Beating Depression: at Your Fingertips Guide: The Complete Guide to Depression and How to Overcome it (Class Health) [Paperback]

This is a very good, comprehensive book, that is easy to use and follow. The question and answer format works well, covering many of the most commonly asked questions and worries. This is a book that, when read from cover to cover, can provide a comprehensive overview of depression but can also be kept to hand and dipped into whenever the need arises. Amelia Mustapha, Depression Alliance The format of the 'frequently asked questions' is really helpful and I wholeheartedly agree with the content of the answers and the easily readable style. As well as being an excellent resource for the consumer, this text will be an excellent resource for the primary care professional who will be asked these questions on a daily basis. Professor Andre Tylee, Professor of Primary Care Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London

This is a very good, comprehensive book, that is easy to use and follow.

All you need to know about depression, presented in a clear, concise and readable way.

I found the self-help advice particularly useful, and I’m keeping a list of my favourite techniques on my bedside table.

This reassuring guide gives you: medically accurate answers to questions from real people; techniques for dealing with common symptoms such as insomnia, agitation, panic and apathy; advice about antidepressants, other medications and alternative forms of therapy; guidance on related problems such as anxiety, phobia, stress and OCD; and details of how to get further information and support.

A comprehensive Q and A guide to the causes and symptoms of depression, now in its second, updated edition.

Depression is the commonest illness of all: 40% of the population will experience this condition at some time in their lives. It may be mild or severe. However this illness affects you, a friend, or a member of your family, we hope that you will find somethng helpful in the following pages.

Depression is a universal illness: we are all potentially at risk. The symptoms vary wildly, but can include sleeplessness and loss of drive, feelings of guilt and anger, and even the desire to self-harm. However, depression is extremely treatable, and this easy-to-read book offers a thoughtful and straightforward guide to self-help techniques and possible treatments.
Beating Depression starts with the basics. It first answers real questions about what, who and why, then objectively explains all the available treatment options. It also covers the practical aspects of the illness, such as choosing your doctor, claiming benefits, and dealing with work.
This reassuring guide gives you:
• Medically accurate answers to questions from real people
• Techniques for dealing with common symptoms such as insomnia,agitation, panic and apathy
• Advice about antidepressants, other medications and alternative forms of therapy
• Guidance on related problems such as anxiety, phobia, stress and OCD
• Details of how to get further information and support

Dr Stefan Cembrowicz MB ChB MRCGP is a GP and Senior Partner at Montpelier Health Centre in Bristol. He has a particular interest in depression and related disorders. He is a member of Bristol Suicide Audit and Prevention Group and is a regular columnist for medical magazines. Dr Dorcas Kingham FRCPI, FRCPsych, MB, ChB, MRCS, LRCP is a consultant in general adult psychiatry and the Medical Director of the Bristol Priory Hospital. She is an examiner for the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

A very helpful definition of depressive illness was given by Sir Aubrey Lewis in the 1950s. He said depressed people are ‘sad, and ill with their sadness’ – this means not just low mood but, because they are ill, there are changes in the way their bodies are functioning.
There can be a whole variety of symptoms, which we shall discuss later in the book, but there are common important changes that happen in clinical depression – or the illness, depression. Sleep rhythms can be disrupted, and sleep can deteriorate badly. Depressed people often wake in the early hours of the morning and can’t get back to sleep again. Their appetite changes – it usually decreases with loss of weight, although sometimes, and less commonly, appetite increases (comfort eating). Concentration can deteriorate. Memory can be ‘fuzzy’. Sexual interest often diminishes. Thoughts can be
slowed down. These are all measurable changes and are signs of illness, rather than a simple, well circumscribed period of sadness.