Customer Reviews

The Chemistry of Joy: A Three-Step Program for Overcoming Depression Through Western Science and Eastern Wisdom

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At last! A doctor that differentiates between different types of depression...

Most doctors rate depression according to its severity. They may state that you are experiencing a major depressive episode or a mild depressive episode, or perhaps you have seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Dr Henry Emmons has a different approach. He classifies depression as follows:

Anxious Depression

Agitated Depression

Sluggish Depression


This is a potential break-through in diagnosis and the possibilities it offers for treatment. According to Emmons you may be a combination of the above three types but most likely show a preference to one type or another.

More significantly, each type of depression is attributed to an excess or deficit of chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the brain. Many people will already know that low levels of serotonin, otherwise known as the happiness brain chemical, can lead to depression and disrupted sleep patterns. However Emmons suggests that dopamine and norepinephrine also have a role in depression. This is not entirely new, however the attribution of specific types of depressions and tailored treatment is new.

Anxious Depression is characterised by low levels of serotonin and feelings of inadequacy and excessive worry, together with insomnia and potential carbohydrate cravings.

Agitated Depression is said to result from an excess of dopamine and norepinephrine resulting in restlessness, anger, irritability and digestive problems.

Sluggish Depression is characterised by increased sleep, withdrawal and passivity due to low levels of dopamine and norepinephrine.

In Emmons' book The Chemistry of Joy he suggests eating plans for each type of depression, together with generalised recommendations for vitamin supplementation. Most of the information on vitamin supplementation will be familiar and include the usual mainstays, such as B complex, folic acid, omega 6 (fish oil) and the like.

Interestingly Emmons speculates that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), which are commonly prescribed for depression, are not effective long term. This contradicts accepted wisdom, however his reasoning is sound. He hypothesizes that SSRIs simply manipulate existing stores of serotonin and do not help create new sources of serotonin. Accordingly, if an individual has difficulty manufacturing serotonin then over time the existing stores will be depleted as the SSRIs can not stop re-uptake indefinitely. It's an interesting theory. I couldn't find any source for this from published research and it appears to be based on Emmons' observations of his patients but I think the theory has merit.

Emmons favours a combination of lifestyle changes and supplements to treat depression. He does not rule out medication but seems to prefer a diet rich in tryptophan (the precursor to serotonin) together with 5-HTP. If you have a deficit of dopamine and norepinephrine then dopamine/norepinephrine enhancing foods and supplements are recommended.

Although the dietary information is good I am concerned that some people may opt to stop their pills in favour of the diet. Please don't stop your medications without supervision from your doctor!!!

Emmons' book also recommends `Mindfulness Mediation' and making lifestyle changes according to your Ayurvedic body type, a philosophy made popular by Deepak Chopra in several books including Perfect Health.

The final step proposed by Dr Emmons is the daily use of Mindfulness Meditation. In his discourse on the benefits of Mindfulness, Emmons claims that in as little as 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week you can feel calmer, sleep better and get on better with your family and workmates. I couldn't wait to put it to the test!

Emmons uses Jon Kabat-Zinn's definition of mindfulness which he describes as:

"awareness from moment to moment, on purpose, without judgement"

He also suggests that we give up on self-improvement and instead focus on accepting ourselves and loving ourselves, as we are, complete with faults. Instead of trying to fix ourselves Emmons suggests that we will find happiness in self-acceptance. An interesting concept. My own take on it is that self-improvement IS essential. After all, mindfulness and self-acceptance involves learning new skills and changing the way we think. These are simply self-improvement tools. I don't see how one can be separated from the other.

On the subject of the practise of meditation Emmons makes some good points. He advises that you may not always feel restful and relaxed when you meditate. Also that sitting meditation (which is usually the first type of meditation that most of us are taught), is one of the most challenging forms of meditation. That's good news for me - I have to confess there are days I can not sit still to meditate. Instead I enjoy meditating while moving. Most people are led to believe that seated meditation is the ONLY type of meditation. This is not true - you can benefit from a variety of forms of mindfulness meditation.

I find meditating while dancing or walking is easy. Meditating while stuck in one spot makes me want to wriggle and squirm. Oh, and the itches and the aches and pains that I swear I feel when I am confined to a chair!

This is Emmons' own account of meditation:
"I can testify from my own experience that sometimes you'll feel deeply relaxed, and other times you'll be so restless you wonder why anyone bothers with this annoying practice. Sometimes when I meditate I feel real contentment; other times, I feel bored; still other times, I ache with the pain of difficult emotions, troubling memories, or just a diffuse grief that seems to have no source."

Regular mindfulness meditation has not cured my insomnia or magically improved my relations with friends and family but I do feel calmer and more positive and my coping skills have improved. It definitely works, although perhaps not quite as well as Dr Emmons suggests.

The Chemistry of Joy by Dr Henry Emmons is an excellent book - 5 stars - and a wonderful resource for anyone looking to combine Eastern and Western philosophies and make lifestyle changes to reduce or eliminate depression and anxiety.

Anyone looking to improve their lives should definetly take a look at this stuff. This book literally changed my life. Whether you suffer from mild or severe depression, the small suggestions offered in this book are priceless and very easy to follow (plus, they're fun to try).

I've spent years battling severe depression. I dropped out of college for a year, and recently ended up in the hospital with suicidal thoughts. I'm not sure if I would be here if I hadn't accidentally picked up this book. It was refreshing to find so many extra steps that I can take to improving my lifestyle, other than just medications and therapy. The book is easy to read and fascinating.
These practices have kept me on track in graduate school, and many people have told me I look better than I ever have (I'd bet everything that it has to do with my better diet and meditation practices). The book was just a start, but it's the only book I've ever seen that allows that kind of start. I've read extensively on depression, and I've never learned more than I learned in one little book.

Most of all, I feel better than I've felt since I was 16 (before the depression). This book has opened new doors for me and I feel well enough to take them all!!!

Dr. Emmons' book is a great gift to people who suffer from depression as well as to their families and friends. It addresses an extremely complex problem with competence and clarity, warmth and compassion, and with great respect for the reader -- a remarkable accomplishment. I have suffered from mild depression. My spouse has had serious clinical depression. We have found Dr. Emmons' book to be a valuable reference to which we can turn for reliable information, both general and specific. Better yet, as we read this book, it almost felt as though Dr. Emmons was right there with us, offering not only wisdom and counsel but his gentle and healing presence of encouragement and hope as well. The combination of Western science and Eastern wisdom is a welcome contribution to the literature on depression and is presented in a very accessible way. I hope that the many people who suffer from depression, as well as those who treat them, will find their way to this superb resource.

Excellent book. A multi-disciplinary view of depression, it looks beyond drug and talk therapy without denying their importance. Emmons studied, practices, and writes about other approaches to depression, such as diet, supplements, exercise, Ayurvedic (historical Indian) medicine and the Buddhist psychological/emotional types. This provides a deeper and broader understanding and treatment of depression. A richly woven text.

As a mindfulness meditation teacher and a spiritual mentor, I am keeping copies of The Chemistry of Joy in my office. I have already recommended the book to numerous friends and family members. Some of the highlights for me: 1) the gentle, clear way that Dr. Emmons reminds us readers that there are many doors to healing, that it is good to open the door that moves most easily for us first, and that it is often through making one or two adaptations on a number of levels that we begin to experience life as having more comfort to it; 2) the empowerment that comes from having this kind and seasoned psychiatrist steadily reminding us to believe in our deeper self; 3) the way desperation is allayed as one realizes that brain chemistry correlates with two ancient wisdom systems from other parts of the globe- ah, what a balm for the isolation that one can feel on this difficult journey to relieve depression.

What a great book. Clear, common-sense advice on keeping your mind healthy through natural approaches. The diet-related information is worth its weight in gold. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

This is a fantastic book. For anyone who has every experienced the "prisoner in you own mind" feelings that come with anxiety, this book really lends a helping hand. Like the other reviewers mentioned, it is well written and concise...but perhaps most of all, it gives you some very empowering tools amid an otherwise desperately helpless-feeling time.

I absolutely recommend this book to anyone experiencing depression. This book will help you fully understand depression and, help you recover from it!

By examining brain chemistry, medication, ayurvedic types and buddhist emotional types, this books gives a good overview of the ways in which our minds-bodies-spirits work together as a whole, impacting our health and well-being. Packed with information and details about how food can function as medicine, how breathing, movement, beliefs, attitudes and more can impact our sense of well being, the book serves as a practical do-able guide towards steps you can take to begin to change your personal chemistry and biology today.

This is one of the most helpful books out there for treating depression. And most of the concepts and advice are useful for anxiety as well. Easy to read, excellent illustrative examples, non repetitive, concise, and accurate. Even if you don't go in for the Eastern views on diagnosis and treatment (although I personally believe that the practice if mindfulness is one the best treatment modalities out there), the first section on understanding and taking care of your brain is well worth the price of admission alone. Thank You for this informative and innovative book!