When Going Through Hell... Don't Stop! : A Survivor's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety and Clinical Depression

by Bloch, Douglas

• ISBN13: 9780929671024
• ISBN10: 0929671023
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-09-01
• Publisher: Partners Pub Group

Summary

A dramatic personal narrative of the author's recovery from a life-threatening depressive illness, along with a daily survival plan for other survivors. Bloch's "brain maintenance" program is a holistic approach incorporating nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, medication, dietary supplements, and social support.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	i
Introduction	ix
Part One---The Journey to Hell and Back
The Descent into Hell	1	(18)
There Is No Room at The Inn	19	(8)
Treading Fire	27	(24)
Madness or Suicide, It's Yours to Decide	51	(14)
Bearing the Unbearable Pain	65	(6)
Overcoming the Stigma of Depression	71	(8)
The Problem with Prozac	79	(8)
God is My Antidepressant	87	(14)
Living in Recovery	101	(14)
After the Pain, the Joy	115	(16)
Epilogue: Footprints in the Sand	121	(2)
Chronology of Events	123	(6)
Part Two---Healing from Depression: A Guide for Patients, Caregivers, Families and Friends
Introduction	129	(2)
What Is Clinical Depression, and How Do I Know If I Have It?	131	(6)
The Many Faces of Depression	137	(14)
Major Depression	137	(1)
Dysthymia	138	(2)
Manic-Depressive Illness	140	(3)
Cyclothymia	143	(1)
Postpartum Depression	144	(1)
Seasonal Affective Disorder	145	(2)
Situational Depression	147	(1)
Existential Depression	148	(1)
Mood Disorders Due to a Medical Condition	148	(1)
Medication-Induced Depression	149	(1)
Substance-Induced Mood Disorder	150	(1)
The Roots of Depression	151	(4)
Staying Free from Depression: Your Personal ``Brain Maintenance'' Program	155	(24)
Seeking Professional Help: A Guide to Options	179	(26)
Psychological Therapies	181	(2)
Antidepressant Therapy	183	(5)
Hospitalization: When Is It Appropriate?	188	(1)
Electroconvulsive Therapy: Beneficial or Barbaric?	189	(6)
Rapid Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Magnetic Healing of the Brain	195	(1)
Natural Alternatives to Prozac (and other pharmaceuticals)	196	(9)
Additional Coping Strategies	205	(16)
Prayer	205	(2)
The 12 Steps of AA Applied to Recovery from Depression	207	(3)
Adjustments to Make During a Depressive Episode	210	(1)
Managing Anxiety that Often Accompanies Depression	211	(2)
How to Cope With Suicidal Thoughts and Feelings--in Yourself and Others	213	(8)
Where Has All the Insurance Gone? Financially Surviving a Depressive Episode	221	(4)
When Someone You Love Is Depressed	225	(6)
Living in an Age of Melancholy	231	(22)
The Social Causes of Depression	232	(7)
Depression and the Young	239	(11)
Depression and Suicide in the Elderly	250	(3)
Afterword	253	(2)
Appendix A: Promises of Deliverance	255	(4)
Appendix B: The Master Mind Process	259	(4)
Appendix C: Resources for Wellness	263	(22)
1) Healing On-line: Internet Sites for Depression and other Mood Disorders	263	(6)
2) Mental Health Advocacy and Consumer Organizations	269	(6)
3) Suicide Prevention Organizations	275	(2)
4) 12-Step/Recovery Groups	277	(2)
5) Associations of Mental Health Professionals	279	(2)
6) Telephone Prayer Ministries	281	(4)
Recommended Reading	285	(10)
Credits	295	(1)
About the Author	296	(1)
Tools for Transformation	297	(1)
And Still I Rise	298