The Half-Empty Heart: A Supportive Guide to Breaking Free from Chronic Discontent

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Macmillan, 2004 M01 20 - 256 pages

Finally, help for the millions of people suffering from low-grade depression, also known as dysthymia or chronic discontent.

Frustrated. Irritable. Discouraged. Fed up. These are among the feelings experienced by millions of people suffering from low-grade depression. Often erroneaously attributed to a negative attitude or laziness, this common condition saps feelings of happiness, contentment, and passion, and frequently goes undiagnosed.

The Half-Empty Heart is a powerful and practical book that explains how the condition takes hold--and presents simple yet profound ways to overcome it for good. Using anecdotes from his private practice as well as quizzes, checklists, exercises, and a complete five-week plan for achieving lasting results, clinical psychologist Alan Downs, Ph.D., shines light into the dark corners of this isolating and debilitating condition.

You can feel good again. The Half-Empty Heart shows the way.

 

Selected pages

Contents

Why Does the Happiness Never Seem to Last?
3
A High Emotional Threshold
21
A Deep Hunger
29
The Early Seeds of Discontent
38
Excuse Me Wheres the Nearest Exit?
69
The Comeback Kid
90
Chronic Discontent and You Hows It Shaping Your Life?
99
Withdrawal Games How Do You Play?
101
Living Richly 5 Weeks to Feeling Better
173
How to Get Started
175
How Do You Withdraw?
177
Getting Your Groove Back
188
What You Remember
200
Neutralizing the Shame
211
Building Emotionally Honest Relationships
215
A Note to Psychotherapists Treating Clients with Chronic Discontent
227

The Legends of Discontent Do You Believe?
114
Discontented Relationships Which Ones Do You Keep?
146
Remembered Feelings Are They Controlling Your Life?
160

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About the author (2004)

Alan Downs, PH.D., is a clinical psychologist in practice for more than fifteen years. He is the author of five previous books on psychological matters, including Why Does This Keep Happening to Me? He is based in San Francisco.

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