For those looking for alternatives to the standard drug and psychotherapy approach to treating depression, this book is a great place to start.

It starts by describing the biochemical dysfunctions that can result in depression including hormonal imbalances, toxicity, and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). The book then moves on to the various natural solutions to the treatment of depressive illness.

The natural antidepressant therapies are split into distinct categories which makes browsing the book for a particular type of therapy very easy. The categories start with diet and nutritional supplements before moving on to herbal remedies, homeopathy, electromagnetic therapy, exercise, bodywork and sleep solutions, and finally onto a psychotherapy section which includes cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), meditation, and relaxation techniques.

All of the major antidepressant supplements and herbal remedies are covered including 5-HTP, SAMe, and St. John's Wort. The inclusion of non-invasive therapies such as bright light therapy and electromagnetic devices is fantastic and an area that a lot of books on natural antidepressants sometimes overlook.

The book is very well laid out and the author does a great job of helping the reader to sort through all the options to determine which natural solution(S) might be the most suitable for them personally. Many treatments are accompanied by bullet lists which help readers assess their applicability to their mental health issues.

On a personal note, I suffered from depression and anxiety as part of more extensive environmental illness for many years and tried every type of antidepressant medication going with not a hint of any improvement at all. After trying various natural alternatives including amino acids, herbs, and bright light therapy, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are highly effective and work very quickly indeed.

This book is very comprehensive, covering all the available natural options for treating depression so I would recommend it to all who are looking for effective natural solutions to low mood and depression.

One of the most exciting developments in the field of mental health in recent years has been the recognition of the vital role that fatty acids, particularly omega-3s, play in maintaining healthy brain function. The brain structure itself is composed of a large amount of fat and the type of fats are very important.

The author of this book, Andrew. L. Stoll, is Professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and is a major researcher into the effects of omega-3s on mental health.

Although Stoll notes that this field of investigation is still in its infancy he presents convincing evidence that omega-3s are vital for mental health and that supplementing them can effectively treat mood disorders. This evidence includes major epidemiological evidence that shows lower rates of depression in cultures that consume large amounts of omega-3s, and Stoll's own studies demonstrating that increasing dietary intake and supplementing pure omega-3 fatty acids can reduce depression symptoms. There is good evidence that this holds true when all conventional therapies have failed.

In addition, we learn that omega-3s have shown promising results treating other problems, such as the inability to handle stress, memory loss, and cognitive decline.

Although the book goes into a great deal of detail about how omega-3s do what they do and the research that has been conducted to date, the author also writes on a very pragmatic level, offering dietary advice to increase intake of omega-3s, and even providing a number of recipes.

This is a great book from one of the leading experts in this exciting area of nutrition and mental health research. A must read for those suffering from mood disorders.

*I would also recommend looking into the work of Prof. Basant Puri, another leading researcher on the same subject who has done much to bring the subject to public attention.

This book describes how important exercise can be for mental health and is written by A Professor of psychology at San Jose State University.

In it we learn that exercise can be used to maintain mood or even to treat cases of clinical depression. The author reviews the scientific research in the area and compares how well excercise relieves depression compared to more traditional treatments such as psychotherapy and drug therapy.

Usefully the author provides techniques for motivating oneself to exercise whilst in the grips of depression, which obviously can be a very difficult thing to do.

Most of the book is focused on running but the author points out that any aerobic exercise that gets your body moving and breathing hard will help to elevate mood. He does say that drugs and psychotherapy may also be required in severe cases of depression and anxiety but the evidence for the benefits of exercise on mood is very strong.

In terms of environmental illness patients this book may or may not be useful, it really depends on the exacr nature of your illness. Those with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and perhaps Gulf War syndrome should be very wary of aerobic exercise as it can do more harm than good and research has in fact shown that mood elevating chemicals do not increase in the braisn of these patients as they do in healthy individuals during and after exercise. Someone with irritable bowel syndrome only however may benefit greatly from aerobic exercise and the stress reducing and mood elevating effects it has. Obviously this is something that each indivual should discuss with their doctor.

In conclusion, I found this to be a very interesting and in depth look at exercise and mood but because the recommendations are not suitable for many suffering from environmental illnesses I have not rated it as highly as I would for a healthy audience.

Mental and emotional disturbances are a major part of Environmental Illnesses and drugs are often not the best option since they add to the detoxification burden of the body and many patients are sensitive to them and cannot tolerate them at all. This book describes natural alternatives that can safely improve mood and mental functioning.

Dr. Sahelian has a very sensible approach to using natural supplements in that he always advises starting at the very lowest dose available and increasing very slowly so as to avoid any adverse reactions. He suggests that many product formulations contain too high a dose that really isn't required to get beneficial results. In this vein he starts off this book by offering 10 pieces of advice about using natural mind boosting supplements safely and effectively.

The first section of the main text gives a good outline of how the brain works, or doesn't work in the event of various illnesses. This is followed by advice on healthy habits that may help maintain a healthy brain and substances to avoid to achieve this goal.

The main part of the book deals with the natural supplements that may help improve brain functioning. These are split into a number of categories including brain fats, amino acids, psychoactive herbs, and methyl donors. Dr. Sahelian draws on research evidence and historical uses in the discussion of each supplement and then describes his own experience with it. He has personally tried every supplement he discusses which I found to be a useful addition to the purely medical and research derived information. Personal and subjective experience has been seriously devalued in modern medicine but I believe most people will find the author's own impressions offer a useful additional perspective.

The book concludes with nutrient programs aimed at specific conditions and age groups.

I found this to be a well written and well rounded exploration of the use of natural supplements to improve mental functioning and would certainly recommend it.

The author of this book is a psychotherapist who runs a community health centre. Importantly, he has struggled with depression himself so has first-hand experience of what this crippling condition actually feels like to the patient. This, along with the experience the author has treating depressed patients in his clinic, means that he has a great deal of wisdom to offer.

Medication and therapy are often helpful to many patients either alone or in combination, but Richard O'Conner suggests they are not the whole solution. He offers a wealth of practical advice for the depressed patient themselves, as well as family and close friends, to follow to offer the individual the best chance of overcoming their affliction.

Amongst the highlights of this book for me were the section describing the many and varied reasons why people often fail in successfully overcoming their depression. It highlights the common patterns of thinking that depressed patients get stuck in which hinders their efforts to break free of their dark moods. When you are depressed it is very hard to see what is right in front of your eyes so having someone point out what you might be doing wrong is very beneficial indeed.

The many case studies that the author presents from his clinical experience with patients is also a helpful addition to the book.

This is a very refreshing book on depressive illness by an author with a lot of experience both personal and professional and I would highly recommend it to all. My only complaint is that the book is promoted as a "holistic" approach to depression but neglects to mention alternative/complementary therapies such as nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, acupuncture, and others that can be very helpful alone or in combination with more orthodox treatments. Ignoring this and taking the book for what it is, it will be of great help to many.