Climbing Out of Depression

Climbing Out of Depression

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Preface to the new edition

Introduction

Part 1 - Rock Climbing for Lemmings

Chapter 1 - Instant cures?

Chapter 2 - Why rock climbing?

Part 2 - How Did I Get Here?

Chapter 3 - Sitting on the rocks at the foot of the cliff

Chapter 4 - Finding the cave: ideas for the very bad days

Chapter 5 - What is depression?

Chapter 6 - What causes depression?

Chapter 7 - Being kind to ourselves

Part 3 - Is Climbing for Me?

Chapter 8 - Someone to talk to

Chapter 9 - The “good enough” principle

Chapter 10 - Strategies for living

Chapter 11 - What about professional therapy?

Chapter 12 - Preparing for the bad days

Chapter 13 - Clarifying our coping strategies

Part 4 - First Steps

Chapter 14 - How can I get started?

Chapter 15 - What preparations can I make?

Chapter 16 - Things we need to take

Chapter 17 - Life is difficult

Chapter 18 - Things to leave behind

Chapter 19 - Negative thinking

Part 5 - Hanging On

Chapter 20 - Getting to know ourselves

Chapter 21 - Emotions are okay

Chapter 22 - Overcoming fear, worry, and panic

Chapter 23 - Understanding our anger

Chapter 24 - Managing guilt

Chapter 25 - Understanding how we see ourselves: our self-esteem

Chapter 26 - Boosting our self-esteem

Chapter 27 - Understanding the “losses” in our lives

Chapter 28 - Understanding stresses

Chapter 29 - Fears

Part 6 - Falling Off

Chapter 30 - Falling off

Part 7 - Making Progress

Chapter 31 - Picking ourselves up and having another go

Chapter 32 - Using our dreams to help us

Chapter 33 - Loneliness

Chapter 34 - Reaching the overhang and facing the impossible

Chapter 35

Chapter 36 - Missing the foothold

Chapter 37 - Reaching the top

Chapter 38 - Now for the mountain!

Chapter 39 - On reflection

Resources

Further reading

JEREMY P. TARCHER / PENGUIN
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For those who held on to the lifeline
when the going was tough,
for those who sat with me at the bottom of the cliff
and held my hand,
and for those who showed me,
by their love,
that the climb was worthwhile

Preface to the new edition

It has been so thrilling to meet and talk to depressed people and their caregivers since Climbing Out of Depression was first published twelve years ago. People from all over the world have written to me, and I’ve made some good friends through those letters. I have asked some of these people to make suggestions as to how the book could be improved.

I’ve tried to incorporate a number of those suggestions into this new edition, but some information is better found elsewhere. For example, I didn’t think I should focus on medication. Such information gets out of date, and it is best to talk to a doctor or look at the Depression Alliance website.

What has changed?

I have seen such dramatic change in some depressed people (including myself), and that is something for all of us to hold on to.

We can and do change!

Some people I have met resist that change with great energy and vigor. Others have steadily improved to the point where they can completely turn their lives around.

Some go back to work.

Some make much better relationships.

Some start up a new self-help group for other depressed people.

Some say how much they enjoy being fit enough to laugh and play with their children or go out with their friends.

What’s new in this edition?

In this second edition of the book, I have made some changes to the text, either where I felt it important to add to my new understanding of depression or where I have changed my mind!

Now that I run workshops (as a sufferer, not a trained professional) with depressed people, caregivers, and counselors, I’ve learned much from brave and struggling people, and from those who care for them. Thank you so much to those people who have helped me make this new edition clearer and more up-to-date.

I’ve added much more about coping strategies to manage our depression better. This was one of the most requested topics at sessions I’ve run for self-help groups, and I have started working on these strategies also with groups of counselors.