You Aren't Depression's Victim

We often think we must automatically fall into the depression pit, that there's no other option. An intimate look into Ms. Atlas's lifelong journey with depression, You Aren't Depression's Victim  • reveals how to identify where the edge of depression actually is, • provides tools to help you recognize depression before it hits, • and shines a light on simple actions that can help us step back from the edge. Living an "odd man out", roller coaster-like life, Atlas kept her depression hidden from family and friends – until she attempted suicide at age 14. From her emotional recovery to life at college, grad school and on to the Big Apple, Atlas strove to find meaning and balance while lacking the words or skills for her search. Living with a deep sense of inadequacy, her "I'm not good enough" constantly put a lid on her ability to be a star in her life. A chance meeting with a therapist became a lifeline when Atlas faced an overwhelming emotional crisis. The therapy that followed opened the door to life-changing insights and to desperately needed tools that helped her gain clarity, confidence and equilibrium. This book is the culmination of that work. Through her hard work and the lessons learned from it, Atlas discovered that we have a choice, that we don't have to be a victim of depression, and this unlocked a bright path to living a balanced and fulfilled life.

Debra Atlas has been a newspaper columnist, freelance environmental journalist, radio personality, professional blogger, a professional speaker and a green business practice consultant. A member of the Society of Environmental Journalists since 2000, her articles have covered topics as wide ranging as climate change, environmental conservation, sustainability, GMO-related issues, green innovation and agricultural themes. Her work has been published in newspapers, in regional and national magazines such as Earth Island Journal and Acres USA, and on numerous web and blog sites including earth911, FairPlanet.org, aNewsCafe.com, SerraClubGreenHome and on her blog envirothink.wordpress.com. She is also involved with animal rights and animal welfare and has supported numerous animal rescue organizations both in the U.S. and internationally. Aware of the line a journalist must walk, she is passionate about supporting animal rights and having those rights recognized at every level. Born and raised in South Texas, Debra has lived and worked on both the East and West Coast, An outside-the-box thinker with a wide range of interests, she believes finding daily inspiration is crucial to living a balanced, happy and fulfilled life.