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Self-Help

Self-Starting When Depressed

by John Folk-Williams

Michelangelo fresco detail

How can you activate yourself to get anything done when you’re depressed? Several readers have asked about this basic need to keep functioning when your mood, mind and body do not want to cooperate. I’ve written before about working when depressed, but it’s not only about work. It’s about self-starting when depressed so that you […]

Filed Under: Self-Help Tagged With: action, hope, symptoms, treatment, work

Becoming an Active Partner in Depression Treatment

by John Folk-Williams

Most stories about getting life back from depression describe how each person had to become an active partner in treatment in order to recover. I know it’s not easy to think about being active when you’re deeply depressed, but there’s a lot of support for the idea. Dozens of research studies indicate that if you can take a leading role, your chances of improving are better. There are at least three ways an active role can help you.

Filed Under: Healing, Self-Help Tagged With: partner

Coping with Stress in Depression

by John Folk-Williams

coping with stress

What’s the best way for coping with stress? Sometimes, when I’m starting to feel overwhelmed, it’s easy to forget everything I’ve ever learned and every skill I’ve ever mastered to stay sane. So then I have to retrace my steps and go back to first principles. It’s like being a musician who practices scales every […]

Filed Under: Self-Help Tagged With: cognitive behavioral therapy, coping, psychological abuse, Shelley E. Taylor, stress

Overcoming Resistance

by John Folk-Williams

Overcoming resistance

Writing is a way of reclaiming my mind from depression, but there is a darker side to it called resistance. I won’t call it writer’s block because the same thing stands in the way of any purposeful activity or major life commitment, including the process of recovering from depression. It usually begins only after I […]

Filed Under: Purpose, Self-Help Tagged With: fear, resistance, soul, success, writing

Beyond Depression to Guiding Values

by John Folk-Williams

speeding car in blue tunnel

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy reminds me of the tense time I spent learning how to drive a car. Venturing onto a two-lane highway, I fixed my mind on the big worry – how to get where I wanted to go without crashing into anything along the way. The most important thing was to stay in […]

Filed Under: Psychotherapy, Self-Help Tagged With: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, attention, commitment, feelings, values

Before ACT – Doing Depression Right

by John Folk-Williams

blue vertigo rows

When I started learning about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), the idea that I was doing depression rather than having it as an illness didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I could understand that avoiding painful situations could worsen depression and that I often acted in self-defeating ways. But weren’t those the effects […]

Filed Under: Self-Help Tagged With: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ACT, awareness, symptoms, work

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Depression Present Tense Now Available

Depression Present Tense: Moments of Crisis, Insight and Recovery from Chronic Illness

Man in maze by Dan Asaki for Depression Present Tense

Depression can be a life of moments, days, years, of a present that is tense, changing, recurring, empty, full, ugly and beautiful. This ebook is now available in most common ebook formats at major retailers.

LEARN MORE

Surviving Depression Together Now Available at Major Retailers

Surviving Depression Together


Surviving Depression Together

"John, this is a ... much needed resource. Thanks for writing it!"

- Therese Borchard, author of Beyond Blue


Learn More...

A Mind for Life Ebook Now Available at Major Retailers

A Mind for Life: From Depression to Living Well

A Mind for Life Ebook

The inner work of getting your life back from depression. This ebook is now available in most common ebook formats at major retailers.

LEARN MORE

Living Depressed

Depression affects emotions, mental abilities, self-concept, behavior, relationships and the entire body. These core posts describe the full range of symptoms affecting daily life. Read More.

Choices in Healing

Hoping for recovery gives you a motive but not a method for getting there. This section has posts about therapies and healing methods you can work with either on your own or with professional guidance. Read more.

Living Well

If you've learned how to manage your depression, you'll want a fulfilling life rather than one dominated by fear that the illness might return. In this section, you'll find posts about how to work toward that goal. Read More

Relationships in Crisis

One of the hardest challenges of living with depression is holding onto your closest relationships. This section features posts on how to help a relationship survive. Read More.

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DISCLAIMER: None of the content on this site should be interpreted as medical or therapeutic advice about the treatment of depression or any mental illness. If you feel you need help, you should seek treatment from qualified professionals.

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