Your Depression Map

This book is wonderfully organized and simple to follow. In some ways it is more a workbook than just simply a book. It addresses many options for help with recovery from depression. Additionally, I thought that the "depression myths" section was very helpful.

Severe, recurrent depression virtually ruined me for 4 years, and nothing helped nearly as well as this book. It's not just an incredible accomplishment as a book on depression, it's a model for how self-help books should be written. It culls all the best knowledge regarding all aspects of depression, from all the most proven fields, condensing and synthesizing this information in an extremely efficient, powerful way. Out of the sea of books and information on depression, and the enormous amounts useless info, this is definitely the best of the best. It doesn't waste your time in any way, and details only the most usueful data of all. I honestly live by it, and rebuilt my life with it more than anything else. I was sleeping up to 20 hours per day, bereft of all motivation and willpower, ruined memory and concentration, overwhelmed with hopelesness, financially ruined, socially ruined, and unable to imagine enjoying anything,or to even remember what it was like to enjoy anything. Somehow, in some lucid episode, I came across this book, and committed to reading it just a half hour a day. That's how I began finally climbing out of the cluster of vicious spirals which had been overwhelming me. This is the first time I've been motivated to write a review on any book -- for, while I have consistently good motivation nowadays, I'm very busy working, socializing, and studying.

This is the first book on Depression, written for the lay public, that reflects the complexity of Depression. I have both treated Depression as a Psychologist for over 20 years, and been treated for it. In both situations, I have tried to read everything available, for the public and for professionals, and this is the best book I have seen.Every person who has struggled with Depression will find information in this book that will help them. I am recommending it to all my clients and colleagues, and also am using from it for an undergraduate psychology course I teach on "Anxiety, Depression and Resililence". Thank you Dr. Paterson for integratng and pulling together all this information in such a clear way, and for not cutting any corners. Many lives will be affected in positive ways as a consequence of your writing this book.

Randy J. Paterson, PhD has spent years treating depression. The results of everything he has learned through both education and experience are distilled into "Your Depression Map". The author points out that there are many, many different causes of depression and many, many different types of depression. Each of these different kinds of depression requires a solution that is designed to relieve that particular type. Based on this idea, he leads the reader through an understanding of the different types, how to determine the type that you have, and a pathway to recovery. He deals effectively with myths about depression, building your personal recovery plan, and a discussion of the journey to recovery and what you should expect. Even issues of how to deal with depression in real life are covered. For example he deftly covers the kind of professionals that you may need to seek help from, medication, living with emotions, building and maintaining a social network, and preventing future difficulties. If you are dealing with depression or know someone who is fighting that battle, this is an excellent book and a highly recommended purchase.

Your Depression Map is a superb resource for individuals suffering from depression and the health care professionals who endeavor to assist them. Dr. Paterson has clearly shown that he has a passion for helping people to help themselves as the book is filled to the brim with information, tools, and insights that readers can put to use to assist themselves or others with this problem that is so pervasive in our society. As a counselling professional I have read many other books on depression and its treatment. Never have I found a book on depression that is so complete and accessible as this one.