From Depression to Contentment: A Self-Therapy Guide

Bob Rich

Jan 2019 · Loving Healing Press

About this ebook

 From Depression to Contentment: A Self-Therapy Guide is a course of therapy in your pocket. You can be your own therapist, changing the way you see yourself and your world. Not only does this save lots of money, it also is 100% confidential. The book starts with first aid, provides an understanding of the nature and causes of suffering, instructs you in research-based techniques for dealing with your problems and, finally, teaches you an actual cure for depression.Every tool in this book is based on research, but presented in an easy to understand, easy to apply manner.With homework assignments, you will find your inner strengths, uncover the true source of happiness and develop great resilience.Learn how to put the philosophies of all great religions to practical use, even if you are an atheist.This program can help you start a new life - one of meaning, positivity and purpose.Unlike instructional books, this book is not only useful but also enjoyable.

"If you're depressed and need someone who 'gets' you, who has been there and who can walk you through the journey toward a life worth living, then From Depression to Contentment will be your new best friend. Bob meets you where you are and can lead you home to yourself."
-- Petrea King, CEO and founder of Quest for Life Foundation

"Combining his personal and professional experience, Dr. Rich offers a valuable self-help tool for those seeking additional insight for coping with depression. The suggested exercises are easy to follow with an explanation of what they are helping with. And he does it all with a great sense of humor woven in."
-- Chynna T. Laird, author of Not Just Spirited: A Mom's Sensational Journey with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

"Dr. Bob Rich has created a simple and direct guide to beat back depression for good. Put forth in easy to digest bits, the approach uses small, effective steps to move past the overwhelm of depression."
-- Diane Wing, M.A., author of The Happiness Perspective: Seeing Your Life Differently

"The essential message of the book is that you can beat depression by improving the quality of your thinking, your behavior and your life. Overall, a wonderfully refreshing and practical self-help guide to healing from depression and living a fulfilling life."
-- Beth Burgess, psychotherapist, author of Instant Wisdom, The Happy Addict, and The Recovery Formula

"Depression can be turned into a positive and can actually enrich our lives if we just try. It is not easy to acquire the skills and the knowledge necessary to learn to cope well and to recover, but this book will make the effort easier. Specific interventions - like guided imagery and mindfulness meditation - are suggested and explained. All-in-all, this is a valuable manual on how to live well with depression and acquire the right skills and knowledge that will tame the depression to a point where the person will live well without being affected by symptoms."
-- Alfredo Zotti, author of Alfredo's Journey: An Artist's Creative Life with Bipolar Disorder

Ratings and reviews

From Depression to Contentment is a highly recommended read for anyone who is struggling with depression or has an interest in mental health. It’s particularly suited for readers seeking a blend of professional insight and practical, easy-to-implement strategies.

This guide will help anyone who reads it to better understand their depression and to be able to work through it to heal themselves and achieve contentment. Depression is the most common mental health issue, and yet most people seem to know little about how it works or how to manage it. For that reason "From Depression to Contentment" can go a long way toward improving many lives. The author, Bob Rich, has a PhD and is a retired psychotherapist with a lifetime of experience in dealing with his own depression and helping clients as well. Whether you prefer to learn from the self-taught expert or the person with official credentials, you have the best of both worlds with this author. He provides many strategies and approaches, along with useful exercises. This book performs a great service, as I am sure many people are aware they have depressive issues but may not feel comfortable talking to anyone about it or seeing any professionals, or they may not have the time or income for it. Also, some people may simply prefer to handle things themselves (with a resource like this, of course). I especially enjoyed the writing style -- which is concise, direct, and friendly to the point of feeling that Dr. Bob Rich could be a very caring uncle, talking directly to me through his writing. This book was special in that I felt an extreme authenticity that I simply don't feel from most books I read. This feeling of the book is especially useful for a depression guide, because as a reader I felt at ease, as if everything will work out -- he has such a familiar yet expert tone that I can trust it will work out in the end. Something that I found especially useful were the case examples of patients he has had that went through depression. This helps the reader to see that he / she is not alone in battling this -- many others have gone through it and survived. Please note that I am not suffering from depression and do not regularly suffer from depression. However, I suffered from depression many many years ago and I wish I would have had this book to help me through it. Also, an advanced review copy was provided to me for my honest review of the book.

Dr. Bob Rich’s book exudes the contentment it promises. Not puffery, not self-promotion, but an atmosphere of true serenity based on a life well balanced and well lived. And Dr. Bob maps out just how to achieve the same; how to go and do likewise. His style is easygoing and readable, logical, with clear organization. The book begins with a “first-aid” list of things to do to start emerging from depression, and provides the sufferer with weapons: how to relax; how to meditate, and how to recognize the enemy within. Bob’s recipes for combatting that enemy are detailed in chapter after chapter with many anecdotes of successful techniques practiced with his former patients (all names are changed). Dr. Bob has “been there and done that.” His book is full of humor and wisdom learned from the personal experience of healing himself and then healing many others over years of practice. Also, he shares a hoard of treasures: books and articles of other psychic healers, gladly sharing the spotlight with them. The book ends with a discussion of reincarnation, Buddhist contentment and its similarity to the foundational ideas in quantum mechanics. The reader may remain skeptical, but there is plenty of evidence (scientific, too) of the validity of the position. I find the ideas consoling and hopeful in this “vale of tears,” and have believed in something along those lines—quite independent of any organized religion—since early adolescence. I strongly recommend this book. At least give it a quick read first, since it abounds in helpful ideas, and you may decide to take it seriously and follow its recommendations. I beg you to do so. You have nothing to lose but your depression.

About the author

Bob Rich, Ph.D. earned his doctorate in psychology in 1972. He worked as an academic, researcher and applied scientist until “retiring” the first time at 36 years of age. Later, he returned to psychology and qualified as a Counseling Psychologist, running a private practice for over 20 years. During this time, he was on the national executive of the College of Counselling Psychologists of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), then spent three years as a Director of the APS. He was the therapist referrers sent their most difficult cases to.

Bob retired in 2013, but still does pro bono counseling over the internet. This has given him hundreds of “children” and “grand­children” he has never met, because many of these people stay in touch for years. His major joy in life is to be of benefit to others, which is why he wrote a book that’s in effect a course of therapy.

You can get to know him well at his blog, Bobbing Around, https://bobrich18.wordpress.com