Books to Share

The Depression Workbook-A Guide for Living with Depression and Manic Depression By Mary Ellen Copeland, M.S., M.A.


The workbook is lying in my lap and I feel its weight, and the pressure to write, to share my experiences. I have put this post off for a while because I just can't start. The beginning is supposed to jump off the page and grab its readers. This beginning seems like it just wants to creep in hoping to go unnoticed. I keep waiting  for some divine inspiration... but that hasn't happened... so this is how I see it.


I look at the cover with its bright yellows, greens, deep purples and blues. There is a simple painted landscape that is supposed to be relaxing and nonthreatening to the user but the title says that inside is a subject that most people would like to ignore in the hopes that it will disappear. 
I look at the cover, feeling its smooth surface knowing that this copy has not been opened. Before buying a book, I skim through the pages of the first book on the shelf or the top of the pile.  The one everyone else has held, opened and wrinkled. I read the first page knowing that the first words will either capture or disappoint me. They will be the first words of the tale. Then before purchasing it I carefully reach for the book in the very back of the shelf or at the bottom of the pile. I want to be the first to open it.  I always feel the cover of a new book. It tells me there's a story inside waiting to be told. The spine is untouched and perfect. I wait, not yet wanting to crease the binding, or wrinkle the pages. The magic of any book starts when I first hold it in my hands. This tale is not unlike other books except this one tells a different kind of story. It is my own.
The workbook walks you through all of the basic questions that you should consider once you've been diagnosed. It is organized into  five Parts (chapters) with each part broken up into smaller sections that are written with clear, understandable and specific concepts. They are even understandable if you are in a manic depressive state, as I was when I started this workbook. There are sections that have thinking exercises and ways to challenge your own  thinking patterns.  When you are ready, because this book can be read as you need to in your own way, you will develop a WRAP: Wellness Recovery Action Plan. This is a written plan that you develop as you answer questions and use checklists in each part of the book. The use of charts and checklists sold me right off the bat, because they are quick and easy but you still get the same information. The WRAP is completed by looking back at your answers. It is really important to understand that this is not a course that you will be graded on because you are writing your own story at your own pace. The plan is placed in a binder so that you can remove or add to it any time you'd like. The binder has a lot of blank pages that you can fill up, so don't think of this binder as a report. I found this book to be easy and painless. I read and completed some exercises over and over a number of times because I often needed help or I was in a state of stress. 


The workbook helped me create an organized place to put my thoughts. It helped me create a WRAP by exploring my triggers and  recognizing the warning signs that tell me an unstable mood is around the corner.  It helped me feel empowered and it gave me direction. It is my "go to guide" when I am unsure of where to go and what to do next.