Depression: the imprisoning experience of isolation and fear which comes when we realise that there is a serious discrepancy between what we thought our life to be and what it actually is.From birth onwards we create our own secure worlds of meaning. Challenged seriously enough, these worlds can crumble, leaving us despairing, frightened, isolated, helpless. But we are not helpless. We can resolve to save ourselves by embarking on a journey of understanding and self-acceptance, and finally and for ever break free of the bonds of depression.Dorothy Rowe, the internationally renowned psychologist and expert on depression, brings together in this book what twenty-five years of research have shown her about depression, and shows us how every one of us can take charge of our life and find the way to happiness, hope and freedom.