Thursday, June 14, 2012

Book Review: Depression: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed

Depression: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed. By Lee H. Coleman, PhD, ABPP. New Harbinger Publications Inc. 2012. 166 pages.

Note: I was provided with a free copy of this book by New Harbinger Publications and asked to write a review on my blog if I felt comfortable doing so. The opinions in this post are my own.

Depression: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed is a well-written, engaging book that would not only be of help to the newly diagnosed, but to those who have long been diagnosed with depression.
While I am not newly diagnosed, I found it helpful to review what depression is and what treatments are available. I found good information in the sections on how people can help themselves and how they can ask for help from others.
Lee H. Coleman, PhD, ABPP, writes in a straightforward manner without a lot of jargon. It’s a book that would be accessible to most readers picking up the book to get help with their own depression and for family members and friends of depressed persons.
It is truly a guidebook, because it details the journey from experiencing the first symptoms of depression to lifestyle choices that help in the aftermath of a depressive episode.
Coleman stressed the importance of treatment for depression. In fact, it’s his main point: “If there’s just one message you take away from this book, it should be that depression can and should be treated” (p. 10).
He notes that most people who get treated for their depression get better and do so more quickly than people who don’t get treatment.
He advocates getting the treatment that works best for the depressed person as an individual, stating that less than half of depressed people get a proper diagnosis and treatment.
His rallying cry is to keep on seeking a treatment that works: “If you were diagnosed and treated properly but your depression still didn’t remit, don’t despair! Depression can be tenacious, and what works for one person might not work for another. You’ve got options, and there are different kinds of treatment you can pursue . . . (p. 11).
He doesn’t advocate any one treatment, but he speaks of his own experience in using different treatments with patients and also refers to scientific studies that have been done on the treatments.
Those he discusses include psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness-based treatments and medication.
The book also discusses what depressed people can do to help manage their symptoms while they are in the midst of treatment. I found this chapter to be particularly unique and helpful. The author makes it clear that “these strategies are ideas for symptom management, not symptom removal” (p. 71).
He provides ideas on how to manage low energy and fatigue, the loss of interest and social isolation, sad moods, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, guilt and problems with concentrating and making decisions.
This commonsense approach to symptom management would be helpful to the depressed person who is not yet seeing results in therapy and/or from medication.
He does an excellent job in describing what a new patient should expect from therapy. This would be particularly helpful for those who have never experienced therapy and for those who may have had a bad experience with therapy and still have some concerns about it.
Coleman underscores the seriousness of depression by devoting a chapter to managing suicidal thoughts, with a section for the depressed person and a section for the depressed person’s family and friends. He includes sections on decreasing the risk of suicide, increasing protective factors, and how to let others know help is needed.
He includes an amazing chapter on resources. It’s one of the most detailed resource lists that I’ve seen in such a book, and I plan to keep it handy for my own research and guidance.
The book includes the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for readers to take and show their physicians to have the number and pattern of symptoms checked.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book for the newly diagnosed. And I also recommend it to those who have been diagnosed but want to read more deeply about what treatments are available and things they can do for themselves to manage their symptoms and decrease the chances of a relapse or recurrence.

16 comments:

  1. Great review! This sounds like an excellent resource/ reference book!

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    1. I think it is. The source section is excellent. And I think the writing style adds to the book, too.

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  2. It sounds like a great book! I think I would have so appreciated this book when I was depressed because I didn't have a lot of information and was truly in despair when my first treatments didn't work. It may even be a book that would be good for me to read as a refresher on how to keep depression at bay. It isn't easy to do those things, those lifestyle changes and what not when your deep and down under but if push through & you do the stuff you don't feel like doing, eventually the depression lifts. That is always the great message, one that both this book and your blog has gotten out there which is that there is help and depression can be overcome. Thanks for the great review!

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    1. Thank you, Krystal. I would have liked to have had this book, too, when I was first diagnosed. Just to know that I would get better, and to get ideas on how I could manage the symptoms even before the treatment kicked in--that would have been a huge benefit.

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  3. Sounds like a useful book. Even those who suspect they have depression but haven't been diagnosed yet could get a lot from a book like this.

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    1. Lisa, I think it would be very useful. The author addresses those in treatment and those who haven't been diagnosed yet. He stresses the importance of having a medical check-up to make sure there are no physical illnesses causing the depression. And I loved how he described what a therapy session would be like.

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  4. Interesting. New Harbinger has put out some very helpful books. Your review is very well-written. I wonder what the ABPP initials stand for after the author's Ph.D. Thank you for your kind reply on my blog.

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    1. Thank you, Grace. I don't know what those initials stand for. I assume some type of certification?

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    2. I believe it's American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).
      Great, thorough, review, Tina. Sounds like a great book.

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    3. Thanks, Janet. And thank you for the info on ABPP. I should have looked it up.

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  5. Thanks for the helpful review, Tina. I think I will definitely get a copy of this. Though I can say that most of my depression has completely lifted at this time, it is something I've tangled with on and off for most of my life and I suspect it will rear its ugly head again (though I sure hope not!). I really like New Harbinger books. I already own more than one of them.

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    1. Sunny, they sent me a couple of others to review if I want to. They are nice books.

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  6. Tina, thank you for this truly insightful and well balanced review... which after reading I had to buy a copy! Got the Kindle version yesterday - and have already read chapter one, and am well into chapter 2 right now! I have learned (or have been reminded of) a number of things. Amazing how easy it is to forget when yet once again dealing with the darkness and brain fog.

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    1. Rebecca, I'm glad you're liking the book! I thought it was very helpful. And I was reminded of some things, too, that I had forgotten. Even just time going by made me forget some important things.

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  7. Tina,
    Very nice review. I like how you focused on the treatment of depression and the importance of it. That's something I didn't do.I neglected to mention the resources, too. There was so much in such a small book. amazing!

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    1. Meredith, You're right--so much in such a small book. I found it very helpful, and I was diagnosed years ago.

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