Use your brain to beat depression - John Illman

This is the first title in an all-new series exploring how to cope with problems of the mind. New scientific discoveries have shown which parts of the brain react when we feel panicked, depressed, or overwhelmed emotionally. By harnessing this knowledge we can begin to understand how our brain generates feelings and what we can do to control these experiences. The causes of depression are often difficult to explain, but this practical book focuses on how the depressed mind works and what can be done to combat this debilitating condition. Providing a detailed analysis of available drugs as well as a set of cognitive therapy exercises to help alter the way the brain responds, this invaluable guide will enable sufferers to tackle the specific problems of depression.

John Illman is the former Health Editor of The Guardian and health correspondent for The Observer. He is a lecturer in medical journalism at the University of Westminster and has written two books, 'The Expert Patient' and 'The Body Machine'. Rita Carter is a medical and science writer specialising in neuropsychology and mental health. She writes regularly for The Times, Telegraph, New Scientist, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror and writes the health pages for SHE magazine. She has won numerous awards for her writing including two for outstanding contribution to medical journalism, and is the bestselling author of Mapping The Mind (Weidenfeld 1998).