Depression

Essential Reads Chosen by the editors

The Rainbow Bridge

By Gregory S. Berns on March 9, 2010 in plus2sd

I put my best friend to sleep last night. Newton was a pug. He wasn't the prettiest, and certainly not the friendliest of dogs. Most of his teeth had rotted away from a lifetime of mouth breathing. And in his last few months he was paralyzed from the waist down. Read More

The Rainbow Bridge
by Gregory S. Berns
Is There Really an Upside to Depression?
by Sonja Lyubomirsky
The Healing Power of Mindfulness Meditation
by Peter Strong, Ph.D.

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The Latest

It's not too late to save' normal'- DSM 5 goes too far in creating new mental disorders.

By Allen Frances, MD on March 10, 2010 in DSM5 in Distress

As chairman of the task force that created the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), which came out in 1994, I learned from painful experience how small changes in the definition of mental disorders can create huge, unintended consequences. Read More
The Rainbow Bridge

By Gregory S. Berns on March 9, 2010 in plus2sd

I put my best friend to sleep last night. Newton was a pug. He wasn't the prettiest, and certainly not the friendliest of dogs. Most of his teeth had rotted away from a lifetime of mouth breathing. And in his last few months he was paralyzed from the waist down. Read More
Is There Really an Upside to Depression?

By Sonja Lyubomirsky on March 8, 2010 in How of Happiness

In his recent piece for the New York Times Magazine, Jonah Lehrer describes Charles Darwin's debilitating depression, which involved "hysteri Read More
How Psychologists Can Help Correct DSM5

By Allen Frances, MD on March 6, 2010 in DSM5 in Distress

The options being considered for DSM5 have finally been posted. Unfortunately, only a two month period has been allotted for comments from the field. The first draft of DSM5 contains many suggestions that will cause serious unintended consequences for mental health practice, research, and forensics. Read More
The Healing Power of Mindfulness Meditation

By Peter Strong, Ph.D. on March 5, 2010 in The Mindfulness Approach

Learn to heal your inner pain through the power of mindfulness. This remarkably simple, yet profound form of awareness is something I recommend to everyone interested in personal transformation. Read More
Responding to Unconventional Behavior

By Thomas Scheff, Ph.D. on March 4, 2010 in Let's Connect

We often make automatic judgments of "symptomatic" behavior: delusions, far example, show that one is mentally ill. The theory of labeling/normalizing urges caution in making these judgments because of possible effects on social relationships and thereby on self. (Scheff 1999). There is a social-emotional component in interaction that can be managed independently of the content. Read More
The Alternative Remedy Frenzy

By Joe Wegmann, P.D., L.C.S.W. on March 4, 2010 in PharmaTherapy

Of the literally hundreds of herbals, supplements, vitamins and nutrients that are touted as being effective, four of them have emerged with various levels of documented efficacy in the treatment of mental health disorders. Read More
Depression's Upside, Down

By Eric Jaffe on March 4, 2010 in Headcase

Are we fooling ourselves to say depression has an upside? Read More
What’s an ordinary life problem?

By Elana Premack Sandler, L.C.S.W., M.P.H. on March 3, 2010 in Promoting Hope, Preventing Suicide

In the United States of Disorder, we must have a diagnosis to get insurance to pay for treatment. So, it literally pays to have a problem. But, what would be the appropriate response to an abusive boss who makes every day at work a waking nightmare? Read More
Dirt, Disease, and Depression: the hygiene hypothesis cleans up a diametric difficulty

By Christopher Badcock, Ph.D. on March 3, 2010 in The Imprinted Brain

The rise in major depression poses a paradox for the diametric model, but the hygiene hypothesis resolves it if it is indeed an immuno-regulatory disorder of the modern world. Read More
Dispelling Stigma: Revealing Your Bipolar Truth

By Russ Federman, PhD, ABPP on February 28, 2010 in Bipolar You

I lead a weekly support group for bipolar students through Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Virginia. Each week, discussion varies considerably usually reflecting the different struggles that students may have encountered during the preceding week. Read More
Earthquakes and Depression -- what's the connection?

By F. Diane Barth, LCSW on February 28, 2010 in Off the Couch

Natural disasters trigger both a desire to help and a sense of overwhelming hopelessness. This combination can lead to feelings of helplessness, inadequacy and inability to act -- classic symptoms of depression. Read More
Healing Depression with Mindfulness: Boulder Center for Mindfulness Psychotherapy

By Peter Strong, Ph.D. on February 24, 2010 in The Mindfulness Approach

Depression and anxiety thrive on habitual negative thinking and beliefs. Changing these patterns is not a matter of will power, but of developing an objective and mindful relationship with the core emotions that empower negative thoughts and beliefs. Mindfulness gives us the tools to cultivate this quality of this inner relationship, and this lays the ground for significant change and transformation. In short, mindfulness restores plasticity at the emotional and perceptual levels and this is central to the healing process.

Read More
Rumination: Problem Solving Gone Wrong

By Edward A. Selby, M.S. on February 24, 2010 in Overcoming Self-Sabotage

Imagine the following scenario: You're at work, the day seems to be going smoothly, and you're looking forward to a relaxing evening at home. Then, with 15 minutes left your boss approaches you and informs you that you really messed something up. Read More
Going for gold

By Elana Premack Sandler, L.C.S.W., M.P.H. on February 24, 2010 in Promoting Hope, Preventing Suicide

I was pretty much mesmerized as I watched the story of snowboarder Kevin Pearce, who suffered traumatic brain injury as the result of a snowboarding accident this past New Year's Eve. Pearce's family was interviewed by Tom Brokaw for a special segment aired earlier this week on NBC. Read More
America the Miserable?

By Christopher Lane, Ph.D. on February 24, 2010 in Side Effects

Is the country's reputation for upbeat cheer and optimism worsening the economic plight and psychological distress of many Americans? Read More
The Lighter Side of Depression

By Susan Biali, M.D. on February 23, 2010 in Prescriptions for Life

Though a deep depression may be the worst thing you experience in your life, it may just be the best thing that ever happened to you. Dr. Susan Biali explains why, from her personal perspective as a medical doctor who overcame crippling depression and chronic dysthymia. Read More
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

By Robert J. Hedaya, M.D., D.F.A.P.A. on February 23, 2010 in Health Matters

What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Read More
Whose Life is this Anyway?: When College Students Kill Themselves

By Carla Cantor on February 22, 2010 in Small Steps

Colleges are taking responsibility for distressed students to curb student suicides – and avoid litigation. Read More
One Attack Missing in the Assault on Tiger

By Susan Newman, Ph.D. on February 21, 2010 in Singletons

It's refreshing that focus on Tiger's only child status as a root cause of Tiger's actions has been absent. Read More

Depression Blogs

Bipolar You
The young adult's guide to bipolar depression.
By Russ Federman, Ph.D.
Charting the Depths
Reflections on the Science of Depression
By Jonathan Rottenberg, Ph.D.
Crazy for Life
Escapades of a bipolar princess.
By Victoria Maxwell
Living Around the Blues
When the people around you suffer.
By Anthea Rowan
The Social Side of Depression
Depression is about much more than "bad chemistry"--and it's contagious. How you can help stop the spread.
By Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D.

Depression Basics

Some 15 million Americans struggle with depression—an illness that comes in many forms—from major depression and seasonal affective disorder, to dysthymia and bipolar disorder.

Go to the Depression Basics page for more on Depression including:

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The Expectations Trap

Why we're conditioned to blame our partners for our unhappiness.