The Revd Andrew Procter has been a parish priest for over thirty years and is a senior accredited counsellor with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Dr Elizabeth Procter has been a medical doctor for thirty-five years and a senior consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist in the NHS. They both serve on their Diocesan Council for Health and Healing.

Clinical depression is an illness, a medical condition. This means two things. First, we do not need to blame ourselves. Second, we can get better' From Chapter 1 These encouraging thoughts are the starting point of this compassionate and practical volume. In twenty short chapters, it looks at common questions and worries, such as 'What is depression', 'Does it run in my family? 'Why doesn't God heal me', 'Why do I keep thinking of ending it all' and 'How can I help myself' After providing key information on each topic in question, the authors offer engaging real-life stories and quotations, material for reflection drawn from biblical and contemporary sources and a simple exercise to try to help the depressed reader feel better. Carers, friends and relatives of those suffering from depression will also benefit from the book, particularly the chapter entitled 'What can I do to help'.

Andrew Procter; Elizabeth Procter

Cover

Endorsements

Title page

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1. What is depression?

2. Am I ill or mentally ill?

3. Does my depression stem from my lack of faith? If I had more faith, would it mean that I would get better?

4. Is this the devil’s work?

5. Does it run in my family?

6. I must have done something wrong. Am I being judged?

7. Is it something in my past?

8. Why can’t I pray?

9. What about forgiveness? Does it play a part in depression?

10. Why do I find worship/fellowship difficult and struggle to go to church?

11. What about taking medication?

12. Why doesn’t God heal me?

13. Why do I keep thinking of ending it all? It scares me

14. How will my depression affect my family?

15. What treatments are there? What about talking therapy?

16. What about CBT?

17. How can I help myself ?

18. What can I do to help? A chapter for carers

19. How can my church help? A chapter for church leaders

20. Will I get better? Is there any hope for me?

Resources

Notes

Procter, Elizabeth

In twenty short chapters, this compassionate and practical volume looks at common questions and worries, such as 'What is depression?', 'Does it run in my family?', 'Why doesn't God heal me?', 'Why do I keep thinking of ending it all?' and 'How can I help myself?'

These encouraging thoughts are the starting point of this compassionate and practical volume. In twenty short chapters, it looks at common questions and worries, such as 'What is depression?', 'Does it run in my family?', 'Why doesn't God heal me?', 'Why do I keep thinking of ending it all?' and 'How can I help myself?' After providing key information on each topic in question, the authors offer engaging real-life stories and quotations, material for reflection drawn from biblical and contemporary sources and a simple exercise to try to help the depressed reader feel better. Carers, friends and relatives of those suffering from depression will also benefit from the book, particularly the chapter entitled 'What can I do to help?'

The Good Book Stall

A really useful book both for people suffering from depression and people who want to understand depression.  
The book is put into chapters which only take ten minutes to read ( which is a good idea as when you are suffering from depression you can have a very short attention span.)  
The chapter is split into 4 parts, Information : which basically answers the chapter heading: Second is Inspiration which is a true life account of someone who has been through that aspect of depression: Third is meditation.  
Finally you have Perspiration which is an exercise for you to try but there is no pressure to do it.  
The way the book is split up you can just read the chapter which concerns you or you can read the whole book.  
I like the way it explains not to worry if you doubt where God is and not to feel a failure when you need medical help.  
Two sections which I found helpful as my spouse suffers from depression was the ‘carers section’ and the ‘church ministers’ section to inform them how to help sufferers and families.  
A really well balanced book which had medical and biblical information. It was helpful and not judgemental, probably because it was written by a husband and wife who are a Christian psychiatrist and a priest.  
I would recommend this to families whose relatives are suffering as well as the actual sufferer.

Encountering Depression

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