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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An easy beacon to follow, November 9, 2004
If you're suffering from depression or know someone who is, this slender resource is a quick read packed with solidly researched info and advice. Preston makes it immediately clear he understands the horrible apathy and inertia of depression, structuring his expertise in small bites that are easy to digest. It takes very little effort or energy to find a nugget of help or hope in this book that might literally be enough to save a life. If you're not sure where to turn, if you're feeling helpless, this clearly written, compassionate guide is an excellent place to start finding your way out of darkness.
The focus is on understanding depression and its various subtypes, relieving it as quickly as possible, restoring a sense of personal power, and preventing relapse. Preston deftly guides readers through the process of determining which of several methods he briefly describes might work best for them, identifying circumstances that respond well to self-help and those that demand professional intervention. His review of medications is up to date and straightforward, and his admonition to readers to be patient with their prescribed regimen is a responsibly reiterated point. Dr. Preston emphasizes the hopeful points of each therapeutic mode and gently mobilizes readers to be active partners in their own recovery.
Simple exercises for defining and tracking depressive symptoms and behaviors help draw specific battle lines for what might otherwise be an overwhelming enemy. The coping skills Preston teaches can be absorbed as second-nature reflexes for staying on an emotional even keel long after you finish reading the text. You can track your own progress with the checklists he suggests, adjusting your approach where necessary and monitoring your improvement. No effort toward reaffirming life is too small to be noted as a victory. This warm, reassuring book underscores the choices we all have in how we respond to events in our lives, and offers realistic options for a highly treatable condition. See the light for yourself.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Maintain a realistic perception of your life and yourself, September 12, 2001
This review is from: You Can Beat Depression: A Guide to Prevention & Recovery (Third Edition) (Paperback)
Clinical psychologist John Preston reveals that clinical depression differs from normal sadness in five distinct ways: depression is more intensely painful, last longer, interferes with normal day-to-day functioning, is destructive, and is often a cluster of symptoms involving problems in social interaction, behavior, thinking, and biological functioning. In You Can Beat Depression: A Guide To Prevention & Recover: 3rd Edition, Dr. Preston recommends a series of self- help actions to promote emotional healing when afflicted by clinical depression: accept that it is normal to have painful feelings; express your feelings to at least one other person; stay in contact with supportive friends and/or relatives; maintain a realistic perception of your life and yourself; engaging in problem solving which promotes growth. This guide will enable readers to recognize when and how to help themselves (and when to turn to professionals for treatment). Also offered is an up-to-date consumer guide to medications; material on the prevention of depression; brief therapy interventions, exercise, and other non-medical approaches. If you suffer from clinical depression, or know of someone who does, then give a careful reading to John Preston's You Can Beat Depression.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You can beat depression, September 27, 2004
This review is from: You Can Beat Depression: A Guide to Prevention & Recovery (Third Edition) (Paperback)
I believe the book answers most of the questions people have when diagnosed with depression.
Dr. Preston wrote three chapters explaining the many causes of depression. He believes that making sense out of what caused our depression can improve our chances for recovery.
The author includes existential losses as a cause. One of these is the disillusionment or loss of a dream. This often starts when one finally loses hope for a change in our life.
Although brief, the book covers many treatments including self-help, exercise, cognitive therapy, and journaling. His chapters on contolling our negative thoughts are excellent.
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