At the best of times many of us suffer with the symptoms and effects of severe to mild depression. In our new COVID-19 pandemic paradigm more and more men are wrestling depressive symptoms as they grapple with uncertainty, boredom, and trying to figure out how to pivot their lives. At The Men’s List we want to help – here are our Top 5 books for guys with depression. But, we know, that everyone will benefit from the knowledge, expertise and insights these authors reveal.
1. The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Revers the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time by Alex Korb PhD. 2015
Regardless of whether you suffer from depression or just want a much better grasp of how the brain works, this book offers an engaging and informative look at the neuroscience behind our emotions, thoughts, and actions. The author believes that there isn’t one big solution to depression, rather there are multiple, simple steps you can take to alter brain activity and chemistry.
2. The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness by J. Mark G. Williams, John D. TEasdale, Zindel V. Segal, Jon Kabat-Zinn 2007
In The Mindful Way through Depression, four of the world’s most qualified mindfulness experts explain why our go to strategy to “think” our way out of a bad mood or just “snap out of it” leads us deeper into the quagmire of depression. Through smart and pragmatic lessons drawn from both Eastern meditative traditions and cognitive therapy, they show the reader how to bypass our mind’s habits that lead to despair, including rumination and self-blame, so you can face life’s challenges with greater resilience.
3. The No Bullshit Guide to Depression by Steven Skoczen 2016
Humorous, intelligent, and nakedly honest, The No-Bullshit Guide to Depression drops the mic on the stigma of and talks through every aspect of living with it, and despite it, building a life you love.
4. This is Depression: A Comprehensive, Compassionate Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Understand Depression by Diane McIntosh 2019
Written to be accessible with empathy and wit, Dr. Diane McIntosh presents an evidence-based approach to Depression as she lays out the causes, impact, and treatment of depression – doing all of this while simultaneously providing hope and encouragement to the reader that Depression can be overcome.
5. Lost Connections: Why You’re Depressed and How to Find Hope by Johann Hari 2018
The New York Times bestseller from the author of Chasing the Scream, offering an insightful, if not radical POV about depression and anxiety.