OVERCOMING DEPRESSION WITHOUT DRUGS

About the Book

In this revolutionary new book on music and emotion, Dr. John A. Snyder shows us how not to get depressed. Drawing on 40 years of clinical experience as a psychotherapist, he demonstrates that antidepressant pills are dangerous, addictive, and don't work. What does work is listening to feelings and moving toward the very feelings we object to most. Snyder illustrates the special relationship between music and emotion by exploring the inner life of composer Gustav Mahler (1860-1911). Often wrongly portrayed as neurotic, Mahler was actually quite resilient, despite the many tragedies of his short life--a strength that came from his ability to listen to his darkest feelings.

Overcoming Depression explains how all of us can access that same emotional strength in our own lives. Written in a direct, conversational style and filled with personal stories from Snyder's life and practice, the book is designed to be a bedside companion to which readers can return again and again for insight and support.

“ Dr Snyder forcefully challenges what is currently being taught in professional schools and to the public about feeling states. His insights are invaluable for any person interested in how we understand and integrate feeling into our daily lives. I especially recommend this book to any professional who works with people suffering from depression." - Dr. William Packard, psychiatrist

"Interwoven with Mahler's riveting life story ,Dr. Snyder has another agenda: a sweeping analysis of how sadness--which should be viewed as a normal part of the life experience-- has been hijacked and given a new identity as a “Disease" requiring "Treatment" with a drug, courtesy of the pharmaceutical industry. -Dr. Donald Kushon, psychiatrist

" Like Leonard Bernstein in his “Young People’s Concerts," John Snyder makes Mahler come alive. He traces the emotional threads that are woven through Mahler's life-in-music, creating a tapestry that helps us better understand our own 'life symphony' and how to orchestrate it. The book's lively and straightforward style makes even subtle concepts easy to grasp." -Dr. Judith D. Fisher, psychiatrist

About the Author

Dr. John A. Snyder Dr. Snyder received his doctorate in 1967 from the University of Pennsylvania and was subsequently appointed an Instructor in Psychiatry in the School of Medicine to train psychiatric interns and residents in relational psychotherapy, using an approach developed under grants from the National Institute of Mental Health. For the last forty years, he has devoted his professional life to the independent practice of clinical psychology, helping hundreds of people to overcome depression and the pain of estrangement in relationships, and to live more exciting and rewarding lives. In the process, he has shaped the practice of many psychiatrists, psychologists, and family therapists as well. His innovative approach to relational dynamics is outlined in his 2005 book Flying Lessons: The Psychology of Intimacy and Anxiety. A licensed pilot and an avid sailor, Dr Snyder lives in the Chesapeake Bay town of St. Michaels with his life partner, Carolyn Mills. He has a pair of dancing shoes. Dr. Nancy Steffen-Fluhr Nancy Steffen-Fluhr is an associate professor in the Humanities Department at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and director of the institute's Murray Center for Women in Technology. She received her B.A. degree from Stanford University and her Ph.D. from Brandeis. She lives in a 100-year-old cottage in northern New Jersey with her husband Michael.