Description

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A revelatory book that shows, through words and pictures, how people can appear one way on the outside while feeling quite differently on the inside.

Those who live with a mood disorder often wear a social mask of normalcy and calm even though they are living with disruptive psychic pain on the inside. Some people may be carrying around a traumatic event from the past that causes great despair, or they may be in constant inner turmoil, yet they present as being "just fine" in appearance and demeanor.

This unique and practical resource offers candid counsel and acts as a user-friendly guide of innovative information and compassion to those with depression, anxiety disorders and other mood disorders. It is also a unique tool for mental healthcare providers.

Included are creative coping tools and heartfelt insight from those individuals who know firsthand what it's like to wake up with these disorders.

The second volume in the "JUST FINE" series, this book offers a clear resource for individuals dealing with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, seasonal affective disorder, eating disorder, and many other mood disorders.

The authors provide an in-depth discussion of each and explore vital topics including mood disorders and: disclosure; dating; looking one way while feeling another; impact on family; intimacy; employment and career; treatment options; spirituality; children and seniors; the connection between chronic pain and depression; not only surviving, but thriving; the "worry window"; how to help someone with a mood disorder; the military; and mind-body medicine.

Often referred to as "a support group in a book", the authors present a remarkable series of personal portraits and telling profiles, sharing the stories and experiences of men and women who each live with various mood disorders and mental health challenges. These poignant examples - once anonymous faces seen in a crowd, or perhaps within one's own circle of family, friends or coworkers - will serve as a valuable reminder to those facing depression and anxiety disorders that they are not alone.

By making these individual stories available and familiar, there is hope that a greater understanding and awareness of those experiencing chronic and unseen challenges might be realized.

BACK COVER:

If you want to know what it's like to live with a mental illness, you ask the people living with one. Abdulaziz and Sveilich asked. Prepare to be surprised. Prepare to be enlightened. This book won't disappoint. - John McManamy, author, Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder

Finally...a first-rate resource to hand to patients or to those with family members living with depression or any anxiety disorder. A SUPPORT GROUP IN A BOOK - Sidney Cassell, MD,

This book literally puts a FACE on mood disorders. My clients and colleagues will greatly benefit from this resource. - Nancy Gordon, LCSW

About the Author

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Carol Sveilich has over eighteen years of experience in the field of counseling, most recently at the University of California, San Diego. She holds a master's degree, has conducted large seminars and facilitated nine years of support groups and services for those with chronic health challenges. She is a recipient of the ABC News Leadership Award, recognizing her work on behalf of people who live with persistent health disorders and chronic pain, and has previously created health-oriented newsletters, articles and support services. Sveilich met her co-author, Sahar Abdulaziz, while conducting interviews for her first book, Just Fine: Unmasking Concealed Chronic Illness and Pain. Abdulaziz holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the College of New Rochelle and a master's in health and wellness promotion and administration, as well as certification in community health, from the California College of Health Science. She has worked as a domestic violence counselor and advocate, and is a speaker who promotes mutual respect and tolerance.