Depression costs the UK economy £17 billion each year. NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) identifies Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as the best treatment since it is as effective as drugs but with a much lower relapse rate. In the face of an acute shortage of therapists, this book aims to teach people the main principles of CBT and similar talking therapies to allow them to deal effectively with their own problems. This book sets users practical, well-defined tasks so they fully understand how to use these ideas.

All the activities are based on five well-tested principles:

• We can control the way we think - based on Aaron Beck's work on ANTS (Automatic Negative Thoughts), how to challenge negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones - an important tool in depression when negative thoughts can be particularly catastrophic
• Good relationships are vital to our well-being - how to consider your skills in this area and make changes so as to have a range of good relationships to help raise raising mood
• The words we use affect our mood - priming experiments have demonstrated the subtle effect that language can have on our feelings and the way we behave; how to analyse and change what we say
• The mind/body relationship can be used to aid control of mood - how to use techniques such as muscle relaxation and breathing control to make a positive impact on this interaction; how best to manage aspects of effects of lifestyle (diet, sleep and so on) to best effect
• The imagination can be used in positive ways - how to use the imagination as a constructive and affirmative tool