[PDF]Depression For Dummies

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Depression






Depression For
Dummies®


by Laura L. Smith, PhD
and Charles H. Elliott, PhD

Foreword by Aaron T. Beck, MD



WILEY

Wiley Publishing, Inc.



Depression For Dummies®

Published by

Wiley Publishing, Inc.

1 1 1 River St.

Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774

www.wiley.com

Copyright© 2003 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada

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Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: While the publisher and author
have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties
with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically
disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No
warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The
advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should


Contents


InJmduction

AHulC-to .Qut Repressed Rciidcis
Co n ventions Used in This Book
About This Book
F oo lish Ass u mptions
How T his Booh la Organize d

Icons Used in This Book

Where. tQ_G6:Jrera Here



and Preparing a Plan


JHiTSTil


fer 1; Demystifying and Defeating Depression


Just Si nging the Blues o iDeprcsatL’
The Varyin g Faces of Depression
Addin g U p the Costs of Depression


Feelin g Better than Good
Cele brating Sadness


Chapter 2; Detecting Depression



The Six Plagaes-of-Dspression
Connecting Drugs, Diseases, and Depression


Di g gin g Out the Causes, ot Depression
Monitoring Mood


Chapter 3: Breaking Barriers to Change


Rummaging Through the Reaspnslbr.Ay.oidan.ee
Saying.Y.aursell'ixoniSelf-Limitations



Stumbling onto a Solution
H\pk'ringtlie.S.elli:H.elp_ Op .ti(!ii


Pur suing th e Psychotherapy Option


lalkinglo.a PrAfessionaLabout AntidcpressantMedkation


Part II : Untwisting Your Thinking: Thought Therapy
Chapter 5: Discovering Depression- Driven Thinking

— Thinking about Cognitive Therapy

tilts. Feelings, and t he R elated Tvcnts inTo.ur Life


UHlUttliMHiTHOa


Dipflint* Up Distortions in Thinking


Chapter 6: Breaking Up the Dark Clouds of Depressive Thinking



Chapter 7 : Discovering the Cracked Lenses Behind D ep r ession

Looking. .Closely, at the Mechanics of Life-lenses
Searching tor Your Mind’s Life-Lenses
BrsakingfmMema.tieJjlfcLsnsss
Writing New Prescriptions lor Clear Lenses


Ch a pter 8: Mend i ng Your Memory



Worrying About F o rgetting
BoostuigJjr.okcn.Memojy


Part III : Taking Action Against Depression: Behavior Therapy
Chapter 9: Getting Out of Bed


Taking Action

Eutting.Qjie.f .Q.flt in Front of th e Oth er: A ctivity Logs
Conquering Cants


Charting Your .Course through. Negative Predictions
Giving Y ourself Credit


Chapter 10: Working Out to Lift Depression

Int roduc ing End or phins in to Your Lif e
Conquering Couch Potato-itis
Easing into Exercise
We i ghing Your Ex ercise Options

Chapter 11: Rediscoverin g Healthy P leasures


Taking Fun Seriously

Making a List and Checking It T wic e


-Busters


C hapter 12 ; Solving Life’s Headach&s


Drawi ng U p the Problem-Solving Game Plan — S.O.C.C.E.R.
Assessing Your Problem Situation (S')

JZ orajriim for Opt ions-tQ)



Choosing Your Po ison (C)
Handing Your Emotions (E)


Running and RcviewinglR)


Part IV : Rebuilding Connections: Relationship Therapy


Chapter 13: Working Through Loss, Grief, and Mourning


Losing What You Cate About
Working Through Grief


Chapter 14: Relationship Enhancement

The Depression-Rejection Connection
f-urs.uing-Easiiiy.g5
DefeatingDcfcnsivcncss
Getting Yo u r Message Across


Par t V ; Fighting the Physical Foe; Biological Therapies


Chapter 1 5 : Prescribing Pleasure


Hammering Depression; Choosing. .thcRighi .Tool for You

Exploring ihe Medication Op tion

W o rkin g w fih You r D o eioi:tfl.riad.ilie_C.Qrte£tMedieaiiQn
Brushing Up on Biology
D ec iphering Drugs for Depression
Leaking Bey ond A nti de p res sants

— Chapter 16: Hvpe. Help, or Hope? Alternative Treatments for Depression

Keeping Your Dq.c in. the Loop
Swallowing Supplements and Herbs
YltojurvLo mVitmnms a mi Mineral s

Happy foods

Treating Sever e Dep re ss io n

Searching, further


Par t V I ; Looking Beyond Depression


Chapter 17; Reducing the Risk of Relapse

Ris king Relapse with D epression
Preparing. a Prevention Plan
Reining in Relaps e W hen It Occurs



Depression with Mindfulness


Drawing (he Line Between You and Your Mind



L iving M i ndful ly


Chapter 19: Pursuing Happiness Through Positive Psychology

Hunting Dow n Happiness

Getting outlie Righ t Path to Real Happiness


Par t V II : The Part of Tens


Chapter 20: Ten Ways Out of a Bad Mood


Chomping on Chocolate
Doing Something Nice


Petting a L i ft from Exercise

Singing Y ourself into.a. BcttctMoad

Ca lling a Lo n g-Lostfiicnd
__ Dancing to a Diff erent Beat
Soaking t h e Bl u es Away
Pett in g Y our Way to a Better Mood
Taking a Hike

V a llowing Through Mindfulness

Chapter 21 ; Ten Ways to Help Kids With D e pression


Finding Fun



Revving Up Responsibilities



Recogn iz i ngTJepression


Getting He lp
Loving. NivMalter What

Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Help a Friend or Lover with Depression

Recognizmg.ncprc.sskm

R L-li-rrini' for Heir)

Listening Without Solving
T a king Ca re of Your self
Holding Criticism at Bay
Depersonalizing Depression
Findi n g Patie nc e
Remembering to C are

Providin g Encouragement and R e m ai n ing Hop eful
Exhorting Exercise


Appendix: Resources for You


Self-Help Books
Resources to Help Children
llelpMWcb_Sites


Introduction


l3 ccadcnt luxuries, dazzling technology, and startling new knowledge flood the senses and
excite the imagination. What was the domain of science fiction less than a generation ago is now
commonplace in many living rooms. Today, cable companies beam recently released movies to
inches-thick televisions that hang on walls. All you have to do is press a few buttons on your
remote control and your home is a cinema. And, with a couple of mouse clicks, you can order a
pizza online that arrives in time for the start of the movie.

In the field of healthcare, advancing knowledge of the immune system promises new cancer
treatments that go to the source of the disease. Nanotechnology eventually will allow
inconceivably small machines to clean out congested arteries like a plumber’s snake. And the
human genome project begins to solve the mysteries behind countless inherited diseases.

Truly, life has never been so good and bountiful. What a wonderful time to be alive. Sure, the
world still has plenty of problems, but solutions for many of them lie on the horizon.

Yet the World Health Organization paints a less optimistic picture. It estimates that on any given
day, 121 million people worldwide suffer from depression. Over the course of a year, almost 6
percent of the world’s men and fewer than 10 percent of the women suffer an episode of
depression. Depression rates continue to increase. And most experts believe that the increase is
real — not just a result of more people seeking help. Today, kids exhibit depression at nearly ten
times the rate of previous generations.

Theories abound concerning the alarming increase in depression today. But regardless of the
cause, this scourge robs its victims of happiness, joy, and the capacity to give and receive love.

The good news is that more weapons exist for defeating depression than ever before. Clinicians
have devised new psychotherapies that have been verified as effective in treating depression and
preventing relapse. Furthermore, science is beginning to understand the delicate relationship
between mood and brain chemistry. Medications that target specific chemicals provide important
additional tools for the alleviation of depression. The vast majority of people no longer need to
suffer with long-standing, intractable depression.



A Note to Our Depressed Readers

Wc’rc keenly aware of the pain and profound despair you may be experiencing. Likely, your
sense of humor is depleted. With this book, we attempt to lighten an exquisitely somber subject
with tidbits of humor. Some of you may take offense with our attempts or even feel diminished
or discounted by this decision. We can understand that reaction. At the same time, your long-
term goals need to include rediscovering laughter. Thus, we hope you can try to take our
occasional use of wit in the manner we intend it as another way to help you lift yourself out
of the fog of depression.

In addition, we realize that the title Depression For Dummies may seem offensive to some,
especially because when people are depressed, they’re prone to make negative, personalized
interpretations (see Part II for more information on this topic). However, we assure you that the
content of this book is as serious and in-depth as any book on depression. The For Dummies
format simply enables us to present important material in easily digestible segments. We leave it
up to you to determine if we succeed in doing so.


Conventions Used in This Book


In this book, we avoid the use of professional jargon as much as possible. When we occasionally
find it necessary to use a technical term, we clearly define that term.

We also include numerous stories to illustrate the information and techniques we present. The
people you read about aren't real; however, they represent composites of the many wonderful
people we’ve known and worked with over the years. We bold the name of each character the
first time it appears to alert you to the fact that we’re telling a story.

Finally, if you’re reading this book because you want help in defeating your own depression, we
recommend that you purchase a spiral notebook. Use that notebook to write out the exercises we
present throughout the book. Wc call these exercises Antidepression Tools and highlight them
with an icon. Use your notebook often and reread what you’ve written from time to time.


About This Book



We have two primary goals in writing this book. First, we want you to understand the nature of
depression. Understanding depression makes the idea of dealing with it less frightening. Second,
we present what you’re probably most interested in discovering — how to overcome your
depression or help someone you love who has depression.

We leave no stone unturned in our quest to bring you every possible means for battling
depression. We draw strategies for defeating depression from the fields of medicine and
psychotherapy. We tell you about the newest arsenal of medications that can combat depression.
We show you how focusing on your overall health with exercise and nutrition can pay off. Plus,
we extract elements from the psychotherapeutic approaches that have stood up to the tests of
rigorous research and been verified as highly effective treatments for depression. These
approaches include




Cognitive therapy
Behavior therapy

Interpersonal and relationship therapy


Then we go one step further. We turn to the new field of positive psychology for ideas on
navigating your way from feeling good again to feeling even better. We want you to make your
life more joyful and more meaningful.


Depression For Dummies offers you the best advice available based on scientific research. We
believe that, if you practice the techniques and strategies we provide in this book, you’ll very
likely feel better. For many people, this book may be a complete guide for defeating mild to
moderate depression. Numerous studies show that self-help often works.


However, depression frequently needs more care and attention than you can receive through self-
help. If your depression significantly hinders your ability to work or play, you need to get
professional help. No book can completely replace therapy. Start by seeing your family doctor. If
you’re seeing a therapist or counselor, you may find that Depression For Dummies can help
augment your therapy. Be sure to discuss that possibility with your therapist. Depression can be
conquered; please don’t give up.


Foolish Assumptions



Who would want to read this book? We assume, perhaps foolishly, that you or someone you love
suffers from depression. Wc also figure that you want to banish depression from your life.
Finally, we imagine that you're curious about a variety of helpful strategies that can fit your
lifestyle and personality. If these descriptions strike a chord, this book is for you.


How This Book Is Organized

Wc organize Depression For Dummies into 7 parts and 22 chapters. Right now, we’re going to
tell you a little about each part.

Part I: Discovering Depression and
Preparing a Plan

Chapter 1 explores the costs of depression in economic, social, and emotional terms. We
describe what depression looks like in various people. Finally, we provide an overview of the
best means for treating depression. In Chapter 2, we cover the difference between the various
forms of depression. Further-more, we explain the difference between grief and depression.
Chapter 3 shows you how to find the motivation for taking charge of your own depression. And
Chapter 4 tells you how to find and get professional help.

Part II: Untwisting Your Thinking: Thought
Therapy

More studies support the value of thought therapy (cognitive therapy) for the treatment of
depression than any other psychotherapy. Part II shows you how certain habitual ways of
thinking can be a major contributor to depression. A number of chapters combine to give you a
large toolbox of techniques for changing these dark, distorted thoughts into realistic appraisals of
yourself, your world, and your future. You can see that this transformation isn’t based on
rationalization, chicanery, or self-deception. Rather, you discover how to subject your thoughts
to reasoned scrutiny based on logic and evidence.


Part III: Taking Action Against Depression



Behavior Therapy

When you feel overwhelmed by depression, you likely find yourself disengaging from everyday
life. You start doing less and less as you put off tackling even slightly disagreeable tasks. Of
greater concern, previously enjoyable activities seem dull, bland, and devoid of pleasure. Part III
shows you how to short-circuit “do-nothingism” and slowly regain confidence and joy. We give
you a mental boost to get moving again through exercise and rediscovering healthy pleasures.

Part IV: Rebuilding Connections:
Relationship Therapy

Clinical trials of interpersonal therapy demonstrate the value of addressing the relationship side
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