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Hardcore Self Help: F**k Depression
Hardcore Self Help: F**k Depression is the follow up to the best-selling F**K Anxiety.
In this book I take the information, tips, and insights that I have gained as a psychologist and translate them into language that doesn’t suck. This is the self-help book for people that don’t usually like self-help books.
In Hardcore Self Help: F**K Depression, I talk to you like a friend. That means I speak directly to you without psychobabble. Instead I tell you why your brain is such a troll. I explain why you have literally no energy or motivation. I tell you why people are so terrible at offering help. Best of all, I tell you how to take realistic steps toward solving these and many other issues caused by depression.
151 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 12, 2016
1092 people are currently reading
1340 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
September 23, 2022
For anyone suffering from depression, this is gold. If one's depressed state allows for reading books, that is. Anyway, if depressed person is receptive to reading, which he or she usually is after first line defense with medication, this should be the very next thing. Everything in this book, from content in general, to facts in particular, as well as overall tone and approachability, is just tailor made to those who need it.
July 19, 2018
This book is great. Duff is really fun and real. It really helped me a lot. I would recommend this book.
July 20, 2023
I genuinely wish this book was longer!
August 10, 2018
I absolutely adored this book. I will probably read it again. I printed out the Gamerification worksheet and plan on going through my own quest to defeat my depression nemesis. I was almost sad that it was over and then I realized that, not only can I read other books by this author (and I will), but I can read this as many times as I want.
Now, on to the actual book critique. Hardcore Self Help: F**k Depression is a no bullshit, non technical jargon, guide and suggestion book for one of the most common underestimated problem of depression. It uses average-joe language and never gets lost in the scientific explanations and causes of the depression so that the reader can really connect thoroughly with what it being suggested. The length of the book was absolutely perfect because it doesn't overstay its welcome yet gives you great detail in kick starting the battle against depression. A recommendation that I have for the author is to not repeat that the suggestion provided can be tailored to the individual person as many times. It is said in almost every chapter. It was an amazingly fun, insightful, and resourceful read and I am so happy to have spent time with this author. Please read if you are suffering with this demon!
Now, on to the actual book critique. Hardcore Self Help: F**k Depression is a no bullshit, non technical jargon, guide and suggestion book for one of the most common underestimated problem of depression. It uses average-joe language and never gets lost in the scientific explanations and causes of the depression so that the reader can really connect thoroughly with what it being suggested. The length of the book was absolutely perfect because it doesn't overstay its welcome yet gives you great detail in kick starting the battle against depression. A recommendation that I have for the author is to not repeat that the suggestion provided can be tailored to the individual person as many times. It is said in almost every chapter. It was an amazingly fun, insightful, and resourceful read and I am so happy to have spent time with this author. Please read if you are suffering with this demon!
January 15, 2021
I really liked the way that this book is written. The thing that sucks about suffering from bipolar disorder like I do is the fact that I have a hard time remembering what the hell it was I just read. It's been like this for as long as I can remember. I love to read but what's the point when I can't even remember what I've read only 15 minutes or so after I have ceased reading. I wish I knew a better way to read and comprehend at the same time. I'm good with my knowledge of words but I just can't recall or give a synopsis of anything I read. This has added fuel to my mental illness lately making it worse than it has been in a while. I have read many, many self help books but what's the use when I can't put into action and do those things vs that'll help me due to the fact that I can't frickin remember anything.
March 26, 2024
Don’t let the title deter you
This book has so much great advice and nuggets of wisdom. I can honestly say, this is the first self-help book that actually helped me. I started reading it because it was free on Kindle Unlimited, but I have purchased it so I can refer back to it at any time. I took so many notes and have started to make lasting changes in my life thanks to this book. I also love the author's candid talk with his audience.
This book has so much great advice and nuggets of wisdom. I can honestly say, this is the first self-help book that actually helped me. I started reading it because it was free on Kindle Unlimited, but I have purchased it so I can refer back to it at any time. I took so many notes and have started to make lasting changes in my life thanks to this book. I also love the author's candid talk with his audience.
October 12, 2018
About half of this was helpful. The second half is full of stuff I already knew. I DO love how this guy talks, though. If you're a beginner to treatment who doesn't want a bunch of b.s., this is for you.
June 21, 2022
"Having depression is like viewing the world through shit colored glasses."
This line from the "Your Brain is a Troll" chapter encapsulates the book and the point in my life when I was reading it.
I had just checked out of a psychiatric hospital ("Calling 911 is not convenient. Goin to a hospital is not convenient. But they will keep you safe." p.53) and was ready to understand as much as possible about depression as I could. This book puts in plain (and vulgar!) language a disease that can be difficult to read, think, and talk about.
Dr. Duff talked me through the different types of depression, suicidal thoughts & intentions, how to talk to people who don't have depression, the importance of sleep & exercise, and treating my health plan like a video game character.
There were lots of actionable pieces of the book that I have been able to implement in my own life, including a "break in case of emergency box", developing a "character sheet" to document my main quests and side quests, voicing my thoughts out loud - even if there's no one physically present, and creating ways to talk to my friends, family, and coworkers about my disease.
You should read this book if:
1. You have depression
2. You have experienced sadness that lasts more than a day or two
3. You have habits - especially thought habits - that you want to change
4. You love someone with depression
5. You work with someone with depression
6. You want to learn more about what people like me go through on a day by day basis
This line from the "Your Brain is a Troll" chapter encapsulates the book and the point in my life when I was reading it.
I had just checked out of a psychiatric hospital ("Calling 911 is not convenient. Goin to a hospital is not convenient. But they will keep you safe." p.53) and was ready to understand as much as possible about depression as I could. This book puts in plain (and vulgar!) language a disease that can be difficult to read, think, and talk about.
Dr. Duff talked me through the different types of depression, suicidal thoughts & intentions, how to talk to people who don't have depression, the importance of sleep & exercise, and treating my health plan like a video game character.
There were lots of actionable pieces of the book that I have been able to implement in my own life, including a "break in case of emergency box", developing a "character sheet" to document my main quests and side quests, voicing my thoughts out loud - even if there's no one physically present, and creating ways to talk to my friends, family, and coworkers about my disease.
You should read this book if:
1. You have depression
2. You have experienced sadness that lasts more than a day or two
3. You have habits - especially thought habits - that you want to change
4. You love someone with depression
5. You work with someone with depression
6. You want to learn more about what people like me go through on a day by day basis
November 29, 2018
This book. I love this. Even if it feels like reading an average self-help book, I still love this.
This book is so genuine and just basically treats you like a friend. If you're not new to these kind of books, I know what you're thinking.
"It wasn't really 'that' special. No new information was tackled and discussed."
THIS BOOK HELPED ME OKAY. Yes, there weren't anything new but goddamn this book touched me. The last chapter was the one who made me so happy. Relating life with games and RPGs are so relatable and very effective teaching. It makes me feel not lonely no more because even professionals struggles with this -- even the author itself!
I think this book is a great guide. I made a cognitive chart (just like the book said )to overview my progress. I give this book 5 stars not because it's perfect, but because it made me feel imperfect and that's okay.
P.S. I named mine "ligma". What's yours?
March 6, 2018
the behemoth we know as depression is formidable and something we don't fully understand. i believe books like this one give us a lot of real life insight towards understanding and treating depression, whether you are someone who suffers from it or know someone who does.
Dr Rob is charming, witty and very relate-able. He has researched and treated this subject enough to give us in depth and useful knowledge about the physical and mental traits of depression. He sure made one of the few visits i make into the land of non fiction educational and left an impression upon me.
as i said before venturing into this book, depression is not something i suffer from but mental health awareness is something i'm passionate about. Robert Duff offers many tecnhiques useful in many aspects of life from home, work or school. Even though they may not apply to me, i am still going to use a few of these techniques just to see how they work for me.
i left this book more informed then when i went in and i had a blast reading it.
Dr Rob is charming, witty and very relate-able. He has researched and treated this subject enough to give us in depth and useful knowledge about the physical and mental traits of depression. He sure made one of the few visits i make into the land of non fiction educational and left an impression upon me.
as i said before venturing into this book, depression is not something i suffer from but mental health awareness is something i'm passionate about. Robert Duff offers many tecnhiques useful in many aspects of life from home, work or school. Even though they may not apply to me, i am still going to use a few of these techniques just to see how they work for me.
i left this book more informed then when i went in and i had a blast reading it.
December 11, 2019
I loved this book. The content and the way the author convey the massages to us is not depressing. Sometimes, I feel like my life depending on this book too much, when I get sad and emotional and depressed, I open this book and reread it contents.
This book has a few chapters on it, by the fourth chapter, I couldn't help but to feel sad and cried. There's a bookmarks I put there and it says, "Suicidality is a spectrum. Most of us have had the passing thought about what things would be like if we were gone or what it would feel like to die" and then I cried so much because it scares the hell out of me, that I had a passing thought like that at some moment in life.
It has a lot of thing and I couldn't say anymore other than praise that I found this book. It sure don't give you remedies but this book help you understand your depression and why, so that you can help yourself.
This book has a few chapters on it, by the fourth chapter, I couldn't help but to feel sad and cried. There's a bookmarks I put there and it says, "Suicidality is a spectrum. Most of us have had the passing thought about what things would be like if we were gone or what it would feel like to die" and then I cried so much because it scares the hell out of me, that I had a passing thought like that at some moment in life.
It has a lot of thing and I couldn't say anymore other than praise that I found this book. It sure don't give you remedies but this book help you understand your depression and why, so that you can help yourself.
June 27, 2023
This was a quick, easy read dealing with some tough stuff. I love the casual style the author has taken with the book. It almost makes it easier to work through the subject matter of each chapter in a unique almost 4th wall breaking way. It really makes us feel like we have gotten to know the author a bit, too. Like many other people’s reviews, I would say that about half the book was helpful, and the other half was things most people who have dealt with depression for a while already know. Having said that, this is a great book to get for your teenager or someone who is just starting out their battle with depression.
I would recommend this book to someone just looking to find more ways to better their depressive thoughts, but especially to those people who are just beginning their battle with depression and are looking for some easy, down to earth explanations and ways to fight it.
I would recommend this book to someone just looking to find more ways to better their depressive thoughts, but especially to those people who are just beginning their battle with depression and are looking for some easy, down to earth explanations and ways to fight it.
January 30, 2024
A similar book to F**k Anxiety, I found this an easy listen and had a few takeaways from it:-
• I enjoyed the idea of seeing depression as seeing the world through 50 shades of crap. It made me giggle 🙈
• I liked the advice to ask my trusted people in my life if my line of thinking makes sense or if I'm stuck in a thought spiral.
• I find that I punish myself internally for the mistakes I've made in the past and found the idea of declaring emotional bankruptcy interesting as a way to try and relieve myself of some of my guilt.
• I appreciated the section on evaluating relationships.
• I enjoyed the idea of having little awesome things planned throughout a week/day to look forward to whether that be half an hour to read a book or a walk or a catchup with a friend.
A decent read overall with a few helpful ideas I can take away from it.
• I enjoyed the idea of seeing depression as seeing the world through 50 shades of crap. It made me giggle 🙈
• I liked the advice to ask my trusted people in my life if my line of thinking makes sense or if I'm stuck in a thought spiral.
• I find that I punish myself internally for the mistakes I've made in the past and found the idea of declaring emotional bankruptcy interesting as a way to try and relieve myself of some of my guilt.
• I appreciated the section on evaluating relationships.
• I enjoyed the idea of having little awesome things planned throughout a week/day to look forward to whether that be half an hour to read a book or a walk or a catchup with a friend.
A decent read overall with a few helpful ideas I can take away from it.
December 2, 2025
I was delighted in how honest, funny, and totally un-clinical this book felt. No sugarcoating, no complicated jargon, just real talk. Duff also broke things down into doable steps.I appreciated that he didn’t pretend there’s one magical fix.
He covered lifestyle changes, mindset shifts, coping strategies and more. The mix of humor and empathy makes the hard stuff feel lighter and way more approachable. I absolutely loved this book!
“Time is the most valuable currency that you have,” -Duff
“It’s okay if all you did today was survive. That’s still progress,” -Duff
“Treat yourself the way you’d treat someone you love who was hurting,” -Duff
“You’re not broken. You’re a human dealing with something really f**king hard,” -Duff
“You don’t have to feel motivated to take action. Action itself can create motivation,” -Duff 💌
He covered lifestyle changes, mindset shifts, coping strategies and more. The mix of humor and empathy makes the hard stuff feel lighter and way more approachable. I absolutely loved this book!
“Time is the most valuable currency that you have,” -Duff
“It’s okay if all you did today was survive. That’s still progress,” -Duff
“Treat yourself the way you’d treat someone you love who was hurting,” -Duff
“You’re not broken. You’re a human dealing with something really f**king hard,” -Duff
“You don’t have to feel motivated to take action. Action itself can create motivation,” -Duff 💌
July 29, 2021
Dr Rob is charming, witty and very relatable. He has researched and treated this subject enough to give us in depth and useful knowledge about the physical and mental traits of depression. He sure made it easy to understand. Venturing into this book, depression is not something I suffer from, mental health awareness is something I'm not as passionate about. Robert Duff offers many techniques useful in many aspects of life from home, work or school. Even though they may not apply to me, I am still going to use a few of these techniques just to see how they work for me. I enjoyed learning about this subject. I really liked the way that this book is written. The content and the way the author conveys the messages to us is not depressing.
August 24, 2022
I really enjoyed this read. It states very bluntly the reality of depression and is written very honestly about not only what it's like, in all it's dread and helplessness, but also is very encouraging about techniques and ways to improve our way of life living with depression.
Not making it a struggle, but owning it and taking better control of your life.
It really helped me during my time when I was deeply at a low and spent some time at a psychiatric unit to get myself back to rights again. Reading this was a source of comfort.
The book's style isn't for everyone, but I really enjoyed it and come back to it now and again if I need a helpful reminder that the process is manageable, once our attitude is willing to be open.
Not making it a struggle, but owning it and taking better control of your life.
It really helped me during my time when I was deeply at a low and spent some time at a psychiatric unit to get myself back to rights again. Reading this was a source of comfort.
The book's style isn't for everyone, but I really enjoyed it and come back to it now and again if I need a helpful reminder that the process is manageable, once our attitude is willing to be open.
August 28, 2023
Working on depression isn't easy, but this book gave some valuable insight into what I'm experiencing. The one thing I found so valuable was the letter to the ones you love, the section where Robert Duff refers to a person with depression being fragile during this period and asking loved ones to be patient with them, try and understand what it is we are going through, but at the same time hold us accountable. The people we encounter and spend time with plays a very important role for us to get through depression. Sadly, they need to put up with our shit, to a point.
If you are depressed or know someone who is depressed, this is a good book for all parties. It's written in a way you can understand and not clinical, but if you're sensitive to language, then be cautious.
If you are depressed or know someone who is depressed, this is a good book for all parties. It's written in a way you can understand and not clinical, but if you're sensitive to language, then be cautious.
November 24, 2017
My partner is suffering depression and being married for 17 years and having no idea what this was all about, I found this book to educate me without any hype.
Will it help her? I don't think so as she is resisting help.
Will it help me? Yes because now I have a greater appreciation of what she is going through.
I think Robert's point to a non-sufferer understanding your worst day is the best day for a sufferer really hammers home how it is for someone you absolutely love and care for.
Hooked into the podcasts too, found them very enlightening in the car.
Great work Dr Duff.
Stephen West
Gold Coast Australia
Will it help her? I don't think so as she is resisting help.
Will it help me? Yes because now I have a greater appreciation of what she is going through.
I think Robert's point to a non-sufferer understanding your worst day is the best day for a sufferer really hammers home how it is for someone you absolutely love and care for.
Hooked into the podcasts too, found them very enlightening in the car.
Great work Dr Duff.
Stephen West
Gold Coast Australia
December 24, 2025
Not bad, but hard to finish.
I’m a big supporter of books that are intended to help folks with depression. Depression is a major thing for many people. Dr. Duff definitely is helpful, and his book helps a lot with understanding what’s going on. He helps set some mental tone and give some good guidance. The only problem I have is that a lot of the book starts to feel like filler, and that’s bad. It was just a hard boom to finish. The title and the first few chapters did more to help me reset my mind about “depression”, but then it was a bit, well, depressing to read the last half.
I’m a big supporter of books that are intended to help folks with depression. Depression is a major thing for many people. Dr. Duff definitely is helpful, and his book helps a lot with understanding what’s going on. He helps set some mental tone and give some good guidance. The only problem I have is that a lot of the book starts to feel like filler, and that’s bad. It was just a hard boom to finish. The title and the first few chapters did more to help me reset my mind about “depression”, but then it was a bit, well, depressing to read the last half.
October 23, 2017
This was the first non-fiction book I've read to do with mental health. This book is definitely aimed for a millenial demographic and it was obvious that the author was trying too hard at points to be "relatable". Having said that, this book addressed every question that I had about having depression and anxiety. The author managed to clearly explain psychological terms and issues without over-simplifying. The book also offers helpful tips and pointers to people that are struggling and need a little push in the right direction.
August 9, 2021
A very light book that again just confirmed I myself don’t have depression in my life. But a light read means it’s a good first book to recommend to someone with those tendencies. I found it surprising the anti depressants will do their magic only in week 3-4 and do not work right out of the box. But there was nice examples on dopamine functionality based to a “bar opening and closing”. If the bar is closed often, people can’t get in (doh), and if it’s closed long enough, people won’t recommend going there (closing down the dopamine traffic).
November 27, 2017
Easy to read!
Bueno, el tema siempre me ha interesado pero no es como si yo fuera un Doctor o algo así, y la manera en que se explican las soluciones es sumamente fácil de entender y aunque no esté deprimida (tal vez) pues de todas maneras son tips que puedo utilizar para cuando me siento estancada en la rutina y quiero ver el lado positivo de cada momento que pasa. Lo recomiendo ampliamente!
Bueno, el tema siempre me ha interesado pero no es como si yo fuera un Doctor o algo así, y la manera en que se explican las soluciones es sumamente fácil de entender y aunque no esté deprimida (tal vez) pues de todas maneras son tips que puedo utilizar para cuando me siento estancada en la rutina y quiero ver el lado positivo de cada momento que pasa. Lo recomiendo ampliamente!
March 4, 2019
I'm so glad that I came across this book! My depression has been kicking my ass and taking a toll on my life for some time now, and it seems like not much is worthwhile anymore. After listening to the author on Audible explain depression and the ins and outs of what it feels like, looks like, and ways to work through it and fight it, and he does so as if he's in conversation with you as a friend, I was glad I made the purchase!
March 8, 2020
A great starting point for anyone looking to tackle their depression head on. Accessible, plain-speaking and with a bunch of helpful resources, exercises and explanations.
The chapter on different types of therapy and helping the reader to feel comfortable with searching for a therapist is great, but the winner for me is the chapter encouraging people to try game theory in their battle against depression. Treat your battle like a game, gather your weapons and level up!
The chapter on different types of therapy and helping the reader to feel comfortable with searching for a therapist is great, but the winner for me is the chapter encouraging people to try game theory in their battle against depression. Treat your battle like a game, gather your weapons and level up!
October 25, 2021
It's a great book that will help many people with depression. It's written in a casual style, as if the author is talking to you directly, which worked great. It's probably best for people who are starting their journey in their fight against depression as I found several of the chapters too basic. There were still valuable bits and pieces, e.g. a whole chapter on how to talk to people who don't have experience with depression. It's short so if you think this might help you, give it a try!
August 2, 2025
I am impressed that this book gives me another message
I always end up thinking about sleeping forever when I go to sleep. Always hate the next morning at the thought of encountering people I don’t like. I am eager to fight this f**king depression. That is why I picked this book and finished it. I still procrastinate writing my feelings down but I will do similar things the book suggests at the end. Thank you.
I always end up thinking about sleeping forever when I go to sleep. Always hate the next morning at the thought of encountering people I don’t like. I am eager to fight this f**king depression. That is why I picked this book and finished it. I still procrastinate writing my feelings down but I will do similar things the book suggests at the end. Thank you.
May 25, 2018
Actually quite helpful and informative
I was pleasantly surprised here. The author does seem to get it and is never condescending or preachy like in other mental health self help books.
Even if you don't suffer from depression I'd recommend this as a read as a way to better understand those who do.
I was pleasantly surprised here. The author does seem to get it and is never condescending or preachy like in other mental health self help books.
Even if you don't suffer from depression I'd recommend this as a read as a way to better understand those who do.
December 1, 2020
I am really glad that I listened this by audio rather than reading the book because the author has a very special way to tell you and explain mental health in his own honest, witty and friendly way.
This is the book where you can find a transparent and pure insight about depression. I personally think that I appreciate chapter 4 and 8 the most.
This is the book where you can find a transparent and pure insight about depression. I personally think that I appreciate chapter 4 and 8 the most.
Read
February 18, 2023This is a super straightforward, simplified introduction to depression, what that looks like, ways to target it, and how to seek professional help through therapy or medication. The author takes on a very chill/fun way of writing so I feel like this would be an enjoyable yet helpful read for a lot of humans.
December 16, 2023
If you’re dealing with depression… keep pushing, keep trying. This isn’t the end. You are making progress, even when you don’t feel that you are.
This book gives you insight and helps you feel/know that you aren’t alone. The author also provides tools that you can utilize to communicate your depression with your loved ones.
This book gives you insight and helps you feel/know that you aren’t alone. The author also provides tools that you can utilize to communicate your depression with your loved ones.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews