The Wisdom of Depression : A Guide to Understanding and Curing Depression Using Natural Medicine
Author: Jonathan G. Zuess
List Price: $13.00
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ISBN: 0609804707
Publisher: Three Rivers Press (07 September, 1999)
Sales Rank: 302,337
Average Customer Rating: 4 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 1 out of 5
The Wisdom of a Grain of Salt . . .
What does it mean, really . . . take it with a grain of salt? The bottom line is, that the good doctor gives advice that may indeed be useful, like recycle yor garbage and join the Sierra Club. Also, I agree with Dr. Zeuss that it is the tendency of modern doctors to grab the prescription pad too quickly.However, the book is in general a load of self indulgent spewing of one man's opinions. It negates the reality of a group of people who suffer from a natural physical disorder that has been stygmatized and is hard to talk about and can ultimatelñy life threatening. When considering suicide, Dr. Zeuss suggests that you avoid fat in your diet. That you jot down some notes regarding your dreams, and that you not feel too badly about yourself if you still eat a little chocolate.
There is not doubt that all of life is connected, that the bodymind Dr. Zeuss refers to has some merit.
But for those people on this earth struggling with clinical depression and its accompanying despair, Dr. Zeuss has written a book that comes off as patronizing, insulting, trying to sell St. John's Wort and a couple of cookbooks as well.
So take it with a grain of salt if you have to read it at all.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Yes, but ...
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the author makes excellent points about the origins and function of depression: how it can be a wake-up call, a learning experience, or the body's way of ensuring that someone gets the rest and the caretaking he/she needs. I also felt that his "holistic" approach to depression is right on: One of my best friends leads a life that would depress the cheeriest soul alive, and takes massive doses of Prozac to cope with it. While she had problems with depression long before she painted herself into this corner, I think the drug is just suppressing the anger and frustration that might stimulate her to get out of it. On the other hand, several chapters struck me as a sales pitch for St. John's Wort, and I have some real problems with that: the potential for abuse, the dangers of self-medication and unpredictable dosages, etc. In general, I think the book has some excellent advice for depression sufferers, but I'd advise readers to view the St. John's Wort sections with extreme caution.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Important & Better Approach To Depression
So called modern medicine alone is fragmented and incomplete. Zuess's book is a step in the right or 'whole' direction. This is an important book. Interesting to note is the parallels between depressed people dreaming more than the 'not depressed', I hesitate to use the word 'happy'. People may also gain tremendous insight to the written words of J. Krishnamurti (for lack of a better work a so called religious philosopher) who spoke repeatedly decades ago of the parallels between dreaming and unawareness. That is, - to not be fully aware of everyday things and our thoughts relating to these things. For example, we see something that makes us judge something from reflex without reasoning out the truth behind our justifications. 'Knee-jerk' thoughts and reactions. These thoughts arise by our conditioning and environment. The only way to be free of conditioning is to be wholly aware. It's hard work, try it. But, when you do, you will SEE a reduction of dreaming and consequently a raising of spirits as you 'clean out your head' so to speak. Buddists speak of it as mindfullness, it is one of the noble truths of man.
The point is this: modern medicine is also spiritual. Thank you J. Zuess for moving all this into the right direction.
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