Too blue ; Written and Drawn by Neil Phillips

The World Health Organisation says that depression will be one of the major causes of death and suffering in the twenty first century. Depression is common, troublesome, painful and dangerous. It is frequently overlooked and often mistaken for mere blues and blahs.  
 
Written for adults but also useful to teenagers, Too Blue, will take you on a journey into the world of depression. Through words and cartoons this book vividly illustrates and explains depression and other mood disorders. The simple text and many drawings bring the symptoms of depression and the havoc of mania into clear focus. Treatments are described and explained in a balanced way. A special section is provided for those who want to know something about the underlying workings of the brain and how they relate to depression.  
 
Too Blue is an encouraging book which tackles tough topics like suicide in a clear and helpful way. It is a book which will prove useful to those who suffer from depression and for other people too. After all, just about everybody, sooner or later, is involved with someone who is seriously depressed.  
 
The author and illustrator of Too Blue is a psychiatrist who shares with the reader knowledge and optimism acquired through decades of helping depressed people battle their painful illness.

The Secret Problem ; by Chris Wever
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Children

About two percent of children and teenagers have Obsessive Compulsive disorder and it makes them very miserable. It is also very hard on families. Because the symptoms feel so strange many children are frightened and ashamed so they keep what is happening to them secret. They also often get into trouble because of their rituals and concerns. It is very important for families and children to seek help because there are effective treatments and the problem can cause major disability if allowed to develop unchecked. The text of the book is very simple and the drawings are clear and bring the symptoms and solutions to life. This book will be very valuable to children with OCD and it will also help adults with the disorder.  
 
The Secret Problem is written by Dr Chris Wever and the drawings are by Dr Neil Phillips both of whom are psychiatrists with years of experience working with OCD.

The Panic Book ; Written and drawn by Neil Phillips
Panic Disorder

Panic Disorder is common and very troublesome. About three people in a hundred have it at some stage in life and many of those who have panic attacks go on to develop agoraphobia which ruins their lives. Having a full blown panic attack is a horrifying business and feels deadly, although it's not.  
 
Panic attacks can happen to anyone including those who have proved themselves very brave under other circumstances. Often, someone who has panic attacks thinks that he or she is the only person who has such weird and unpleasant experiences. Someone who has panic attacks may be reluctant to speak about it and take elaborate steps to avoid doing things, which may bring on the panic again. Madness or some deadly illness is feared and life becomes miserable. Avoiding doing things and amplifying worries only make the Panic Disorder worse.  
 
Most of the suffering caused by Panic Disorder is unnecessary because effective treatments are available and safe.  
 
"The Panic Book" will tell you a lot about panic and it will tell you how it can be treated and beaten. It is written and illustrated by a Psychiatrist who has worked with panicky people for many years.

Helping Your Anxious Child - A Step-by-step guide for parents ; by Ronald Rapee

This book's authors, who teach and practise clinical psychology in Australia, describing various forms of childhood anxiety, and show parents how to help their child to develop the skills necessary to manage their anxiety, including relaxation, thinking realistically, facing up to fears, and learning better social interaction.

The Explosive Child - A new approach for understanding and parenting easily frustrated, chronically inflexible children ; by Ross Greene.

There is no 'one size fits all' approach to helping these children who are variously diagnosed with any of a variety of psychiatric disorders- and are simply hell to live with. Greene describes an approach aimed at decreasing adversarial interactions between explosive children and their parents to anticipate situations in which the child is most likely to explode, focusing less on communication and collaborative problem solving. This is a very helpful book for the parents of the child who has striking inflexibility and low frustration tolerance.

The Confident Child- Raising children to believe in themselves ; by Terri Apter

This book on children's self-esteem concentrates on the crucial years from five to fifteen when children learn to assess their abilities and form expectations of success or failure. Social psychologist and Cambridge researcher Terri Apter draws on her own extensive research and, using the technique known as emotional coaching, shows parents how to promote self- confidence in their child. She concentrates on how parents can spot problems in a child's ideals about who she is and what she is worth; how to be an imperfect parent without ruining your child's life; how to deal with success and failure at school; and the effects of sibling rivalry on self- confidence. This is a hugely insightful and reassuring book. It has won an Educator's Award in the USA.

Good Friends Are Hard Too Find- Help your child find, make and keep friends ; by Fred Frankel.

Fred Frankel heads the UCLA Social Skills Training Program. His book is based on the program and guides parents - in a systematic, step-by-step approach - in helping their 5- 12 year-olds to make friends and solve problems with other children. It also offers concrete help for teasing, bullying and meanness, both for the child who is picking on and for the tormentors.

Conflict Resolution Activities That Work ; by Kathleen Hollenbeck.

The activities in this book - designed for second and third graders - build students' confidence in their ability to solve and prevent problems. Puppet plays, story strips, conflict cubes, listening wheels, a student play and the use of storybooks are all tools at the disposal of the classroom teacher, requiring no advance planning. Includes photocopiable handouts.

Self-Esteem Games- 300 fun activities that make children feel good about themselves ; by Barbara Sher

The games described here are meant to be played by two people: you and your child. There are group games too, and games for children all ages (under5 as well) and either sex. Barbara Sher emphasizes the child's strengths and abilities, expressing everyday feelings and reactions, and building relationships by being with friends and trusting others. There are games that celebrate uniqueness, and games that build confidence by getting to know one's body and senses. There is no special preparation or equipment needed, and the games can be played virtually anywhere.

I Want Your Moo - A story for children about self-esteem ; Written by Marcella Weiner and Jill Neimark, illus.

Toodles the turkey hates her 'gobble gobble'. She wanted a sound that was deep and profound or soft as a song. Toodles is sad and unhappy until one day her unique sound comes in handy. 'I guess I am the way I was always meant to be' she says. This story reinforces the uniqueness we all possess, 4- 8 years.

Self- Esteem For Tots To Teens- How you can help your children feel more confident and lovable ; by Eugene Anderson et al.

In this book the authors recommend five principles for building self- esteem in children. The five chapters illustrate how to apply each of these principles, along with vignettes, and are organised into three sections: Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, and Teens. The case studies and the principles combine to give parents practical strategies to tackle a range of childhood and teenager issues.