Mood Disorders Books - Page 2

The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions--Today

Julia Ross

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> Mood Disorders

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Amazingly good introduction 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This is a truly outstanding book and is intended to help people suffering from real, deep and intractable emotional and mental problems.

Julia Ross is a true pro, working at the front line of mental health care for several decades. This is a book that brings together her hard won knowledge with that of many, many other experts in the field. There is a also a decent amount of scientific research at its core.

Compared with the extrememly poor care offered by the average clinical psychologist or psychiatrist (they essetially offer only drugs or cognitive behaviour therapy) this book heralds the beginning of a revolution in mental health care: at last some people are beginning to recognise that there is a REASON why you (or a friend or relative) is suffering such serious problems with mood, emotions and behaviour. At last there begin to be real solutions which are wholistic and effective.

Julia covers all the main issues - anxiety, depression, OCD, addictions, mood swings and the generally feeling awful and unstable that so many have. She explains why it is happening and which food and supplements to correct it. There are easy to use questionnaires which guide you in understanding which TYPE of depression or anxiety you suffer from and thereby tailor the solution.

Be warned, her solutions are a VERY long way from the general advice just to eat healthily. This is hard core scientific solutions. And a lot of back up with very specific recommendations for amino acids (to make all those neurotransmitters that regulate mood - dopamine, serotonin & GABA) and vitamins and minerals which are used in specific high doses as medicines.

The solution requires work and commitment. But ultimately it is highly workable and simple in structure. And it really changes lives.

Julia Ross opens a door and throws open the windows on a room in which so many feel trapped. No more decades of incomprehensible misery. I use this book in my practice and buy copies in bulk to give to my patients. It is an outstanding introduction - written in an engaging style but with a good strong foundation in science. A serious book that nevertheless invites everyone in.

As a response to the negative reviews below, Ms Ross does indeed take a dim view of vegetarianism - but a) this is a small point in a large and rich book and b) she has this view born of years of experience. A high protein diet is necessary for people suffering emotional health problems because protein is the source of the neurotransmitters which will ultimately cure the depression, anxiety etc. Some people are genetically predisposed to need more than average. Protein is also important for blood sugar stabilisation - unstable blood sugar being near universal with any eating issues, carbohydrate cravings, sugar addictions, much anxiety and mood swings. I find I need to give most of my vegetarian patients protein supplement powders (whey, pea, rice protein etc) before I can build up their programme of recovery further.

In summary a very good book to start your journey. Of equal excellence (in some ways superior) and more scientific in its approach (the emphasis more on neutraceuticals supplements than diet) is Depression Free Naturally by Joan Larson. Don't be fooled by the title - is covers all major issues including very serious ones like schizophrenia.

Additionally, anyone with serious emotional and mental issues should buy Gut and Psychology Syndrome - that gut toxicity is highly involved in much illness is now beyond debate and at least 45% of my patients need help with their gut before they can properly recover. This book will explain how and why.

Good luck and whatever happens don't give up. There are answers to your struggles. The Mood Cure and Depression Free Naturally will be a good start. Add in the book on Gut and Psychology, Adrenal Fatigue, a good book on the thyroid and maybe something on mercury toxicity. A great deal of mental suffering can be alleviated with these interventions. Have faith - a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. You will be taking the first when you buy this book.
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I am very surprised at the negative reviews below. Please don't let them put you off. This is a truly outstanding book and is intended to help people suffering from real, deep and intractable emotional and mental problems.

Julia Ross is a true pro, working at the front line of mental health care for several decades. This is a book that brings together her hard won knowledge with that of many, many other experts in the field. There is a also a decent amount of scientific research at its core.

Compared with the extrememly poor care offered by the average clinical psychologist or psychiatrist (they essetially offer only drugs or cognitive behaviour therapy) this book heralds the beginning of a revolution in mental health care: at last some people are beginning to recognise that there is a REASON why you (or a friend or relative) is suffering such serious problems with mood, emotions and behaviour. At last there begin to be real solutions which are wholistic and effective.

Julia covers all the main issues - anxiety, depression, OCD, addictions, mood swings and the generally feeling awful and unstable that so many have. She explains why it is happening and which food and supplements to correct it. There are easy to use questionnaires which guide you in understanding which TYPE of depression or anxiety you suffer from and thereby tailor the solution.

Be warned, her solutions are a VERY long way from the general advice just to eat healthily. This is hard core scientific solutions. And a lot of back up with very specific recommendations for amino acids (to make all those neurotransmitters that regulate mood - dopamine, serotonin & GABA) and vitamins and minerals which are used in specific high doses as medicines.

The solution requires work and commitment. But ultimately it is highly workable and simple in structure. And it really changes lives.

Julia Ross opens a door and throws open the windows on a room in which so many feel trapped. No more decades of incomprehensible misery. I use this book in my practice and buy copies in bulk to give to my patients. It is an outstanding introduction - written in an engaging style but with a good strong foundation in science. A serious book that nevertheless invites everyone in.

As a response to the negative reviews below, Ms Ross does indeed take a dim view of vegetarianism - but a) this is a small point in a large and rich book and b) she has this view born of years of experience. A high protein diet is necessary for people suffering emotional health problems because protein is the source of the neurotransmitters which will ultimately cure the depression, anxiety etc. Some people are genetically predisposed to need more than average. Protein is also important for blood sugar stabilisation - unstable blood sugar being near universal with any eating issues, carbohydrate cravings, sugar addictions, much anxiety and mood swings. I find I need to give most of my vegetarian patients protein supplement powders (whey, pea, rice protein etc) before I can build up their programme of recovery further.

In summary a very good book to start your journey. Of equal excellence (in some ways superior) and more scientific in its approach (the emphasis more on neutraceuticals supplements than diet) is Depression Free Naturally by Joan Larson. Don't be fooled by the title - is covers all major issues including very serious ones like schizophrenia.

Additionally, anyone with serious emotional and mental issues should buy Gut and Psychology Syndrome - that gut toxicity is highly involved in much illness is now beyond debate and at least 45% of my patients need help with their gut before they can properly recover. This book will explain how and why.

Good luck and whatever happens don't give up. There are answers to your struggles. The Mood Cure and Depression Free Naturally will be a good start. Add in the book on Gut and Psychology, Adrenal Fatigue, a good book on the thyroid and maybe something on mercury toxicity. A great deal of mental suffering can be alleviated with these interventions. Have faith - a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. You will be taking the first when you buy this book.

Editorial Review:

We’re in a bad mood epidemic, but Julia Ross’s plan provides a natural cure. Drawing on thirty years of experience, she presents breakthrough solutions to overcoming depression, anxiety, irritability, stress, and other negative emotional states that are diminishing the quality of our lives. Her comprehensive program is based on the use of four mood- building amino acids and other surprisingly potent nutrient supplements, plus a diet rich in good-mood foods such as protein, healthy fat, and certain key vegetables. Including an individualized mood-type questionnaire, The Mood Cure has all the tools to help you get started today and feel better tomorrow.

The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know

David J. Miklowitz

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 63 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Thanks to sharper diagnosis and better medicine, the future is brighter for people with bipolar disorder than in past generations. But if you or someone you love is struggling with the frantic highs and crushing lows of this illness, there are still many hurdles to surmount at home, at work, and in daily life.

*How can you learn to distinguish between the early warning signs of mood swings and the normal ups and downs of life?
*What medications are available, and what are their side effects?
*What should you do when you find yourself escalating into mania or descending into depression?
*How can you get the help and support you need from family members and friends?
*How can you tell your coworkers about your illness without endangering your career?

In this comprehensive guide, Dr. David J. Miklowitz offers straight talk that can help you tackle these and related questions, take charge of your illness, and reclaim your life. A leading researcher and clinical specialist who knows what works, Dr. Miklowitz supplies proven tools to help you achieve balance--and free yourself from the emotional and financial havoc that result when symptoms rule your life--without sacrificing your right to rich and varied emotional experiences.

This essential resource will help you and your family members come to terms with the diagnosis, recognize early warning signs of manic or depressive episodes, cope with triggers of mood swings, resolve medication problems, and learn to collaborate effectively with doctors and therapists. You'll learn specific ways to ask for support and help from your family and friends--and what to do when their "caring" feels like "controlling." For times when the going gets tough, a wealth of examples of how others have dealt with similar challenges offer new perspectives and new solutions.

Whether you have recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, are considering seeking help for the first time, or have been in treatment for years, this empowering book is designed to help put you--not your illness--back in charge of your life.

Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior

Jeffrey M. Schwartz, Beverly Beyette

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Clinical Psychology

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 61 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

An estimated 5 million Americans suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and live diminished lives in which they are compelled to obsess about something or to repeat a similar task over and over. Traditionally, OCD has been treated with Prozac or similar drugs. The problem with medication, aside from its cost, is that 30 percent of people treated don't respond to it, and when the pills stop, the symptoms invariably return.

In Brain Lock, Jeffrey M. Schwartz presents a simple four-step method for overcoming OCD that is so effective, it's now used in academic treatment centers throughout the world. Proven by brain-imaging tests to actually alter the brain's chemistry, this method doesn't rely on psychopharmaceuticals. Instead, patients use cognitive self-therapy and behavior modification to develop new patterns of response to their obsessions. In essence, they use the mind to fix the brain. Using the real-life stories of actual patients, Brain Lock explains this revolutionary method and provides readers with the inspiration and tools to free themselves from their psychic prisons and regain control of their lives.

Thoughts & Feelings: Taking Control of Your Moods and Your Life (Workbook Workbook)

Matthew McKay, Martha Davis, Patrick Fanning

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Rather Superficial in Key Areas 2 out of 5 stars.
7 of 17 people found this review helpful.

Lots of excellent ideas and some good techniques. But therein lies the problem: the techniques, especially on relaxation, should be defined, described and explained for use by stressed-out people in more detail.

Also, I believe that Beck's original insight about thoughts controlling feelings is not as airtight as he and the many people following in his wake believe. Do your realize how hard it is to even identify specifically and accurately your thoughts on almost any subject or in any situation that calls for psychological intervention.

Finally, I believe that workbooks such as these offer as much fool's gold, as real value and cogency. The most important deficiency is the assumption by the authors that psychologically crippled (blunt word but appropriate) individuals have the self-discipline, not to mention the intelligence, to make use of this book. Since Beck wrote his seminal book in the 70's, very little hard data exists to show the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy and techniques. C.B.T. may be an improvement over Freudian analysis (duh!) but certainly not over medication and directed therapy by a truly competent therapist who has the time and commitment to really help you. However, few therapists have the time, dedication and ability to actually help you. There are certainly some good therapists out there, but 99% have other patients and other concerns and responsibilities that distract them from focusing on YOU.

That said, the best relaxation techniques are taught by audio tape or c.d. Troubled people need the structure and discipline that tapes offer.

Editorial Review:

Thoughts and Feelings adapts the powerful and widely adaptable techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) into a set of tools readers can use, not to solve a particular problem, but to overcome any of the emotional and behavioral changes that life throws their way. CBT recognizes that most negative feelings arise from confused, irrational thoughts. By learning to identify and change these thoughts and by replacing destructive and limiting behaviors with new, more constructive ones, readers can start steering their lives in the direction they want to go.

Changes to this new edition include revisions and updates to the core CBT chapters as well as a new chapter on how to use mindfulness to bring focus and intention to the process of change.

The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms

Mary Beth Williams, Soili Poijula

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not recommended 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

If you've looked around lately and found that half the world seems to have been contaminated by the veiled (or not) contempt for survivors of trauma found in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and its many knockoffs, I'm sorry to say you'll find that same attitude - inconsistently - in this workbook, as well. [It is not itself one of the aforementioned knockoffs, thankfully.] Too many of the exercises are about how the client/survivor is wrong, not about how to feel and be better.

This workbook is not a complete waste of time, but there are better workbooks and approaches out there. "Growing Beyond Survival" by Elizabeth G. Vermilyea is both helpful in developing skills to deal with PTSD symptoms, and respectful of the person who desires better mental health.

Editorial Review:

Post-traumatic stress disorder is an extremely debilitating condition that can occur after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal. In The PTSD Workbook, readers determine the type of trauma they experienced, identify their physical, mental, and emotional symptoms, and learn effective techniques and interventions to overcome them. They start with the exercise best suited to relieve their worst symptom then progress to less troubling symptoms, picking up key information about PTSD along the way.

A Guide to Rational Living

Albert Ellis, Robert A. Harper

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 59 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

how to change your life 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

if i could make it a law that this book be read by everyone, i would. basically, ellis and harper teach us how to understand that it is up to us whether we want to be happy. it is all within our reach. all it depends upon is our thoughts and what we tell ourselves. you can be truly happy, enjoying your life, no matter where you have been, no matter what is going on!

the authors use many examples via their clients' lives to show their readers how to live a happy, rational life.

seamingly over-simplified! but truly amazing! liberating! and awesome! when you actually do live this way.

Worth a try 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Tao Cycle Therapy: Natural Happiness via Self Directed Cure for Chronic Anxiety & Depression [Updated 2008 3nd Edition]

Nothing more to ask... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

If you are going to read one self-help book in your life, this is it. Ellis has changed my life completely. No more anger, much less anxiety and depression, and a greater acceptance of myself and others. Nothing more to ask...

If you only read -one- book this decade... 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Ancient as it may be (orginally published in 1961) in a field where "current" almost always means "superior owing to more recent discovery," Ellis's -Guide...- is the bomb if you're going to -do- cognitive, evidence-based therapy, as either a therapist or a patient.

His ten screwy ideas are nothing short of the unfortunate attitudinal watershed of the decline of Western culture. Identified, questioned, examined, uprooted and replaced with more realistic -- and functional -- notions, they can become the foundation for a belief and appraisal system by which anyone can cope with pretty much any curve ball life pitches at them.

However radical, as well as grandiosely expressed some of his ideas may seem; Basco, Beck, Seligman, Wessler, Young and all who have ridden on his coattails owe a debt to Albert... not to mention the millions whose lives have been saved and/or greatly improved by disovering for themselves how things really -are-... as opposed to what they -think- they are.

There are a lot of Ellis-authored books available, but having read several of them (as well as many of Aaron Beck's), it seems to me that this one stands out as the seminal piece for professional and lay readers alike. This is Ellis at his no-holds-barred, free-wheeling, no-nonsense best.

Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder

Julie A. Fast, John D. Preston

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 63 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

When a person loves someone with bipolar disorder, life can be very stressful. From medication troubles to a partner's mood swings the demands on a partner can be intense. Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder takes a unique and practical approach to these issues.

Written by an author who has bipolar disorder (and who lived with a partner who also has bipolar disorder) and a coauthor with over ten books on the topic of mental illness, the book offers specific, practical and realistic tips on how a couple can work together as a team to create a treatment plan that teaches them to live with the illness while still maintaining a loving and joyful relationship. (Though this book is written for couples, friends and family members can use the techniques in the book as well.)

Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder provides hope and encourages couples to work together to create a plan they can use to help stabilize bipolar disorder so that their relationship can focus on love and companionship instead of the illness. Chapters include ideas on how to create a comprehensive treatment plan that incorporates medications and supplements, diet, exercise and behavior and lifestyle changes into one practical approach to this very serious illness. The partner of a person with bipolar disorder learns about communicating with their partner when they're ill, getting real about the situation and how to take on other roles in healing besides caretaking. Other specific topics include work and money, emotions, sexual issues and much more. The goal of the book is to help couples create a relationship that is based on support and prevention instead of constant crisis control.

The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free from Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

John P. Forsyth, Georg H. Eifert

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Neuropsychology

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Anxiety happens. It's not a choice. And attempts to "manage" your thoughts or "get rid" of worry, fear, and panic can leave you feeling frustrated and powerless. But you can take back your life from anxiety without controlling anxious thoughts and feelings. You can stop avoiding anxiety and start showing up to your life. This book will get you started, using a revolutionary new approach called acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT.

The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety has one purpose: to help you live better, more fully, more richly. Your life is calling on you to make that choice, and the skills in this workbook can help you make it happen. Find out how your mind can trap you, keeping you stuck and struggling in anxiety and fear. Learn to nurture your capacity for acceptance, mindfulness, kindness, and compassion. Use these qualities to shift your focus away from anxiety and onto what you really want your life to be about. As you do, your life will get bigger as your anxious suffering gets smaller. No matter what kind of anxiety problem you're struggling with, this workbook can guide you toward a more vibrant and purposeful life.

"...Highly recommended for all those struggling with worry, anxiety, and fear." - David H. Barlow, Ph.D., professor of psychology and psychiatry at Boston University and author of Anxiety and Its Disorders.

"...a "must-read" for anyone encountering anxiety as a barrier to a leading a fuller life." - Zindel Segal, Ph.D., Morgan Firestone Chair in Psychotherpy at the University of Toronto and author of The Mindful Way Through Depression.

This workbook comes with a CD that includes a full-length audio guided meditation and electronic copies of the worksheets that appear inside the book.

The OCD Workbook: Your Guide to Breaking Free from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Bruce M. Hyman, Cherry Pedrick

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Once thought to be a comparatively rare mental illness, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is now known to affect about two out of every 100 Americans. OCD has recently attracted considerable media attention, including numerous major news magazine articles, television news program reports, and coverage in popular culture—notably in the UPN television series Monk. Because of this higher profile, more and more people struggling with the disorder are recognizing their symptoms, looking for information on the problem, and seeking treatment.

OCD behaviors can take a number of forms; compulsive washing, checking, hoarding, and obsessive thoughts are among the better known. Individuals with OCD can experience significant reduction in quality of life because of the disorder. They may lose the ability to work, to function socially, or even to accomplish basic tasks like shopping and driving. The good news is that a number of treatment options have proven effective at controlling OCD. This book is a great place for anyone with OCD to start looking for help.

Since its first publication in 1999, the OCD Workbook has become among the most trusted and recommended OCD resources available. More than 40,000 copies have provided help and hope to people with the disorder, and therapists have come to regard the book as a useful adjunct to their private practices. This fully revised and expanded edition includes new findings on the causes of OCD, including genetic research. It offers information on treatment options including neurosurgery, new medications, and a whole new chapter on day-to-day coping strategies for people with OCD. The new edition includes expanded coverage of related disorders like body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania, and skin picking. New material on relapse prevention, OCD in children, and family involvement in OCD round out this important book.

The Bipolar Workbook: Tools for Controlling Your Mood Swings

Monica Ramirez Basco

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

not for Bipolar II 1 out of 5 stars.
10 of 16 people found this review helpful.

In my opinion, this book doesn't apply for people with bipolar II at all. I found it somewhat insulting. Too me it came across like 'never second guess your Dr, he knows better than you', or 'oh yes, Mom, you are right, I didn't take my meds yesterday, sorry for being irritable, and thanks for taking such good care of me'.

For most people with Bipolar II one of the main problems is not to have a reference point, or the inability to 'take up your spot in the universe', as my yoga teacher puts it. In my case, I often suffer from good old plain overstimulation (too many people, too much commotion, too loud, too bright, unpleasant smells, low pain tolerance, food that is too spicy). The 21st century is all about overstimulation. I was hoping for insights on how to set boundaries without braking bridges, on how to embrace bipolar as a challenge to grow other than just look at it as a nuisance. You won't find any help with that in this book.

A big disappointment!

Editorial Review:

Living with bipolar disorder is a lifelong challenge. Those who struggle with the illness have to learn effective ways to control their mood swings, avoid relapse, and get the most from medication-based treatments. This workbook delivers a hands-on resource that gives sufferers the edge they need. Based on proven cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques, the book offers a variety of tools that enable readers to recognize the early warning signs of an oncoming episode, develop plans for withstanding the seductive pull of manic episodes, and escape the paralysis of depression. Specific chapters address key challenges at various stages, from overcoming denial of the initial diagnosis to fine-tuning treatments and maintaining gains.