Alex Korb - The Upward Spiral

Alex Korb, PhD, is a neuroscientist who has studied the brain for over fifteen years, starting with an undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Brown University. He received his PhD in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he wrote his dissertation and numerous scientific articles on depression. He is currently a postdoctoral neuroscience researcher at UCLA in the department of psychiatry. Outside of the lab, he is a scientific consultant for the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, and is head coach of the UCLA Womens Ultimate Frisbee team. He has a wealth of experience in yoga and mindfulness, physical fitness, and even stand-up comedy.

Foreword writer Daniel J. Siegel, MD, is executive director of the Mindsight Institute and associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. He is author of The Developing Mind, The Mindful Brain, and other books, and founding editor of the Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology.

Alex Korbs The Upward Spiral is a masterful account of the neuroscience behind depression, as well as of concrete steps that will lead to an upward spiral out of depression. Korb explains neuroscience in a clear and accessible way, and shows how various brain malfunctions lead to different symptoms of depression. Throughout the [book], Korb circles back to some of his own experiences, making his account all the more powerful and real. This book is a must-read for those who struggle with depression and want some guidance on how to understand and manage itas well as for therapists who want to learn more about the neuroscience of depression and its treatment.

Elyn Saks, Orrin B. Evans Professor of law, psychology, psychiatry, and the behavioral sciences at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, and author of The Center Cannot Hold

Alex Korbs The Upward Spiral is a clear and engaging explanation of the neuroscience behind depression. Korb sheds light on this mysterious and often misunderstood disorder, and, in the process, enlightens the reader about the basics of the brain and how it shapesand is shaped byour moods, motivations, decisions, and actions.

Anson Dorrance, head coach of the UNC-Chapel Hill Womens Soccer team and coauthor of The Vision of a Champion

The Upward Spiral presents an engaging, accessible, and informative synthesis of the current thinking on depression and its treatment. A cohesive neuroscience perspective is skillfully interwoven with a practical guide to strategies that can both attenuate pathological negative moods, as well as enhance emotional well-being across the clinical spectrum.

Helen S. Mayberg, professor of psychiatry in neurology and radiology, and Dorothy C. Fuqua Chair in psychiatric neuroimaging and therapeutics at Emory University School of Medicine

Publishers Note

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books

Copyright 2015 by Alex Korb

New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

5674 Shattuck Avenue

Oakland, CA 94609

www.newharbinger.com

Parts of this book first appeared, in different form, on the authors Psychology Today blog.

Cover design by Amy Shoup

Text design by Michele Waters-Kermes

Acquired by Angela Autry Gorden

Edited by Jennifer Eastman

All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file

For Mandy and all the girls she left behind