You Mean I Don't Have to Feel This Way?: New Help for Depression, Anxiety, and Addiction

by Colette Dowling

Book Overview

"A down-to-earth, hopeful, useful--and, from the point of view of this 'recovered' depressive--accurate account of how to treat depression."--Mike Wallace, 60 Minutes. Colette Dowling watched... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 055337169X
• ISBN13: 9780553371697
• Release Date: May 1993
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

A great depression "primer"

A great "primer" on depression. This is the first book I read on depression after reading Darkness Visible, and I still think it's one of the best, especially as the author's daughter, who suffered from depression, contributed to it.

Real Life Explanation of Depressive Illness and it's Affects

This was the first work on depression authored with a real life perspective on the illness and its affects on "life" that I had read. Having been trained in the mental health field and being employed in a mental health related job, this was the first work to help me feel better about my own illness. It was so easy to be understanding and supportive of others with this illness, but when it came time for me to understand and to be caring for myself, it all but elluded me.Also in this work I found the connections between depression, addiction, weight related issues, and hormonal problems. Every little piece of my spotty medical history came into focus under the hands of the author in this book. I have yet to read anything that has helped me on the road to understanding my depressive illness any more than this book. Having a lay person relate information through her own real experiences is a definate plus as well.

This book saved my relationship

This is a very accessable book for anyone concerned about depression in a loved one or yourself. Written so people (not just professionals) can understand it. I've given it to several friends who were helped, too. Best of all, it helped my partner realize the behavior wasn't crazy but treatable. Excellent book.

This book takes the guilt out of mental illness.

This book is up to date in its information. It is very informative, and reader friendly. It explains the cause of some mental illness, addictions, phobias and anxieties. These down to earth explanations take all the guilt out of having a disorder, disability, or addiction. This distancing from self blame enables action and change.

A life-saver book when you're suffering from depression

This book was brought to my attention by my daughter when I was diagnosed as suffering from clinical depression in the fall of 1995. I found it very helpful, full of information on the illness, on the different treatments available. The possible link between depression and addiction made me realize that what I thought of as a weakness for over-the-counter medication (with codeine, and others) could have been a way of trying to cope with a depressive state of mind. A must-read for people suffering from different mood disorders, and for their families, it offers good advice, lots of case examples, and helps realize that, when one suffers from depression, or other related disorder, it is an illness, not a weakness of caracter, or laziness. This book helped me better understand my illness and to cope with the ups and downs of treatment.