I really appreciated reading the Opposite of Depression. I liked the concept of flourishing even when in depression. I will use a few habits I learned in my own life.

I am struggle with depression, too, just like many other people outthere. I really hope there is a book written for us to bridging our emotion into a positive way. Thank you, David Carreon, for this blessing of the book, from all true story that is beautifully written.

I appreciated the perspectives shared in The Opposite of Depression by Dr David Carreon. The book is divided into sections that takes a close look at habits of the body, the mind, and the soul of the flourishing with stories throughout of those who are depressed. Some of those stories are tough to bear witness to, but it did have the added benefit of making the reader fell much less alone in the struggle that is depression.

As someone who has been in a season (though not currently in the midst of) of a major depressive episode, the habits of flourishing mentioned in this book were some of the ways I found to practically fight back against the perpetual grey skies and melancholy. While I loved the marriage of the science to the stories of real humans, I am not sure how I might have responded to the content in this book in the deepest parts of my depression. I don’t think I would have had the capacity to get through it. After implementing 1-2 of the habits for flourishing for several months, I might have been sufficiently able to tread water enough to stomach the rest. In effect, the habits for flourishing are ways I accidentally stumbled on that made me feel better enough that I knew I needed to ask for help. I can’t decide whether this book might be better for the loved one of a depressed person or the depressed person themselves. Either way, this is a book that is and should be required learning in school. Even for those not suffering, the education in this book is profound and has lasting implications for mental wellness and relationships.

I’d like to thank Tyndale House Punlishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Opposite of Depression, by David M. Carreon, MD, is an interesting and helpful book to read. I appreciate that he describes the difference between depression and being weary. I found a lot of his suggestions to be very simple things to try. I like that his suggestions were down to earth. A couple that stand out most to me are to do positive things that will help with lifting emotions and beginning to exercise. I appreciate that that he comments about starting slow. I found this book to be very interesting and informative about the difference between the emotions we feel. I like that he also gives information on different treatments available.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

Even when we are at our lowest low, there's still hope. That is a premise of this beautiful book by David M. Carreon. As someone who has experienced years of extreme trauma, I really appreciated this book. I loved the perspective Carreon allowed us; it is not often we get to see the "inside" of patients who struggle with mental health.

David Carreon is a Stanford trained psychiatrist who is one of the pioneers of an intense form of TMS in severely depressed patients. He saw that eliminating the symptoms in his patients wasn't the answer, and went in search of the answers. This book offers that insight, in a practical way. Carreon points us to practices that can help us thrive in the midst of depression, and see that there is hope for the other side.

A wonderful book that reminds us that even in our darkest moments we can find beauty. I think it could have been very easy to have a negative view of life when you work with people who struggle with mental health, but to learn from each patient the way that Carreon did is a beautiful thing. We often demonize suicide in this country and try to be hush hush about it, but the more that we speak about it the more support we have for each other.

This was a tough read but an amazing one!