Depression for Dummies

The good news on beating the blues

Do you want the good, the bad, or the best news first? OK, the bad news is that an estimated 264+ million people worldwide suffer from a depressive illness. The good news is that we know how to defeat these illnesses better than ever before using a growing range of highly effective psychotherapies, medications, and other therapeutic methods that are improving all the time. And the best news: because of these advances, the majority of people no longer need to suffer the debilitating--and sometimes dangerous--effects of long-term depressive illness.

The new edition of Depression For Dummies shows how you can make this happen for you by providing the latest and best information on how to banish the noonday demon and bring the sunshine back into your world. In this friendly, cheerful, no-nonsense guide, leading clinical psychologists Laura L. Smith and Charles H. Elliot give you the straight talk on what you face and proven, practical advice on how to punch back and win. Showing you how to know your enemy, they demystify common types of depression, explain its physical effects, and help identify the kind you have. Armed in this way, you can take firmer steps toward the lifestyle changes--as well as therapy or medication--that will put you back in control.

• Learn about different forms of depression
• Build simple, daily habits into your life that help banish the blues
• Understand conventional, alternative, and experimental therapies
• Move on: avoid relapses and stay happy

Whatever your level of depression--occasional bouts or long-term--this book gives you the insight, the tools, and the inner strength and persistence to put enjoyment back in your life.

Laura L. Smith, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and former President of the New Mexico Psychological Association.

Charles H. Elliott, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus at Fielding Graduate University.