Can depression be treated by antidepressant medications alone? Many Americans hope for a quick easy “magic bullet” to cure what ails them. Depression is a very real illness due to complex interacting factors. These can include genetic, environmental, social, nutritional, hormonal, chemical imbalances and stress factors. Due to the complexity of the illness, magic bullets may not be enough to cure an episode or prevent repeated episodes of depression.

In Strohecker’s guide – Natural Healing for Depression, a comprehensive view of alternative treatments to complement or substitute for conventional psychiatric care is discussed. Open-minded curious people and those not helped by the bullets can find this text informative. Natural Healing takes a holistic approach. This approach seeks to restore balance to the whole person, which includes body, mind and spirit. The effectiveness of these alternative treatments may be assessed by the individual since they are not backed by conventional research. The book states these sometimes ancient or more contemporary treatments can help one deal with his or her own mild or transient depression. When dealing with moderate to serious cases of depression, the book advises to utilize these alternative treatments in partnership with a health care professional. It is important to seek professional help in serious cases of depression where suicide is a real threat.

This book also provides useful information for improving the general well-being and health of an individual. It provides good common sense dietary, lifestyle and stress management guidelines for the readers’ use. This information can be beneficial to the general population.

What types of alternate treatments are discussed in Natural Healing? This book explores the Eastern treatments of Qigong, Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda of India. Also, the Mind/Body Approach, Naturopathic Medicine and Homeopathy are discussed. The text also gives information on Nutritional Therapy, herbal treatments, psychotherapy and the benefits of spirituality.

Natural Healing for Depression is an interesting comprehensive book for open-minded individuals seeking information on holistic methods of dealing with depression when the magic bullet may miss its mark.

Dianne is a widow living with her two daughters, two dogs, two cats and two lovebirds in Western PA. She formerly worked in nursing at the VA Medical Center in Butler. After she lost her husband to suicide, she chose to go back to college to study Psychology. She earned her B.S. in Psychology in 1990 and M.A. in Counseling Psychology in 1993. Dianne has worked as a therapist with adult and adolescent trauma clients and in addictions counseling. She has also taught General Psychology on the college level. She is an avid reader, enjoys photography, drawing and painting. She is also an avid animal lover who enjoys horseback riding.

Categories: Depression, Medications, SelfHelp

Tags: Depression (Unipolar), Alternative Medicine