Books to overcome depression?

[IHateBadGrammar]

Can anyone recommend a good book that will help to deal with anxiety / depression etc? There's such a lot around I would appreciate some guidance and recommendations? Thanksd

Well there are 2 I can recommend - the first is "Depressive Illness - the Curse of the Strong" by Tim somebody (I always forget his name) and have loaned the book to someone else. It's on Amazon though.

The other book is "Climbing out of Depression" by Sue Atkinson. She is not a medic of any sort but a woman who has suffered several episodes of depression and I have to say she has given the best description of how depression feels that I have ever heard. So much of what she says is jumping off the page at me. It is obvious from the beginning that she has suffered depression rather than some academic who has learned about it from books.

Here's her definition:

Severe depression feels like being in an alien plant, struck blind, deaf, dumb, paralysed and penniless and since you are none of these things no-one can see your suffering. You may cry out but bo-one can "hear" you (as in they don't understand). If it was a choice between the 2 I would get Sue Atkinson's book.

There is another one called "Malignant Sadness" by Louis Wolpert- he is a bio chemist and suffered a very severe episode and it is a good book because he tries to weave his way through all the very different theories about dep/anx and whether meds work or not, and whether counselling works or not and whether the combination is better etc etc. Not such an easy read as the other 2 but still worth recommending. It is also on Amazon.

Hope that helps a bit.

Oh gawd......I meant alient planet - not alien plant!!!

I second the Lewis Wolpert book. When I read it whilst suffering severe PND I was overcome with relief that for the first time, someone seemed to have felt and expressed what I was going through. Also quite good is Sally Brampton's Shoot the Damn Dog-again written about her own experience of depression. For me, realising that I was not the only one ever to have suffered in this way was a huge comfort, and probably helped more than the more'self help' style books.HTH

Will look at those - thanks

Oh yes lamblies I found Sally Brampton's "Shoot the Damn Dog" very interesting and reassuring, and I too was comforted to know that she suffered so badly but eventually got well.