For those people whose depression and/or anxiety has not impaired their ability to read, I wish to recommend some excellent books and articles on the subject of depression and other mood disorders. I have organized my bibliography around specific themes so that you can easily locate the appropriate book to speak to your particular needs. In addition, I have annotated some of the listings, offering my specific reasons for recommending a particular book.
Memoirs of Melancholy
Each of the following works presents a beautiful and compelling account of the author's unique struggle with the hell of depression, and how he or she made it through to the other side.
Callahan, Steven, Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea, Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1986. A book about situational depression brought on by a life-death struggle. The book-on-tape read by Dick Estelle is must listening.
Cronkite, Kathy, On the Edge of Darkness: Conversations About Conquering Depression, New York, Doubleday, 1994.
Danquah, Meri Nana-Ama, Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman's Journey Through Depression, New York, WW Norton, 1998.
Dravecky, Jan, A Joy I'd Never Known, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House, 1996. An evangelical account of God's role in healing depression.
Duke, Patty and Gloria Hochman, A Brilliant Madness: Living With Manic Depressive Illness, New York, Bantam Books, 1992.
Janet Filips, “Father John's Resurrection: A Priest Credits Prozac and Prayer for Pulling Him Out of His Depression,” The Oregonian, February 10, 1995, Section B, pp. 1-2.
Hampton, Russell, The Far Side of Despair: A Personal Account of Depression, Chicago, Nelson-Hall, 1975. (Out of print, but available in libraries.)
Jamison, Kay Redfield, An Unquiet Mind, New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1995. The classic memoir about manic-depressive illness.
Kaysen, Susanna, Girl, Interrupted, New York, Random House, 1993. A compelling account of the author's two-year stay at McLean Hospital, at a time when psychiatric hospitals still provided long-term care.
Manning, Martha, Undercurrents: A Therapist's Reckoning With Her Own Depression, San Francisco, HarperSanFrancisco, 1994. A moving story that describes the author's recovery from major depression through ECT.
Platt, Sylvia, The Bell Jar, New York, Harper and Row, 1971.
Reeve, Christopher, Still Me, New York, Random House, 1998. An inspirational account of one man's courageous battle to heal. The lessons can apply to healing from depression.
Smith, Jeffery, Where the Roots Reach for Water: A Personal and Natural History of Melancholia, New York, North Point Press, 1999. A literary and psychological account of depression.
Andrew Solomon, “Anatomy of Melancholy,” New Yorker, January 12, 1998, Volume 73, Number 42, pg. 46 (14). An excellent melding of memoir and informational reporting.
Styron, William, Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness, New York, Vintage Books, 1990. During my depressive episode, this book was my bible. Here was someone who truly understood what my hell was like, and described it in exquisite detail.
Thompson, Tracy, The Beast: A Reckoning with Depression, GP Putnam and Sons, New York, 1995. A Washington Post reporter vividly portrays her experience with depression and the road to healing.
Thorne, Julia, You Are Not Alone: Words of Experience and Hope for the Journey Through Depression, New York, HarperPerennial, 1993. The author, who suffered from depression, has compiled short first-person accounts by fellow sufferers.
Wurtzel, Elizabeth, Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. A funny, witty, and poignant tale.
Books and Articles on the Treatment of Depression and Other Mood Disorders
Baumel, Syd, Dealing With Depression Naturally, Keats Publishing, Los Angeles, 2000. The best guide to alternatives to conventional antidepresssants.
Beck, Aaron, Cognitive Therapy of Depression, Guilford Press, New York, 1979.
Berger, Diane and Lisa Berger, We Heard the Angels of Madness: A Family Guide to Coping With Manic Depression, New York, William Morrow, 1992.
Bloch, Douglas, Words That Heal the Blues, Berkeley, Celestial Arts, 2002. Affirmations for healing from depression arranged in a 30 day program.
Bloomfield, Harold and Peter McWilliams, How to Heal Depression, Prelude Press, Los Angeles, 1994.
Bourne, Edmund J., The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, Oakland, New Harbinger Publications, 1995. An excellent resource for coping with panic and anxiety.
Callahan, Rachel and Rea McDonnell, God Is Close to the Brokenhearted: Good News for Those Who Are Depressed, Cincinnati, Ohio, St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1996.
Cobain, Bev, When Nothing Matters Anymore: A Survival Guide for Depressed Teens, Minneapolis, Free Spirit Press, 1998. Bev Cobain, the cousin of rock star Kurt Cobain, who took his own life in 1994, has created a much-needed resource for young people with depression.
Conroy, David L., Out of the Nightmare: Recovering from Depression and Suicidal Pain, New Liberty Press, New York, 1991. Promotes the theory that suicide occurs when pain exceeds one's coping resources.
Copeland, Mary Ellen, The Depression Workbook: A Guide to Living with Depression and Manic Depression, Oakland, New Harbinger Publications, 1992. A superb resource.
Cousens, Gabriel, Depression: Free For Life, William Morrow and Co., 2000. A comprehensive overview of holistic treatments.
DesMaisons, Kathleen, Potatoes Not Prozac, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1998. Controlling depression through diet.
Elkins, Rita, Depression and Natural Medicine: A Nutritional Approach to Depression and Mood Swings, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Woodland Publishing, 1995.
Engler, Jack and Daniel Goleman, A Consumer's Guide to Psychotherapy, New York, Simon & Schuster, 1992. A truly comprehensive manual.
Fassler, David and Lynne S. Dumas, Help Me, I'm Sad: Recognizing, Treating and Preventing Childhood and Adolescent Depression, New York, Viking, 1997. A comprehensive and compassionate work for children and their parents.
Garbarino, James, Lost Boys: Why Our Sons Turn Violent and How We Can Save Them, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1999.
Garland, Jane. E., Depression is the Pits, But I'm Getting Better: A Guide for Adolescents, Washington, DC, Magination Press, 1997. An easy-to-understand guide to teenage depression.
Gilbert, Binford W., The Pastoral Care of Depression, Haworth Press, Binghampton, NY, 1998.
Glenmullen, Joseph, Prozac Backlash, New York, Simon and Schuster, 2000. A powerful book which documents the downside of prescription antidepressants.
Daniel Goleman, “The Rising Cost of Modernity: Depression,” The New York Times, December 8, 1992, p. B5.
Gorman, Jack M., The Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs, New York, St. Martin's Griffin, 1997.
Hirschfield, Robert, When the Blues Won't Go Away: New Approaches to Dysthymic Disorder and Other Forms of Low-Grade Chronic Depression, New York, Macmillan, 1991.
Kindlan, Dan and Michael Thompson, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys, New York, Ballantine Books, 1999.
Kleiman, Karen R., and Valerie D. Raskin, This Isn't What I Expected: Recognizing and Recovering from Depression and Anxiety after Childbirth, New York, Bantam, 1994.
Klerman, Gerald and Myrna Weissman, Interpersonal Psychotherapy of Depression, Northvale, NJ, Aronson Press, 1994.
Hara Estroff Marano, “Depression: Beyond Serotonin,” Psychology Today, March-April 1999, Volume 32, #2, p. 30.
Brian Meehan, “Shedding Light, Hope on Dark Side of Teen Years,” The Oregonian, May 17, 1999, pg. A-1.
Rick Moody, “Why I Pray,” Esquire, October 1997, Volume 128, #4, pg. 92 (5). A moving account of one person's healing from depression through the power of prayer.
Murray, Michael, Natural Alternatives to Prozac. New York, William Morrow and Company, 1996. A comprehensive and well-researched account of the most common natural remedies for depression.
Nelson, John, and Andrea Nelson, editors, Sacred Sorrows: Embracing and Transforming Depression, Tarcher/Putnam, New York, 1996. A fine compilation.
Norden, Michael J., Beyond Prozac: Brain-Toxic Lifestyles, Natural Antidotes and New Generation Antidepressants, New York, ReganBooks (HarperCollins), 1995.
O., Jack, Dealing with Depression in 12-Step Recovery, Seattle, Glen Abbey Books, 1990.
O'Connor, Richard, Undoing Depression, Little, Brown and Co., Boston, 1997.
Owen, Patricia, I Can See Tomorrow: A Guide to Living with Depression, Hazelden, Center City, MN, 1995.
Papolos, Demitri and Janice Papolos, Overcoming Depression, New York, HarperPerennial, 1992.
Rosen, Laura Epstein and Xavier Francisco Amador, When Someone You Love Is Depressed: How to Help Your Loved One without Losing Yourself, New York, The Free Press (Simon and Schuster), 1996. A well-researched and helpful book on how to support a friend or loved one who is depressed.
Quinn, Brian P., The Depression Sourcebook, Chicago, Contemporary Books, 1997.
Quinnett, Paul, Suicide: The Forever Decision, Crossroad, New York, 1997. A helpful treatise on suicide prevention.
Real, Terrance, I Don't Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression, New York, Scribner, 1997. An exceptional book that explores the world of men's depression.
Rosenthal, Norman, Winter Blues, Guilford Publications, New York, 1998. The classic book on seasonal affective disorder.
Schrof, Joannie M. and Stacey Schultz, “Melancholy Nation: Depression is on the rise, despite Prozac. But new drugs could offer help,” U.S. News and World Report, March 8, 1999, Volume 126, #9.
Seligman, Martin, Helplessness: On Depression, Development and Death, San Francisco, W.H. Freeman and Company, 1995. Learned Optimism, New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.
Sheffield, Anne, How You Can Survive When They're Depressed, New York, Harmony, 1998. An excellent guide for learning how to cope with a loved one's depression.
Slagle, Patricia, M.D., The Way Up from Down: A Safe New Program that Relieves Low Moods and Depression with Amino Acids and Vitamin Supplements, New York, St. Martin's Press, 1987.
Smyth, Angela, Seasonal Affective Disorder, San Francisco, Thorsons, 1992.
Solomon, Andrew, The Noonday Demon, New York, Scribner, 2001. A monumental work that covers all apects of depression.
U.S. Public Health Service, The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Suicide, Washington, DC, 1999.
Valenstein, Elliot S., Blaming the Brain: The Truth About Drugs and Mental Health, New York, Free Press, 1998.
Harriet Washington, “Infection Connection,” Psychology Today, July/August 1999, pg. 43 (5).
Whybrow, Peter, A Mood Apart, New York, Basic Books, 1997. A profound and eloquent introduction to the science of mood.
Wolfe, Sidney M., Larry D. Sasich, Rose-Ellen Hope and Public Citizens’ Health Research Group, Worst Pills, Best Pills: A Consumer's Guide to Avoiding Drug-induced Death or Illness, New York, Pocket Books, 1999.
Yapko, Michael D., Breaking the Patterns of Depression, New York, Doubleday, 1997.
Zuess, Jonathan, The Wisdom of Depression, Harmony Books, New York, 1998.
General Health—Physical and Psychological
Davis, Martha, R. Eschelman and Matthew McKay, The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, Oakland, CA, New Harbinger Publications (fourth edition), 1995. The classic book on stress management.
Dossey, Larry, Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine, San Francisco, HarperSanFrancisco, 1993.
Dreher, Henry, The Immune Power Personality, New York, E.P. Dutton, 1995.
Dufty, William, Sugar Blues, New York, Warner Books, 1986.
Frankl, Victor E., Man's Search for Meaning, New York, Simon & Schuster, 1984. A philosophy of meaning developed in the concentration camps. One of the most important books of the 20th century.
Hauri, Peter, No More Sleepless Nights, New York, John Wiley, 1990.
Hutschnecker, Arnold, The Will to Live, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1986.
Kabit-Zinn, Jon, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness, New York, Dell Publishing, 1990.
Kaplan, Harold I., Benjamin J. Saddock and Jack A. Grebb, Kaplan and Saddock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, seventh edition, Baltimore, Williams and Wilkens, 1994.
Ornish, Dean, Love and Survival: The Scientific Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy, New York, HarperCollins, 1987.
Peck, M. Scott, The Road Less Traveled, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1979. This popular treatise on psychology and spirituality is my all-time personal favorite.
Pert, Candace, Molecules of Emotion, New York, Scribner, 1997
Siebert, Al, The Survivor Personality, Portland, OR, Practical Psychology Press, 1993.
Siegel, Bernie, Love, Medicine, and Miracles: Lessons Learned About Self-Healing From a Surgeon's Experience with Exceptional Patients, New York, Harper & Row, 1986.
Stearns, Ann Kaiser, Living Through Personal Crisis, Chicago, The Thomas More Press, 1984.
Viorst, Judith, Necessary Losses, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1986.
Weil, Andrew, Spontaneous Healing: How to Discover and Enhance Your Body's Natural Ability to Maintain and Heal Itself, New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1995.
Zi., Nancy, The Art of Breathing, ViVi Company, 1997.
Spiritual Inspiration
This is by no means a complete listing of the many inspiring books that are in print. They have, however, been of particular comfort to me over the years, and especially so during my dark night of the soul.
Bach, Marcus, The Power of Serendipity: The Art of Finding Valuable or Agreeable Things not Sought For, Marina del Rey, CA, Devorss Publications, 1970.
Eadie, Betty, Embraced by the Light, Carson City, NV, Gold Leaf Press, 1994. A stirring account of a near-death experience.
Fahy, Mary, The Tree that Survived the Winter, Mahwah, NJ, Paulist Press, 1989.
Fox, Emmet, The Sermon on the Mount, San Francisco, HarperSanFrancisco, 1992.
———.Power through Constructive Thinking, Cutchogue, NY, Buccaneer Books, 1994.
Freeman, James Dillet, The Story of Unity. Unity Village, MO, Unity Books, 1991.
Kuhlman, Katherine, I Believe in Miracles, Bridge-Logos Publishers, North Brunswick, NJ, 1992.
Paulus, Trina, Hope for the Flowers, Mahwah, NJ, Paulist Press, 1972. An allegory about the meaning of life, told by a caterpillar.
Saint-Exupery, Antoine de, The Little Prince, New York, Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1971.
Taize Monks, Songs and Prayers from Taize, Chicago, GIA Publications, 1991.
Wilber, Ken, Grace and Grit: Spirituality and Healing in the Life and Death of Treya Killam Wilber, Boston, Shambhala Publications, 1991. A masterful and moving account of a courageous woman's battle with cancer.
Books on Social and Ecological Change
We cannot separate our mental health from the health of the socio-physical environments in which we live. Self-transformation and societal transformation go hand in hand. The following books point the way toward a sustainable and just future for ourselves and our children.
Brown, Lester R., State of the World. A yearly Worldwatch Institute report on progress toward a sustainable society, New York, WW Norton & Co.
Callenbach, Ernest, Ecotopia, New York, Bantam, 1973.
Capra, Fritjof, The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems, New York, Doubleday, 1996.
Eisler, Riane, The Chalice and the Blade, Cambridge, MA, Harper & Row, 1987.
Fox, Matthew, The Reinvention of Work: A New Vision of Livelihood for Our Time, San Francisco, HarperSanFrancisco, 1994.
Gore, Al, Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit, Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1994.
Greider, William, Who Will Tell the People: The Betrayal of American Democracy, New York, Simon & Schuster, 1992.
Hartmann, Thom, The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, New York, Harmony Books, 1999. A call to planetary transformation.
Hawken, Paul, The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability, New York, HarperCollins, 1993. Required reading. The first book to design a comprehensive system that makes conservation profitable, productive and possible.
Huxley, Aldous, Brave New World & Brave New World Revisited, New York: HarperPerennial Library, 1965. Huxley's brilliant satire about a socially engineered pseudo-utopia is more relevant today than ever.
Korten, David, The Post-Corporate World: Life After Capitalism, Hartford, CT, Kumarian Press, 1996. Provides specific alternatives to the present economic system.
Mander, Jerry, In the Absence of the Sacred: The Failure of Technology and the Survival of the Indian Nations, San Francisco, Sierra Club Books, 1991. Mander speaks passionately about the plight of indigenous cultures, whose wisdom we need to create a sustainable future for our planet.
New Dimensions Foundation, Deep Ecology for the 21st Century, San Francisco, 1999. Thirteen hours of interviews, with Dr. David Suzuki, Fritjof Capra, Paul Ehrlich, Arne Naess, George Sessions, Paul Shepherd, Gary Snyder, Ted Roszak, Edward Abbey, Cecelia Lanman, Tim Hermach, John Seed, Julia “Butterfly” Hill, Dave Foreman. To order, call (800) 935-8273.
Peck, M. Scott, The Different Drum: Community-Making and Peace, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1987.
Robbins, John, Diet For a New America, Tiburon, CA, H.J. Kramer, 1998.
Schaef, Anne Wilson, When Society Becomes an Addict, San Francisco, Harper & Row, 1987.
Schor, Juliet B., The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure, New York, Basic Books, 1991. Schor advocates a scaling back of consumerism so that people can escape the cycle of “work and spend” and reclaim their leisure.
Schumacher, E.F., Small Is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered, New York, Harper and Row, 1973.
Suzuki, David, The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature, Amherst, NY, Prometheus Books, 1998. A comprehensive and highly readable book from a leading environmental writer.