A Secret Sadness: The Hidden Relationship Patterns That Make Women Depressed - Hardcover

Whiffen PhD, Valerie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1572244690 ISBN 13: 9781572244696

Publisher: New Harbinger Publications, 2007

Synopsis

Can Your Relationships Make You Depressed?

Past and current patterns, unrealistic expectations, and assumptions about your role in the lives of the people close to you may cause or worsen depression. A Secret Sadness offers a groundbreaking perspective on this phenomenon, as well as powerful tools you can use to explore this issue in your own life.

Women experience depression at a higher rate than men, and researchers have recently uncovered evidence that suggests this may be due to the higher importance they place on their interpersonal relationships. Some of these researchers believe that women who struggle with relationships may be at higher risk for depression because their relationships are intertwined with their self-esteem and perceptions of personal success. This breakthrough book examines the often hidden relationship factors that make women depressed, the secret sadness that can last a lifetime.

Using three detailed case studies from her own practice, author and psychologist Valerie Whiffen explains how interpersonal problems can contribute to feelings of depression. Her insightful narrative sheds light on these problems, and will help you begin your journey toward healing. You'll learn how to explore your own relationships with intimate partners, children, and parents -with an eye for how these relationships may contribute to feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and anxiety. You'll ultimately be able to use this information to help overcome depression. And if depression has touched the life of someone you love, this book will help you to understand her better. Revealing the secret sadness is the first step to moving beyond depression and into a life of balance and joy.

About this title

About the Author

Valerie E. Whiffen, Ph.D., is a psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Ottawa on Ottawa, ON, Canada.

Reviews

Whiffen's fine introduction to depression places the disease in the context of women's interpersonal relationships, simply and methodically underscoring the correlation between a woman's formative connections with her parents, her romantic relationships as an adult and her emotional well-being and sense of self. For many patients, "feeling depressed is better than admitting a truth about a relationship with someone important that would lead to profound feelings of sadness," theorizes the author, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Ottawa. She examines various stages of development to illuminate how parenting styles and early life attachments affect a child's ability to cope with stress or conflict in intimate relationships later in life. Throughout, Whiffen enhances the accessible, instructive text with the stories of three of her patients. The volume includes thought-provoking, workbooklike questions at the end of each chapter for readers to consider their own behavior and feelings. Whiffen encourages women suffering from depression to undergo therapy, and information about treatment options, with a brief mention of antidepressants, rounds out the book. Readers are left with an encouraging mantra: "Remember that our lives don't change; we change our lives." (Jan.)
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Edition details

• Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1572244690
• ISBN 13: 9781572244696
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208