* New fourth edition (June 2023)
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.
Semi-finalist, the BookLife Prize
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
This book brings understanding and encourages independent solutions. It is remarkable in its shortness and practicality.
—The British Medical Association Book Awards
★★★★★ 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
Neel is an incredibly insightful and elegant writer, with a deep knowledge of all he surveys.
—Dr James Davies, psychotherapist, author of Cracked
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 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 recipient of the Society of Authors’ Richard Asher Prize, the British Medical Association’s Young Authors’ Award, the Medical Journalists’ Association Open Book Award, and a Best in the World Gourmand Award. His work has featured in the likes of Aeon, The Spectator, and The Times, and been translated into several languages.
◆ Grab your copy now for a new and powerful way of looking at depression.
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. 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
A practical and philosophical guide
Happiness is good for the body, but it is grief which develops the strengths of the mind. —Marcel Proust
Growing from Depression—rather than, say, Recovering from Depression or Defeating Depression—is a counterintuitive, perhaps even provocative, title for a book on depression. But I chose it for what I think are three very good reasons.
• First, I wanted to challenge the popular perception of people with depression. Rather than being ‘failures’ or ‘losers’, they are often, as I will argue, among the most honest, intelligent, and sensitive of all people.
• Second, while I would never wish it on anyone, the depressive position can challenge us to identify and address long-standing life problems, potentially opening us out onto a much brighter, richer future. If we are to re-envision things, and make a leap, it helps to take a few steps back.
• Third, and most important, the journey out of depression is one of learning: learning about oneself, of course, but also learning life skills such as managing stress or coping with loss, and, above all, learning to rediscover the little things that make life worth living and loving.
As poor concentration and motivation are common features of depression, I have tried to be as clear and concise as possible. I have divided the self-help section into short, self-contained modules, enabling you to dip in and out of the book and focus on whatever seems most interesting or useful or practical.
Healing is not the same as curing. Curing implies returning to the status quo, whereas healing implies or suggests moving beyond it. My ambition is not merely to make you feel better, but better than ever before, by increasing your resilience, awareness, and openness to life.
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 or taming 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.
Although depression self-help books abound, it is rarer to see one that speaks of growing through depression, rather than conquering it. Readers who have struggled with depression will find this book comforting; depression can be a useful tool in one’s life, allowing a person the time necessary to slow down, take stock in their life, and make needed changes to be more comfortable in their existence. Burton offers up countless strategies for improving one’s situation, and gives honest, thoughtful feedback about the efficacy of these interventions. —The BookLife Prize (Semi Finalist)
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