Customer Reviews

The Wisdom of Depression: A Guide to Understanding and Curing Depression Using Natural Medicine

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Few people think of depression as a gift of wisdom. Too many of us don't recognize the difference between a "depressive response" and "major depressive disorder." In either case, this book is a combination of approaches to dealing with the issue from a balanced, holistic perspective and includes vitamins and nutrition, herbal theraphy, meditation, dream analysis and prayer, and traditional medicine. It includes lots of personal biographys and examples of individuals dealing with depression . Dr. Zuess also includes strategies and practices that are easy to follow and and he offers lots of suggestions to help point one in the direction he or she may need to go in finding optimum treatment. It is well researched and written in a style that is very readable. He includes good resources for further reading and professional organizations that may be of assistance. I have read many books and the professional literature regarding depression and I think this is the best book I've read designed to meet the needs of every day people every where who are seeking true answers for their depression. I can't recommend it enough.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the author makes excellent points about the origins and function of depression: how it can be a wake-up call, a learning experience, or the body's way of ensuring that someone gets the rest and the caretaking he/she needs. I also felt that his "holistic" approach to depression is right on: One of my best friends leads a life that would depress the cheeriest soul alive, and takes massive doses of Prozac to cope with it. While she had problems with depression long before she painted herself into this corner, I think the drug is just suppressing the anger and frustration that might stimulate her to get out of it. On the other hand, several chapters struck me as a sales pitch for St. John's Wort, and I have some real problems with that: the potential for abuse, the dangers of self-medication and unpredictable dosages, etc. In general, I think the book has some excellent advice for depression sufferers, but I'd advise readers to view the St. John's Wort sections with extreme caution.

Book Review By, Valerie MacNeil 1/11/99

The Wisdom of Depression: a Guide to Understanding and Curing Depression using Natural Medicine (1998), by Jonathan Zuess, M.D., proves its claim to be an informative remedy for people's misleading interpretations of depressive symptoms. At the forefront of a holistic approach to medicine that takes into account everything from exercise and nutrition to deleterious environmental causes, Dr. Zeuss explains that effective alternative treatments for severe clinical depression are available for use instead of, or maybe even in addition to, conventional antidepressant medication.

He informs us that all humans have a natural "depressed response" to certain situations, which actually enhances our abilities to find solutions to difficult emotional problems. Like the vision quests shamans experience in native cultures, our "depressed response" places us in a more contemplative environment in which we seek answers to, and wisdom about, challenging problems. The response normally runs its course and resolves itself, but in some cases, we get "stuck" and can't "snap out of it". At this point, we need help, because our depression has become an illness.

Dr. Zuess' book is definitely a MUST READ for everyone concerned about depression, since it's extremely comprehensive, even with appendices on finding suppliers and practitioners of Natural Medicine. Discussing important causes that most people- even doctors- don't think of, such as sleep, vitamin deficiencies, and even electromagnetic radiation - he enlightens people with practical reference information regarding natural cures achieved through herbs like St. John's Wort, nutrition, exercise, and even art and creativity. Also, he uses case studies to reveal the humanity inherent in all medical observations. Briefly, Dr. Zeuss' trustworthy research into Natural medicine truly represents the wisdom afforded by holistic approaches to our mental and physical health. My only criticism is, "Why wasn't this book available sooner?" Yet, it's truly better late than never!

This is a book with some good lifestyle ideas, and could definitely be helpful in helping those who go in and out of depression to maintain a healthy lifestyle that could keep that next episode at bay.

However, I would say that this book isn't much help for those who are severely clinically depressed.

Read this book after you're out of a depressive episode. It won't do much good before.

So called modern medicine alone is fragmented and incomplete. Zuess's book is a step in the right or 'whole' direction. This is an important book. Interesting to note is the parallels between depressed people dreaming more than the 'not depressed', I hesitate to use the word 'happy'.

People may also gain tremendous insight to the written words of J. Krishnamurti (for lack of a better work a so called religious philosopher) who spoke repeatedly decades ago of the parallels between dreaming and unawareness. That is, - to not be fully aware of everyday things and our thoughts relating to these things. For example, we see something that makes us judge something from reflex without reasoning out the truth behind our justifications. 'Knee-jerk' thoughts and reactions. These thoughts arise by our conditioning and environment. The only way to be free of conditioning is to be wholly aware. It's hard work, try it. But, when you do, you will SEE a reduction of dreaming and consequently a raising of spirits as you 'clean out your head' so to speak. Buddists speak of it as mindfullness, it is one of the noble truths of man.

The point is this: modern medicine is also spiritual. Thank you J. Zuess for moving all this into the right direction.

I read this book about 12 years ago. Not as a clinician, a scholar or an intellectual, but as a depressed person. Having read other unhelpful self-help books, including some recommended by my therapist, I found the wisdom of Dr. Zeuss refreshing.

Dr. Zeuss' premise that depression is a life process and should be dealt with like other life processes enabled me to stop fighting my depression and embrace it instead. I surrendered to it and worked through it, and that was when I began to see light at the end of the tunnel. The idea that one can actively work through depression, not by fighting but by surrendering, really works. The knowledge that there was personal learning to be had, that I would be better and stronger from the experience, that my dreams held the key...brilliant! That was the last major depression I experienced.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is currently feeling depressed or who experiences periodic depression. You will learn to understand your feelings and actions during depression. It will change your outlook and your approach to your depression.

What does it mean, really . . . take it with a grain of salt? The bottom line is, that the good doctor gives advice that may indeed be useful, like recycle yor garbage and join the Sierra Club. Also, I agree with Dr. Zeuss that it is the tendency of modern doctors to grab the prescription pad too quickly.

However, the book is in general a load of self indulgent spewing of one man's opinions. It negates the reality of a group of people who suffer from a natural physical disorder that has been stygmatized and is hard to talk about and can ultimatelñy life threatening. When considering suicide, Dr. Zeuss suggests that you avoid fat in your diet. That you jot down some notes regarding your dreams, and that you not feel too badly about yourself if you still eat a little chocolate.

There is not doubt that all of life is connected, that the bodymind Dr. Zeuss refers to has some merit.

But for those people on this earth struggling with clinical depression and its accompanying despair, Dr. Zeuss has written a book that comes off as patronizing, insulting, trying to sell St. John's Wort and a couple of cookbooks as well.

So take it with a grain of salt if you have to read it at all.