Book recommendations for depression.

[Krazykitty]

I’m going through a bad bout of depression at the moment and I just wondered if anyone has any good recommendations of a book that did actually really help?

I know counselling is usually the best course of treatment but I can’t bear the thought of having to talk to a stranger right now.

I am feeling desperately inadequate and comparing myself constantly to everyone else’s ‘perfect’ lives. I know these are irrational thought’s but can’t seem to stop them.

Thanks in advance.

Years ago, I found Feel The Fear very useful indeed.

You could look up some CBT free online worksheets that will help you rationalise your irrational thinking.

One thing to try and remember is that when in that sort of mood, we tend to compare one of us to Everyone else, thinking everyone else has an amazing love life, home life, career, body etc when actually we are cherrypicking that X has a gorgeous boyfriend (but forgetting that they have a dead end job) and Y has a beautiful home (but forget they have a child with SEN or a critical parent living with them) and Z has an incredible career (but we forget they want to lose three stone) etc etc. Meanwhile we are utterly dismissive of the aspects of our own lives that are going well.

Feel the Fear teaches you to break life down into different parts - family, work, home, hobbies, fitness etc and take some small positive action to help each area flourish, ideally every day and definitely every week. So you just tidy a corner of a room to make it cosy and inviting or, go for a walk or do 5 mins yoga online etc. As you start to feel stronger, you make bolder moves - you join a running club or meet friends for a day out etc. The idea is that you pay attention to developing your life in lots of ways so that if one area of it (or two or three) is failing, the rest support and uplift you through the bad times. It;s a great recipe for balance in life.

Thank you so much @gingerhills, I have heard of that book so will definitely look it up.

It does make sense what you say and I know I’m being irrational but the depression keeps telling me it’s all true and how worthless I am. I keep telling myself this will pass and I know it will from past experience but when you’re in it, it’s hard to see an end.

There’s so much I want to do but I can barely muster the energy to get through the day at the moment.

Thank you again

reasons to stay alive by matt haig was amazing. He had a serious session of depression in his 20's and talks openly about the dark times and how he got through it, it's amazing to read if you're depressed.