Alternatives to standard drug treatments for this common problem. Depression is one of the most common issues that people bring to therapy. It is also a mental health condition with several well-known and readily available medications to treat it. That said, every clinician knows that medications do not work for all clients, and even if they do work they can often come with unwelcome side effects that are difficult and hard to bear. In short, medications are not foolproof. Fortunately today, with rising interest in non-drug approaches, effective and easy-to-implement alternative strategies exist for dealing with depression in your clients, either in conjunction with medication treatments or on their own. Six of the best are presented in this book. With his characteristic mix of insightful clinical anecdote and personal narrative, seasoned therapist Bill O’Hanlon lays out six of his go-to non-medication strategies for clinicians to use with their own depressed clients. These include “marbling” (training people to intersperse happy memories with sad ones so that over time they move away from a feeling of such negativity); challenging isolation in clients (helping them to see the benefits of the social world); and understanding neuroplasticity and how it can be used to your clients’ advantage. Bill O’Hanlon writes from a place of experience. As a youth, he was so severely depressed that he contemplated suicide. His successful rise from that dark place, some 30 years ago, can be seen as the starting point for this book. Many of the strategies he used to overcome his own illness he now puts forward here, with compassion and wisdom, so that other clinicians may benefit. Every depressed person experiences his or her own variety of the illness, and as therapists we need to help our clients discover their own paths to healing. Armed with the compelling, non-drug strategies in this book, clinicians will be able to do just that, opening up a new route to health and wellness. Whether you routinely prescribe psychotropic drugs or would never think of doing so, this book may offer just the advice you need to advance your therapy work and make a real difference in your depressed clients’ lives.

“If you do one thing different, read this book! It is filled with practical, creative, effective, down-to-earth solutions to life’s challenging problems.” —Michele Weiner-Davis, bestselling author of Healing from Infidelity Tired of feeling stuck all the time when you’re trying to solve a problem or are facing conflict? Do you get easily flustered or angry when a negative confrontation arises? Have you ever wished you could communicate more easily with your spouse, kids, colleagues, or anyone else you have a difference in opinion with? In this newly updated edition of Do One Thing Different, Bill O’Hanlon will arm you with his ten easy Solution Keys so that you can move quickly from “stuck” to “smooth sailing” in all aspects of your life. Humorous, direct, and—most important of all—effective, these keys will help you change how you view and “do” your problems—from difficult relationships to enhancing sexuality and resolving conflicts of all kinds. The next time you have a problem, try one of these Solution Keys: Break Problem Patterns: Change any one of what you usually do in the problem situation by doing one thing different! Example: If you usually get angry and defensive, sit quietly and listen. Find and Use Solution Patterns: Import solutions from other situations where you felt competent. Example: What do you say to resolve a problem with an angry customer that you don’t say to your angry partner? Shift Your Attention: Focus on what you would like to have happen rather than on what is happening. Grounded in therapeutic practice, Do One Thing Different will put you back in control of your emotions and your life.

In the past decade, depression rates have skyrocketed, and one in four Americans will suffer from major depression at some point in their lives. Where have we gone wrong? Dr. Stephen Ilardi sheds light on our current predicament and reminds us that our bodies were never designed for the sleep-deprived, poorly nourished, frenzied pace of twenty-first century life. Inspired by the extraordinary resilience of aboriginal groups like the Kaluli of Papua New Guinea, Dr. Ilardi prescribes an easy-to-follow, clinically proven program that harks back to what our bodies were originally made for and what they continue to need. The Depression Cure program has already delivered dramatic results, helping even those who have failed to respond to traditional medications.

Powerful strategies and compassionate support for overcoming postpartum depression Becoming a parent is a huge transition. For some, the mood swings, the pressures, and the anxiety can be intense and overwhelming. One in five women will develop postpartum depression (PPD) after pregnancy—so if you're struggling with PPD, know you're not alone. This depression workbook is designed to help you navigate the transition to becoming the healthy and happy parent you want to be. This depression workbook is here to guide you on your journey, providing supportive strategies and tools grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—proven to help you understand, cope with, and reduce your PPD symptoms. Discover common signs of PPD, what it is, and what you can do about it. Explore your thoughts, feelings, and relationships, plus self-care practices through a variety of practical and insightful exercises in this depression workbook. This depression workbook includes: Primer on PPD—Discover if you might have PPD, take a look at common causes and risk factors, and see how PPD can impact your partner. Lasting relief—The CBT-based postpartum strategies in this depression workbook will help you adopt a positive mindset, improve your mood, deepen your relationships, and find time to recharge. Parents like you—Find kinship in real-life scenarios from other parents, paired with practical advice, simple tips, and interactive exercises. This depression workbook provides the strategies, tools, and support you'll need for a healthy and happy transition into parenthood.

A friendly and brief guide to the essentials of hypnosis. Popular author Bill O’Hanlon offers an inviting and reassuring guide to the essentials of hypnosis, alleviating the newcomer’s anxieties about how to make the most of this clinical tool. This brief book illustrates the benefits of solution-oriented hypnosis, which draws on the work of the pioneering therapist Milton Erickson (with whom O’Hanlon studied) and emphasizes doing what is needed to get results—which, more often than not, means trusting that the client holds within him- or herself answers or knowledge that need only be tapped or released by the therapist. O’Hanlon covers the key aspects of hypnosis, including: using possibility words and phrases; using passive language; and inducing trance. O’Hanlon offers practical tips and friendly encouragement for the novice hypnotherapist—in his characteristic warm, reassuring, and humorous style.

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that one in ten young people will suffer from a depressive disorder before the age of eighteen. Though depression is a common condition, it is also one that is often misunderstood. This useful guide establishes the clinical definition of depression and explains the difference between conditions such as persistent depressive disorder and major depression. Common treatment methods, including therapy and medications, are discussed. The volume also contains advice about where depressed teens can turn to get the help that they need, interviews from medical professionals, information about risk factors for depression, and things depressed teens can do to try to combat their depression.

The bestselling approachable guide that has inspired thousands of readers to manage or overcome depression — fully revised and updated for life in the 21st century. Depression rates around the world have skyrocketed in the 20‑plus years since Richard O'Connor first published his classic book on living with and overcoming depression. Nearly 40 million American adults suffer from the condition, which affects nearly every aspect of life, from relationships, to job performance, physical health, productivity, and, of course, overall happiness. And in an increasingly stressful and overwhelming world, it's more important than ever to understand the causes and effects of depression, and what we can do to overcome it. In this fully revised and updated edition — which includes updated information on the power of mindfulness, the relationship between depression and other diseases, the risks and side effects of medication, depression’s effect on thinking, and the benefits of exercise — Dr. O'Connor explains that, like heart disease and other physical conditions, depression is fueled by complex and interrelated factors: genetic, biochemical, environmental. But Dr. O'Connor focuses on an additional factor that is often overlooked: our own habits. Unwittingly we get good at depression. We learn how to hide it, and how to work around it. We may even achieve great things, but with constant struggle rather than satisfaction. Relying on these methods to make it through each day, we deprive ourselves of true recovery, of deep joy and healthy emotion. Undoing Depression teaches us how to replace depressive patterns with a new and more effective set of skills. We already know how to "do" depression—and we can learn how to undo it. With a truly holistic approach that synthesizes the best of the many schools of thought about this painful disease, and a critical eye toward medications, O'Connor offers new hope—and new life—for sufferers of depression.