Dr. Cantopher provides a comprehensive, accessible overview of depressive illness, which affects over 15.5 million people in the United States. Guiding the reader through the nature of depression, its history, symptoms, causes, and treatments, as well as myths about it along the way. Warm and supportive, this new edition, which also includes the latest on medications, stresses that sufferers should not blame themselves but can take hope from the fact that there is meaning in their illness and that getting better is a real option.

Generously supplied with illuminating anecdotes and insights, this book has specific advice about what to do if you are currently unwell, as well as valuable information for caregivers, medical professionals, or anyone interested in this destructive illness, which is set to become the second biggest health burden in the world after heart disease.