Customer Reviews

Healing without Freud or Prozac: Natural Approaches to Curing Stress, Anxiety, Depression without Drugs and without Psychotherapy

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4 star:		(5)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a working hypnotherapist I was thrilled to see such a congruent explanation of the relationships between the cognative and emotional minds and the 'mind of the heart'.
Our efforts as humans to live a happy and healthy life depend on our ability to balance the above and when we fail in this we suffer our pain and illness.
What sheer delight to read on and discover that this balance can be easily achieved by following the seven healing techniques which have been practiced and clinically trialed and proven by the author and his collegues. I was able to discover and heal a long standing emotional wound from my early childhood and free myself of the defensive behavior I used to hide it. If you are suffering emotional, physical or spiritual disfunction, buy, read and do this work!

This is a brilliant book. The balance of advice is excellent, from medical to common sense to alternative therapies, this man has a really sound outlook on life. It's not just psychological advice either ~ the chapters about doing voluntary work, exercise and nutrition are very helpful too and are important factors often forgotten by people looking for more complicated answers.
It confirmed some ideas I'd read elsewhere and gave me new ideas also.
If you're wavering about whether to buy this book or not, don't hesitate, buy it! It's well worth the money and time to invest in your wellbeing and life.

So many of the books that attempt to deal with depression and anxiety promise so much and deliver nothing more than verbose and vague suggestions that simply don't work.
This book succeeds where many many others fail. The author has brought together in one place a simple and accessible explanation of the latest therapies and treatments for depression that are not based on the current sacred cows of drugs we don't entirely understand and talking therapies that don't appear to have ever cured a single patient.
He looks at such developments such as EMDR and Heart Coherence and how diet and lifestyle can be altered to significantly improve ones mental state. Most imporatantly he lists contact details for organisations that practice these methods.

Revolutionary!

As someone who was an indirect victim of depression, I have since read quite widely on topics related to all aspects of depression, anxiety and how best to combat them. This book offers information on several techniques which could potentially help combat the "drug 'em up and ship 'em out again" attitude that seems to be so prevalent nowadays, especially among US doctors.

As a medical student, I think this book is excellent in the way it offers alternative suggestions to medication however I would have appreciated more detail into the explanations of how the alternatives work. (I suppose that's what the list of references is for though).

The book is filled with real life cases from the authors practice which are used to get points across. These may make the book more accessible to the lay reader but in my opinion, only take up space which could be used in explaining topics in more detail. That's my only issue with an otherwise excellent book.

Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in the health of the mind.

I was a bit sceptical when I bought this book, thinking it was yet another book with an anti - prozac view and no real advice. But I was really wrong. It is a great book, with advice and help that is invaluable to those suffering from depression.I did find the first two chapters a bit boring, and a bit "new age" but the rest is FANTASTIC.The books tone is upbeat and does not suffer from the " poor me " and over sensitive way that some depression books can. Instead the author approaches everything in an easily understood medical approach but also very humanised
The author suggests several different theories/ ideas that will not only help you cope with depression but also life in general. Ideas that you will probably find you will continue to use and will help improve the quality of your life. It is a great book that will definately get you thinking, hoping and making changes.This opens your eyes, mind and heart to different ideas.It is a book that will DEFINATELY make a differance.

Written by an author with serious scientific credentials, a selection of 7 alternative options for dealing with depression are presented - alongside the mainstream scientific evidence which actually backs up their effectiveness. Very readable. Should be compulsory reading for GPs and psychiatrists so they might pause before writing out that prescription.

A refreshing take on treating depression & anxiety. Information makes total sense and offers real advice on how to improve your life. Should be available on the NHS.

I have been treated for depression for over 10 years in both the UK and US, as I was transferred for work. I started with Prozac, then replaced by Efexxor 150mg. In the US they tripled the dose to 450mg and at one point I was taking 5 different products. I recently moved back to the UK and suddenly felt the urge to find a different way to feel better. I came across this book and I'm very thankful. I tried to read it with an open mind. I didn't have much to lose. I have now been through 6 acupuncture sessions; I have been taking Flex oil and tried to practice a bit of heart coherence. I'm still behind with physical exercise and haven't tried EMDR. I have single handedly reduced the Efexxor back to 150mg and I only take a small dosage of Remeron (mirtazapine). Ultimately, I want to get off all chemicals. I feel better than I've felt in years. If you can, give your own natural healing instinct a chance.

So many self help books promise so much but ultimately fail to deliver. This is not one of them. Dr David Servan-Shreiber is a psychiatrist with many years of diverse practise under his belt. Instead of becoming enveloped in the antiquated thinking that has hindered psychiatry for years, Servan-Shreiber has combined his experiences in psychiatry with his background as a neuroscientist and a willingness to look elsewhere for answers. It's refreshing to have a psychiatrist that will try to understand the root cause of ones problem before reaching for the prescription pad.

In this book we are introduced to seven alternative methods for fighting stress, anxiety and depression, some have been around since the coming of man, some are cutting edge. Heart coherence is explained as a method of managing stress, with the heart acting as a sort of bridge to our emotional well being. EMDR has been used in the treatment of PTSD and is proving to be quite successful also in the treatment of anxiety and panic disorders. Light therapy is explored and the positives are there for all to see. Acupunture and it's direct effect on the emotional brain are also explored. The nutrition revolution and in particular the benefits of taking Omega-3 fatty acids are explained. Exercise goes hand in hand with nutrition and this book is no different in that regard. Finally love is the key, both loving yourself and finding a strong emotional connection with another person can be quite a powerful thing.

There is great benefit to be derived from this book, putting it's findings into practise is the key. A psychiatrist willing to embrace alternative methods of therapy is a rarity and although medication has a place I believe it should be part of the treatment. Maybe we as a society should try to take a leaf out of Servan-Shreiber's book and insist on a more holistic approach to mental health issues.

As a sufferer of mental illness to varying degrees for over 15 years it is inspriational to read a book which offers a lifeline and potential freedom from depression, anxiety, and stress. What comes across most is that most of the advice is accessible and a lot of which is self administered. Nothing is easy but at least there is a path that offers hope outside of medication and talk therapies which only scratched the surface for me and did not take away the isolation.

The book has inpsired me and given me inner confidence from just reading it. The journey starts today. The best Christmas present ever. Thank you Dr David.