In modern culture, many people use the word “depression” to describe a bad mood, blues, and a feeling of dissatisfaction. But in reality, depression is an adaptive mechanism: a learned helplessness response to stress. One of its main symptoms is the complete shutdown of all systems responsible for cheerfulness and the inability to feel pleasure. Returning to a full life is possible if you give up the behavioral patterns and habits that form in depression. Richard O’Connor is a psychotherapist with 30 years of experience. He explains in detail the causes of depression, how it connects to other conditions, and offers a structured, system-wide approach to overcoming it based on cognitive behavioral therapy. In this book you will learn: Why do people in depression “fail to see” their problems? How is depression linked to other illnesses? How strongly does depression distort our thinking? In which cases is it worth seeking therapy and medication?