Trying to manage anxiety and depression on your own can feel daunting and near impossible. Anxiety and depression books are an excellent tool to learn more about what you’re feeling and to teach you tools and techniques to combat it. Here are some of our favorite books to get you started.
Therapist Recommended Depression Books
Dealing with Depression Books:
Lost Connections: Why You’re Depressed and How to Find Hope by Johann Hari
Investigative journalist Johann Hari, who has personally battled depression most of his life, journeyed worldwide to interview the leading experts on how to solve depression and anxiety. This discovery journey offers evidence on different possible causes of these disorders and provides hope for the future.
What makes this book unique is that it addresses depression not just on a biochemical and treatment level, but goes on to discuss the social and political factors impacting mental health and how we can start working towards sustainable change.
Best Self-Help Books for Depression:
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David B. Burns
This classic self-help book addresses depression that arises from negative thoughts and how, in turn, these thoughts relate to negative behavior and feelings. Dr. Burns offers a clear understanding of where your depression likely stems from, and he provides simple yet powerful exercises to create the change for which you’re striving. This book helps shift you from being a victim of your thoughts to talking back and challenging them.
This best-seller follows a cognitive-behavioral therapy approach that helps you change negative thoughts, cope with guilt, identify triggers that may cause mood swings, and improve self-esteem.
Related Reading: How to Explain Depression and Anxiety to Someone Who Doesn’t Struggle With Them
Best Depression Workbook:
Self-esteem is not easy to boost with depression. After all, it is hard to feel confident when you’re struggling with guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness, and shame. But just like the chicken and the egg, what came first – depression or low self-esteem?
As you go through the comprehensive, goal-oriented program outlined in the workbook, you’ll navigate your inner critic and discover the courage to live with bravery and confidence. And with easily relatable examples, it’s easy to grasp the ideas in this book and apply the tools to your life.
Therapist Recommended Anxiety Books
Best Book for Anxiety:
The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks by Barry McDonagh
Traditional approaches to battling anxiety aren’t addressed in this book. Instead, Barry McDonagh advocates for facing your anxiety, panic, and fears head on. By acknowledging their presence in your life, you can work towards re-writing your response to it.
The benefit of this book is that it goes beyond the pages with its DARE app, allowing you to keep the techniques described in this book close by when you need them most.
While we like this book, we do have a caveat. The author clearly and strongly does not support the use of medication for treating anxiety and panic disorder. While we, too, prefer non-pharmaceutical approaches whenever possible, there are situations where medication is essential to treatment. The use of medication is ultimately up to you and your prescriber.
Best Anxiety Workbook:
Retrain Your Brain: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 Weeks by Seth Gillihan
If you aren’t yet ready to work with a psychologist or counselor for your anxiety or want some guidance to manage it at home, this workbook is for you. Based on cognitive-behavioral techniques, Seth Gillihan guides you through his 7-week program to begin taking an active role in reducing your anxiety.
Each “week” builds upon the next, so you aren’t overwhelmed by where to start or what’s ahead. One bit of friendly advice – don’t skip the journaling prompts. It’s how you’ll get the most out of this journey.
Related Reading: 6 Things to Know if You Have Anxiety and Depression
Best Anxiety Self-Help Book:
Be Calm: Proven Techniques to Stop Anxiety Now by Jill Weber
Sometimes it can feel like anxiety comes out of nowhere. But the reality is there is a connection between the anxiety you feel and your thoughts and emotions. Clinical psychologist Jill Weber reveals how you can use this connection to manage racing thoughts, worst-case scenario thinking, and a self-defeating mentality that can reinforce anxiety.
Using evidence from a combination of therapy modalities, she helps you work through your thoughts so that they no longer have the same power, even though you are aware of them. These practical strategies can help you begin to manage situations like social anxiety, insomnia, and panic attacks finding calm.
Going Beyond Self-Help Books
Anxiety and depression books are excellent ways to improve your understanding of mental health issues and how to manage them in your own life. And with depression and anxiety being the most common mental health issues today, there are many resources available to offer guidance during a difficult time.
However, depression and anxiety are serious issues, negatively impacting day to day functioning for many. Self-help strategies in anxiety and depression books are an excellent resource but should not be solely relied on for moderate to severe cases.
If you feel like you’re struggling with depression or anxiety, a therapist may be the help you’re searching for. Life Care Wellness has many qualified anxiety and depression counselors that can help support and guide you through. If you are in the Chicago area, give us a call at (630) 423-5935 to take the next steps towards getting the help you need
