Breaking the Patterns of Depression

Rating:
Summary: THE Depression Resource (that is changing my life)
Review:
[Please read the whole review before buying the book.] While in the process of jumping through healthcare hoops to get into a therapy program, I asked my psychiatrist if there were any books or workbooks that I could start on my own. He said he knew of none, that what I really needed was therapy. Well, I'm still waiting to get into a program, but this book has been amazing! I will go into therapy prepared. I know what my problems are, and I know what I need to do to improve the way I think and feel. I am doing much of it on my own, with the help of dozens of exercises in this book.

This resource is so educational and EMPOWERING. It describes all sorts of distortions in thinking and feeling. The exercises help you make connections between how you think and why you are depressed. What I love about Dr. Yapko is that he is never condescending, and he never accuses the depressed person of causing their own problems. He does claim that depression is learned, but never blames or intimidates. Rather, he shows that there is hope in learning new patterns.

I have been in therapy before, and it involved rehashing feelings and experiences from my past. Dr. Yapko shows that what is more important to focus on is our process of thinking and handling events. Rehashing old experiences can just feed our depressive patterns. This explains why my last round of therapy didn't help me cope with my present problems!

This book has filled me with hope. There is a lot of information to learn, and many new patterns to develop. But all of that gives me hope for a better future. One of the exercises in particular has really opened my eyes to why I am currently in a depression. Knowing our vulnerabilities can explain when we fall into a depression, and can also help us prevent future episodes! I can't say it enough - buy this book for yourself or for someone you love.

FINAL NOTE: Medicine often has value and can help a person achieve a level of stability so that they can tackle the exercises and changes in this book. A severely depressed person should seek professional help and find a medication before starting this book. It could be very overwhelming for someone who is in complete despair.

Rating:
Summary: Don't buy it for the exercises
Review: A mind-opening look into the vicious thought patterns depressed people suffer from, this book has been more helpful to me than years of therapy *and* a degree in psychology. (Although I'm not giving up the meds just yet). I'm amazed by how clearly Yapko explains the cognitive distortions we have. The case histories he describes are priceless.

On the "negative" side, Yapko can be just a bit condescending at times; it's clear he thinks his way is the only way. And although he mentions other theories of depression, he favors the "nurture" theory of ineffective learned thought patterns, claiming that only a small percentage of depression is biochemical in nature. (Maybe next lifetime he'll be a woman and get to experience menopause. ;)

Yapko also has an unfortunate habit of calling depressed people "depressives," which is the kind of labeling we could do without.

The most serious criticism I have is that his "Learn by Doing" exercises are sometimes impractical, if not downright silly. For example, to learn about perceived control, Yapko writes, "spend a few days asking [a partner] for permission to do everything, such as 'Can I go to the bathroom?'". (Can you imagine how much your spouse would enjoy that after the third day?) Other exercises tell you to "interview at least a dozen people" or "sometime when you feel playful, experiment with trying to motivate people to do impossible things" like flying. What depressed person feels playful? Many of these exercises would be highly embarrassing, and certainly not within the realm of a depressed person's capabilities--especially those of us who are "older" and have physical disabilities. However, I do plan to complete the written exercises.

Having outlined these minor drawbacks, I have to say it's an excellent book--after all these years, I finally have hope about rising from the ashes of depression.

Rating:
Summary: The best self help book for depression
Review: As a therapist who sees lots of people with depression I am often asked for useful reading material to add to the therapy. Most depression self help books are of the "if you put your mind to it you can achieve anything" variety. Breaking the Patterns of Depression is the book that I most often recommend because it explains the modern understanding of depression, amplifies by giving realistic examples and gives specific instruction in practical skills that teach people how to learn new ways of thinking to not only treat depression but to prevent recurrence. I often tell people who are in a relationship to, if possible, have their partner read the book aloud to them for 20-30 minutes each day. This way of using the book has multiple benefits for both partners.

Rating:
Summary: The best self help book for depression
Review: As a therapist who sees lots of people with depression I am often asked for useful reading material to add to the therapy. Most depression self help books are of the "if you put your mind to it you can achieve anything" variety. Breaking the Patterns of Depression is the book that I most often recommend because it explains the modern understanding of depression, amplifies by giving realistic examples and gives specific instruction in practical skills that teach people how to learn new ways of thinking to not only treat depression but to prevent recurrence. I often tell people who are in a relationship to, if possible, have their partner read the book aloud to them for 20-30 minutes each day. This way of using the book has multiple benefits for both partners.

Rating:
Summary: Don't be depressed again. Buy Breaking the Patterns
Review: Breaking the Patterns of Depression offers depressed people a way out of their depression by offering numerous suggestions from an international expert. I routinely give this book to my clients as an adjunct to therapy. Anyone who is depressed should have this book. And the cheap price in paperback does not do justice to this comprehensive guide for depressed people.

Rating:
Summary: The Brilliance of Breaking the Patterns of Depression
Review: Dr. Yapko displays his brilliance in this marvelous book. He goes against the general perceptions and practices of phycologists everywhere. If you will follow through with the practices in this wonderful book and remember that any of your doubts are caused by depression, I'd say you have over a 95% chance of a 100% recovery of depression. Final thought READ IT!

Rating:
Summary: Helpful and right to the point!
Review: Dr. Yapko has an excellent approach to the subject. Instead of medication, he thinks that depression is more of a behavioral habit than the result of chemical imbalances. The book explains in detail depression episodes and analyzes its root problems, then offers specific help to break that vicious pattern of depression. A good read for anyone suffering from depression, and it's also good for prevention. Another book that goes hand in hand with this one and I found extremely effective and helpful is Dietmar Scherf's "I Love Me: Avoiding and Overcoming Depression."

Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ for anyone with depression
Review: For about eight years now, I have suffered tremendously with depression. I've been on Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, and Effexor. There have been several suicide attempt as well. I was a complete wreck.

Thanks to this book, I can finally use the term WAS to describe my depression. The skills learned were so foreign to me, that at first, it seemed strange to attempt to do the exercises suggested in the book, but after about a week, I started noticing serious results. I've been using the techniques described in this book for almost two months now, and I've never felt better.

This book is NOT a mushy, feel good about yourself book, nor is it a book that will get to rehash old resentments, but rather one that helps you to see the world in a realistic way, and take control of those things that now have control over you and shouldn't. God has given all of us so much, including the right to determine how we want to live, and there is no reason to allow depression, or anything else to take that from us.

Order the book as soon as you can, and join those of us who can thank Dr. Yapko for helping us regain happiness in our lives.

Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ for anyone with depression
Review: For about eight years now, I have suffered tremendously with depression. I've been on Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, and Effexor. There have been several suicide attempt as well. I was a complete wreck.

Thanks to this book, I can finally use the term WAS to describe my depression. The skills learned were so foreign to me, that at first, it seemed strange to attempt to do the exercises suggested in the book, but after about a week, I started noticing serious results. I've been using the techniques described in this book for almost two months now, and I've never felt better.

This book is NOT a mushy, feel good about yourself book, nor is it a book that will get to rehash old resentments, but rather one that helps you to see the world in a realistic way, and take control of those things that now have control over you and shouldn't. God has given all of us so much, including the right to determine how we want to live, and there is no reason to allow depression, or anything else to take that from us.

Order the book as soon as you can, and join those of us who can thank Dr. Yapko for helping us regain happiness in our lives.

Rating:
Summary: Superb in every way.
Review: Having been someone who has had little success with therapy, suppliments and medication, I found this book very enlightening. I can't even begin to estimate how many times I said "yep, that's me" while reading this book. If you are serious about beating depression, this book is a must-read. It will help you help yourself.