Discusses the causes of depression, looks at its connections with alcohol and drug abuse, and explains modern treatment procedures

This repackaged version of "Mastering Your Moods" brings together three of America's foremost Christian counselors to offer help for those suffering from mood swings or depression. "Mood Swings" helps readers understand the causes of "bipolar-related disorders" and finds effective ways to treat the problem, recover the lost joy, and return to a far more normal, balanced perspective on life.

This workbook delivers a hands-on resource, with 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.

Approaching depression as a complex disorder with many different facets rather than all-or-nothing. Depression confuses the mind, strips away hope, and causes people to blame themselves for an illness they never asked for. This book presents a revolutionary new understanding of the concept of depression and offers readers skills and strategies to manage it. No longer is this a one-size-fits-all diagnosis, and antidepressants are no longer the one-size-fits-all treatment. Mood disorders are now seen to form a spectrum of problems, from common depression on one end to full bipolar disorder on the other. In between these extremes are multitudes of people who are on the middle of the mood spectrum, and this book is for them. The first part of the book helps readers answer the question, “Where am I on the mood spectrum?” By laying the foundation for understanding this spectrum, Aiken and Phelps highlight the key distinctions that define unipolarity, bipolarity, hypomania, mania, and depression. Readers will be able to discern which definition best fits their experience, and use this understanding to learn which treatment methods will work best. The authors also empower readers to look beyond antidepressants. They walk readers through new medications for the mood spectrum, and offer a guide to non-medication treatments that anyone can use on their own, from diet and lifestyle changes to natural supplements. The book also discusses other innovative technologies that can aid in recovery, including dawn simulators, mood apps, and blue-light filters. This thoughtful and beneficial book will offer readers skills and strategies, as well as hope, in the face of debilitating mental challenges.

Everyone feels better some days than others—but some people struggle with exaggerated and unrestrained mood swings. These kinds of mood swings have come to be known as mania, manic-depression, or bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is confusing and difficult both for those who struggle with it and for those who care for them. Edward ...