Customer Reviews (16)

Great Resource
For anyone who has or is currently battling depression, this book is a great find - a must read.Gives reader the facts in a straightforward format.The quotes by others who have or are battling depression were an inspiration.A friend actually shared her copy with me and I had to have my own.One of the best book purchases I've made in a long time.This is one book I'll never remove from my library.

BEST DEPRESSION BOOK EVER
When I was at a really bad time in my life, my doctor recommended "How to Survive the Loss of a Love."That book helped me so much that I bought "How to Heal Depression" which is by the same authors.This book proved to be the best $7 I think I have ever spent.It is so simple to read, and makes complex ideas understandable. The authors suggest that you take this book along with you and use it often.That was a great piece of advice, since I'm usually the type to not make any marks in my books at all.My copy of "How to Heal Depression" is full of highlighted lines in different colors, and I often referred to it during that terrible time.Since then, I have recommended both books to friends and family, or bought copies for them, when they were most needed.I even have an extra copy of both books to give out just in case.And I have had to restock those "just in case" books a number of times.Everyone I have given one of these books to has truly appreciated them and has felt helped in some way.I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone suffering from depression or for anyone who knows someone with the disease.It helped my mom to understand what I was going through, and also let her know some things to do to help me.Because when someone you love is depressed, it can be quite depressing for those around the depressed person.The helplessness can be felt on both sides, and this book can help everyone.

A profound THANK YOU!
This book is a tonic in itself.It's professional, easy to read, no-nonsense stuff, reassuring without being trivial, and so-o-o-o positive.The section on St John's Wort as an antidepressant is particularly useful for those wary of taking medication for depression.After all, my GP recommended SJW even though he can't prescribe it.SO if you're serious about healing depression, read this book.

Total useless tapes
This is a set of totally useless tapes. It wasted my money and my money. I kept hoping it will get better and disppointed.
I don't know how heal unappealing musics and songs can HEAL depression. It is way better to get other books like "Feeling good about youself" from Dr. David Burns.

This book made me feel so much better
I love this book!It should be in the collection of every library and I think it should be in every doctor's waiting room.It's short and sweet and easy to read and it really drives home the point that you're not defective, that other people have the same problem, and there is help.I read the book once, and then I decided I wanted to go back through it and make notes from the pages that really spoke to me.At the end I had more than 100 pages that I wanted to keep quotes from. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (10)

Fantastic introduction to CBT
This was the first book I read for my first therapy practicum as a doctoral student and it provided a rock-solid foundation for cognitive-behavioral case conceptualization and treatment planning. Provided that you already have good basic clinical skills (or are learning them elsewhere), this book is all you need to get started doing CBT.

book
This is more of a text book than anything.Not a book for self help.It is a bit wordy and is sometimes needlessly convoluted.

Gives cause and cure for depression

Cognitive Therapy of Depression by Beck, A., A. Rush, B. Shaw, and G. Emert
1979. Guilford Press, NY This rather long, very detailed book is meant for professionals. However, many who suffer from depression can relate to much of what is described, especially in several chapters. This book was written in 1979 and many ideas we read about in self-help books originally came from these authors. It is widely accepted that Cognitive Therapy can control depression at least as good as antidepressants, and without all the chemical side effects that often occur. A recent study in the American Journal of Psychiatry revealed that many people stop taking their meds due to side effects and that medication often does not work especially the first time. Cognitive Therapy is a bright light for us depressives who do not get relief from medication or who suffer terrible side effects.
In a chapter entitled "Focus on Target Symptoms" we are given methods that can quickly alleviate the disabling parts of depression. Contrary to what many believe, prolong discussion of feelings can intensify the feelings. Such excessive "ventilation" of feelings often strains relationships with friends and relatives. To deal with "overwhelming problems" the patient could be asked what solutions he would offer to another person in a similar situation. Although depressed patients do sleep less than other people, many patients exaggerate the extent of the insomnia. If a person said he was awake all night, he was probably in a light sleep for a good part of the time. Depressed persons tend to make broad categorical judgments and show a typical all-or-nothing response to bad events. A good exercise is to try to list some possible benefits.

Of particular help is the chapter entitled "Depressogenic Assumptions." Depression is mostly a thinking disease. Cognitive therapy aims to correct negative thought patterns. This chapter goes to great depth explaining the many faulty beliefs that depressives cling to. Everyone with depressive moods will find themselves written about here. People who suffer frequent bouts of depression often hold high expectations for themselves; they believe that to be happy they must never make a mistake, must be accepted by all people at all times, and/or must be successful in whatever they attempt. These beliefs were acquired from childhood experiences or from the attitudes and opinions of peers or parents. A part of cognitive therapy is to identify the chief assumptions that lead people into depression. The patient must be actively involved in discovering these depression-producing ideas, simply pointing out dysfunctional thought processes is not effective. It must be noted that sometimes people have periods where their expectations are working; for example they may make the starting football team or make the cut for cheerleader. When experiencing success, the person is exuberant and becomes bonded to the idea of seeking high levels of success in order to be happy. To ensure high performance, that is to be larger than life, the depressive often develops many shoulds and rules of living.

Many people have belief systems organized around "justice" and "deserving." These sometimes work well, but the depressive goes overboard. One might believe that if one worked hard one should always succeed. However, how hard should one work? Also, what exactly is success? What does it mean to be good? One series of thoughts to understand this is given as: "When someone says, 'Dr. So-and-So is good,' what does that mean? Does it mean he is good in all realms of a medical doctor, or in special areas? Does it mean that he is a good clinician? Is he good with patients? Is he good at research? Is he good at emergencies? Or does it mean he is a good husband, father, neighbor, church member, and bridge player?"

Depressives need to train their minds at looking for alternative ways of viewing situations. Fairness is often a matter of personal opinion or bias. "The employee believes, 'I do the work around here. I produce the product. I should receive more money. It's not fair.'--while the owner believes. 'I produce the capital. I invested it. I took the risk. I should get more money instead of having to give it to workers.' In nearly ever case, fairness can be looked at from two or more points of view."

This book is not a quick, easy read. Rather, it is detailed and thought provoking. Some of us people with depression need thought-provoking ideas instead of simple instructions. If you worry and think a lot, you will love this book--but it might cause you to change your opinions and lose your depression.

Thinking Through Depression
Beck's approach to treatment of depression is both innovative and of long standing value. Opening the book to any page I find examples readily useable for group and individual therapy. Clearly written and easily understood. Excellent for all psychiatric related professionals. Readily able to be used by all levels of caregivers.

Keeps on ticking...............
I bought and read this book many years ago and found it very helpful. I read it again a few weeks ago and was again able to appreciate it's value. Aside from the dated research, and some of the debate regarding the use of anti-depressants, it remains as fresh and powerful and relevant today as it was when it was published. It is definitely a giant step in taking the mystery out of depression and I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to learn more about the nature and treatment of this illness. ... Read more

Book Description
Drawing upon recent economic scholarship to present a clear and nontechnical analysis, Mr. Smiley offers new insights and some surprising conclusions about the causes of the Great Depression, the consequences of the New Deal, and the economic effects of World War II. An accessible survey...challenges the popular belief that the Great Depression demonstrates the instability of markets and the need for goevernment oversight and direction. --Journal of Economic Literature. A widely accessible and clearly written summary of the main causes of the Great Depression and its legacy for economic policy. --David C. Wheelock, EH.Net ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Brief monetarist review of 1930s US economic policy
This is a brief and relatively easy to read monetarist review of 'the great depression'.It is unclear to what the title calls 'rethinking' might refer.My guess is that the author is rethinking Keynes, but it might be FDR.Since the difference between Keynes and monetarists is subtle to all but Keynesians and monetarists, I wouldn't recommend this as a introduction to the subject, nor as a survey.

The text presents a matter of fact narrative, starting in 1929 and ending with the war efforts of 1940.The author find the source of economic contractions (recessions and depressions) in monetary policy established on a country by country basis.These contractions were caused by a shrinking money supply which could be correlated to effort to maintain a fixed relationship between gold and the national currency.Unaware of the relationship between money supply and economic goals (full employment, growth, etc), both Hoover and FDR made the necessary economic correction prolonged and painful. According to the author, the misguided new deal programs started by FDR have taken on a life of their own. The problems posed by 'New Deal' government programs consumes most of the concluding remarks. To end the book, Smiley writes "What failed in the 1930s were governments, in their eagerness to direct activity to achieve political ends... Attempts to stop international financial markets from working through the gold standard brough on the depression. Government efforts to combat the depression ... made the depression much longer and more severe in the United States.Governemnt attempts to reshape American society ... helped create a depression with the depression.'

Though one might think this come across as a polemic against FDR and what the author calls 'socialism', the author takes pains to show that everyone, including all the economists, misunderstood the 'depression'. Despite his confident narrative, the author doesn't exclude himself in this assessment.In a telling comment near the end of the book, Smiley states 'Still, our continued inability to develop econometric models that can accurately predict contractions means that we will not be free of them.'In other words, argues that no one knows what caused the depression.All he can do is point out the errors of various theories.

Excellent introduction to the Great Depression
Smiley has done a fantastic job with this book. It is well organized and very easy to read. He makes a statement and then follows up with the data and information necessary to support that statement. The second chapter on the cause of the great depression is my favorite and after finishing the book I went through that chapter again to really drill the information in. This book should be required reading for all college students. I normally give books away after reading them but I won't be giving this one away.

new look at country's worst crisis
Based on new theories, Smiley has re-examined and re-assessed the forces that led to and prolonged the Great Depression.In clear non-technical prose, he shows what happened and why.

This short book (163 pages plus sources and index) is divided into five chapters.Chapter 1 gives a brief overview of how the worldwide depression began and how it created a domino effect throughout Europe and the U.S.Nothing new here-- in fact, this is basic stuff any high schooler should know.

Chapter 2 is a more detailed examination of the economic crisis and the forces which led to it.Smiley explains the situation in basic terms that anyone can understand, allowing us to see the tragedy unfolding step by step.

Chapters 3 and 4 show how President Roosevelt (who had little knowledge or experience of economics) attempted to pull the country out of this deep economic slump.Though some programs were successful, some were not, and only serve to create a depression within a depression in the mid-30s.

Chapter 5 examines the legacy of the governmental response, and how economic policies initiated during this period has affected this country for decades afterward, and how certain government programs still exist long after their usefulness has passed.An examination of post-war analysis shows how Keynesian economic theory and government studies have misinterpreted the factors which brought this country back to recovery.He also examines the question of whether such an event can happen again, concluding that-- based on subsequent economic downturns-- it probably won't, though it can happen again should future leaders ignore the warning signs and lessons of the past.

A fascinating and rewarding book, even for those who have little or no knowledge of economics.

Eye opening
Smiley discusses the cause the the Great Depression, and the effects of the New Deal in prolonging it. He summarizes the findings of the latest academeic research, over the past few decades. He does this well and quite clearly, in a non-polemical way.

No math is involved.

Draws upon recent technical analysis
Gene Smiley's Rethinking The Great Depression blends history and economics in a survey which draws upon recent technical analysis to consider new ideas about the roots of the Depression. The efforts of the New Deal to combat the crisis, the underlying foundations of the Depression, and misguided monetary policies which prolonged it accompany refutes to popular beliefs - such as the positive view of World War II as a key to ending the crisis. ... Read more

Book Description
Some of the most profitable and exciting collecting opportunities come when least expected, which is good news for you when you have a copy of Warman's Depression Glass Field Guide. The new edition of this affordable and ultra portable (fits in most jacket pockets and purses and totes) guide contains 195 patterns with pricing, 200 color photos and a bonus 150 thumbnail line drawings, to help you with identifying and valuing glass. Plus, this quick spot reference contains a timeline of company history, a color identification guide and contact information for various Depression glass associations, to help keep you in contact with fellow collectors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Depression glass
If you are interested in depression glass you will enjoy adding this book to your collection of reference books.

Don't Rely on These Values
This book is a fantastic take-along for going to antique stores and garage sales and the like.It contains several helpful sections to help you identify patterns including a catagorized section of borders (birds, floral, art deco, etc.) and a shape guide which is primarily useful when looking for plates and serving pieces.All of the photos of actual pieces are in color.This book also contains several patterns that Gene Florence's Collector's Encyclopedia of Depression Glass does not.

One thing about this book that needs to be mentioned is the large discrepency in value for many pieces between the Warman's guide and Florence's guide.I don't know if this is because this edition is already 3 years old or what.You may feel like you are getting an incredible deal when you are actually not.This book also doesn't contain much information on each pattern except for the basics and it doesn't have much good information on reproductions.

This is a great field guide for glass, but it's good to have a back-up, more recent guide for values.

Warman's Depression Glass
Lovely descriptive book.Found several of my pieces immediately.Will be a great reference book for my collection.

book review
this is an excellent book.received it promptly and in new condition.

This is the best field guide I've ever seen
I love this book and recommend it to any collector of depression glass, especially if you are anovice.The thumbnail guides are easy to use and great for identifying just about any pattern.This has become my bible for identifying and valuing auction buys and yard sale finds.I hope Warmans considers another volume to acccomodate some of the patterns not covered in detail in this book. ... Read more

Book Description
The twenties and thirties witnessed dramatic changes in American life: increasing urbanization, technological innovation, cultural upheaval, and economic disaster.In this fascinating book, the prize-winning historian David Kyvig describes everyday life in these decades, when automobiles and home electricity became commonplace, when radio and the movies became broadly popular. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Daily Life review
Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1940: How Americans Lived Through the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression

This is a well-done book. I study this period of US history and find this book an excellent part of that journey.

Not so much daily lives
My real interest in this book was to learn how ordinary people coped with life in a great depression.What interests me is in finding out how certain parts of society experienced it as I am sure the impact varies greatly.

This book - despite its title - clearly fails to answer this.Sure it tells me some of the reasons around the boom and bust, and some statistics on unemplyment, etc.But what I really wanted was the 'how they lived their lives' aspect that the title and blurb teased me with.

Despite my annoyance, I can't give this a 1 star (which is what it is worth to me) since it is a well written book and covers the topic well.

Informative
I wanted a book that give accurate information about life during the 1920's and 1930's. This book definitely does that, but I felt like I was back in history class in high school. I found myself skimming over a lot of it because there was so much detailed information. And I hate to sound like a third grader, but I would have liked to have seen more photos. This book is great if you have to give a report or gather historic information, but I found it a bit tedious to read during my lunch hour.

A broad overview laced with fascinating details
The automobile and electricity are so common in today's society that it is difficult to imagine life without them.It is easy to forget that at one time these things we take for granted were new innovations that altered every aspect of life.In Kyvig's thoughtful examination of American daily life through the 1920s and 1930s, he explores the innovations that changed daily life and the varying speeds at which changes were accepted.He begins his enlightening examination with a discussion of daily life in the 1920s, prior to many of the changes he later discusses.Then he smoothly transitions into a discussion of the technology that completely changed the lives of contemporary Americans in both rural and urban settings, including the automobile, electricity, radio and cinema.Kyvig's clever and insightful portrayal demonstrates the full implications of technology.For example, he shows how the automobile made it possible for people live farther from work, led to the school consolidation movement and changed dating rituals as teenagers ventured farther than their own front porches with their dates for the first time.
His discussion on the Great Depression, however, changes its focus to a discussion of government adminstration and programs, and is not as fascinating or focused on "daily life" of common people as the rest of his book.
This book was enjoyable to read and covered a variety of aspects on the daily lives of Americans, so it would have wide appeal for a number of readers.It is backed by solid scholarly research, and includes fascinating pictures that add to the enjoyment of the narrative.Kyvig has a true talent for writing, and this is apparent through reading his book.His study should not be overlooked as just another book on daily life in the 1920s and 1930s - it is an all-encompassing study that provides insight into a number of aspects of daily life.It also provides a detailed, fascinating history of the development of the automobile and its impacts on life.

Very general, but worth the read
Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1940, by David E. Kyvig, traces the developments in American culture and lifestyle during this critical period. Using US Census Data, Kyvig calls attention to the demographic changes that occurred over these dynamic twenty years, one of the strong points of this book. Among the technological developments discussed are the automobile, electricity, radio and movies. There are two chapters devoted to the day-to-day aspects of life during that time covering such topics as food, fashion, hygiene, courtship, etc. Kyvig also discusses the impact of the Great Depression, the New Deal and the expanded role of government during that era.

As a former history teacher, this book reminds me strongly of an expanded version of the typical US History chapter covering this time period. It isn't terribly deep, but does provide a solid overview. It is well-written, easy to read, and is a good starting point for people interested in the time period (or for students who need help for a research paper). Those of us who want more detailed information will need to look elsewhere. ... Read more

Book Description
This classic best-seller, which describes the causes of and cure for depression, has been completely revised and updated to reflect the changes in the understanding and treatment of depression in the last two decades. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Life changing
I agree with review of Jill Wysong. I read this book in the 80s, and I saw myself. I am convinced that nearly all depression is anger turned inward (=self pity), and we need to accept God's plan for us in order to turn ourselves around permanently. Twenty years of continual low-grade depression evaporated, and I have had no major relapses since then.

I hand this book out like candy, and admittedly, few people "let it in." Yes, circumstances can be nasty, but the response to them is IN YOU, and you become the cause of your own misery. Can you face it? If you think you can look at yourself honestly, give this book a chance. I do know at least one other person besides myself who also completely turned their life around because of this book. Thank you, thank you, thank you God!

PS: There is complaint in these reviews about the author's views about anti-depressive drugs. To be honest, I am not a seeker of medication and never considered it as an option. I don't know how up to date the most recent printing is, and frankly, I thought he gave too much space to it. In the end, I honestly and personally don't think medication is the real, lasting answer. Consider this book if you know this in your soul.

LaHaye should actually understand what he's talking about before he speaks.
LaHaye starts out by describing his "experience" with depression.He describes a period of basically self-pity when he had disappointed expectations about the purchase of some property.That is VERY different than what a lot of people experience.

Considering that most mental health professionals describe depression as anger turned inward, saying that someone's depression is due to self-pity is like putting gasoline on a fire.

I had a doctor suggest that I check out resources on depression when I started becoming ill pretty regularly after a prolonged period of stress.Her suggestion was that I may have developed a chemical depression, and I should try a mild anti-depressant to get my body back to where it should be.Well, I figured I'd try a Christian book on depression because I thought I should learn to take care of my body better so I wouldn't end up wearing myself out.

I started reading this book, and went from just being a little tired to completely upset.Before this book, I felt as though my life was going pretty great.Afterwards, I felt horrible because I was inflicting all this on myself and others around me.

After a discussion with someone with actual training in dealing with depression, I realized I just needed to throw this book in the trash.

Ironically, I was a listener of Christian talk radio, and there was a series on depression from the New Life Live guys.Many of the things that LaHaye suggested were completely discounted.Funny, if I recall, LaHaye has no background education in psychology, which I think would be wise before making some of the blanket assertions he made.Also considering that we know there is a genetic component to depression as basically certain people's bodies don't make enough seratonin to be like "normal" people, some people will have much more difficulty being "normal" due to a physical issue.

Sure, this book may be good for someone truly masking anger at others in a passive agressive way as depression.In that case, the person thinks they are depressed because of how mistreated they are...being a victim.That's completely different than real depression, and it's physical results.

I'd find a book by a trained psychologist, and skip this one.

Desperately needs to get its facts straight
Admittedly, I didn't get through this book. What stopped me was the chapter on the "facts" about antidepressants. LaHaye obviously has a bias against medication, but I would respect him more if he would just admit it rather than dragging out every remotely possible side effect of medications that are not commonly used today. The end of the chapter, discussing Prozac, suggests that it's a new and experimental drug that will likely be as harmful as he claims the ones before it were. Well, Prozac was not exactly new in 1996, at the time of the last revision of this book. In fact, doctors were finding it, along with newer medications, to be safer and just as effective in treating depression. I suspect that LaHaye didn't want to ruin his scary story, but a book that claims to be the truth about depression should at least get its facts straight. Whether to use medication or not in treating depression is a personal choice of every Christian affected, but misinformation about antidepressant medication only complicates the issue. The selective revision of this chapter comes periously close to lying.

This book has a lot of good points
This particular book helped me get out of a recent deep depression. In particular, it helped to focus on how my anger and self-pity kept the cycle of depression going. It also showed me that I was focusing on the circumstances ofmy life, keeping myself trapped by what other people mightor might not do.

This book also showed me that while healing might be needed in some areas of my life, I didn't have to wait until that healing was done to get rid of my depression. I highlyrecommend this book to anyone (but especially Christians)who are struggling with depression or those who have a lovedone in that situation.

Wish it were this simple...
In short, this book is not the answer for everyone.I wish it was.Thepremise in this book is that everyone has difficulties, and that depressionis basically choosing to have self-pity about one's difficulties.I agreethat a depressed person (like myself) is often self-consumed.But whiledepression can definitely be caused or contributed to by self-pity, thereare other causes.

Depression can be very complex and can stem from truly*damaged* emotional and mental processes.If a person has been in adifficult situation for years, especially formative years, they may havepicked up many wounds and harmful mental processes along the way.It cantake years of counseling to learn to think and feel in a healthy way.Inother words, a wound is a wound.Being wounded is not a sin.Wounds need*medicine*, and the more severe the wound, the more medicine it may need. The medicine for depression can be spiritual counseling, psychologicalcounseling, medication, or a combination.

We cannot fix a damaged armby confessing that the damage is a sin.We cannot fix wounded mentalprocesses, crippled self-image by focusing more on our sinfulness.If youknow that you're a sinner and you have a growing relationship with God, andyou still deal with wounds and depression, I suggest trying a book by HenryCloud.He is realistic in helping people deal with past wounds, experiencefully God's love and acceptance, and move on. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

GREAT BOOK!!!!
This is one of the most charming and touching children's literature books I have ever read!!! I would recommend this book to children of all ages including those young at heart!!

A wonderful booktold by a little girl about her grandparen
This is a children's book written by a little girl whose teacher though her essay about her grandparents would make a wonderful book.The book tells the story of a family who during the depression had no work.So theypicked potatoes.The owner of the farm told them that any potatoes theypicked after hours were theirs to keep.The entire family picked potatoes,loaded them on their ancient car, drove back to their hometown, andsupported themselves with their potato cache for the next winter.I willuse the book to encourage my children and grandchildren to keep familystories alive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The challenges that surround suicide
A Relentless Hope is a thin, very readable book that takes on the issue of teen depression.

Gary Nelson makes a convincing argument that depression is the leading killer of teens. The challenge with addressing depression is that is shows up differently in each person it attacks. Nelson takes some time just to talk about what depression is, and the various faces that it wears. He makes the very important point that depression is a disease and not a weakness in the individual, and points out that depression often runs in families.

The book is also the story of Nelson's son's journey through depression. The author talks honestly about his fears and feeling of helplessness. As a counselor he learned that his own experience gave him added credibility to people who are sharing his struggles. The book is filled with vignettes from Tom's (Gary's son) and others' lives. The chapters are short enough to be read in a sitting, and are filled with small, concrete things that the reader can try in their own situation.

While the book is explicitly Christian in outlook (Gary Nelson was a pastor before becoming a counselor, it speaks to people of other faiths as well. He talks about how children learn their faith, and the importance of spirituality in the life of a depressed teen. The observations are about how the community can support the teen and their family in their journey. He also directs some specific comments to the Christian community that sadly sees depression as the result of lack of faith in God.

The title of this book says it all. A Relentless Hope brings hope to people who are experiencing the hardest, darkest time of their lives. It gives hope to the parents and the teens that life is possible, even in the worst depression. I will keep this book on my shelf and loan out whenever possible.

Armchair Interviews says: Important look at a challenge too many face.

Review from a teen therapist
Methodist pastor and psychotherapist, Gary Nelson, has written a book which is a "must read" for every parent of teenagers.The teen years are filled with the ups and downs of a hormonal and emotional roller coaster, as adolescents make their way in the world, begin forming their identity as adults and finally move into completing the developmental task of making their own way in the world, and breaking away from their parents.At best, it is a tumultuous time.But for many teens, as Gary knows all too well, it is also a private hell, besieged with profound lows, uncontrolled anger and misguided efforts to control their pain through drug and alcohol abuse, reckless behavior and even suicidal feelings and thoughts.

Although many books have been written on parenting teens, Gary's book is unique in that he speaks to the issue from the point of view of pastor, therapist, and perhaps most importantly:father of a depressed teen.In this book, originally titled, "Just Keep Loving Them," Gary opens up the doors of his own home and family history, and allows us to see the painful, yet ultimately redemptive, journey that he and his family took with his oldest son, Tom.

Tom became depressed and school phobic in his early adolescence, and he and his family suffered through years of efforts to help him with his depression before he ultimately found his way out of the dark night of the soul that he was experiencing.Gary's approachable style and unflinching honesty allows the reader a look into the world of loving parents, trying desperately to help their beloved son, having to hold onto only faith and that, surely, please God, this ordeal must have some healing at the end of the journey.As his original title shares, Gary and Tom, and the rest of the family, learned that what worked for them was to just keep loving him through all of the pain, the ups and downs, and the discouraging and seemingly endless backslides and impediments to progress.

As a therapist who has worked with countless teens, and a pastor who has worked with youth for much of his life, Gary has a unique perspective on the issue of teen depression, and he works in his book to tell the lay reader not only his son's story, but also crucial information about teen depression and anxiety.As a therapist who specializes in work with teenagers, I deeply wish that every parent who brings their child in to see me would read this book.There is compassion, humor, sensitivity and plain old honesty about the frustrations, failed attempts and desperation that accompany the parents of an adolescent on the journey to get their child healing.

One final caution for the reader:Because I worked closely with Gary during the years that he was, "going through the storm" with Tom, I am personally aware of how very much he advocates individual and family therapy for adolescents suffering from depression and anxiety.In spite of this belief, however, it is possible for the reader to conclude from Gary's book that "it can be done without therapy," since there are few references to therapy in the book.I know for a fact from working with Gary that this is NOT his position at all, and I caution any parent, pastor or teen reading the book to remind themselves as they turn each page:"Do all of this with the help of a pastor, pastoral counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist.Do not try to do it all on your own."As Gary so poignantly learned, and has so honestly shared in his story, even a trained therapist and longtime pastor, with a wife who is an excellent nurse, can still not independently "cure" their child of depression and its devastating effects.

This book is an absolute must read for parents, teens, teachers, pastors and counselors dealing with teenagers.It opens one's eyes to the "back story" behind many teens' angry and seemingly unfathomable impulsive and illogical behavior.And the drumbeat, and heartbeat, which accompany his story, steadily keep reminding us of the aspect more important than any treatment, than any behavior plan, than any parental choices:

Just keep loving them.
Just keep loving them.
Just keep loving them.

Honest, Open Answers and Guidance, Excellent Resource
Author Gary Nelson presents one of the most honest and forthright accounts that I have read of working with a depressed teen. He speaks from the personal experience as a parent and as a professional pastoral counseor. This book enables parents to see how compassionate and conscious to be in working with their children. Nelson presents a non-judgmental demeanor and suggests that we rid ourselves of the "teen tapes" that allow us to excuse behaviors instead of educating ourselves and dealing directly with issues. As a ghostwriter, I enjoyed Nelson's use a variety of metaphors to enable us to see and feel as a depressed teen, or parent dealing with such, would feel. Nelson presents symptoms, descriptions of the roller coaster ride of emotions Help Kids Cope with Stress & Trauma I will recommend this book to parents AND teens to empower underdtanding. Mostly, Nelson reminds us that mircales do happen, and the power of finding inner strentghs and gifts Nurture Your Child's Gift: Inspired Parenting brings us to the other side, to resilience. We have yo stretch, embrace, and stretch in relentless effort and caring.

Good Resource on Teen Depression
I am the founder and director of a nonprofit suicide prevention organization and am always looking for books and resources about depression and suicide to recommend to others.I found this book to be very easy to read and understand yet very informative at the same time.I think that's what makes it such a great little book - it's so down to earth and honest.I especially liked the spiritual aspect, which gives parents a tool they can use during a difficult time. Having struggled with depression myself, I related to the descriptions, analogies and the spiritual experience associated with the disease. I will definitely be adding it to our Resource Manual and list of recommended books.
A Relentless Hope: Surviving the Storm of Teen Depression

Wow!
I ordered this book when I was at my wits' end. Our son has been suffering from deep depression and anxiety following a traumatic beating two years ago and has experienced rages, school refusal, and some violent outbursts. My husband and I have been trying to find a "fix" and have taken him to several psychiatrists, social workers, and a psychologist. He has resisted all overtures of help and stops taking medication as soon as he feels better. Recently, my son told me, "You don't know what my problem is. Stop trying to find out what it is, and stop trying to fix me." I identify with many of the author's experiences with Tom, and I found his description of the family's journey enlightening. I feel the truth of much that he says. How brave of him to step back and allow his son to go the unconventional route. How futile it is to lock horns and exhaust each other! I am not a churchgoer, but I appreciate the spirituality of this journey and the role of grace in Tom's healing.I found this book the most real of all the books I have read on teen depression, and it has given me a lot of hope for our situation. I have been searching for steps to follow to fix my son. I realize now that healing from depression is a much more nuanced process and will involve trial and error, patience, time, love, and grace. Thank you for this inspired work. ... Read more

Book Description
With help and hope for those who struggle with depression and those who care about them, this is a medically reliable and biblically sound guide to understanding depression, finding help for it, experiencing hope in the midst of it, and discovering gifts and insights as a result of the struggle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Rare Combination
"New Light on Depression" offers a rare combination--medically reliable research and biblically sound insight. Co-author David Biebel uses his theological training to explore "faith, hope, and love" as a model for facing depression; while co-author Harold Koenig uses his training as a psychiatrist and researcher to probe biological and medical elements of depression. The end result is a well-written, easy-to-read wholistic volume on the causes, cure, and care of depression. Of course, given their integration of biblical principles and secular science, they will likely be criticized by folks on either extreme. However, for a well-reasoned, balanced, and up-to-date analysis of depression, this is a great place to begin.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and the forthcoming "Sacred Friendships: Listening to the Voices of Women Soul Care-Givers and Spiritual Directors."

Great book!
This is one of the few books that I have read by a Christian author that talks about how medication can help depression, rather than relying on prayer alone.I have gotten a lot of comfort from this book in knowing that I am not alone and that medication may be medically necessary at times and doesn't mean that one is a bad Christian.Anyone who suffers from clinical depression and their family members should read this book.

New Light On Depression
Finally! A book with a medical point of view and a religious one. This book is by far my favorite book on depression. It is easy to read and dispels the myths associated with mental illness. I would recommend anyone with a mental illness read this book. It's not only for people with depression. I have a hard time putting it down, once I start reading it. This would also be a good book for some religious leaders to read who think mental illness can be controlled by prayers alone. The reflection questions at the end of each chapter are helpful also.

The BEST book on depression I've found!
This is by far the best book I've ever read on depression.It is written in easy to read language and covers all the angles and perspective views out there.I highly recommend this book to any person who lives with someone with depression as well as the person themself.It explains a lot about this disease.

A must read.....
Finally a book that cares about those who are depressed and their loved ones.A spiritual and medical guide to the hidden and silent illness of depression.Practical knowledge that will inspire you to not just read it, but to use it to help others.
... Read more

Book Description
More than 20 million Americans will suffer an episode of depression or mania during their lifetimes, and one in five American families will feel its impact directly. For these families, Overcoming Depression is the essential resource. Since its first publication in 1987, it has become the book most often recommended by doctors to their depressed patients because it clearly and sympathetically presents state-of-the-art medical information and the solid, practical advice that patients and their families need to participate actively in diagnosis and treatment. Now featuring all-new data on the latest drugs, research, treatment, and medical insurance, it also includes a frank discussion of psychiatric therapy in the era of managed care. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Best first book to read about depression
If you can only read one book to help you understand your depression or that of someone you know, make it this one.

Is This Right For You? Tolstoy or Hemmingway?
First of all, one must say that Dr. Papolos has written a very comprehensive book about depression. There are plenty of sections that are written in a non-technical way. He made sure the symptoms of the variousdisorders and sub-categories of them were outlined right out of DSM-IV, andthe information about financial problems that accompany serious bipolar ordepressive disorders is very complete, pragmatic, and helpful. Theexplanations concerning medications is somewhat incomplete but nonethelesspractical and useful (especially the charts). It may have been better tohave focused more on the medications themselves rather than their history.Some of the paragraphs on side-effects seemed redundant to the point thatit became "filler" material. I was disappointed, for example,that he did not give a thorough explanation of clonazepam, an oft-usedsedative, while he devotes pages on medical history, especially lithiumresearch.

Certainly the technical chapters are hard to understand; butthen again, that might be exactly what you're looking for: a detailed,cmprehensive analysis of the biochemical aspects of depression and mania aswell as the evidence suggesting genetic vulnerability. It may even help the"lay person" by easing his or her anxiety about taking medicationby explainin how exactly the pills work.

There were two majordisappointments, however. First, the book minimized the issue of adolescentdepression and/or mania by dedicating only ten pages to it. I do have abias, but any good text about depression or mania, unless the cover pageexplicitly states the audience to which the book was addressing, mustdedicate a great amount of energy to mental illness in children and even asection solely for teenagers who may or may have known friends sufferingfrom such disorders. Psychiatry depends heavily on risk reduction andcrisis prevention because "treatment" per-se may not be able tobe administered in time. Second, although bipolar disorders may have moresevere symptoms, the book seemed to allocate too much of its pages to maniainstead of depression. Both are equally dangerous and painful, yet Dr.Papolos seemed to focus a little too much on mania (dysphoric or elated),leaving patients with unipolar depression feeling somewhat left out. Thatis not to say they were ignored but that there existed an unfortunateimbalance.

Overall, however, I learned much about bipolar and unipolardisorders. I still have yet to find a book about personality disorders, butthis is definitely one of the better works concerning mental illness.Moreover, Dr. Papolos includes a great possibility for another updatedversion which I am greatly interested in. However, these feelings ariseonly because the book satisfies most of my needs. To many, "OvercomingDepression" may not be the right pill.

I must have missed something
If you are trying to work through your depression, then this book isn't for you.For the common layperson, this book is too technical. It tells about the history of lithium, it's full of charts, diagrams of the brain, and statistics.There is a whole section on having someone committed andcosts.I'm sure this information may be valuable to some people, but thebook should be titled something else. I don't see how it benefits someone"Overcoming Depression".Most of the pertinent information aboutthis illness can be found in other resources.Save your money.

If You Can Only Buy One Book On This Subject - Buy This One
This is the first book my wife, Melissa, and I bought after I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (manic-depression) in 1989. Today, with its newly revised and updated version, "Overcoming Depression" isstill my number one recommendation to all my readers.

Education is thekey to fighting these brain disorders and the stigma that is associatedwith mental illness. "Overcoming Depression" is invaluablebecause it teaches the sufferer and the supporter everything they need toknow about diagnosis, treatment, coping skills, research and even recovery- and it is written so anyone can easily understand it.

Melissa and Igive this book credit for saving my life and our marriage. It saved my lifebecause it taught us what we needed to do to beat my bipolar disorder. Itsaved our marriage because it taught Melissa to understand my braindisorder. This understanding allowed her to be more patient with me until Ifound a treatment to end my suffering, and it taught her how to bestsupport me during that nonstop five-year struggle.

If you can only affordto buy one book about depression and bipolar disorder, I encourage you tobuy this one. Again, I recommend it to all my readers and anyone dealingwith these brain disorders - including both sufferers and supporters.

The one book I'd like to buy for every person who loves me.
Over the past months I have read many books about depression and bipolar disorder, including the 1992 version of this book.Out of all the titles I have read, this is the one that I feel would be most helpful to my loved ones in understanding what goes on inside my body and my head.It uses simple language, and all information is presented in a factual yet empathetic manner that will allow anyone at any age or reading level from adolescent to elderly to grasp. ... Read more

Book Description
On October 24, 1929, America met the greatest economic devastation it had ever known. In this first installment of his Pulitzer Prize-winning Freedom from Fear, Kennedy tells how America endured, and eventually prevailed, in the face of that unprecedented calamity. Kennedy vividly demonstrates that the economic crisis of the 1930s was more than a reaction to the excesses of the 1920s. For more than a century before the Crash, America's unbridled industrial revolution had gyrated through repeated boom and bust cycles, consuming capital and inflicting misery on city and countryside alike. Nor was the alleged prosperity of the 1920s as uniformly shared as legend portrays. Countless Americans eked out threadbare lives on the margins of national life. Roosevelt's New Deal wrenched opportunity from the trauma of the 1930s and created a lasting legacy of economic and social reform, but it was afflicted with shortcomings and contradictions as well. With an even hand Kennedy details the New Deal's problems and defeats, as well as its achievements. He also sheds fresh light on its incandescent but enigmatic author, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Marshalling unforgettable narratives that feature prominent leaders as well as lesser-known citizens, The American People in the Great Depression tells the story of a resilient nation finding courage in an unrelenting storm. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Buy the single volume version instead
This book was originally released as a single volume.In 2003, they rereleased it as a 2 volume set.The single volume version, Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945 (Oxford History of the United States), is still available and is much cheaper than buying these 2 volumes separately.

The first volume of a 2 vol set - enjoyable & insightful
David M. Kennedy won the Pulitzer Prize for his one volume work entitled "Freedom From Fear" - this volume is the first half of that work, and covers the period 1929-1939.

Mostly addressing the Great Depression, the New Deal, and the Presidency of FDR, Kennedy has given us a thorough (yet somewhat biased) primarily economic-based analysis of the period.

He focuses on how American society was affected by the economic shifts during this period, which, naturally, was a critical portion of American history during these years, since the Depression was an economic crisis unlike any previously seen.

The one trouble I had with the book was that Kennedy differs from many people in saying that Herbert Hoover (FDR's predecessor in the White House) had the ideas on how to combat & beat the Depression, and FDR simply continued & implemented many of those ideas.He gives FDR virtually no credit except to say he's a master politician.

Kennedy does give the reader fantastic background information & helps the reader to understand what the daily economic plights were.If you're looking for a true social history (i.e. what the people were going through every day, look at a book like Robert McElvaine's "The Great Depression, 1929-1941").Overall, though, this is a very well written and concise volume covering the crucial years of the Depression era.Kennedy concludes with the German invasion of Poland (September 1, 1939), which is where the 2nd volume of this set inevitably will begin.

Fun to Read, and Insightful
I'm old enough to have live through the eventful 16-years (1929-1945)covered by Prof. David Kennedy's 2-volume history of that period of modern American history; for about half of that time, I was intellectually aware of what was happening; and I have read widely about the New Deal and WW-II.However, nothing I had been exposed to prior to reading "Freedom from Fear" gave me the context and an over-all understanding of the issues and obstacles that decision-makers faced during the Great Depression, the lead-up to WW-II, and the conduct of that war as have these wonderful two volumes.Even though I know full well how these matters played out, it was fascinating to learn how they came to be, and to realize that their outcomes were by no means foreordained nor inevitable. It is said about travel: "Getting there is half the fun;" in that sense, Kennedy is a marvelous tourguide to history.

One minor quibble: In true scholarly fashion, Kennedy
identifies sources for his many assertions and quotations in
footnotes; only a few footnotes contain additional explanatory
material that adds to the story.I would have preferred that the
many footnotes that merely give sources had been made into end
notes, available to those who want to check them but not
taking space on the pages of the narrative.
... Read more

Book Description
Despite beautiful landscapes and bountiful harvests, farming is hard work and always has been. The Great Depression in rural America, which began in the 1920s and lasted until World War II, made it still harder. At a time when tractors were replacing horses and the family farm was giving way to the large, single-crop enterprise, the struggle to survive and modernize in a period of economic scarcity was especially sharp. In A Good Day's Work, Dwight Hoover, who grew up on an Iowa farm in this era, recalls the events of day-to-day life on a single farm, offering detailed descriptions of daily work in each of the year's four seasons.A Good Day's Work is a fascinating if grim reminder of what it was like to be a child with adult responsibilities.Mr. Hoover's unusual memoir recalls the rough edges as well as the happy moments of rural life. It is an honest re-creation of a world that was vanishing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

good read
I grew up in a small town in Iowa during the 60s & 70s. Lately I have read several books on growing up in Iowa and found this one to be one of the best. The author explains in great detail of what Iowa farm life was like during the Great Depression. Hard work, isolation and the dependence on the entire family just to get by is just some of what the author covers. A good read for anyone interested in early farm life.

Boring
This memoir was written by a college professor and it reads just like it.I have read a few memoirs that took place during the Depression and all of them managed to inject a sense of fun and humor in spite of the hard work and difficulties. This one is written with scrupulous detail but is just plain boring.

Lorraine Haven

AGood Day's Read
Although Mr. Hoover's book evoked no memories for me (I was born and raised in Chicago), I was completely absorbed and enchanted.He brings alive a different time and place so vividly that he carries his reader there with his descriptions and stories. Although he apparently means this book as a gift to his grandsons, it is equally a gift to all of us who can get lost in its pages!

An interesting farm history
A Good Day's Work Dwight W. Hoover

This book brought back many memories for me of visiting my older sister living on a farm in Indiana during the fifties. I also loved to hear my mother telling stories of growing up on a farm in Indiana in the early 1900's. There is much about farm life described by the author that is similar over these decades. He describes the hard work, the co-operation, family bond and the community spirit that seems to me to be a common thread throughout farm life. This book caused me to think about the family values and personal ethics that are less a part of our lives today as not only farming but other occupations have changed in the United States. The hard work, long days and financial uncertainty remain for those family farmers trying to continue the traditional way of farming in the mid-west. The author shares the right amount of antidotal stories that causes the reader to feel he/she knows this farm family. Sharing their experiences through the writing of one of the members of the Hoover family makes this book a joy to read.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good only for light depression sufferers
I have been suffering from depression some 20+ years and so when I saw this book I thought how wonderful it would be to combine spirituality with other tools to help one overcome depression.

As I read the book I was very disappointed in that the exercises in the book and meditations was all there was. I wish I could have given this book a better rating but I see the target audience for this book being those who suffer with temporary light depression due to losses such as death or a break-up.

Amazingly GREAT!
My mother found this book and after 20 years of dealing with MY depression, she finally understands.This book was a miracle for me. It is great for the person suffering from depression because it gives a great "plan of action."However, it is SUPERB for those not depressed who are around the depressed person.

The author is sincere and insightful.You can't help, but like her.I also like the fact that she does not just say: Going To Catholic Mass is the only answer. She understands that depression is only treated through ATTEMPTS and FAILURES at "healing" the mind, body, and spirit.

Return to the Church and beat depression and medication

Excellent book by a nun who was bipolar. She gives a three step approach to combating depression:

1.) Return to the Church: At least continual Mass, Confession, and Eucharist, see a priest, and proper prayer - this will strengthen your soul;

2.) Go to regular therapy

3.) Medication, if still necessary.

I have followed her guidelines and have made the most improvement in many years compared to solely medicine regimes.

Short, easy to read, and enlightening. If you consider yourself a Catholic/Christian and have been away from the Church, not practicing your religion, and have had problems with depression/bipolar - this book will give you a whole new prospective and approach to combating this horrible condition they call depression.

Excellent "how-to" for dealing with depression!
This is an excellent book for those who consider themselves to have a strong faith (or used to) but are currently struggling with depression. One thing she recommends is to find a spiritual guide, someone to help discern between the depression and Sin, as well as to help relearning to trust God and believe in God's faithfulness.And yes she gives advice on how to identify such a person.

You don't need to be Catholic to understand this book, only to have a depression and a faith that could use some support during these struggles.

I ordered it directly from http://www.pauline.org/store and received it within a week at my house. ... Read more

Book Description
A revolutionary, proven-effective model that shows you how to:
· Identify symptoms of mixed anxiety and depression
· Cope with negative and painful emotions
· Calm your anxious mind
· Regulate dramatic mood shifts
· Learn how to soothe yourself
· energy and enthusiasm

Imagine feeling depressed and drained of energy and initiative while also being overwhelmed with feelings of dread and anxiety about the future. The consequence of this intolerable state of mind amounts to behavioral paralysis, a profound loss of control and quality of life. Therapist call this condition co-occuring depression and anxiety. Clinical research suggests that 60 percent of depression sufferers concurrently experience some kind of anxiety disorder. This book, the first written to general readers about this condition, uses the powerful techniques of dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, to help readers control both conditions.

DBT begins with the assumption that psychological problems are the result of feeling or emotional responses that are in conflict. It integrates a range of theraputic techniques to "tease apart" and resolve the competing internal needs and urges that generate anger, depression, and anxiety. By recognizing these conflicting emotions and forming new expectations, readers alleviate the symptoms generated by these conflicts. The book begins by having readers identify their most painful inner conflict. Then they develop compromises that acknowledge the issue but limit its ability to interfere with their lives—effectively reducing the extent to which their emotions govern who they are or what that are capable of.Exercises focus on assisting readers to become more responsive to uplifitng aspects of their enviroment and tolerant of unavoidable emotions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

DBT can do miracles
Can a book save your life?This book saved mine.The book along with therapy.
This book was rather dry reading but the end of the book contains lots of worksheets that can make all the difference.I wish this author would do a book of JUST worksheets.It is a book that was written more for the professional therapists or people studying this type of therapy but I have used it in group therapies and it is powerful and helpful.
When I first started, I tried to read the book but didn't understand it so I ripped out the last 1/2 of the book (Pages 105 - 180)..those were the worksheets and they made all the difference.After that I was ready for pages 59 - 105.
I eventually made it from page 1 and on but it is slow reading.
I know I only gave this book a 3, but it saved my life.It is just that it took three readings before I could really understand it.

Informative and Easy to Read
This will be an informative read for most, requiring somewhere around a high school reading level.Its layout is pretty straightforward and the concepts are presented clearly.

Whenever people have difficulty understanding a book like this there are three basic reasons:
1) The material is accepted by the reader but somehow distorted or too complex to comprehend.
2) The material is deliberately blocked by the reader because it violates some deep seated belief.
3) The reader is compelled by anxiety and intolerant of the pace the `material requires'.This last one obviously holds a particular note of caution for the readers of this text.

Of the three possibilities, most readers will discover that option one is `not' an option.

I suggest that anyone struggling with option two take a good serious look at Zen.Pure Zen is neither a religion nor a philosophy; it is a `path of liberation'.Its purpose is to free the mind from vicious circles of behavior and thought.And it works!DBT is a union between Zen and western psychoanalytic theory.For those that are interested, the following books on Zen are 'must haves' and should be read in addition to this book:
Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
The Three Pillars of Zen: teaching, practice, and enlightenment by Philip Kapleau
Nothing Special: Living Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck

Take this book to heart; it will help.

depressed and anxious, thomas mara DBT
I have found this book to be worth while clinical tool. Mara has made a significant contribution with his work in taking DBT beyond the treament of the borderline patient. I am using this book in an inpatient clinical setting with some good results.

Pleased.
I got exactly what i wanted in exactly the amount of time I wanted it.The book so far has been challenging and insightful, and I'm anxious to put it into practice.

Usefull but weak from a theoretical point of view
I'm a PhD in logic, but have red with interest Marra's book, searching for a new and meaningfull perspective on depression and anxiety.

What the books lacks is an adeguate explanation of DBT. Thomas Marra has written a book easy to read, perhaps, too easy, forgetting the conceptual source of the theory. First of all: what is an emotion in his theory? Does it make sense that the self is not his emotions? What is the link between sensations and emotions?

In any case, it's too simple introducing DBT as a way to schift appropriately in a continuum, from one pole to the other, according the needs. What does this way amount to? Does Marra is saying that after an apprioprate cognitive work à la Beck on the emotions, one can move himself appropriately on this continuum? I.e. is it necessary to eliminate the thought all or nothing typical of depressed people showing other possibilities by a problem solving process?

I don't think that simply recognizing himself in an extreme is sufficient and necessery in itself to allow to the depressed to modulate better his emotions. He must have the appriopriate skills to do it. And here it intervenes CBT. So, it's not very clear to me the difference between CBT and DBT.

In other words, Marra's book is very useful and practical but it casts light not always on the concept in issue. ... Read more

Book Description
Real help, from women who've been there.

After she gave birth to a bouncing baby girl, Sandra Poulin felt like crying. And she did-for months. But they weren't happy tears-Sandra felt worthless, could hardly sleep, and had thoughts of death. Like too many mothers around the world, Sandra had no idea that this common but baffling condition had a name: postpartum depression.

What kind of mother, people wonder, could feel depressed after having been so richly blessed with a baby? The answer: every kind, women from all walks of life, from all over the world, young and old. And here, in a unique collection, are their stories of battles with PPD, with intimate details about the symptoms, the struggles, and the strategies that helped them emerge victorious.

Written by mothers, for mothers, this collection is an uplifting, enlightening- and perhaps even lifesaving- book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Soooo helpful
This book made me feel comforted and not alone when I was feeling depressed after giving birth to my twins. I highly recommend it.

The Mother to Mother Postpartum Support Book
This book was so helpful to me during my PPD. It was so encouraging to hear the mothers stories and how they recovered. It gave me hopethat I could get better too. It was like having a support group whenever I needed one.

So grateful ...
No other material on PPD that I have read compares to this offering. The stories are from REAL mothers who REALLY went through PPD and other mood disorders. I wish I had had this book when I went through PPD and OCD in 2000 with my first child. The feelings I get when reading it are... I'm not alone! I'm not abnormal! Other women feel as I did! It has been such a relief to me to read this book and has really helped my healing road with depression, specifically PPD.

Couldn't Put it Down!
I have read a few other Postpartum books that were also excellent, however this one is amazing. I loved it because it has real stories written by women from around the world experiencing all types of Postpartum issues. It included their thoughts, feelings, struggles, and words of encouragement that it will get better! It has helped me tremendously. If you or someone you know is experiencing any type of postpartum issues, this book is a must. I want to thank the women who wrote in their stories and the author who created such a wonderful book!