Natural Healing For Depression

Many of you who appear to have life under control are simply great actors. Underneath you live with inner tensions, anxiety or panic states, feelings of hopelessness or paranoia, racing thoughts, ongoing anger, bone-weary fatigue. . . . The good news is that all this is fixable. What is the best treatment for ongoing depression, mood swings, exhaustion, and anxiety? Psychotherapy? Prescription drugs? Or is there a natural way that works better and is safer, faster, and cheaper? There is, and now Joan Mathews Larson, Ph.D., the brilliant nutritionist who founded Minnesota's esteemed Health Recovery Center, offers her revolutionary formulas for healing your emotions--biochemically. Twenty years of working with both addicted and nonaddicted patients has shown Larson that unhealthy and unstable moods are the result of the chemistry of our physical brains and are not psychological in origin. When you feed your imbalanced brain what it craves--the key essential fatty acids (EFAs), natural mind-body hormones, and the right amino acids--most mood swings, depressions, anxiety, and other upsets will disappear, even if they have a genetic basis. Through proven all-natural formulas, Seven Weeks to Emotional Healing will help you find the emotional stability and well-being you've been missing your entire life. Inside you'll discover how to - Screen yourself for emotional and behavioral symptoms - Recognize the mental and physical clues that indicate biochemical imbalances - Find an open-minded health practitioner - Eat the right foods for optimal mental fitness Dr. Larson also provides her unique anti-aging formula that restores sexual function, rejuvenates the immune system, elevates mood and energy levels, reduces stress, and expands your life span! Seven Weeks to Emotional Healing is both responsible and effective--and gives you the tools you need to find lasting emotional health and contentment for the first time in your life.

Offers empowering new approaches for treating depression, which is an imbalance that affects body, mind, & spirit. Here, 9 nationally known experts from a wide range of alternative-complementary therapies offer new solutions for relieving depression by treating the whole person. Chapters: depression as emotional pain; herbal remedies from valerian to St. John's Wort; dietary factors, vitamins, minerals, & amino acids; naturopathic medicine; ayurveda: dietary therapies, detoxification, & other ancient techniques; Qigong & Chinese medicine for vitality & longevity; natural remedies for anxiety & depression; women & depression: an integrated, holistic approach; & spiritual transformation.

Complementary and alternative treatments for two of the most prevalent mental health complaints. Whether it’s the latest diet craze, acupuncture, fish oil, vitamin D, St. John’s wort, or some new “miracle mood cure,” many therapists don’t feel sufficiently well versed in the various complementary and alternative (CAM) remedies out there to give a sound opinion. Others may fear deleterious side-effects or interactions with psychiatric drugs their clients are already taking. Even more pervasive is the safety concern that their clients may inappropriately experiment with these treatments in lieu of more potent and, sometimes, necessary conventional care. This book addresses all these common concerns and more when it comes to treating anxiety and depression, providing an essential framework for understanding holistic care and helping to make sense of the alternative solutions available. Bongiorno, a naturopath who regularly works with mental health clients, walks readers through the fundamentals, laying out the basic principles of holistic care, the most salient CAM research to date as well as its safety concerns, and steps to take to determine if it’s appropriate to introduce a CAM modality to your client’s treatment. He also explains when holistic approaches may not be appropriate. Readers are then taught how to assess lifestyle and physiological factors that can contribute to a client’s anxiety and depression, such as sleep, diet, caffeine intake, exercise, sunlight exposure, media use, low blood sugar, cholesterol levels, thyroid issues, hormone issues, digestive health, and more. With an understanding of these underlying factors in place, the book goes on to outline the most effective vitamins, minerals, botanicals, and mind-body therapies for anxiety and depression—from amino acids to zinc, acupuncture to Qi gong, and everything in between—including dosages, best applications, and contraindications. How to work integratively when a client is already on an anxiolytic or antidepressant is also covered. A final chapter explains exactly how to make recommendations and design a successful treatment plan best suited to your client. With instructive graphics and loads of case vignettes, this resource is your go-to guide for understanding the complementary and alternative options for two of therapy’s most ubiquitous problems.

In the past decade, depression rates have skyrocketed, and one in four Americans will suffer from major depression at some point in their lives. Where have we gone wrong? Dr. Stephen Ilardi sheds light on our current predicament and reminds us that our bodies were never designed for the sleep-deprived, poorly nourished, frenzied pace of twenty-first century life. Inspired by the extraordinary resilience of aboriginal groups like the Kaluli of Papua New Guinea, Dr. Ilardi prescribes an easy-to-follow, clinically proven program that harks back to what our bodies were originally made for and what they continue to need. The Depression Cure program has already delivered dramatic results, helping even those who have failed to respond to traditional medications.

A proven, science-based, holistic approach to beating depression and feeling good—without medication—from the author of Put Anxiety Behind You. For many people who suffer from depression and anxiety, prescription drugs have either not been effective or have produced intolerable side effects. Now, naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist Peter Bongiorno, ND, LAc, offers a drug-free approach for healing depression in How Come They’re Happy and I’m Not. Bongiorno explains that depression and chronic low moods often have roots in physical ailments: inflammation, digestive problems, poor nutrient absorption, or disease. Depression can also be brought on by spiritual concerns, life events, or simply insufficient resources in dealing with day-to-day stress. Bongiorno’s integrative, natural approach to psychology and healing, which he has used successfully with his own patients, features a personalized approach that includes: Working with your doctor to identify underlying causes of depression with blood tests and dietary changesBotanical medicines, yoga, massage, and acupuncture pointsA treatment plan based on your particular symptoms and circumstances

52 weeks of yoga practice, wisdom, and ritual to help you slow down, restore balance, and nourish mind, body, and spirit. Sequenced by the astrological calendar, The Yoga Almanac is a practical guide to help you reintegrate with recurring cosmic rhythms, and invite the sacred into your life through learning, movement, breath, and ritual. Featuring 52 seasonally-themed chapters, the Almanac is a comprehensive jumping off point to deepen your relationship to yoga—and to yourself. Each chapter includes a seasonal theme with an overview of yogic theory, as well as an illustrated asana to begin the physical exploration of your practice. You’ll also find weekly rituals to integrate these teachings into your daily life, and a short dharma talk as reference and nod to tradition. Finally, this unique, holistic handbook will help you develop a transformational practice that flows with the cycles of the astrological year—beginning with spring and culminating in winter. Whether you’re looking for weekly inspiration, a crash course in yogic theory, or a blueprint for developing your own yoga routine, The Yoga Almanac provides a foundation for reconnecting with the deepest parts of yourself and discovering your authentic place in the world.

Depressive disorders affect almost 10% of the North American adult population age 18 and older in a given year, and about 25% of adults will have a major depression episode. It is projected that depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease by 2020. Conventional medicine is adept at prescribing medications for depression, but not well versed at addressing the causes of depression or preventing this disease. Fortunately, naturopathic medicine has proven to be especially effective and safe in doing do. Healing Depression is an authoritative guide for the naturopathic, conventional, and integrative practitioner, providing comprehensive information about the underlying factors that contribute to depression, how to diagnose the disease properly, and how to safely and effectively treat depression using natural medicines, while weaning patients from medications. Depression is a multifactorial disease best treated by a multifaceted integrative approach. Treating the cause affords the most complete and long-lasting clinical result, while cooperating with the healing power of nature (vis medicatrix naturae) is the guiding principle of naturopathic medicine, unifying its multifaceted modalities, from clinical nutrition and botanical medicine to homeopathy and mind-body therapy. Based on the most current research and evidence-based practices, Healing Depression will become a standard text for medical libraries, healthcare practitioners, and patients for years to come. "Living a life without joy is what living with depression is like. Dr Bongiorno has provided an excellent overview of depression as well as a guide to how it is treated in both standard and naturopathic models. His book will help healthcare providers of all licenses raise their patients out of the pit of depression." -- Dr Walter Crinnion, ND, Professor, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine