Hand-Me-Down Blues: How To Stop Depression From Spreading In Families

by Michael D. Yapko

A powerful, family-based approach to understanding and treating depression that goes way beyond Prozac

Many people have been led to believe that depression is caused simply by a chemical imbalance in the brain, and as a result they look to science for convenient answers, hoping that "a capsule a day will keep depression away." Unfortunately, this narrow focus on biology and the use of medications has often led people to overlook other important influences, such as how our families can affect emotional health in powerful ways.

In Hand-Me-Down Blues, Dr. Michael Yapko carefully describes how the family can play a crucial role in the development of and recovery from depression. Parents introduce their children to various life experiences and inevitably reveal their own values, perspectives, and biases. Children typically learn to interpret life events in the same way their parents do, and their interpretations can be a basis for depression. Once depression strikes, it distorts family relationships, splintering families as it spreads from one person to another like a virus. Thus, children can "inherit" depression less from their parents' genes and more from their parents' attitudes and behaviors.

Genres: Psychology

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 1999

About the author

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and marriage and family therapist residing in Southern California.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recommend this one to a lot of clients. Yapko always does a little bit of tooting his own horn at the beginning of his books (he is a bright man, I've been to his conferences). But, if you can get past that, there are a lot of skills one can use to combat depression and understand why it runs in families and most important how NOT to pass it on to your kids!!

[Coffee & a Book Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should be reading this! Specifically parents, psychotherapists, anyone who interactes with people, that means everyone. Great case histories used in the book.

[Adam Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was okay, but not great. His thesis, that depression can be spread through family systems, is right on the money, but his approach didn't seem to defend that thesis very well.