Book review: The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness

The Mindful Way Through Depression is an easy-to-use self-help program that uses clinically proven methods to help those suffering from, or dealing with, chronic unhappiness. Anne Aston reviews the book

My experience of self-help books on emotional health is that they all too often simply recycle existing ideas and material. 'The Mindful Way through Depression' on the other hand, is not only crammed with useful and practical ideas but also offers something new by encouraging readers to focus on what is called ‘mindfulness'.

The book explains that 'mindfulness means paying attention to things as they actually are in any given moment, rather than as we want them to be.'  So instead of mulling things over and over in your mind, the authors promote mindfulness as a far more effective and healthy way of approaching emotional obstacles.

The book also explores the psychology behind depression and sadness and provides tools and advice aimed at helping readers cope better with life's misfortunes. The CD of guided meditations lead by Kabat-Zinn included with the book is particularly useful.  Zinn has a gentle, quiet style and each meditation helps you focus on mindfulness and being open to an awareness of how things actually are in the present moment. For those who use guided meditations frequently the meditations on the disc may be a little short, but his encouragement and observations are particularly useful for beginners.

Without a doubt this book is invaluable not only for those who suffer from depression, but for anyone familiar with the downward spiral of negative thinking and self-doubt. As the book points out, everyone suffers from some form of depression at some point in their life, and this book goes a long way to help keep those blue days at bay.

The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing yourself from Chronic Unhappiness by Mark Williams, John D. Teasdale, Zindel V. Segal, Jon Kabat-Zinn, is available from The Guilford Press London, 2007 priced $19.95 (US) or £12.99 (UK).

What others say about the book:

‘Whether you struggle with depression or simply want to understand your mind and emotions better, you will find this book accessible and useful. Depression is epidemic in our society, and I would love to see this sensible treatment approach gain ground.'  Andrew Weil, MD

‘This book brings together the contemplative practices of both science and insight meditation in an effective fashion that is understandable to the ordinary person - no esoteric practice or mental health background is necessary. Read it and see for yourself - it should be mandatory reading. I recommend this book and companion CD most highly.'  Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, University Of Washington For Mental Health Professionals

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