Amazon.com Review
SAM-e (pronounced "sammy"), short for S-adenosyl-methionine, will revolutionize the treatment of depression in the U.S. as it has for two decades in Europe, claim authors Richard Brown and Teodoro Bottiglieri. Not an herb, not a prescription drug, SAM-e is an over-the-counter natural supplement that has undergone extensive testing and has just become available in the U.S. "Study after study has confirmed that SAM-e works as well as or better than any other antidepressant," say the authors. It also works faster and with far fewer side effects, and it seems to help osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia as well.
Stop Depression Now is more than a book about SAM-e. It also presents a four-step program to lift you out of depression and prevent a recurrence. Step 1 is a self-assessment test to determine the severity of your depression. Step 2 includes information on how to use SAM-e. Step 3 is a diet plan that emphasizes foods and vitamins that will help you feel better (and avoid those that will make you feel worse). Step 4 offers lifestyle changes and therapeutic techniques to help you in the long term.
The authors' credentials show that they know their subject: Richard Brown is an associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, a psychiatrist in private practice, and a research physician; Teodoro Bottiglieri is a senior research scientist, director of neuropharmacology, and associate professor at Baylor University Medical Center, and has been studying SAM-e for 15 years.
If you are severely depressed or suicidal, have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, or are already taking an antidepressant, confer with your health professional before taking SAM-e--do not self-treat. Otherwise, the authors certainly make this supplement sound like a breakthrough tool for depression. --Joan Price
From Kirkus Reviews
A heavy-duty plug for a nutritional supplement as treatment for depression; however, the plug is reasonably placed within the framework of an informative, even-handed discussion of depression, its diagnosis, and treatment. Psychiatrist Brown, of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, uses both conventional medications and alternative therapies in his practice. Here he joins forces with neuropharmacologist Bottiglieri (Baylor Univ.) to argue for the use of a substance called SAM-e, available over-the-counter, for the treatment of mild to moderate depression. They make clear at the outset that ``anyone who is depressed, suicidal, or has a history of drug or alcohol abuse must be treated by a competent professional. Self treatment is not an option.'' They go on to explain what depression is and what SAM-e is (a substance naturally found in the human body, currently much more widely used in Europe than in the US), and look at the myriad other drugs used to treat depression. Throughout, the authors cite numerous research studies, reported in reputable professional journals (from 1972 to the present, with a complete list in the bibliography) to support their views. They then lay out a program for treatment, beginning with ``Assess Your Mood'' (using an established diagnostic tool); and including improved nutrition to support the therapy, and establishing a healthier lifestyle. A reasonable guide to the current state of affairs in treating depression, then, with a still unorthodox recommendation for treatment that sufferers might discuss with their physicians. --
Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
