozac by E. Shorter. 2009. Oxford University Press, NY NY

In Before Prozac the author covers the history of antidepressant medication in a very detailed manner. To support his ideas, there are 58 pages of notes and references in the back of the book. He supplies many reliable references concerning the poor performance of Prozac. Prozac is popular because of the amount of marketing, not for its ability to lift depression. Other drugs developed in the 1950's were far better. In 6 of 8 studies presented to the FDA, Prozac failed conviningly to beat the placebo. Lilly, the company marketing Prozac, failed to even notice that the drug produces sexual dysfunction. Later they grudgingly acknowledged sexual problems occured in under 1% of patients. Eventually they acknowledged the rate was 30%, but doctors prescribing Prozac say the true number is 80-90%. So, in summary, the author shows that Prozac is not very effective for depression, and its use will take away the joy of sex. Much of the book is tedious, but the last few chapters are interesting and revealing. Contrary to commercials, the book quotes experts who state that we do not really understand how antidepressants work. The brain is just not very simple. If you want to find out the facts about the drug industry, read this book. Your eyes will be opened.

The authors discoveries about the FDA are shocking to say the least. Today, the FDA does not want new drugs tested against old ones, only against placebos. As a result new drug formulations are often not as good as the old, but they are far more expensive. At one point the FDA got rid of thousands of drugs that many doctors believed worked.

Interesting about Prozac, I've been taking this drug for three months and have seen no improvement.

I haven't noticed any loss of sex drive, but loss of libido is a concern as is hair loss which I've also known can be linked to these drugs.

I've actually decided to come off these drugs, they're doing nothing for me, maybe a danger in the long run.