Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
The Wisdom of Depression: A Guide to Understanding and Curing Depression Using Natural Medicine
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

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

~ Jonathan G. Zuess (Author) "DEPRESSION is a quest for vision; its essence is transformation..." (more)
Key Phrases: depressed response, people with depression, melatonin supplements, United States, Native American, New Age (more...)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


15 used from $3.66

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Hardcover -- $3.32 $0.50
  Paperback -- -- $3.66

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Touch For Health: The Complete Edition

Touch For Health: The Complete Edition

by John F. Thie
4.9 out of 5 stars (23)  $19.11
The Red Book

The Red Book

by C. G. Jung
4.4 out of 5 stars (20)  $114.07
The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want

The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want

by Sonja Lyubomirsky
4.6 out of 5 stars (71)  $6.00
What the Bleep Do We Know!?

What the Bleep Do We Know!?

DVD ~ Marlee Matlin
The Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Midlife

The Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Midlife

by Marianne Williamson
4.2 out of 5 stars (84)  $10.17
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Depression is a quest for vision; its essence is transformation," begins Wisdom of Depression, a book with a unique slant. According to psychiatrist Jonathan Zuess, "depression can be a natural and healthy response ... designed to enhance your abilities to overcome difficult emotional challenges." Half of this book describes natural therapies for mild cases, allowing the person's internal healing processes, creative life energy, and spiritual journey to flourish. Understanding the importance of dreams is essential, says Zuess: dreams may be our version of vision quests. Depressed people dream almost twice as much as other people, and enter the dream state unusually rapidly. Two other keys are learning to see with "the eyes of the soul" and expressing creativity.

Temporary depression, says Zuess, "can help us to dive deep into ourselves, to restructure our inner being, and come to a new way of understanding and living in the world." According to Zuess, depression only becomes an illness when it goes seriously wrong and doesn't resolve itself naturally, developing into major depressive disorder. In this case, he advocates a medical diagnosis, talk therapy, nutritional supplements, exposure to early morning light, and either conventional antidepressant drugs or herbal alternatives--all of which he discusses in detail. --Joan Price --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.



From Publishers Weekly

To a topic about which so much has already been written, psychiatrist Zuess (The Natural Prozac Program) brings an astonishingly fresh view. His holistic approach recognizes depression as "a natural and healthy response" to "difficult emotional challenges," a "built-in healing mechanism." Unless this healing process is subverted in some way, its outcome, Zuess says, is "inner transformation," as sufferers "emerge from it stronger, healthier, and more in touch with their wise inner self." But Zuess admits that subversion is possible, and that the depressed response sometimes evolves into illness ("major depressive disorder") rather than being resolved. Only then does he advocate the powerful drugs (Prozac, Zoloft, etc.) most conventional psychiatrists offer as a first and often singular treatment. Instead, Zuess proposes use of the natural herb St. John's Wort. For all forms of mild to severe depression, he also suggests a program that includes a physical examination, exercise, sunlight, herbs, vitamins, nutrition, psychotherapy, play, dream analysis, and meditation and relaxation techniques. He also teaches an excellent step-by-step method for creative problem-solving. Offering a knowledgeable examination of the myriad treatments for the epidemic affliction of depression, Zuess's noteworthy book also delivers a brisk introduction to the holistic view of medicine in general.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 252 pages
  • Publisher: Three Rivers Press (September 7, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0609804707
  • ISBN-13: 978-0609804704
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,037,092 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

Jonathan Zuess
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Jonathan Zuess Page

Inside This Book (learn more)




Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Holistic and balanced approach to depression, December 21, 1998
By A Customer
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Yes, but ..., November 1, 1999
By A Customer
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK ON DEPRESSION - MUST READ!, January 11, 1999
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!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wisdom of Dr. Zeuss
I read this book about 12 years ago. Not as a clinician, a scholar or an intellectual, but as a depressed person. Read more
Published 12 months ago by E. A. Vazquez

1.0 out of 5 stars The Wisdom of a Grain of Salt . . .
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... Read more
Published on December 23, 1999 by Alicia

5.0 out of 5 stars Important & Better Approach To Depression
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. Read more
Published on May 19, 1999 by R. Ellingson

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   


Listmania!


So You'd Like to...


Create a guide

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.



Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.