How to Win Over Depression [Paperback]

Tim LaHaye (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; Later Printing edition (1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310258375
• ISBN-13: 978-0310258377
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,300,901 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Tim LaHaye (www.timlahaye.com), who conceived the idea of fictionalizing an account of the Rapture and the Tribulation, is a noted author, minister, and nationally recognized speaker on Bible prophecy. He is the founder of both Tim LaHaye Ministries and The PreTrib Research Center. He also recently cofounded the Tim LaHaye School of Prophecy at Liberty University. Presently Dr. LaHaye speaks at many Bible prophecy conferences in the U.S. and Canada, where his current prophecy books are very popular.

Dr. LaHaye holds a doctor of ministry degree from Western Theological Seminary and a doctor of literature degree from Liberty University. For 25 years he pastored one of the nation's outstanding churches in San Diego, which grew to three locations. It was during that time that he founded two accredited Christian high schools, a Christian school system of ten schools, and San Diego Christian College (formerly known as Christian Heritage College).

Dr. LaHaye has written over 50 non-fiction books and co-authored 25 fiction books, many of which have been translated into 34 languages. He has written books on a wide variety of subjects, such as family life, temperaments, and Bible prophecy. His most popular fiction works, the Left Behind series, written with Jerry B. Jenkins, continue to appear on the best-seller lists of the Christian Booksellers Association, "Publishers Weekly," the "Wall Street Journal," "USA Today," and the "New York Times."

Another popular series by LaHaye and Jenkins is The Jesus Chronicles. This four-book fiction series gives readers a rich first century experience as John, Mark, Luke, and Matthew recount thrilling accounts of the life of Jesus. Dr. LaHaye is co-author of another fiction series, Babylon Rising. Each of the four titles in this series have debuted in the top 10 on the New York Times best seller list. These are suspense thrillers with thought-provoking messages.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Wish it were this simple..., August 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Win Over Depression (Paperback)

In short, this book is not the answer for everyone. I wish it was. The premise in this book is that everyone has difficulties, and that depression is basically choosing to have self-pity about one's difficulties. I agree that a depressed person (like myself) is often self-consumed. But while depression can definitely be caused or contributed to by self-pity, there are other causes.

Depression can be very complex and can stem from truly *damaged* emotional and mental processes. If a person has been in a difficult situation for years, especially formative years, they may have picked up many wounds and harmful mental processes along the way. It can take years of counseling to learn to think and feel in a healthy way. In other words, a wound is a wound. Being wounded is not a sin. Wounds need *medicine*, and the more severe the wound, the more medicine it may need. The medicine for depression can be spiritual counseling, psychological counseling, medication, or a combination.

We cannot fix a damaged arm by confessing that the damage is a sin. We cannot fix wounded mental processes, crippled self-image by focusing more on our sinfulness. If you know that you're a sinner and you have a growing relationship with God, and you still deal with wounds and depression, I suggest trying a book by Henry Cloud. He is realistic in helping people deal with past wounds, experience fully God's love and acceptance, and move on.

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true cure for depression!, February 26, 2000

By 

Jill Wysong (Dayton, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Win Over Depression (Paperback)

When I picked this book up at a library, I figured it would be like all the other unhelpful books on depression I had read. However, the book was amazing! This book literally changed my life! I had been suffering from depression for 6 years and tried therapy, hypnosis, anti-depressants and had a struggling relationship with the Lord. I knew that the only way I was going to beat the disease was through God, but I didn't know how. I felt that I would be depressed for the rest of my life. The book opened my eyes to that fact that my self-pity was a sin and the root of my depression. The book showed me how to beat the depression by giving me details on how to change my thinking. I have been relatively depression free since reading this book. Try reading this book, it might change your life too!

25 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars LaHaye should actually understand what he's talking about before he speaks., January 3, 2006

By 

W. Steele "Wendy" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Win Over Depression (Paperback)

LaHaye starts out by describing his "experience" with depression. He describes a period of basically self-pity when he had disappointed expectations about the purchase of some property. That is VERY different than what a lot of people experience.

Considering that most mental health professionals describe depression as anger turned inward, saying that someone's depression is due to self-pity is like putting gasoline on a fire.

I had a doctor suggest that I check out resources on depression when I started becoming ill pretty regularly after a prolonged period of stress. Her suggestion was that I may have developed a chemical depression, and I should try a mild anti-depressant to get my body back to where it should be. Well, I figured I'd try a Christian book on depression because I thought I should learn to take care of my body better so I wouldn't end up wearing myself out.

I started reading this book, and went from just being a little tired to completely upset. Before this book, I felt as though my life was going pretty great. Afterwards, I felt horrible because I was inflicting all this on myself and others around me.

After a discussion with someone with actual training in dealing with depression, I realized I just needed to throw this book in the trash.

Ironically, I was a listener of Christian talk radio, and there was a series on depression from the New Life Live guys. Many of the things that LaHaye suggested were completely discounted. Funny, if I recall, LaHaye has no background education in psychology, which I think would be wise before making some of the blanket assertions he made. Also considering that we know there is a genetic component to depression as basically certain people's bodies don't make enough seratonin to be like "normal" people, some people will have much more difficulty being "normal" due to a physical issue.

Sure, this book may be good for someone truly masking anger at others in a passive agressive way as depression. In that case, the person thinks they are depressed because of how mistreated they are...being a victim. That's completely different than real depression, and it's physical results.

I'd find a book by a trained psychologist, and skip this one.