When a colleague mentions a book, I usually listen, and boy, am I glad I listened this time. The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time, by Alex Korb, PhD, is an excellent read. It’s full of tips that anyone can choose to try.

He starts by pointing out a fact that seems not to have reached most of the general public yet:  that depression is not a chemical imbalance in the brain, but is really dysfunction in the communication between parts of the brain called the pre-frontal cortex and the limbic system. From there, he goes on to explore practical things that anyone can do, mostly for free, to change the downward spiral of depression.

He explores habits, especially habits of mind, movement, and sleep, and does so in a way that is informative without being preachy. Each segment and accompanying tip are short, so that even someone who doesn’t normally read or is too unmotivated from depression to read more than a couple of paragraphs at a time can absorb the information. The beginning of the book is a little heavy on brain anatomy, and that might be a little much for a layperson to absorb, but the solution for that is to bounce over the explanations and go straight to the suggestions.

I was surprised to find that he even mentions biofeedback, though he stops short of mentioning brain-wave-based biofeedback, which is neurofeedback.

Keep in mind that Korb does not suggest or even imply that everyone should implement everything in the book. I like this practical approach to customizing tips that work for you and your unique body.

My only wish is that he had added a section on the importance of good nutrition for brain health and healing.

If you are a current or former client of mine, you may borrow the copy in my office.  Otherwise, The Upward Spiral appears to be available through most booksellers. I got my copy from Bards Alley in Vienna.