Compiled by Terry Slade
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression - Andrew Soloman
2002 Scribner, 1st Touchstone edition 576 pages (paperback $18.00) ISBN10:0684854678 ISBN13:9780684854670
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0684854678
Author's website: www.andrewsoloman.com
Comprehenisive and very well-respected book on depression.
Undoing Depression - Richard O'Connor
Subtitled: What Therapy Doesn't Teach You and Medication Can't Give You
Not being an expert or anything, this looks to be one of the best books on the subject of depression. He stresses that medication and therapy are needed in most cases, but also that there is a lot of self-help that can and should be done. I gave a copy of this book to someone who was in the hospital and psychiatrists, therapists, nurses, and other patients took an interest in it, writing down the title, borrowing it, etc. This may be a good book for anyone dealing with depression or anyone wanting to understand it. Has information for friends and family.
The author's website: www.undoingdepression.com
Read more about it at Amazon
Mind Over Mood - Dennis Greenberger, Christine Padesky
Subtitled: Change How You Feel by Changing How You Think.
1995 Guilford Press 243 pages (paperback $22.95) ISBN 0898621283
This is a workbook for what is called Cognitive Therapy.
Read more about it at Amazon
The Truth About Depression: Choices for Healing - Charles L. Whitfield M.D.
2003 Health Communications 312 pages (paperback $12.95) ISBN 0757300375
Makes the case that depression is not a genetic brain-chemistry problem best
solved by drugs, but actually a reaction to childhood trauma.
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0757300375
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life - Daniel G. Amen M.D.
1999 Three Rivers Press 352 pages (paperback $15.00) ISBN 0812929985
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0812929985
The author's website: www.miriamgreenspan.com
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1570628777
Gabriel Cousens is the author of Conscious Eating and other books about food, and is also a psychiatrist. I have not studied this book, but if I wanted to research depression and diet, I would start here.
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0060959657
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0670034053
A magic book of deep wisdom from a true master of life and happiness. Whether you are clinically depressed or just want to be happier, this book should be helpful. And who doesn't want to be happier?
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1573221112
This book is about mindfulness meditation. There are a lot of books about applying meditation to mental and physical health. This looks like a comprehensive guide. Also recommended would be any books by Thich Nhat Hahn, who wrote the preface to this book.
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0385303122
This was recommended by a nurse when I was visiting someone in a psych ward.
From the synopsis at Amazon: "Focusing on self-esteem and acceptance,
and written in the direct unsentimental style of Beattie's bestsellers,
these daily meditations give voice to the thoughts and feelings common
to men and women in recovery. They encourage reflection on problem-solving,
self-awareness, sexuality, intimacy, attachment, acceptance, relationships,
and more."
She has lots of other good books, such as Codependent No More.
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0894866370
Check out the 5-star reviews at Amazon. Sort of an alternative to 12-step programs.
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1886230552
Controversial book detailing the author's recovery from major drug abuse. The controversy is mainly over the fact that the book is not entirely non-fiction, the truth has been embellished here and there. Also the writing style is unconventional and the author has some trouble with the concept of a higher power, which is key to 12-step recovery. The book was a best-seller and also an Oprah Book Club selection. Check out some of the over 1000 reviews at Amazon. I have not read this book but it looks like a very interesting read.
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1400031087
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0143036475
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0312423799
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0609801945
A super-classic. From the editorial review at Amazon: "Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is among the most influential works of psychiatric literature since Freud. The book begins with a lengthy, austere, and deeply moving personal essay about Frankl's imprisonment in Auschwitz and other concentration camps for five years, and his struggle during this time to find reasons to live. The second part of the book, called "Logotherapy in a Nutshell," describes the psychotherapeutic method that Frankl pioneered as a result of his experiences in the concentration camps. Freud believed that sexual instincts and urges were the driving force of humanity's life; Frankl, by contrast, believes that man's deepest desire is to search for meaning and purpose. Frankl's logotherapy, therefore, is much more compatible with Western religions than Freudian psychotherapy. This is a fascinating, sophisticated, and very human book."
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0671023373
A practical synthesis of AA's twelve steps and Zen Buddhism's 8-fold path.
Read more at Amazon
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/157062254X
This is a collection of 4 books by Florence Scovel Shinn - The Game of Life and How to Play It (1925), Your Word is Your Wand (1928), The Power of the Spoken Word (1940), and The Secret Door to Success (1945). These are all classics in the field of self-help and metaphysics, dealing with the spiritual laws of positive attitudes and affirmations.
Read more at Amazon
Same collection is also published under the title The Wisdom of Florence Scovel Shinn
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0671682288
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1577311523
Author's website: myss.com
7 Must-read Books on the Art and Science of Happiness - www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/01/25/must-read-books-happiness/
Internet Mental Health (www.mentalhealth.com)
This award-winning website has tons of info on all aspects of mental health and includes a large, well-organized list of links to other sites for more information.
And this very interesting website gives some alternative viewpoints.
Trouble in Prozac Nation - David Stipp
Lengthy article about SSRIs in November 28, 2005 Fortune Magazine
Tons of books can be found here: http://www.ftrbooks.net/psych_bookstore.htm
I'm not a doctor or therapist and I haven't spent much time studying the vast area of mental health, so I'm no expert, but these seem to be some very good books. Perhaps they may be of help or interest to someone. Amazon links are provided for reference and convenience, I earn no commission.
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