Everything You Need to Know About Depression

by Eleanor H. Ayer

This book explains how and why some teens feel emotionally separated from their environment and are hopeless, helpless, and sometimes suicidal. This book touches upon what separates a reactive depression from a chemical imbalance, what we know about the links between depression and genetics, brain and central nervous system functioning, and the benefits and side effects of modern drug therapies.

Hardcover

First published June 1, 1994

About the author

Eleanor H. Ayer is an American novelist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her book Parallel Journeys. She was born and raised in Vermont, and was inspired to write at an early age by her mother's career as a teacher. She attended Syracuse University.

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book Depression by Eleanor H. Ayer for our non-fiction unit. This book had all different kinds of shocking stories. Some people whom may have read this, might learn lessons. But I, found these stories ridiculously hard to understand that someone would ever do something like the things to make a person feel less than others.The risks that these teenagers take are unbelievable.
I definitely have learned an awful lot about this book. I know what to do or what not to do because it brings consequences. One think I liked is that some teens did realize what they did, and what they did was wrong. I disliked that some know what they did but didn't pay any attention to it, also that they don't mind making the same mistake twice.
Some people find this book easy to read and don't really like it. Unlike me, I enjoyed this book because I learned so much. For example, mostly men get affected by depression, the second most affected are women, and last but not least children get affected. Many reasons bring depression. (home,school,etc)

[Adrianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of nonfiction books, but I found this one very easy to read. The audience appears to be depressed teens because there are lots of resources listed for where teens can get help if they are depressed. The book was very informative and had lots of facts about why people are depressed, how many get depressed, and actions you can take to stop depression. I also appreciated the anecdotes because it allowed you to relate to the facts more. Having modern examples and photos are another great way to reach out to depressed teens. There are some points where I felt the book was lacking in details, which is why I gave it an average rating. However, the book is probably meant to be a starting point for those wanting to learn about depression. It made me want to research some of the information and even read an adult book to compare and contrast the styles. It did not take me that long to read, so I recommend it to those who are curious about the disease.