|
Depression Best-sellers
Reviewed by Alicia Fortinberry, MS
January 1, 2004
What really does work for depression? I've looked carefully at books on depression lately in order to ensure that our own new book (Creating Optimism: A Proven, 7-Step Program for Overcoming Depression (McGraw-Hill, February 2004) fills whatever gaps there are, and I've come up with some interesting observations that I'd like to share with you.
To find out the pros and cons of what's on offer, I'll be reviewing the following books:
Books on depression have largely come out of the closet, and there is an increasing number of best-sellers on this topic. This is good since, as we've reported before, one third of all women and 15% of all men admit to suffering severe clinical depression at any given moment. While the recent books on this topic contain much that is worthwhile, they tend to be somewhat contradictory and limited by the scarce but fast-growing body of research, which is just beginning to come to terms with this major social problem. Up until now there has been, as Richard O'Connor, author of "Undoing Depression," says, "no comprehensive theory" of depression. (Of course, this is just what we offer in Creating Optimism.)
The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) books, which make up the bulk of bestsellers on depression, say that depression is the result of faulty thinking and offer ways of changing cognitive (thinking) habits. The problem is that just being aware your thinking is wrong doesn't automatically enable you to change it. This may explain why the effects of CBT are not long-lasting (according to a recent University of Washington study, 80% of CBT patients went into remission within two years of leaving therapy). And these are the "enlightened" authors, the ones who recognize that depression isn't cured long-term by a pill!
The majority of other books on depression, other than the ones who take the pharmaceutical or nutritional approach, offer lengthy and conflicting descriptions of depression (perhaps because they have so few answers), then arm the reader with scattershot ideas from various forms of therapy and moral value systems, mostly some version of CBT. Then, since these authors agree that managing depression must ultimately be about changing your life, many of them serve up their own hodgepodge of recipes for a more "adaptive" or happy existence. (E.g., O'Connor: "Be Generous" and "Take, and Expect, Responsibility.")
There is, however, a lot you can learn from some of these books, and most of them are earnest and well-meaning. We particularly like O'Connor's "Undoing Depression," since it is written by someone who has suffered from the syndrome, works with people in the trenches in a clinic in Connecticut, and doesn't talk down to, or over the heads of, readers.
On the main, however, we are disappointed with the majority of books on depression. They fail to distinguish between the different types of depression. They waste valuable space debating whether depression is a "disease" like diabetes or a problem of adaptation and poor coping skills. For us, the answer is that depression is a syndrome, with many different causes and solutions. That said, and after a thorough physical assessment by a reputable physician, you still have to get your relationships in order to live a happy, depression-free life. While most of the books we review say that they are about changing behavior, none of them offer enough specific, doable actions the client can take to rid him or herself in the long term from this debilitating condition. And none give relationships the importance they deserve in the healing process.
One client, a hard-working creative woman, told Bob and Alicia that the books she'd read while suffering from painful and debilitating depression reminded her of when she'd broken her pelvis and was lying in the hospital without painkillers. Her mother, who was habitually critical and dismissive of her feelings, called he while she was in hospital suffering extreme pelvic pain. The mother said she wasn't coming to visit, but airily admonished her daughter to look on the bright side: "You'll have a nice long time in the hospital to review what's wrong with your life."
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
David D Burns, MD, with Aaron Beck.
Wholecare (Revised ed. October '99)
"Feeling Good" represents the trend in CBT self-help books on depression. A bench-mark title by the method's founders, it offers a good first step towards helping heal depression by exhorting people to examine depressive thought-patterns. And while Burns' techniques and theories have been an invaluable aid to intellectual self-awareness, there are limitations to this method.
It does not, for example, enable the reader to quickly trace dysfunctional beliefs and coping mechanisms back to early life. Like most CBT-based books, "Feeling Good" advocates a thorough re-haul of a sometimes bewildering range of beliefs and thought patterns. The idea of reviewing your beliefs is a good one. However, this scattershot approach may make the reader feel that while their beliefs are being found wrong, thus making them feel overwhelmed and inadequate, the process of change will take forever and be impossible anyway!
Also, CBT addresses only the conscious, rational mind, not peoples' emotional or physical dimensions. Yet we cannot change ourselves from the "top" (some vague concept of mind as brain in a skull) "down" to emotions and behavior. For lasting happiness, we must create an environment of nurturing relationships that heals us from "the outside in."
Buy this book on Amazon
Top of page
Undoing Depression: What Therapy Doesn't Teach You and Medication Can't Give You
Richard O'Connor.
Berkeley Pub Group (Reissue ed. January '99)
This book is a useful primer for those suffering from, and interested in, depression. It is largely specific to this illness and discusses many of the recognized underlying causes, even tipping its hat to social roots. O'Connor also mentions the importance of a support network, although the major relationships tool he advocates is limited largely to better communication. (We offer a much more comprehensive theory of the role relationships play in depression, and how to heal both.)
While bemoaning the lack of a "comprehensive theory of depression," O'Connor points the way to what he believes will one day be included in such a theory: "an increasing understanding of the effects of trauma on the individual (including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and sexual abuse);" an understanding that "depression is biochemically mediated, but that doesn't make it biochemically caused," and "the interdependence of people." Creating Optimism: A Proven, 7-Step Program for Overcoming Depression, offers just such a comprehensive and elegant theory, and makes it the basis of an integrated program of new, simple and effective techniques.
Like Alicia (and her husband Bob, who shared her struggle minute-by-minute through anguished days and nights), O'Connor has suffered the nightmare of depression, and speaks to the reader with empathy and without condescension or glib answers.
The explanations and advice in "Undoing Depression" are ultimately a warm and thoughtful compilation of what has come before.
Buy this book on Amazon
Top of page
Breaking the Patterns of Depression
Michael D Yapko.
Main Street Books (September '98)
Yapko's book is used as a resource by a number of clinicians. It offers a lengthy, somewhat jargon-filled recounting of previous psychological theories of depression but leaves out some of the newer information about the role of neurobiology and trauma. The average reader (especially a depressed reader) may get lost in the maze of information, exercises (122), and general advice.
While about half of Yapkos' exercises are labeled "Learn by Doing," in fact much of the "doing" involves making lists or introspection. Creating Optimism fills this gap by getting people who are probably socially avoidant out interacting with others and actively restructuring their lives.
Buy this book on Amazon
Top of page
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness
Daniel G Amen.
Times Books (January '00)
This book shows how the structure and workings of the brain impact on mood disorders (most of those listed in the title are a form of depression). Amen discusses neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to adapt, absorb new concepts and heal. Creating Optimism demonstrates how to maximize this potential through trying out new ideas and ways of moving. However, while his illustrations drive home the seriousness of the problem, the "tips" this psychiatrist offers seem inadequate. Depression and anxiety can't be treated by diet and brain games alone.
Buy this book on Amazon
Top of page
Self-Coaching: How to Heal Anxiety and Depression
Joseph J Luciani.
John Wiley & Sons (April '01)
Cleverly cashing in on the "coaching" trend, this book is based on a good tried-and-true strategy for alleviating some of the symptoms of depression: using positive self-talk to replace the negative voices that control a depressive's mood and behavior. However most modern research points to the limitations of this approach—particularly it's lack of long-term effectiveness. While Luciani says his method prevents transference (nothing prevents transference, even onto an author, as any good psychologist knows), he seems to be asking the depressed reader to do just that. He advises them to somehow take on "my energy, my optimism, and my enthusiasm" and his "voice of encouragement and conviction."
"Self-Coaching" is a simplistic approach to a complex issue. In addition, many readers may be put off by the relentlessly "can do" tone. It is true that at some point in a session or a book one tries to pump the reader/client with enthusiasm. But not until the author has helped them to see themselves in a new way and offered concrete, doable tools to get rid of the pain and anxiety.
Buy this book on Amazon
Top of page
Emotional Alchemy: How the Mind Can Heal the Heart
Tara Bennett-Goleman.
Harmony Books (January '01)
Although not a book on depression per se, Bennett-Goleman does a great job of bringing together one school of CBT with Buddhist meditative techniques and philosophy. Very little in this book is new, but Emotional Alchemy represents the re-emergence of interest in integrating spirituality and psychology, which is also a feature of Creating Optimism. Her skillful merging of these two areas, along with an engaging explanation of how we buy into dysfunctional ideas, makes Emotional Alchemy a useful precursor of our book.
The book also builds upon a couples' insights, and shares with Creating Optimism Daniel Goleman's recognition of the role of brain processes and trauma. Bennet-Goleman cites Feldenkrais as a useful mind-body method. (Drawing on Alicia's mastery of Feldenkrais, "Creating Optimism" exploits movement's capacity to stimulate new neural connections, as part of an overall program for learning more functional emotional, behavioral and relationship patterns.)
"Mindfulness" seems to require lengthy and repeated retreats to achieve and maintain. "Creating Optimism's" techniques can be used in the heat and pull of everyday life. "Uplift" pinpoints more effectively a number of active techniques for going against one's programming and offers a relationship-focused approach to freeing oneself from the past and defeating the pain of one's history.
Buy this book on Amazon
Top of page
RELATED LINKS
About the Author
Alicia Fortinberry is an award-winning health writer, and expert on emotional health and optimal relationships. Together with her husband and long-term collaborator Dr Bob Murray, she is founder of the highly successful Uplift Program, and author of Raising an Optimistic Child (McGraw-Hill, 2006) and Creating Optimism (McGraw-Hill, 2004).
Do you like our site? Recommend this page to a friend!
|
 |
|
Get health and wellness news, articles,
self-help tips and event updates. |
Bonus Self-Esteem EBook! |
 |
Your subscriber details will never be sold or traded |
Privacy |
Issues |
| HEALTH NEWS STORIES |
|
|
|
| LEARNING TOOLS |
Can't make it to an Uplift workshop?
Try our audio self-help and recovery programs. |
|
Beat Depression with the Uplift Program
By Bob Murray, PhD
and Alicia Fortinberry, MS |
 |
This powerful audio program with bonus workbook,
featuring highly effective exercises taught in the Uplift Program,
offers immediate and ongoing results. |
|
Empower Your Body
By Alicia Fortinberry, MS |
 |
The best way to relieve stress and reprogram
the mind and body for optimal health, flexibility and vitality. |
|
Connecting
By Bob Murray, PhD
and Alicia Fortinberry, MS |
 |
Relax and connect to your inner power and spirituality
with these meditations and movement exercises, both powerful antidepressants. |
|
