Teenage Depression Books

Q: I'm looking for any good books on the treatment of depression. I realize their are many that describe the symptoms and how to recognize them, yet I'm more interested in getting rid of this illness, not hearing more about it. So if anyone has any suggestions on good books, or just some positive feedback on how to overcome this illness - please let me know - my husband will thank you!

A:The list is exceeds 110 books, and it's growing all the time. Certainly, not all the books are entirely about mood disorders, but as with many people in this global self-help community, they are dealing with more than one issue too. It's taken well over a year to update this list for various reasons: Lately it's been about trying to figure out how to export all these books from my Claris FileMaker Pro database. Thanks to a little help from Claris, we've finally figured it out. (God, it was easy, once I understood how.) This list is only possible with your help, so scan your book shelves, browse through your local library or book store, bug your friends, and send in any books you don't find on this list, or make corrections and additions. (I don't have as complete information on as many books I'd like.) The only reason these books are on this list is because someone has submitted them. I don't have a list of 110 books to share with you. I've looked at many textbooks written primarily for doctors and I've read literature written by the manufacturers of antidepressant drugs. I've consulted the website pharminfo.net, among others. Sometimes the reports I read were conflicting, as in one writer referring to a drug as a "good" antidepressant and someone else, with equally impressive credentials, referring to the same drug as not very helpful. This resulted in quite a bit of confusion on my part. Who are you supposed to believe? How do you know this report isn't merely another marketing tactic on the part of the manufacturer to boost sales of this drug? The book I've come to trust is "The Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs" by Jack M. Gorman, MD, available in paperback (St. Martin's

is the publisher, copyright 1995). Dr. Gorman is a psychiatrist with considerable experience who is very honest about what drugs, in his experience with patients, work, and which ones don't. In addition, his book is written in language a layman can understand, and he explains the differences between the various types of depression, and how psychiatrists make the decision of what course of treatment to try first, and if that doesn't work, whether a change is indicated. He details what side-effects to expect, what to do about them, and how long it takes for particular drugs to start working. This is just a sampling of this very readable book. I highly recommend it.