Growing from Depression: A Practical and Philosophical Self-Help Guide

What if depression were a blessing as well as a curse? This is a book about how depression can have benefits as well as costs, and how to reap those benefits while making yourself feel better—better, in fact, than ever before.

Drawing on psychiatry, psychology, philosophy, and literature, Dr Neel Burton explores depression not only as an illness to be treated, but also as an opportunity for insight, growth, and transformation.

Semi-finalist, the BookLife Prize
Highly Commended, the BMA Book Awards

You have, in some sense, embarked on the hero’s journey. Despite being ill-fated, despite starting out as a victim and underdog, the hero is able to rise up to life and experience it in its horror and fullness, rather than merely suffer or survive it and occasionally drink its dregs like so many of us do.

In myth, the aspirant has to travel through hell, or deep into the forest or labyrinth, before slaying the monster and re-emerging as a hero.

If your depression is the journey through the Inferno, then let this book be your guiding Virgil.

If your depression is the descent into the Cretan labyrinth, then let this book be Ariadne’s ball of red thread.

A comprehensive, sympathetic, and thought-provoking guide for those who want to explore their depression in more depth. —The British Journal of Psychiatry

Neel is an incredibly insightful and elegant writer, with a deep knowledge of all he surveys. —Dr James Davies, psychotherapist, author of Cracked

I have read most of Dr. Neel Burton's books and have enjoyed them immensely … All in all, I found this to be a very insightful and engaging book on depression. —Jamie Bee, Amazon.com Top 50 Reviewer

I've read many Neel Burton books. He's a wonderful writer and able to immerse you lightly in pretty heavy stuff. —Adrian Bailey, Vine Voice

About the author

Dr Neel Burton FRSA is a psychiatrist, philosopher, and wine-lover who lives and teaches in Oxford, England. He is a Fellow of Green-Templeton College in the University of Oxford, and the winner of several book prizes. His work features regularly in the likes of Aeon and Psychology Today and has been translated into several languages.

Contents

Part I: Understanding depression

1. What is depression?
2. What does depression feel like?
3. How bad can things get?
4. What is psychosis?
5. Who suffers from depression?
6. What causes depression?
7. How is depression diagnosed?
8. CBT, mindfulness, and other talking treatments
9. Antidepressant drugs
10. Electroconvulsive therapy
11. A philosophy of depression

Part II: Modular self-help

12. The magical ring that lifts depression
13. Correcting thinking errors
14. Positive illusions vs depressive realism
15. Managing stress
16. Managing anxiety
17. A philosophical cure for anxiety
18. Facing up to death
19. Facing up to life
20. The happiness trap
21. The philosophy of happiness
22. Aristotle on eudaimonia
23. Seneca on success
24. Dealing with bad news
25. Coping with grief and bereavement
26. The view from above
27. The Stoic archer
28. Profiting from boredom
29. Getting out of your head
30. The Buddhist angle
31. Cultivating gratitude
32. Chicken soup for the soul
33. Mastering sleep
34. Releasing endorphins
35. The magic of music
36. Coping with psychotic symptoms
37. Coming off alcohol and drugs
38. Fighting thoughts of self-harm
39. Fighting suicidal thoughts
40. The philosophy of suicide
41. Building relationships
42. The 7 types of love
43. Dealing with insults
44. Building self-esteem
45. The wounded healer

Grab your copy now for a new and powerful way of looking at depression.