The best one can say about any of these methods is that although they haven't been proven, they're also not likely to be harmful, at least not for the run of the mill depressions and anxieties that most of us suffer at some time or another. I wouldn't recommend them for the suicidal or the severely schizophrenic, but for the chronically sad or anxious, they could be worth a try. Especially when conventional medicine has failed. And to Dr. Servan-Schreiber's credit, he provides ample reference to back up his support of each method. And he never claims miracles for them or touts them to the exclusion of other treatment modalities.
The best recommendations, however, are at the end of the book. Not just the chapter that covers the importance of regular exercise to mental well-being, but the final five chapters devoted to the importance of emotional communication. That doesn't mean communicating raw emotions with bald frankness, but developing the emotional maturity to speak honestly without giving offense, and to respond to the emotional rants of others without taking offense. (The "can't-we-all-just-get-along?" method of inner healing.) In stark contrast to the beginning of the book, which emphasizes the disconnect between the rational and emotional brains, this emphasizes the supremacy of the rational mind over the emotional mind. (The author recommends carrying around index cards with acronyms that stand for each step in the process of effective emotional communication -both in the giving and the receiving - to help you get through it at first.) And as dorky as it may seem to take out a cheat sheet in the middle of a tempest, I find myself tempted to make up a set of cards to keep in my pocket. Lord knows there are plenty of times thoughout the day I could use them. (And so could some others around here.)
Article comments
1 - Chris Kent
This is a great blog Sydney and fascinating. You probably didn't need the final sentence as what you were insinuating was clear.
I have seen some people on anti-depressants and I could see how it changed them in odd, zombie-like ways. From that experience, I don't believe I would ever take such drugs to cure anxiety or depression. I do believe talking to a therapist is productive in the short term for most people.
Just about all of the suggestions from Instinct to Heal sound productive....
2 - Shark
Nice work, Sydney. Sounds interesting. Will check it out.
One shouldn't discount 'complementary/alternative medicine' too quickly, especially when it's practiced by an MD (ie. under scientific auspices).
My wife is an RN, and a lot of MDs are getting into 'alternative' medicine these days. The science lags behind, but because some are using clinical applications, more studies should arrive sooner than later.
re. Omega-3 --- Believe it: From what the RN says, Omega-3 appears to be somewhat of a miracle 'drug' for many illnesses.
The big complaint with most Americans is stress/depression, and doctors are finding these anti-depressants often cause physiological imbalances that end up making the situation worse. But as your review / author acknowledges, a lot of this is 'lifestyle' depression, meaning you're bummed out because your life sucks. Hard to treat that w/traditional drugs. And it's the rare family physician who'll say, "Dump your jerk spouse and get a pet."