Customer Reviews

The Antidepressant Survival Guide: The Clinically Proven Program to Enhance the Benefits and Beat the Side Effects of Your Medication

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As a medical author who has preached and written about nutritional/orthomolecular medicine over the years, I was very, very impressed with Dr. Hedaya's book; finally, we have a bona-fide physician with powerful credentials (Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown U., I believe) who extolls the benefits---not only of super nutrition in the treatment of depression, but of the food allergy connection (long disputed for its relationship to mood but clinically understood by 'fringe' clinicians for 50 years); hypoglycemia (remember that syndrome? it hasn't gone anywhere!); thyroid function (many doctors prescribe standard thyroid tests which may often miss more subtle defects in that organs' function, but Dr. Hedaya explains exactly what tests are needed to uncover these subtle defects and their connection to depression); vitamins (he actually recommends B-complex in the 50mg. range along with B-12 injections when necessary); adrenal function, and many others. Hedaya even includes notes that your doctor can read regarding testing (kind of like he calling your doctor on your behalf to convey information which is not always put into practice). Very well done.

If there is a slight negative to the book, Hedaya doesn't really endorse St. John's Wort (but does includes fair reasons why there may be some concerns regarding its use and does mention a qualified distributor) or Sam-E (which I have read is fairly safe, and has passed some clinical scrutiny in the treatment of depression). Also, Hedaya doesn't appear to make any mention of 5-HTP (the modern-day tryptophan derivative which has been shown in a number of clinical studies, to naturally and therapeutically improve brain levels of serotonin---the chemical implicated in many depressions). Nor are the very serious side of effects of Paxil withdrawl dealt with in any substantial way (only to say gradual withdrawl is the rule of thumb). I have seen, for example, some studies suggesting that there are nutrient remedies involving glutathione transport(?) which can significantly reduce Paxil side-effects which many support groups on the web report as horrible.

Having said all of this, I would still highly recommend Hedaya's book, as 90% of it is excellent, timely, informative, and deals with the medicine/nutrient connection in a way I haven't seen since Durk Pearson's book, Life Extension, first appeared over 2 decades ago. Finally, highly credentialed physicians in the medical establishment are 'getting it.' Bravo!

Dr. Hedaya has written a good book. He gives hope to people on anti-depressants that they can return to an active life. I especially benefitted from exercise program, diet (5 meals/day, balance carbohydrate and protein in ratio 2:3, get rid of sugar, caffeine....in your diet ), and supplements omega-3 oils, B vitamins....

However, my word of caution - he gives statistics on his patients who have adrenal and thyroid gland problems..... I was given the same diagnosis after my first visit, as well as a host of other problems were diagnosed. After great expense and an enormous amount of testing, none of the original diagnoses panned out ie. my health improved from the basics - diet/exercise and some supplements. If you consider doctors on a spectrum of those who test too little to those who test too much, Dr. Hedaya is definitely on the far extreme of testing a lot (as far as my own experience).

So my suggestion, is to follow the suggested diet and exercise as well as the supplements for at least 6-12 months before you spend thousands of dollars on a host of expensive tests. For myself, it took about 12-18 months to return to my normal weight, energy levels ....

I am writing this review after having both read his book and previously seen Dr. Hedaya as a patient.
Dr. Hedeya's "Whole Psychiatry" approach is basically a blend of psychiatry, Endocrinology, and alternative forms of medicine with little empirical evidence to support (ie functional medicine, orthomolecular medicine, etc.).
At the risk of appear too cynical, my impression was that impression that Dr. Hedaya's Clinic is more of a business than a medical practice. For example, his fees are grossly in excess of what other, similarly credentialed (ie psychopharmacologists) charge. Furthermore, some of his credentials are dubious- for example, Dr. Hedaya advertises himself as a member of the Endocrine Society; this is NOT SYNONYMOUS with being a Board-Certified Endocrinologist (ie you're better off seeing someone trained as a Board certified endocrinologist for a hormonal work-up; Dr. Hedaya even refers you to an endocrinologists if any of your endocrine lab tests are abberant.) Dr. Hedeya's "Whole Psychiatry" is basically a blend of psychiatry, Endocrinology, and alternative forms of medicine with little empirical evidence to support (ie functional medicine, orthomolecular medicine, etc.).

Secondly, there was an occasion where I was suffering from suicidal ideations and needed so speak with Dr. Hedaya (my therapist prodded me to keep calling until I got in direct contact with him). Unfortunately these ideations occurred on a weekday he didn't "work," and was inaccessible for several days. Several days later, after several attempts to call the office and speak with him, I finally was able to contact him, and was then charged hundreds for the "consultation."

Also, his office is inefficient. There were a couple of occasions in which Dr. Hedaya would order a lab test, forget to give me the prescription, and then it would take several calls to finally have the prescription sent to the right place. Also, for some reason Dr. Hedaya writes his prescriptions without refills, and there were occasions where the next available appointment wasn't until after the prescriptions ran out, and again it took several calls just to get the prescriptions filled.

Finally, some of the diet, exercise, and spiritual suggestions in the book are helpful; but the second half of the book is all about how to get your psychiatrist to perform workups that should more appropriately be performed by Endocrinologists. If I were to do it all over again, here are some general suggestions:

Dr. Hedaya's "Whole" approach to psychiatry encompasses some aspects of Endocrinology and other aspects of medicine with little or no empirical data to support (ie functional medicine, orthomolecular medicine, etc.) Stick to mainstream medicine and save yourself an excruciatingly expensive experience.
1) Avoid seeing Dr. Hedaya
2) Find someone equally as qualified as Dr. Hedaya (ie another psychopharmacologist) who charges more reasonable rates and is more accessible. I found a psychopharmacologist who was an AOA member (med school honors society), and charged $80 for 1/2 appointments and nothing for periodic calls, which were returned within a couple of hours at the most.
3) Have a Board-Certified Endocrinologist order, perform, and interpret your lab tests (ie to test for endocrine causes of psychopathology). In fact, I found one in my insurance's network and all I had to pay was a copay.
3) Dr. Hedaya will order literally thousands (ie $10k) at a time of grossly marked up lab tests which have little empirical evidence to support them (ie functional medicine, orthomolecular medicine, etc. lab tests) and aren't covered by insurance. Avoid paying this outrageous amount, and stick to the lab tests your endocrinologist orders (some of which may be the same as Dr. Hedaya's but are actually covered by insurance), and you'll have to pay little if anything.
4) Exercise regularly, find a spiritual outlet, and adhere to the "Zone Diet" (basically the other components of the book)

Dr. Hedaya gives some good advice. He points out how important antidepressants are for the well-being of many of us. He also discusses, rightly, how the SSRI's are far from being side effect-free. Finally, he gives some good tips on coping with these problem.
But I believe his advice is too extreme. Asking people to cut out all flour, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol is just not realistic for many folks, as anyone who knows about harm-reduction strategies in treating addictions can testify. If Dr. Hedays would be willing to modify his approach a bit, I think it would be more helpful. My impression from his tone, however, is that he would not be willing to do this.

I read this book soon after I started seeing Dr Hedaya for depression. There are some useful nuggets in the book about the benefits of good nutrition, regular exercise, and meditation. However, after following Hedaya's treatment plan to the letter for almost two years - including a regime of up to 30 supplements a day and various diets - and spending over $40,000 on appointments - he charges $400 per 50-minute appointment - and expensive lab tests, I got no results. His so-called integrative holistic approach ('whole psychiatry'), which is supposed to reduce a patient's dependence on medications, had me increasing the number of medications I was on, including an anti-convulsant. His claim to be able to restore a patient's vital biological factors and hormonal balance through nutritional supplements and special diets has not been supported by the available scientific evidence. If you do read the book, I recommend getting a second opinion before acting on its recommendations.

6 years ago I read this book and started to follow most of its suggestions, especially the dietary ones. I am the sort of person who needs to know the why of everything, and this book explains in great and convincing detail why you need to change what you eat and how (specifically) you should eat if you have depression and/or take anti-depressants. The most useful section, in my mind, is the list of "recipes" at the end. They are just the kind of absurdly simple meals I needed, many of which aren't even cooked. All these years later I still follow the proportions of protein to brown carbs/fruit and or veg the author recommends, and I am much better.

I will agree that it is incredibly hard to eat the way he recommends. Probably because so many depressed people self medicate with junk food! I soon discovered I could not get off the sweets without 12-step support, and needed to attend many OA meetings before I was able to get off the sugar/white flour/processed food hamster wheel. Critical reviewers might want to look at their own attachment to junk food. Your diseased brain could be leading you wrong....

I also highly recommend DesMaison's Potatoes not Prozac.

It is obvious that Dr. Hedaya has spent a lot of time in his field and a lot of time as well
putting together this book. I find the book very interesting, but there is no flare factor,
the book is well written and breaks everything down in its appropriate categories and
chapters, but nothing seems to jump out as something you must read.

He talks a lot about the healthy and organic ways that we should all be eating and that's
great, but there's nothing new about that, it just doesn't seem to have a valid point
other than the fact that we all know we should eat healthier and this is what happens
if you don't. He seems to bring up the same issues with proper exercise, this is OK, but
no surprise there either. His advice is to maximize the benefits of diet, exercise, vitamins
and supplements. He also promotes the fact that SSRI medication is still a critical part of
treatment for many.

In the first two chapters, he kind of contradicts himself. In the first chapter he talks about
an integrative approach to eliminating the side-effects and enhancing the benefits of
antidepressants. In the next chapter he mentions how antidepressants work against depression
and sometimes they work against you. So, its a little confusing at times, I'm pretty sure he
promotes and believes in antidepressants and at other times it sounds like he is against them.

I had a hard time following this book, there is a lot of good information here, but the print
is small and the chapters are long. Finding the information that you are looking for can be
challenging and sometimes frustrating. Overall a good book worth 3 1/2 stars.

Finally an integrated approach to long-term management of depression. This book bridges the gap between traditional and "alternative" approaches to depression. If you are an intelligent, educated person coping with a serious mood disorder, this is the ideal guide. This approach maximizes the benefits of diet, exercise, and vitamins; while acknowledging that SSRI medication is still a critical part of treatment for many. The author has impressive qualifications and backs up his advice with solid research references. The best popular work on the management of depression that I have read since my diagnosis over a decade ago.

There's nothing revolutionary here--all of the advice my grandmother used to give about avoiding refined, processed foods and eating "natural," "organic," fresh foods along with healthy doses of exercise, meditation, spirituality. Moreover, there's a certain arrogance about the author's prescriptions. For example, one of his dietary menus calls for "13 grapes." Heaven help you if it's 12 or 14. If the program doesn't work, don't blame it on Dr. Hedaya. For good measure, the author overwhelms you with advice--from weight-lifting to forming a compatible relationship with your therapist to testing for hypo-thyroidism to hormone replacement measures.

In sum, this is not a book likely to help anyone who is suffering from depression nor is it a book providing useful information about antidepressant side-effects ("serotonin-syndrome," for example).

Dr. Hedaya has written a manual for wellness. This book is a serious breakthrough and a must read for all medical professionals as well as patients. Dr. Hedaya follows a logical progression using the theory that we are what we eat. I have witnessed numerous successes using his ground rules. He is definitely on the cutting edge! I say it again, A MUST READ!