Managing your depression or bipolar disorder effectively is critical to maintaining your emotional balance and stability. People who participate actively in their care and work to manage their illness have a better chance of recovery and of staying well. Managing your depression means that you learn about the illness and that you use certain behaviors, strategies, and skills each day to stay well and respond to the symptoms you have. These strategies are the core content of my Managing Your Depression: What You Can Do to Feel Better, written in a practical, straightforward style that is accessible to those in the midst of an episode of depression.