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ISBN: Print 978-1-64739-100-3 | eBook 978-1-64739-034-1
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To Simone and Katya, who have been my greatest supporters and encouraged me to finish this book during the challenges we all faced during the COVID-19 crisis. And to Oliver for his expansive love, support, and inspiration.
contents
If you have picked up this book, you are likely struggling with yourself and your life in some way. Maybe you find it hard to get out of bed in the morning, or to focus at work, or to find motivation to do much of anything. Maybe you have found yourself withdrawing from family and friends, despite how lonely you may feel. Maybe you are turning to food or alcohol or drugs to make the pain go away. Maybe you havent felt joy in a long time. You are looking for answers, relief, toolssomething to help you move beyond the shadow cast by depressions dark cloud.
First, know that you are not alone. The National Institute of Mental Health estimated that nearly 16.2 million people experienced a depressive episode in 2016thats nearly 1 in 7 people in the United States.
Second, know that it is an act of courage to just open this book and take this first step in getting help. I hope that using this book will be one of many actions you take to begin to move toward understanding and managing your depression with the empirically validated strategies and techniques laid out in this book. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression has helped innumerable people improve their moods and reengage with the things that matter to them, and I sincerely believe you can be one of those people.
I was very pleased when I was asked to write this book on cognitive behavioral therapy for depression, because I have spent much of my career practicing and researching CBT for depression, anxiety, and insomnia, and I am passionate about helping people find the tools they need to improve their own lives. Early in my career, I took a position at the Golden Bear Sleep and Mood Research Clinic at UC Berkeley as a member of a development team working on enhancing CBT treatment for depression. This allowed me to develop a deep understanding of CBT for depression, and the broad array of strategies and skills that can be learned and practiced to manage and improve depression symptoms. I have continued to specialize in CBT for depression as a partner at the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy.
My interest in how depression works and treatments that allow people to manage their symptoms is also personal. During a particularly difficult time in my life, I became aware that I was experiencing the pervasive negative thinking and difficulty mobilizing that I had learned so much about in my doctoral studies and clinical training. As a postdoctoral student in clinical psychology, there was something almost fascinating in recognizing that I was having the distorted negative thinking and feelings of hopelessness that characterize a major depressive episode. I knew about the treatments that were effective for depression and was able to get the support that I needed to move through the episode and back into my life. Despite how painful that period was, I have always been grateful to have had the personal experience of depression to inform my work with my patients, and as I write this book on CBT for depression.
CBT is a treatment that is proven to be effective at improving and managing depression. It has evolved to incorporate mindfulness and acceptance practices that support more effective and flexible ways for us to relate to our emotional lives. This book can be used as a self-help guide that will help you to understand depression and provide you with strategies that can help you improve your symptoms, or it can be used with a therapist. Depression is a unique experience for every person, and the examples I have offered wont cover every symptom or describe any one persons experience exactly. Some of the chapters and strategies will seem more relevant to your particular experience, and you should feel free to focus on those strategies more. If you find that it is difficult to integrate these strategies into your life, or you need extra help doing so, I encourage you to seek out the support of a therapist.
This book focuses on simple, actionable strategies and tools for helping you to feel better. I encourage you to begin now, and to allow yourself to be open and curious about what this book has to offer you. The challenges you are facing today are likely to look very different with time and effort. It is natural to get discouraged at times, and if you find that you lose momentum or are not doing the exercise and practices outlined in the book, remember that the goal is progress, not perfection. Just opening the book, reading a few paragraphs, or trying one of the strategies is a step toward feeling better. Reading and using the strategies outlined in this book may feel like work, but it is actually an investment in yourself and your ability to navigate the ups and downs that all of us encounter in our lives. Consider the time that you spend with this book to be a gift that you are giving yourself.
