Beyond Prozac: Antidotes for Modern Times (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Norden, a New York psychiatrist who has found the antidepressant Prozac to be profoundly helpful to his patients, suggests that the toll taken by the stresses of modern-day life has made us all "Prozac deficient." Maintaining that our environment and lifestyle tend to deplete our natural supplies of serotonin (the brain hormone that Prozac bolsters), he suggests a series of lifestyle approaches by which we can buttress our serotonin system-and its benefits. Chapters discussing light therapy, melatonin, sleep patterns, exercise, diet and vitamin, mineral and amino acid supplements also cite a host of recent studies and references to research-in-progress. In clear prose, Norden also offers anecdotal reports from his own practice, often detailing courses of medication supplementing Prozac in dosages tailored to individual metabolisms. He gives previews of the next generation of antidepressants, which may supplant-and will certainly refine the use of-Prozac and its cousins. His examination of how the brain is affected by the heating and cooling properties of various treatments and his discussion of eating patterns are of special note, as is the extensive bibliography. $50,000 ad/ promo; author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A thoughtful and provocative exploration of alternative and supplementary treatments for

depression."

-- -- Norman B. Rosenthal, M.D., National Institute of Mental Health

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (September 27, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060987073
• ISBN-13: 978-0060987077
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #164,472 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Like an encylopedia, touches on interesting ideas, but..., October 2, 2001

By	Bart Tare "Cristobal" (United States) - See all my reviews

Beyond Prozac was first published in 1995. In today's fast-moving world of psychopharmacology, one might think that would make Beyond Prozac completely outdated. Yet, in reading Norden's book, I did find some information related to depression that was new and interesting to me. For example, his discussion of the role of prostaglandins, essential fats, positive ions, and heat in creating depression/low serotonin levels I found informative. Norden also gave much interesting information on Seasonal Affective Disorder and light therapy, which I wasn't very familiar with (being a San Diegan) and is one of his specialties (being a Seattle-ite). That being said, I found a great deal of Beyond Prozac too general and not in depth enough. Most chapters are quite short (10 pages) and give an encyclopedic-like explanation of the various "Natural Prozacs," to use Norden's words. This encyclopedia-like approach was not really satisfying to me. The chapter on diet and depression is a good example of this general, encyclopedia approach: Norden discusses the benefits of a "Zone"-like diet (a/la Barry Sears) but only has a very brief three page list of randomly chosen foods to help you follow this diet. I guess you need to buy one of Barry Sears' Zone books if you want to follow such a diet. Likewise, in the antidepressant medication section, while Norden does cover all the SSRIs, SRIs, MAO inhibitors, and tricyclics, he gives most (except for Prozac) a page discussion at best. I felt that much of this information could have been gotten from reading the drug companies' description of the drug itself, I'm sorry to say. I would have liked to see Norden give a more critical analysis of each drug and its side effects, especially the newer SSRIs. And Norden doesn't really delve into many of the more effective alternative supplements, such as St. John's wort or SAM-e (which is understandable since Beyond Prozac was published in 1995, before these supplements flooded the US market). He does discuss tryptophan and 5-HTP though, but only briefly. All in all, as someone who has experimented a bit with antidepressant treatments for the past few years, I found this book to be somewhat, but not very informative. I guess it's a good introduction to psychopharmacological ways of dealing with depression if you haven't read anything else. But Beyond Prozac didn't really tell me much I hadn't heard before.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eclectic, enthusiastic, exceptional!, February 19, 2000

By	Syd Baumel (Winnipeg, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I first read this book soon after my first book on depression came out in 1995. I was very impressed. Norden not only writes very well and accessibly (even when he gets into quite technical territories, which he digs into with obvious relish), but he very admirably combines the best traits one could hope for from a mainstream health professional and academic: disciplined review of the evidence and an exuberantly open mind.

The result is a book that is much wider in scope than most books on depression (from pills to supplements, to diet, to exercise, and so on), especially for "its time" - just a couple years before the St. John's wort revolution, 5-HTP, and most recently SAM-e made it increasingly acceptable for "mainstream types" to write approvingly about these natural alternatives and adjuncts to antidepressant drugs.

Although I've only browsed through this 1995 effort as a research source for my own writings since I first read it back then, I believe Beyond Prozac would still hold up very well among the more recent crops of books in the genre, which tend to be "skin deep" (chew them up, spit them out, and move on). It contains the kinds of unique and engaging ideas and insights that have a shelf life.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Beyond Prozac" excels beyond other books of its kind., September 12, 1997

By	[e-mail] (Fort Worth, Texas) - See all my reviews

Upon finishing "Beyond Prozac," my first reaction was that it should be titled "The Depression Super-Book"! Giving background information on depression, presenting a half a dozen natural alternative treatments, and thoroughly discussing the full range of presciption anti-depressants and related research, this book is teeming with technical detail. Unlike other books lining the self-help shelves, this is not "fluffy" reading -- it is designed for the SERIOUS mental health consumer. Dr. Norden provides much information that cannot be found in the many watered-down sources on depression.

The chapters on natural alternatives are particularly empowering. Dr. Norden not only presents relevant evidence of the alternatives' success, he explains the scientific reasoning behind them. He does not expect the reader to take his word for it. Instead, he provides enough information for the reader to make personal decisions.

The chapters on prescription anti-depressants are equally empowering, leaving me feeling capable of taking an active role in my own diagnosis and treatment. This kind of information is essential in a time where you can see a doctor for only 5 or 10 minutes. Ultimately, the responsibility for our mental health resides with us, and Dr. Norden's book gives us tools to help us take that responsibility.

I gave this book a rating of 9. The only reason I didn't give is a 10 is because of readability. Some less-dedicated readers would find it easy to get bogged down in the technical jargon, giving up before reaching the end. Those who stick with it, however, will be richly rewarded.