Healing Depression & Bipolar Disorder Without Drugs: Inspiring Stories of Restoring Mental Health Through Natural Therapies

by Gracelyn Guyol

When Gracelyn Guyol was diagnosed in 1993 with a mild form of bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, she was prescribed a commonly used antidepressant. Soon she developed breast cysts and benign tumors, a possible side effect of the antidepressant. She went off the drug and within two months, her tumors disappeared. Under the care of a naturopath, Guyol embarked on a quest to educate herself about the underlying genetic, hormonal, and other causes of depression and bipolar disorder. She investigated many natural therapies-including diet, vitamins, herbal treatments, and energy healing-before finding the solutions that have kept her free of depression and bipolar symptoms since 2002. Healing Depression & Bipolar Disorder Without Drugs features Gracelyn Guyol's own story and those of thirteen other people around the country who have cured their depression and bipolar disorder using only natural therapies. In-depth research and the expertise of alternative health-care professionals are included in this landmark guide for patients and caregivers seeking responsible, safe alternatives to psychiatric drugs.

Genres: Health, Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2006

Reviews

[Courtney Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of different things that can be tried to help with depression from vitamins to other supplements to yoga. I don't know of the validity of all the different treatment options, but at least they're talked about as options and drugs aren't seen as the only choice.

[Ruby · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was a little bit interesting but the first two-thirds were bogged down by a barrage of scientific and pseudo-scientific (ie leaky gut syndrome) babble with no conclusion or summing up to bring readers a coherent thesis. the author presents a variety of nutritional deficiencies that may account for depression and bipolar disorder, illustrated by cases where improvement was seen after altering diet and lifestyle, but a majority of the cases seem misdiagnosed. her recommendations also vary and contradict each other from chapter to chapter and readers are given no clear advice - just the overall feeling that what they're doing now is wrong, and that they should probably be taking a lot of supplements. I feel it could be misleading and outright dangerous for some people out there, and would not recommend it.

[Mequell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very technical book. It was a little more useful to me when it got to the practical things that I understood rather than the scientific terminology about how each vitamin affects each system in the body (there are so many and they all affect the body so similarly). It did give me great hope though that there can be a recovery and not just a life forever tied to the side effects of numerous prescription drugs.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of many of the natural treatments that are available for treating depression. The author is not an expert or a doctor, she is someone who has studied some of the biochemical imbalances and other issues that can cause or lead to depression. I used the things she suggested as a basis for further research. I'm not a big fan of prescription medication and am always looking for a more natural approach to treat disease so this book was right up my alley.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clearly written guide to an exceedingly complex topic. Narratives of people successfully utilizing a range of natural therapies for bipolar disorder and depression are shared, along with helpful information on each topic. It's clear that untangling the web of mental illness is hugely individual and challenging, and that for the folks in this book, the results have been quite wonderful.

[Brian David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book holds out hope for folks unwillingly bound with depression or mental and emotional disorders; I am finding several of the natural supplements very effective against my depression.