When the Blues Won't Go Away: New Approaches to Dysthymic Disorder and Other Forms of Chronic Low-Grade Depression - Hardcover

Hirschfeld (National Institutes for Mental Health) states that "the blues" are a long-lasting, mild form of clinical depression called dysthymic disorder, or DD. He believes that cognitive therapy--changing one's thought and behavior patterns--is the treatment of choice. He discusses in great detail a self-help program based on self-examination and the keeping of lengthy journals. Chapters discussing the concerns of people close to DD sufferers, choosing a therapist, and common medications used are helpful, but not as thorough as the self-help sections. An appendix of outside sources of help and a bibliography of other self-help materials is given. Cognitive therapy is not new; David Burns has covered this ground well in his classic book Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy ( LJ 7/80), to which Hirschfeld refers often. Recommended for large general psychology collections.
- Barbara Keen, Spokane Community Coll., Wash.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.