Getting Over the Blues: A Woman's Guide to Fighting Depression [Paperback]

Leslie Vernick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2005

One in five women will experience clinical depression in her lifetime. Christian counselor Leslie Vernick offers words of hope and encouragement as she helps women understand the symptoms of depression, what causes depression, and what steps they can take not only to get better but to grow stronger. Employing godly wisdom and surprising insights, Leslie addresses the following:

• Depression is revealing something about you. Listen to it.
• Growth takes time and practice.
• Things are not hopeless, you are not helpless, and you are not worthless.

Getting over the Blues is a timely resource for women battling depression and the men and women who love them and want to understand what they are going through.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0736914552
• ISBN-13: 978-0736914550
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,106,065 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read on Depression, May 10, 2005

By 

Jeanne Zornes (Wenatchee, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting Over the Blues: A Woman's Guide to Fighting Depression (Paperback)

Christian counselor Leslie Vernick says statistics indicate one in five women will experience clinical depression in her lifetime. Many others will experience the "blues" that don't involve the cluster of symptoms of "clinical depression." That adds up to many, many women who will benefit from this book-if not for their own needs, then for those of people they love. The book's title doesn't do justice to the comprehensive look Vernick takes at a woman's emotional life. Twenty years ago, Jean Lush helped women realize the role their bodies' hormonal phases played in their emotional well-being. Vernick goes beyond that to consider the package of factors that weigh on women and push some into various definitions of depression. Her book comes with a warning: See a doctor and a counselor if you are having problems which might be depression. But she also provides a great deal of self-help measures to help women identify and circumvent the problems that can sabotage emotional well-being. Following each chapter and titled "First Steps," they make this book one that can't be read and shelved. To derive full benefit you need to follow through on her suggestions, which include such things as journaling. Leslie's writing is personal and warm, and you get the impression that she really cares about you, the invisible person who has bought this book, possibly desperate for the help it offers.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this for yourself and others, January 3, 2006

By 

Jo Franz "Author/Speaker www.jofranz.com" (Battle Ground, WA, near Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting Over the Blues: A Woman's Guide to Fighting Depression (Paperback)

Leslie Vernick writes from experience a book that explains profoundly, yet warmly, not only the sources of depression, but steps to take in overcoming it. She does not discount the enormous feelings associated with depression, nor sugar-coat how serious depression can affect one. Rather, she leads sufferers gently to how thoughts and beliefs keep us from authentic living, causing a spiral into depression. Then she shows how crucial it is to know God's truth in order to counteract the lies we believe. Ultimately, Leslie Vernick gives hope in how depression can be used in one's life for good. As a speaker and writer I will recommend many to read this book for hope and healing.Soar Unafraid: Learning to Trust No Matter What

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wise and Compassionate Help, August 17, 2005

By 

Winston Smith - See all my reviews

This review is from: Getting Over the Blues: A Woman's Guide to Fighting Depression (Paperback)

Leslie offers solid guidance to depressed women and those who want to help them. She successfully avoids the "easy answers" by recognizing the complexity of what it means to be a fallen person living in a fallen world while upholding the central truth that the love of Christ speaks to all of our experiences and sufferings. Getting over the Blues is straight-forward, sensitively written, and is laced with concrete, practical goals. Its accessibility makes it a useful tool for pastor, counselor, friends, as well as the depressed sufferer.

Winston Smith
Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation
ccef.org