Book Review: It ’ s Not Always Depression

Depression is thought to be one of the most common psychological ailments. When clinical social worker Hilary Jacobs Hendel wrote an op-ed in the New York Times titled, “It’s Not Always Depression,” it was the most emailed article for 48 hours, and stayed in the top ten shared articles for more than a week. Clearly, Hendel had struck a chord. In her new book, It’s Not Always Depression: Working the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core Emotions, and Connect to Your Authentic Self, Hendel presents what we commonly label depression as a loss of the authentic self; a loss that not only keeps us from knowing what we really want out of life, but from knowing how to get it. Healing is not something that happens only when we seek treatment, writes Hendel. Rather, it is an innate human drive to fully actualize, experience, and develop our potential. In short, we are wired to heal. This drive, called transformance, is described by creator of Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) Diana Fosha as “a fundamental need for transformation.” “We are wired for growth and healing. And we are wired for self-righting, and resuming impeded growth. We have a need for expansion and liberation of the self, the letting down of defensive barriers, and the dismantling of the false self. We are shaped by a deep desire to be known, seen, recognized, as we strive to come into contact with parts of ourselves that are frozen,” Fosha says. A pivotal piece of und...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Book Reviews Depression General Happiness Psychodynamic Psychology Self-Help books about depression depression books emotional suffering Source Type: news