Customer Reviews

Getting Your Life Back: The Complete Guide to Recovery from Depression

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am quite grateful for this book, which actually helped me organize my thoughts, get them down on paper, and turn them into a plan for action for working on my depression. The book's focus on taking action was really the key for me, as I imagine it could be for other people experiencing depression. For many years, I was mired in thoughts of my depression and loneliness and felt completely stuck. Within a few days of reading the book and completing the exercises in the opening chapters, I was able to accomplish a few small things that had been really worrying me, and I gradually started to make progress in getting my life back together again.

Like another reviewer, I was also surprised by the Publisher's Weekly review posted above and disagree with much of the author's assessment of the book. If you are depressed and feel like you've been going around in circles about daily issues like paying the bills or larger issues about finding meaning in the life you lead, this book might also help you find a way to assess your situation and begin to relieve symptoms of depression. While no book is a cure and any approach to addressing depression requires a strong personal commitment, the authors of this book have really helped me, someone who has suffered from depression for more than 10 years. I thank them very much.

As a person with long-standing problems and treatment of depression, I found this by far the most thorough and useful discussion of depression ever. It is excellent writing from warm, caring, down-to-earth-sounding professionals who do not seem to feel that they are All-Powerful. The authors certainly give the readers all the tools needed to help themselves and to seek and follow professional help when needed. In my opinion, this book should be a textbook for all medical students, whatever their specialty, as well as psychology students, seminary students, and anyone in the "helping" professions.

After reading your Publisher Weekly's Editotrial review, I felt compelled to write my exprerience with this book which was totally different than what your reviewer suggested. I found that "Getting Your Life Back" provided me with a number of personal insights, and a better understanding of the many paths and simple tools that can be used to fight depression. It is any easy read and is also particulary helpful for someone who must deal with a family member or loved one who suffers from this terrible condition. Mike Wallace's endorsement and past history with depression led me to purchase this book.

This is an excellent book, honoring the WHOLE person (body, mind and spirit), down-to-earth and very respectful of the different ways people deal with their personal distress. I am very surprised at the Publisher's Weekly review, as I found the book to be just the opposite of that assessment. In fact, this is the only book I've read whose authors, in fact, DID seem like they knew from experience the dark maze of depression. I have shared the book with others and will continue to recommend it. I discovered the book by accident at a bookstore one lonely gray day and read it three times. It truly is a life-changer.

This was a very informative book, written in plain English for those who are depressed and their families. There are many good exercises besides the profound text it provides. It covers the many forms and facets of depression in a very user-friendly way and I will not hesitate to use it and pass it one to others who may need it. It contains all the keys plus suggestions on how to put them into action and if that alone is not enough, how to talk to your doctor about medications. It gives life coping strategies that anyone can use. I couldn't put this book down.

There are many people who must deal with depression, whether personally or through a loved one. This book gives an honest understanding of the disease. I found it to be both touching and helpful. It is a must read for anyone affected by depression.

I will be the first one to tell you that this book is a challenge...to those of us who our lives are reeling in a downward spiral. Dr. Jesse Wright, has done an exceptional job...but we the consumer must look at this as being minute, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly works of art taking place. It takes real effort when doing this kind of Cognitive Therapy and it takes a great Therapist or Psychiatrist to help when you come upon blocks or walls.

I bought this book back in 2007 when I was on the pit of depression. I was nervous waiting for the book to arrive. Being in depression, of course I didn't do anything other than sitting in my room and staring blankly at the ceiling day after day night after night. At the time I was just beginning to start with medication and therapy. The medication started to take effect after a week or so, and then I tried reading this book. But the book is too technical for someone who is actually coping with depression.

I got passed chapter 1 (Getting Started) where it tells you the Five Keys to recovery from depression in general, without going too deep into it. I liked the part where one of the authors said that there's a history of his relatives going out of business after succeeded at it for a while and eventually committed suicide, and he said he chose to be a doctor because in his mind he wouldn't go "out of business" if he's a doctor. But eventually this fear in his mind caught up to him and he thought at one point 'this is it' like what happened to his relatives will eventually happen to him too no matter if he's a doctor or a businessman. I think anyone with history of depression could relate to this.

And then I got to only half of chapter 2 (Charting a Course for Recovery), before putting the book down forever. I even did the exercise where it asks you to write down your story and list down your problems under the Five Keys mentioned earlier. I couldn't do that without feeling like my brain was going to explode. I remember the feeling even now after I got off the medication. Everytime you try to do the exercises, you'll get in too deep into what you're trying to forget it overwhelms you too much you'll eventually kill yourself, seriously.

I'd say this book isn't suitable for someone who's just beginning with their medication and treatment. Not for someone who IS in depression trying to get out of it. It might be a good book otherwise, for the people whose loved ones are coping with depression. Or probably as a teaching material.

So I guess I got my life back, but not by reading this book, but by holding on to my faith and dreams.

A very nice book.