Overview

Experiences of Depression is a philosophical exploration of what it is like to be depressed. In this important new book, Matthew Ratcliffe develops a detailed account of depression experiences by drawing on work in phenomenology, philosophy of mind, and several other disciplines. In so doing, he makes clear how phenomenological research can contribute to psychiatry, by helping us to better understand patients' experiences, as well as informing classification, diagnosis, and treatment. Throughout the book, Ratcliffe also emphasizes the relevance of depression to philosophical enquiry. He proposes that, by reflecting on how experiences of depression differ from 'healthy' forms of experience, we can refine our understanding of both. Hence phenomenological research of this kind has much wider applicability. He further shows how the study of depression experiences can inform philosophical approaches to a range of topics, including interpersonal understanding and empathy, free will, the experience of time, the nature of emotion and feeling, what it is to believe something, and what it is to hope.This book will be of interest to anyone seeking to understand and relate to experiences of depression, including philosophers, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, therapists, and those who have been directly or indirectly affected by depression.

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9780199608973

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Reviews

This book is truly in its own class. I can appreciate the detailed description of the experience of depression. One cannot read this book without reflecting on the different depressive symptoms. Undoubtedly, it will help readers empathize with people struggling with depression. -- Doody's

This book raises and explores important questions about psychiatric diagnosis and about the subjective experience of depression. * Daniel Brass, Austin Health, Melbourne; Journal of Mental Health * This provides a detailed exploration of the nature and experience of depression using rigorous philosophical methods. . . the book provides thought-provoking material and will deepen even an experienced readers understanding of the nature of depression. * Claire McCarthy and Michael Nance, Australasian Psychiatry, 24(1), 2016 * The book is an important contribution to phenomenology in general and to the phenomenology of mood disorder in particular, and it provides those who suffer from depression — as well as those who care for them — a powerful new way to understand and express their experiences. * Katherine Withy, Georgetown University, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *

Author Information

Matthew Ratcliffe is a Professor of Philosophy at Durham University. Most of his research addresses issues in phenomenology, philosophy of psychology, and philosophy of psychiatry. He is the author of Rethinking Commonsense Psychology: A Critique of Folk Psychology, Theory of Mind and Simulation (Palgrave, 2007) and Feelings of Being: Phenomenology, Psychiatry and the Sense of Reality (Oxford University Press, 2008).

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