Customer Reviews

The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions--Today

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I was always called the moody one in the family growing up, and when I turned 21 I was diagnosed with social anxiety and mood disorder, put on a laundry list of meds, and given a life sentence of never being able to function without taking the prescription drugs my doctor put me on. It wasn't until I began taking the medication, or more to the point given the label of "mentally ill" that my life really started to take a turn for the worse. I'll spare everyone the bitter details but let's just say for the next 5 years I was in a very very dark place. Then 2 1/2 years ago my mother, who is a social worker, brought me this book. A nice change from the bible material she would drop off every week, lol.

I read it cover to cover that night. I won't say I saw the light, or felt forever changed but I will say it was the first step in convincing myself that I wasn't completely helpless and there were things within my control that I could do to get myself out of this deep dark hole I had dug for the previous five years.

I took notes, followed the steps, and meticulously researched every supplement the author suggested. I eventually decided on L-Tyrosine 250 Grams N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine (NALT) Bulk Powder and 5-HTP 50 Grams 5 HTP Griffonia Seed Extract Bulk Powder, both for their immediate effect and low dosage requirements (i.e. a little lasted me a long time). My mood improved almost overnight, I was able to sleep again, I felt more relaxed around groups of people; life improved drastically.

I haven't taken prescription drugs nor have had any "episodes" for two year and counting. I don't know if the cause of this is because of what I learned in this book, the L-Tyrosine and 5-HTP I take daily, or the realization that I wasn't "broken". But whatever is was worked for me. Please hear me when I say I do not think prescription medications are a bad thing, and please do not take this as a suggestion to stop taking meds or avoid them altogether. I will say to investigate all your options, do your research, and decide with your loved one's what's best.

Following suggestions in the book had an immediate effect, especially L-Tyrosine and 5-HTP. They jump-started a general feeling of well being that I didn't know was missing, and all my aches and pains went away. The tests in the front of the book zero in on what you need and are really helpful.

In March of 2008 I had to let my insurance go. I am self employed and the cost had skyrocketed. As I knew the end was coming I tried to prepare by reading about and using holistic treatments as opposed to the five prescriptions that I was going to have to do without. I was diagnosed as severely clinically depressed in the late '90s. The very first prescription that I was ever given was one for 60mg., yes 60mg, of Prozac. The doctor(s) wanted to hospitalize me but I refused, opting instead to see the psychiatrist every other day....the first week was every day. I managed to get through this first year without killing myself and it is all just a blur. There were side effects to the drug that they "treated" with more drugs. I gained weight, lost weight, slept for 8 months, went through my entire life savings, etc., etc., you get the picture. I was a total mess. As time progressed I noticed that the drugs stopped working as effectively as they did in the beginning so I'd get switched.... I have it all written down somewhere but I think the last prescriptions I filled were for Wellbutrin & Zanyx.... plus sleeping pills.... I can not recall all of their names right now....I think I've blocked them out at this point because I simply do not need them or take them any longer.... and I feel SO SO SO much better than I ever did while on the drugs. Seriously, a million times better. I still have days that aren't pretty, just like I imagine everyone does, but I can manage those days by taking an extra dose of SAM-e or one extra tablet of 500mg. L-Tryptophan at night.

Another reviewer states it correctly here, this is not an overnight cure. However there are amino acids that even I felt better within one hour of taking them even while still a complete mess. I got The Mood Cure and The Diet Cure by Julia Ross and they both are invaluable to me. I learned so much from them about how things work in our bodies and what the cause and effect of what we put into our bodies is and what is happening when we are depressed or even when you have overwhelming urges to eat something like chocolate or carbs..... migraine headaches (which I have had) can be managed with the right combination of these amino acids, vitamins & minerals. I have never been anorexic or bulimic but those are also addressed and treatable in these books. Weight gain, weight loss, adrenal gland failure....it is all in these books. All completely treatable with the holistic means she tells you about in these books.

Dr. Ross spells it out beautifully in these books. You can see yourself and read about exactly what has happened to you right in these pages. It is such a wonderful experience to know that you can get better. I did. I promise you can as well. She is honest and says that she can not treat two things by holistic means alone, those are bi-polar disease and schizophrenia which Dr. Ross says must be treated by prescription medicine but can be greatly helped with holistic treatments in conjunction. With those two aside you can figure out how to treat your severe clinical depression like I did with a trial and error approach to the suggestions she makes in the books.

By the way, I really want to emphasize how important it is for you to take it extremely seriously how careful you are to get off of your prescription meds before you jump into "straight" holistics!! You could really crash and do serious harm to your psyche and also to your physical body if you are not careful. This is how I did it: I stayed on the meds while I learned to incorporate the aminos, etc. I would take a whole dose one day, 1/2 the next...I did this for one whole month. The second month I would do two days of 1/2 doses, then one whole....it took me several months, maybe 4, to completely get off of the prescription meds so please please be careful. You can have a severe set back if you just stop or stop too soon.

With that said I also incorporated the aminos into my day as I was weening off the scrips. One of the great things about natural treatments like amino acids is that once your body has been refueled and doesn't need any more, say 5-HTP, or L-tryptophan, then you will get a MILD headache so you'll know you don't need that any more. But keep it, because if you have a bad life experience (like a mate dying or a family member, etc.) then you can understandably need to use them again until your supply is built back up.

It took me until now from a start in March of '08, so 2.5 years, to be completely certain that I no longer need to take any of them! I still take a small (for me) dose of 500mg L-Tryptophan at night and occasionally I'll take a 200mg of SAM-e in the a.m. but for the most part I am strictly maintenance now....but the first year I was taking 6000mg, yes, six thousand mgs per day of L-Tryptophan, high grade pharm powder, plus L-tyrosine, and a few others. I feel that my adrenal gland was just completely shot and I know I was right because I am the living proof of it now. You will FEEL what is right for you as you try different suggested things in the book. Complete relief does not happen over night but enough relief to function can come within an hour of taking the right amino, just as they tell you in the book.

I've waited this long to review the books because I wanted to really get to the point where I feel "cured" and I do. I feel very well. My energy level is good, my moods are mostly even and level headed, I sleep very well and I have an appetite for wonderful healthy foods.

The only other thing I can tell you that I have used to get where I am now is Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) and their opinions on whole foods & cod liver oil....invaluable. Also, they are big believers in all organic, including meat, and raw organic dairy. Which I also advocate.

So, good luck. My very best wishes for your improved health and happy life. I know it is possible. I'm living proof.

I am a total skeptic. I've been a successful psychotherapist for 25 years. I've had mood difficulties my entire life and have consumed the usual therapies, medications and hormone replacement therapies and remedies without a "cure". What was most helpful about this book was the distinction Ross invites you to make between emotions caused by real events and thoughts versus "false moods" that are physiological states. Psychotherapy doesn't help correct physiological imbalances as efficiently as seeking a physiological remedy. Next, with a simple quiz, she divides these mood states into four basic catagories and invites you to locate yourself into a catagory or two based upon the prevalance of certain symptoms. So far, this is like a detective story with you and your symptoms as the main focus. The plot thickens: She educates you about the nature of the physical imbalance implied by your answers and explains the action of the recommended nutritional supplements aimed at your specific hypothetical problem. She tells you how to know by your response whether it is working and how to recognize when you've gone too far and should stop the intervention. Well, I was desperate. I decided to follow her regimen to the letter. Surprise! Her predictions were absolutely true to my own responses. If she says you can feel a supplement start to work in 10 minutes, then that is what it does. If she saya it takes months, then it does. BUT IT WORKED for me. It is 18 months since I first followed her advice and after a year or more of no supplements, some symptoms began to return. I'm not kidding when I tell you that the results are just as dramatic this time. I'm sold on her advice. One important result of reading this book is that I've learned to differentiate between when I am having a physical problem and when it is an emotional problem. Once you know this, you are more adept at choosing whether to seek psychotherapy, nutritional therapy, or hormonal therapy to address your psychological symptoms. No kidding, this book has set the ground work for me to have a similar quality of life in my post menopausal years as I had as a healthy young person. It restores hope because it applies logic and science. Another helpful thing she said that seems obvious in retrospect is that the "minimal daily requirements" are just that: Minimal to Prevent Symptoms of Disease. Think about it. These guidelines do not spell out "Optimal Daily Requirements" for good health. One note of caution: If you follow her advise too haphazardly or don't stick to the regimen, you will have less than a dramatic response and you will quickly relapse. Really do it. Take the so called "megadoses" for a month or two, while observing the safety precautions she spells-out and you will be amazed. I was. My body told me that I was on the right track almost right away so my initial misgivings about taking supplements were quickly allayed by the obvious better energy and health I was achieving. When I began, I had been so exhausted that for many years, even mild exercise left me feeling wiped out. Now, I am very active again, my depression and anxiety is minimal and I am now rebuilding my physical fitness. I did check out the assertions she makes with other articles in her subject areas, and although I am a lay person, her advise does appear to check out with mainstream research. Good luck! I've reread this book 5-6 times and am still consulting it.

I have taken almost every antidepressant on the market over the past 15 years. I have often felt I was "born depressed". While I could make a case that these meds have saved my life, the side effects of these drugs were very unpleasant and I have sought (unsuccessfully) to stop taking them numerous times. It is only with the wisdom of this book and the addition of the recommended supplements that I can say that I am doing AS WELL OR BETTER than I ever did on medication.

I highly recomnmend this book. Try it yourself and see if it works for you.

The short review: This book aims to improve your mood mainly be making changes in your diet, particularly by recommending specific amino acids.

The longer review: The book begins by having the reader distinguish between false moods and true emotions by having them complete a questionnaire. By doing this, you can see which false mood type (or types) you seem to fit. From there, you are directed to certain chapters for a more individualized treatment. Action steps at the end of chapters tell you exactly what to do.

All-in-all it's certainly a valuable resource with much information. Know that it aims to primarily improve moods through nutritional means, which is a much overlooked area in my opinion, and anyone struggling with chronic bad moods is encouraged to check it out. Other books I liked that also take a natural approach include Exercise Beats Depression. :)

I dont usually write reviews but this is more of a comment on my personal experience with the mood cure than anything else.
I have been very depressed, irritable and moody for a long time. I thought it had to do with working from home and maybe I should start looking for another job. But then I realized, I shouldnt feel this bad. I workout 6 days a week BUT I knew I had a sugar problem, eating lots of candy, chocolate or desserts every single day. I thought if I could just stay away from the sugar I would be ok. BUT I COULDN'T!
Granted I was still thin but it was starting to affect my mental state. I needed that daily feel sugar gave me. Its like a vicous cycle.
I started taking just one of the supplements recommended and noticed an IMMEDIATE difference! I didnt feel so down anymore, I felt "normal" and like I could handle anything sent my way. I still felt like I was missing something so I added 2 more from the book and WOW, I can actually walk by a bakery or a chocolate isle and not even care! If you knew me before you would understand that never happened! I am so amazed and it feels so good to not have that pull towards junk every day. I still want to do it sometimes just out of habit because its what I was used to for so many years. Also, I am not such a "B" anymore. I dont feel that anger or the impatience towards everyone around me. What a relief! I am calm and more myself than I have ever been.
This book is worth so much more than what you can buy it for here. I am normal again.

This is a truly outstanding book and is intended to help people suffering from real, deep and intractable emotional and mental problems.

Julia Ross is a true pro, working at the front line of mental health care for several decades. This is a book that brings together her hard won knowledge with that of many, many other experts in the field. There is a also a decent amount of scientific research at its core.

Compared with the extrememly poor care offered by the average clinical psychologist or psychiatrist (they essetially offer only drugs or cognitive behaviour therapy) this book heralds the beginning of a revolution in mental health care: at last some people are beginning to recognise that there is a REASON why you (or a friend or relative) is suffering such serious problems with mood, emotions and behaviour. At last there begin to be real solutions which are wholistic and effective.

Julia covers all the main issues - anxiety, depression, OCD, addictions, mood swings and the generally feeling awful and unstable that so many have. She explains why it is happening and which food and supplements to correct it. There are easy to use questionnaires which guide you in understanding which TYPE of depression or anxiety you suffer from and thereby tailor the solution.

Be warned, her solutions are a VERY long way from the general advice just to eat healthily. This is hard core scientific solutions. And a lot of back up with very specific recommendations for amino acids (to make all those neurotransmitters that regulate mood - dopamine, serotonin & GABA) and vitamins and minerals which are used in specific high doses as medicines.

The solution requires work and commitment. But ultimately it is highly workable and simple in structure. And it really changes lives.

Julia Ross opens a door and throws open the windows on a room in which so many feel trapped. No more decades of incomprehensible misery. I use this book in my practice and buy copies in bulk to give to my patients. It is an outstanding introduction - written in an engaging style but with a good strong foundation in science. A serious book that nevertheless invites everyone in.

As a response to the negative reviews below, Ms Ross does indeed take a dim view of vegetarianism - but a) this is a small point in a large and rich book and b) she has this view born of years of experience. A high protein diet is necessary for people suffering emotional health problems because protein is the source of the neurotransmitters which will ultimately cure the depression, anxiety etc. Some people are genetically predisposed to need more than average. Protein is also important for blood sugar stabilisation - unstable blood sugar being near universal with any eating issues, carbohydrate cravings, sugar addictions, much anxiety and mood swings. I find I need to give most of my vegetarian patients protein supplement powders (whey, pea, rice protein etc) before I can build up their programme of recovery further.

In summary a very good book to start your journey. Of equal excellence (in some ways superior) and more scientific in its approach (the emphasis more on neutraceuticals supplements than diet) is Depression Free Naturally by Joan Larson. Don't be fooled by the title - is covers all major issues including very serious ones like schizophrenia.

Additionally, anyone with serious emotional and mental issues should buy Gut and Psychology Syndrome - that gut toxicity is highly involved in much illness is now beyond debate and at least 45% of my patients need help with their gut before they can properly recover. This book will explain how and why.

Good luck and whatever happens don't give up. There are answers to your struggles. The Mood Cure and Depression Free Naturally will be a good start. Add in the book on Gut and Psychology, Adrenal Fatigue, a good book on the thyroid and maybe something on mercury toxicity. A great deal of mental suffering can be alleviated with these interventions. Have faith - a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. You will be taking the first when you buy this book.
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I am very surprised at the negative reviews below. Please don't let them put you off. This is a truly outstanding book and is intended to help people suffering from real, deep and intractable emotional and mental problems.

Julia Ross is a true pro, working at the front line of mental health care for several decades. This is a book that brings together her hard won knowledge with that of many, many other experts in the field. There is a also a decent amount of scientific research at its core.

Compared with the extrememly poor care offered by the average clinical psychologist or psychiatrist (they essetially offer only drugs or cognitive behaviour therapy) this book heralds the beginning of a revolution in mental health care: at last some people are beginning to recognise that there is a REASON why you (or a friend or relative) is suffering such serious problems with mood, emotions and behaviour. At last there begin to be real solutions which are wholistic and effective.

Julia covers all the main issues - anxiety, depression, OCD, addictions, mood swings and the generally feeling awful and unstable that so many have. She explains why it is happening and which food and supplements to correct it. There are easy to use questionnaires which guide you in understanding which TYPE of depression or anxiety you suffer from and thereby tailor the solution.

Be warned, her solutions are a VERY long way from the general advice just to eat healthily. This is hard core scientific solutions. And a lot of back up with very specific recommendations for amino acids (to make all those neurotransmitters that regulate mood - dopamine, serotonin & GABA) and vitamins and minerals which are used in specific high doses as medicines.

The solution requires work and commitment. But ultimately it is highly workable and simple in structure. And it really changes lives.

Julia Ross opens a door and throws open the windows on a room in which so many feel trapped. No more decades of incomprehensible misery. I use this book in my practice and buy copies in bulk to give to my patients. It is an outstanding introduction - written in an engaging style but with a good strong foundation in science. A serious book that nevertheless invites everyone in.

As a response to the negative reviews below, Ms Ross does indeed take a dim view of vegetarianism - but a) this is a small point in a large and rich book and b) she has this view born of years of experience. A high protein diet is necessary for people suffering emotional health problems because protein is the source of the neurotransmitters which will ultimately cure the depression, anxiety etc. Some people are genetically predisposed to need more than average. Protein is also important for blood sugar stabilisation - unstable blood sugar being near universal with any eating issues, carbohydrate cravings, sugar addictions, much anxiety and mood swings. I find I need to give most of my vegetarian patients protein supplement powders (whey, pea, rice protein etc) before I can build up their programme of recovery further.

In summary a very good book to start your journey. Of equal excellence (in some ways superior) and more scientific in its approach (the emphasis more on neutraceuticals supplements than diet) is Depression Free Naturally by Joan Larson. Don't be fooled by the title - is covers all major issues including very serious ones like schizophrenia.

Additionally, anyone with serious emotional and mental issues should buy Gut and Psychology Syndrome - that gut toxicity is highly involved in much illness is now beyond debate and at least 45% of my patients need help with their gut before they can properly recover. This book will explain how and why.

Good luck and whatever happens don't give up. There are answers to your struggles. The Mood Cure and Depression Free Naturally will be a good start. Add in the book on Gut and Psychology, Adrenal Fatigue, a good book on the thyroid and maybe something on mercury toxicity. A great deal of mental suffering can be alleviated with these interventions. Have faith - a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. You will be taking the first when you buy this book.

I was, of course, skeptical of this process and how quickly the author said the amino acids can improve moods, but it really really works. This is personal, but I was right on the decision line of suicide and after using the amino acids for two days, I no longer feel like giving in. I know, two days seems like a short time to go from the edge of death to being mostly fine, but it's really true. Amazingly true. I'm not making an effort to stop thinking about death, rather I'm noticing the differences in my mood by lack of hateful and dark thoughts. I'm not over-emotional, nor am I void of emotion. This is the best thing I can think of for people who either don't care to see a psychiatrist (can't afford it) or who don't want to take prescription medicine (I have no health insurance) for help w/ depression. I was amazed that it worked. Many things in her book related to how I feel about myself and about my history, such as starving and dieting. The book is simple, easy to use, and starts w/ a helpful quiz. I agree w/ the others who have said that the author's book is harsh on vegetarian proteins and on soy, which isn't helpful to people who are vegetarians, such as myself. She also recommends trying diets that are unproven in effectivess (blood-type diet) and she makes over-generalized comments, but I took what I could from the book and it has had a huge effect on my life. I've not followed everything she suggests (I'm still eating wheat and soy as these aren't problems for me and I'm taking my aminos when I feel is best for me, not necessarily on a schedule). I don't know that I would be able to make progress in healing from my depression and my eating disorder if it weren't for the suggestions in her book.

While reading this book, examining my own program (I have 3 of the 4 most common mood imbalances), and shopping for the supplements, I've become aware of a few practical matters that I think people should be aware of.

First, this method can take some time. For example, if 5-HTP doesn't work, you should try typtophan. If that doesn't work, you should move on to St John's Wort. If THAT doesn't work, try SAM-e - at least one bottle's worth. Dealing with 3 of the 4 imbalances, I won't know what works and what doesn't if I start taking all of the recomended supplements at the same time. That means going through one by one, which I realize will take a while. Don't get discouraged if you aren't cured on the first day.

Second, this method can be costly. A month's supply of 5-HTP runs $36 here. A month's supply of SAM-e is $158. Compare that to my $3 co-pay for a month's supply of my antidepressant.

Let me state that I'm not advising against this program. I generally believe that being drug-free is better than taking drugs, if you can get the same or better results another way. Just realize going in that this program will require time, energy, money, and commitment.