^
A
A
A

Books - the best cure for depression

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
 
Fact-checked
х

All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.

We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.

If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.

31 January 2013, 13:30

Nowadays, depression is considered one of the most common mental illnesses that can affect people regardless of age, gender, social status and environment. Each of us at least once felt a sense of depression, hopelessness. If such a condition is associated with an external stimulus, there is no particular need to worry, but if the feeling of despair increases with time and does not go away, there are symptoms of clinical depression.

Scientists from the University of Scotland for a long time conducted research on the treatment of clinical depression and concluded that self-treatment with specialized literature can be very effective. Glasgow physicians believe that reading books aimed at providing psychological help and support can be more beneficial to the patient than using medications for depression. The results of the recent study will undoubtedly please the supporters of non-drug treatment and opponents of antidepressants.

To conduct the experiment, people with a recorded case of clinical depression were invited. In the study involved more than two hundred people with depression of mild and moderate form. The scientists divided the patients into two equal groups and for several months performed complex treatment with different methods. The first method was based on the treatment of patients with medication with antidepressants, at the heart of the second method - colloquial therapy, reading specially developed literature from the "self-help" series.

According to the results of the experiment, those people who struggled with depression through reading, talking and introspection showed much better results than those who "sat" on antidepressants for several months. Literature, which is advised by scientists as therapy, is based on the principles of treatment with the help of conversations. Psychologists claim that a person is able to manage his problems, change his own thinking with the help of books.

Previously, conversational therapy has already been recommended by experts from the Australian University. Scientists from Sydney observed that cognitive-behavioral therapy (one type of colloquial therapy) can have a beneficial effect on people suffering from mental disorders. Conversational therapy has been recommended as an adjunct to drug treatment, but the problem is that many patients are not able to open by talking. The goal of a recent study of physicians from Scotland was to study the possible influence of books on the consciousness of people with different stages of depression. A positive result was proved by the fact that in the process of reading special literature aimed at teaching oneself to think and control consciousness, it has a positive effect on the mental state of patients. Doctors are not sure that therapy with books can be the only treatment for depression, but not without reason, insist on using the books "help yourself" in the process of comprehensive treatment.

trusted-source[1], [2], [3]

You are reporting a typo in the following text:
Simply click the "Send typo report" button to complete the report. You can also include a comment.