PUYB: Deborah Serani's Depression and Your Child - Guest Post and Review

“Adult vs. Child Depression”

Deborah Serani, Psy.D.

Did you know that depression presents differently than in children than it does in adults? Though the disorder of depression can occur in in kids, teens - and even babies, the symptoms don’t always look like adult depression. Take a look at the differences below so you can learn how to detect this serious, but treatable disorder. For more, read my award-winning book “Depression and Your Child: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers.”

Signs of Depression in Adults		Signs of Depression in Children
Depressed mood		Irritable, fussy or cranky
Anhedonia (Decreased interest/enjoyment in once-favorite activities) Negative thinking, helplessness		Boredom, lack of interest in play, giving up favorite activities Blames self for failures, misperceives peer interactions, socially isolates, resists new experiences
Significant weight loss or weight gain		Failure to thrive, fussy eating, overeating and weight gain especially in adolescence
Insomnia or Hypersomnia (Excessive sleeping)		Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, difficulty emerging from sleep, hard to awaken, frequent napping.
Psychomotor agitation, restlessness or slowness		Difficulty sitting still, pacing, very slow movements, clingy, little or no spontaneity, overly aggressive or sensitive
Fatigue or loss of energy		Persistently tired, appears lazy, sluggish, reports aches and pains, frequent absences from school
Low self-esteem, feelings of guilt		Whiny, cries easily, self-critical, feels stupid, unloved or misunderstood
Inability to concentrate, indecisive		Sulks, appears foggy, distractible, poor school performance, forgetful, unmotivated
Recurrent suicidal thoughts or behavior		Worries about death, talks about running away, writing or drawings about death, giving away favorite toys or belongings

My thoughts on Depression and Your Child
When Pump Up Your Book offered this book tour, I immediately signed up. As the mother of adolescent sons, I feel that reading and learning as much as I can about what could affect my child is very important, especially in the case of my older son who was diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety disorder when he was five years old. He has had a very hard time of things, and has even been bullied, on and off over the years. Sadly, the bullying still continues and I know that these situations can lead to depression so I want to be as proactive as possible...with both my sons.

This is a truly great book. The author is very knowledgeable on the subject and clearly outlines the steps to define, diagnose and treat depression in a child. The use of real life case scenarios gives the reader a more broad understanding of how depression applies in different ways to different individuals. A very important chapter on self-harm and suicide is included and I found this to be most informative and helpful, especially since "suicide is the third leading cause of death for children ages ten to twenty-four." I mean, we hear the horror stories in the news and it's scary. Knowing what to watch for is very important and this chapter is a terrific resource for that. The book also supports those who are parenting a depressed child. Emphasis on self-care and "me time" for the parent is discussed and I liked that. Being the mother of a child with disorders, I can sometimes forget about my needs and it's good to be reminded. The chapter that covers the "Twenty Depression Myths Every Parent Should Know" dispels any doubts one might have about depression...that it's very real and it is a medical problem, etc. Finally, I found the appendices in the back really interesting and informative. Appendix B with a list of High Profile People with Mood Disorders. This is a great list to share with your child to show him/her that they're not the only ones who have suffered from depression. Appendix C is a list of Resources and I was especially grateful for the Antibullying resources.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has children. Even if your child is an infant, as I learned in the book, depression can be present from infancy so this is an important read for new parents too. My view is that it's better to be safe than sorry and staying informed on all aspects of what could affect my children is very important to me. This book will be a much appreciated, and referenced, addition to my parenting resources bookshelf.

About the book
Seeing your child suffer in any way is a harrowing experience for any parent. Mental illness in children can be particularly draining due to the mystery surrounding it, and the issue of diagnosis at such a tender age. Depression and Your Child is an award-winning book that gives parents and caregivers a uniquely textured understanding of pediatric depression, its causes, its symptoms, and its treatments. Author Deborah Serani weaves her own personal experiences of being a depressed child along with her clinical experiences as a psychologist treating depressed children.

2013 Gold Medal Book of the Year Award – IndieFab (Psychology Category)
https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/depression-and-your-child/

2014 Silver Medal Book of the Year Award – Independent Publishing (Parenting Category)
http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1791

For More Information:

• Depression and Your Child: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers is available at Amazon. 
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble. 
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads. 
• Watch book trailer at YouTube.

About the author

Dr. Deborah Serani the author of the award-winning books “Living with Depression” and “Depression and Your Child: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers.” She is also a go-to media expert on a variety of psychological issues. Her interviews can be found in ABC News, Newsday, Women’s Health & Fitness, The Chicago Tribune, The Daily Beast, The Associated Press, and radio station programs at CBS and NPR, just to name a few. She writes for Psychology Today, helms the "Ask the Therapist" column for Esperanza Magazine and has worked as a technical advisor for the NBC television show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. A psychologist in practice twenty five years, Dr. Serani is also a professor at Adelphi University.

For More Information:

• Visit Deborah Serani’s website. 
• Connect with Deborah on Facebook and Twitter. 
• Find out more about Deborah at Goodreads. 
• Visit Deborah’s blog.
• More books by Deborah Serani. 
• Contact Deborah.

A copy of this book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for providing it.

PUYB: Daphne Michaels' The Gifted: How to Live the Life of Your Dreams - Guest Post and Review

Going With Love

A wonderful friend (and one of my biggest fans) handed me a note as I was getting ready to fly to New York to launch my new book The Gifted; How to Live the Life of Your Dreams at the International Book Expo. Scribbled on a scrap of paper was written, “Be bold, be beautiful, be a lil’ sassy and sexy (you’ve got it, use it) and mainly go with love.”

I believe I speak for many writers when I say that promoting our own work is a daunting task. When I launched my first book nearly eight years ago I faced the question of how to market something that came straight from my heart. At that time I felt shy about getting the word out that I had published a book. Today, I realize that I could only market something that comes from my heart. I am eager to share that I have written a book to help others on their paths of personal development and spiritual growth. I am eager to say, as a psychotherapist with over 25 years experience, this is a book that will help.

This year at the International Book Expo someone had a great idea to do something new and wild. While the Book Expo has traditionally been limited to trade professionals, this year they opened the last day to the public. It was amazing to be a part of this experience! One day people were holding business meetings and talking shop, and the next day up to ten thousand readers made there way through long lines to be a part of the international reading experience. From tiny children being carried by adults to teens hoping to meet their favorite authors, people looking for gifts for loved ones and book club members deciding on their next selection — having readers at the event was incredible. As a steady stream of book fans pushed through joyfully crowded isle ways their smiles, appreciation and words of encouragement vaporized any sense of doubt I may have had about book marketing. I realized in that moment that writers and readers are inextricably linked by a bridge that connects us from heart to heart and gratitude that travels in both directions.

My thoughts on the book

The Gifted does a great job of outlining the tools we need to live the life of our dreams, but unless we are an expert carpenter, we need the instructions on how to pull all of it together and put it to use in our lives. While this books is beautifully written and gives us good examples of what we need - awareness, stillness, harmony, etc. - and don't need - being ruled by ego, self-doubt, fear, etc. - in our lives, I was really looking for more guidance. I'm sure this would click immediately for people who are more voiced in this subject matter already, but for someone like me who is looking for more instruction, it fell short. I feel that for someone who is seeking a clear approach, the books needs more concrete ways of putting these concepts into practice in our daily lives. Perhaps some questions at the end of each chapter, or some exercises and examples to make the reader more of a participant. In the end, the reader may get that these concepts are important to living the life of your dreams, but may end up asking, "Where do I go from here?"

About the Book:
In The Gifted: How to Live the Life of Your Dreams author, speaker and licensed psychotherapist Daphne Michaels celebrates the nine gifts that are our birthright, guiding readers in how to recognize and use them to transform their lives. In her author's preface, Michaels reveals how her own journey of life transformation began when she was young and realized that human existence wore two conflicting faces--one of love and joy, and one of fear and despair. She decided then to commit her life to reconciling these two visions because she knew that, irreconcilable though they seemed, together these two faces held the secret to living a life of endless possibility and authentic happiness. Her personal journey and formal education in social science, human services and integral psychology led to the founding of the Daphne Michaels Institute, which has helped hundreds of men and women design the lives of their dreams.

In The Gifted, Michaels shows us that the first three “gifts” we must recognize and embrace within us if we are to re-design our lives are Awareness, Potential and Stillness. These three allow us to identify and use the remaining six with a life-changing power: Disharmony, Harmony, Ease, Clarity, Freedom and Engagement. Each of these six relies on the “essential three” for its own power to change our lives, and each has its own gifts--its “children.” By approaching the nine gifts with real-world metaphors, Michaels answers in easily understood ways what for many readers have been lingering questions about personal transformation—such as how it works, what kind of commitment it takes, and why, if we’re committed, real transformation becomes inevitable—and addresses obstacles that readers may have encountered in the past in trying to reach in life a happiness every human deserves.

While the human universe’s face of love is celebrated in The Gifted, so is the face of fear that haunted a young girl decades ago. As Michaels shows us in her book, even Disharmony—the “quagmire” of life born of the human ego’s fear, defenses, delusions and despair—is a gift, too, and one as important as the others if we know how to see it clearly and use it. Once we understand Disharmony, we are ready to understand the real purpose of Harmony in our lives. Disharmony does not need to rule us. It is ours to use as we design the lives of our dreams.

The final gift in The Gifted, Michaels tells us, is the gift of Engagement. Engagement—with the universe and with ourselves—allows us to use all of the other gifts with more power and joy than we ever imagined possible.

That mountaintop decision never left me. It drove my life’s work and over the years led me to understand that there are gifts – nine of them, in fact – that we are all born with but rarely experience in their full glory and potential. These gifts – which make each and every one of us “The Gifted” of this book’s title – are the keys to living lives of endless possibilities and, in turn, achieving an authentic happiness that cannot be lost. They are, in other words, the keys to achieving the life of our dreams. 

Purchase your copy:
AMAZON 

About the Author
Daphne Michaels is an author, speaker and licensed psychotherapist whose institute has helped hundreds of women and men transform their lives through the "gifts" every human being is born with. Daphne began her own journey of transformation at a young age, pursued it fearlessly, and later studied formally in the fields of social science, human services and integral psychology. The Gifted: How to Live the Life of Your Dreams launches both Daphne Michaels Books and The Gifted series, whose goal it is to share with the widest audience possible the principles that guide the Daphne Michaels Institute. Daphne's earlier book, Light of Our Times, featured her conversations with such international figures in the fields of spirituality and personal development as Ram Dass, Julia Cameron, Dr. Masaru Emoto, and Thomas Moore.

Visit her website at www.daphnemichaels.com.

Connect & Socialize!
TWITTER | FACEBOOK

A copy of this book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for providing it.

Take Charge of Your Life by William Glasser, MD - Review

My thoughts
This is a good book for anyone wanting to change their mindset. Glasser introduces choice theory which is basically that we have a choice in the way we treat others and ourselves. The proponent is that we have a 'picture' in our minds of the way we want to be or of how we want others to be and all we have to do is change that picture to change what's in our mind. This is choice theory. Basically, it's about learning to stop blaming external sources for the way our lives, or people in our lives, are and look on the inside to change the way we think about things. He gives examples of how the theory can be applied to relationship problems, parenting, and more. In all, this book is a useful tool for anyone looking to change their thinking and, ultimately, their lives.

About the book

Title: Take Charge of Your Life
Genre: Self help/Personal Transformation
Author: William Glasser, MD
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 255
Language: English

“A game changer for anyone ready to become the captain of their own ship.”
—Dr. Phil McGraw, host of the nationally syndicated series Dr. Phil

“Take Charge of Your Life urges readers to stop blaming and start accepting responsibility for choices.”
—Jeannine Chartier Hanscom, ForeWord Reviews

Are you seeking a happier and more satisfying life? In Take Charge of Your Life, author Dr. William Glasser explains choice theory—a science of human behavior and principles for regaining and maintaining a life you control—and how it can help you find personal freedom from relationship-destroying external control.

Take Charge of Your Life, a revision of his 1984 book Control Theory, explains choice theory using personalized examples and illustrative stories that allow you to learn how to improve your relationships and take charge of your actions. Topics include marital and relationship problems, parenthood, addictions, pain management, and psychosomatic disorders. For each situation, Dr. Glasser ties behavior to the pictures people create in their minds of what they want. He explains how the pictures got there and how people can choose new behaviors to get what they really want.

In Take Charge of Your Life, Glasser offers a real model of empowerment. He shows how you can become a part of the equation that adds happiness and connection to the world in which you live now and to the world of future generations.

Purchase at iUniverse

About the author

William Glasser, a world-renowned psychiatrist who employs a nontraditional approach, has written more than twenty books, including Choice Theory and Eight Lessons for a Happier Marriage. Glasser is president of the William Glasser Institute and lives with his wife, Carleen, in Los Angeles, California.

Visit him online at www.wglasserbooks.com.



A copy of this book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for providing it.