Climbing Out of Depression: A Practical Guide to Real and Immediate Help

By Sue Atkinson

Book Overview

A warm, simple, and practical guide to real and immediate help for those lost in the darkness of depression'written by someone who has experienced it and found a way out. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 17 million Americans suffer from depression. For many of these millions, climbing back out of the pit of gloom seems almost impossible. Depression often leaves its victims feeling paralyzed, numb, and alone. Climbing Out of Depression is a guide for everyone who is looking for practical help. Unlike clinical books that approach depression from a theoretical, academic viewpoint, what makes this book distinctive is the fact that the author herself has suffered from depression for many years. Atkinson does not write as an expert, or as a depression counselor, but as someone who knows the feelings from close personal experience. Climbing Out of Depression is a handbook to offer immediate help for the mind, the body, and'with the author's gentle spiritual touch'also the soul. Topics covered in Climbing Out of Depression include the causes of depression; how to take action when life becomes too difficult; dealing with negativity; overcoming fear, worry, and panic; understanding anger; coping with loss; and much more. Climbing Out of Depression is a tried-and-true tested book that incorporates strategies, tips, and success stories, many of the author herself. Written in easily grasped sections designed to be read for the limited concentration spans that often accompany depression, Atkinson leads the reader through the ?why? of depression and then offers ?how-to? suggestions based on firsthand proven techniques. Reading this book is similar to having a conversation with a compassionate friend, one who has ?been there? and knows what to say and how to help.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1585426857
• ISBN13: 9781585426850
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Tarcher
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

BEST DEPRESSION BOOK EVER

This book is incredible. Having had depression since I was six years old, I thought I would never be free of it. When I first read this book, I cried because I'd never before come across anyone who knew how it felt. It was like the author was inside my head.The advice and practical solutions are fantastic and really work. Now I am able to catch my depression before I get suicidal, which is brilliant.I keep it by my bed and read it whenever I am feeling I am slipping.If you have depression you must get this book. It could save your life.

its been a life line for me

over the last 2 years i've read almost everybook i could lay my hands on do to with depression, in the search to find a cure for me.by far the best one to date is called climbing out of depression by sue atkinson. i carry it everywhere with me, and when i need help i can open it anywhere and read a chapter, its like she knows exactly what i'm going through its been a life line for me. i guess she should cause she has suffered with depression and came out the other side.

like having a guardian angel guide you to happiness.....

A brilliant, informative book that is divided into small chapters, charts and activities. It is very reader-friendly, and can be used as a reference book rather than a read-back-to-front novel....Sue Atkinson isn't a psychotherapist or doctor, but a regular person like you or me, who has experienced depression first hand and has lived to tell the tale and offer practical advice to sufferers. I found the activities particularly helpful, because they encourage soul-searching and self-understanding. Sue Atkinson encourages us to tune into our feelings, rather than masking them. She believes that hardships, both situational and emotional, should be brought to the fore and dealt with. She does not write in a condescending tone; and she is a highly literate author, especially considering this is her debut book. My only problem with this book is the abundant references to Christianity, as the author of this book is a devout Christian. She means well, by telling us that religion was her savior and ray of light in the pit of darkness.....but I would find that most discouraging if I was Atheist or Agnostic. She preaches, ever-so-subtley, that Jesus saved her soul, and this comes across as blind faith rather than an intellectual realization, and is most inconsistant with the other messages in the book.If you can look past her religious references, you will be rewarded with a very practical guide to recovery from depression. It is delivered with understanding, empathy, and hope. I recommend this book for any and all sufferers of depression, guilt, anxiety, and phobia, as well as those seeking to be informed about such conditions.