Customer Reviews

The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is fantastic and the practical exercises help to work through depression. It should not be rushed through, there is a lot of information that should be read slowly. The other alternative is to read through it once and then go back and actually do the exercises. Our lives are rush,rush, rush and we try to focus on so much and our thoughts whirl through our minds mostly out of control, this book challenges us to step out of this 'doing' mode and enter into a 'being' mode. Being a self proclaimer expert in rumination I am finding that there is more focus on what I am doing now (mindfulness) instead of rehashing the past and this has helped me with the depression I've had. We learn to recognize thoughts and feelings and how impermanent they are and how often they change.
The CD that comes with it is great, narrated by the soothing voice of Jon Kabat-Zinn it takes you through some of the basic exercises.
Living in the present moment is a better way to embrace life. Trying to live in the past is futile and worrying about a future event that may never happen creates so much anxiety. All we have is this present moment.
I highly recommend this book, it is helpful, informative, and can introduce some life changing techniques!

Best book on depression I have ever read. Extremely well written in simple understandable language. Have already recommended it to many suffering with depression, sadness, etc.

This book has four authors, all of them leading professors in Psychotherapy or Medicine. But they write with one seamless, user-friendly, Sanjay Gupta-style voice. The three experts who gave us "Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression" are back. But this time Jon Kabat-Zinn joins the team, with his experience as both a professor of Medicine and a meditation instructor. And the new book is entirely addressed to ordinary people seeking help with depression, or just hoping for a happier mental life.

I like the tone. It's informal and insightful, comparing various people's experience of mental suffering. There are patterns in how the judgments start, and how the struggle to "make things better" tend to make things worse. The patterns become entrenched habits, waiting to channel any experience down well-worn paths. The authors suggest an alternative response, which involves exploring more than fixing. It involves observing what we feel rather than trying to correct it. The authors apply the practice of mindfulness meditation to the problem of inner suffering, which is just what meditation was always meant to do. Much of the book and it's enclosed CD is simply a well presented guide to greater mindfulness and enjoyment of the present moment. It's one of the best introductions meditation I've seen, but it's tied to meeting ordinary human needs rather than presuming a spiritual motive. I'd advise the book for almost anyone.

Years ago, I suffered from a potentially fatal illness that kept me from working for almost a year. Jon Kabat-Zinn's 'Full Catastrophe Living' changed my life then, for the better. I've integrated some things into my lifestyle, but did not continue to practice mindfulness as I should have.

These days, I've been suffering from depression for a number of years, and for some reason did not know this book existed. In my nearing-desperate search for a way to improve my mindspace without drugs or a therapist I can't afford, I came across this book. It is showing me how to apply the skills I learned before in a way that is so clear, and applicable to my depression. It is a very well-written, easy-to-understand book that explains what should have been obvious without being patronizing. Not even halfway through it, I am beginning to see the patterns in my thinking, and am learning how to recognize it, and shut it down before I think myself into a new low.
If you or someone you love is depressed, and genuinely wants to work towards fixing it, I highly recommend this book - I believe it could be a key to lifelong recovery.

This book is only for those who do not want to live in the land of the hopeless. If you love feeling like you're at the end of your rope, that life is not worth living, and you enjoy the fatigue that comes with depression, then this book is not for you. This book is only for those who want to be released from the shackles of discouragement, from feelings of failure, and from the numbness and listlessness that results from having given up.

You should only read this if you've had enough of feeling lousy. Moreover, it comes with a CD to guide you through the practice sessions, until your new thinking becomes second-nature. If you don't want new thinking, complete with new-found contentment, then pass on this one.

You've been warned. This book is life-changing, peace-giving, and brings about a mind-change that is like a breath of fresh air every moment.

For more on Mindfulness Meditation, visit [...]

The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness

I have experienced major depression for some time and have tried a number of therapies, with varying degrees of success. What this book provides is a sensible, reasonable practice of mental hygiene to break habits that contribute to depression and develop habits that can offer some relief. The authors don't claim a magic cure and they don't dismiss other remedies but they sensibly point out some obvious ways in which those suffering from depression make things harder for ourselves. Their approach is the opposite is a "snap-out-of-it" insensitivity - they encourage the reader to to accept that depression is not a fault or failure but simply a reality, and paradoxically this provides some power to improve one's life. I found their approach very helpful and recommend it.

I wasn't sure what to expect when this book was recommended to me. But as I began to read it, I couldn't believe how much it began to change my negative ways of thinking. I have been dealing with depression for most of my life, and this book has shown me methods to change my way of thinking. I've learned from this book that we really must live in the present. I was never good at this....I always dwelled on the past or worried about the future. But this book clearly shows the reader that avoiding the present moment can be a major reason why you can feel depressed and unfulfilled. It also teaches you to be happy with yourself in the present, and to stop comparing yourself now to the way "you should be". If this sounds like you, do yourself a favor and GET THIS BOOK. I love it.

If you have gone, currently going or you want to learn to recognize and heal depression, this is a must. It requires only one thing from your part, do whatever the instructors are telling you to do, don't judge don't question. You will see the difference in less then two months.
This is the latest research in the area of depression!

didn't read the full book, however, I can tell it guides the reader thru a simple but sensible approach to slowly and seamlessly make the shift from "automatic pilot thinking" towards more mindful and "grounded" thinking - I personally noticed a change as compared to before the book, having said that, I did previously read another material from same author, the one addressing professionals -the one I'm reviewing here being for patients- it was a tremendous help for me to first understand the overall process from a scientific perspective. you may also check it out: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse.

I have always been a fan of Jon Kabat-Zinn. If this book was beneficial to you, I would suggest "The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Depression" by Kirk D Strosahl and Patricia J Robinson. This book has helped me more than any other.