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Finally Hopeful: The Personalized, Whole-Body Plan to Find and Fix the Root Causes of Your Depression

Not yet published
Expected 13 Jan 26
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A groundbreaking personalized model for psychiatric treatment of depression that helps readers identify their body's unique interplay of nutritional factors, biochemistry, lifestyle and genetics for effective and lasting care.

“In this timely and transformative book, Dr. James Greenblatt boldly dismantles the outdated paradigm that seeks only to suppress symptoms with one-size-fits-all medications.”—David Perlmutter, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grain Brain

“If you or someone you love struggles with depression, this book is essential reading.”—Mark Hyman, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Young Forever and The UltraMind Solution

Major depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting more than 21 million American adults and 3.7 million of our youth each year. And yet, the current one-size-fits-all medical model for psychiatric treatment of depression does not work for a significant portion of patients. Antidepressant medications are often treated as a magic bullet, but the truth is that depression is a complex mental and physical condition, influenced by nutrient intake and absorption, body chemistry, metabolism, genetics, hormones, food sensitivities, stressful life events, social support, and many other factors.

In Finally Hopeful, functional psychiatrist Dr. James Greenblatt offers a new model of treatment that acknowledges that depression is not "all in your head," but in your body. Dr. Greenblatt provides a unique guide to optimizing the nutrients, hormones, neurotransmitters, and many other biochemical factors that play a major role in most cases of depression. It is vital to address these physical factors using testing that customizes treatment to the individual, and Finally Hopeful outlines what tests you need; how to read the results for practical action; and how to work in conjunction with your physician. You'll also gain key insights into antidepressants and feel empowered in seeking the answers you deserve.

A functional psychiatry approach recognizes that depression has many causes and often requires a range of therapies, both drug and non-drug. Finally Hopeful makes the whole-body approach available to everyone, delivering real hope and relief.

368 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication January 13, 2026

3131 people want to read

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James Greenblatt

9 books6 followers

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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Profile Image for Vicky.
Author 26 books69 followers
October 27, 2025
I was really looking forward to this book. I found the premise intriguing, but the outcome was troublesome to me. I loved that he was promoting functional psychiatry for depression—testing before treating. But…some of the tests he proposes cost hundreds of dollars and not everybody has the kind of insurance that will cover them. Then, when the tests results come in, he proposes specific types of supplements, the kind insurance won’t cover and very few people can afford. Plus, he specifies using a particular brand/company. Basically, this is more like An infomercial where they tell you what’s wrong, then tell you that they have the perfect solution—for a price.

I like the idea of functional psychiatry. According to the author, depression is not just in your head. It’s part of your entire body. Functional psychiatry treats the root cause. And he stresses that “one size (or med) does not fit all”. It combines medical science with nutrition and metabolism.
Overall, it’s an interesting book and there is some good information in there, but you have to wade through a lot of brand specific recommendations.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Profile Image for Charissa Wilkinson.
838 reviews13 followers
December 22, 2025
I received this book courtesy of the Goodreads First Reads Program for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Overview: It's been said that one in four Americans are diagnosed with depression. But is medication the only option for those suffering? And are the side-effects even worth it? Dr. Greenblatt doesn't think so. He is a functional psychiatrist, and this book seeks to show some of the imbalances that can cause depression. How successful is he in explaining that idea? Let's find out.

Dislikes: That is just sneaky of the makers of psychiatric medications. Oh, yeah. Let's deny that our medications might be addictive until we can't deny it without looking stupid. And I don't care what you call it: withdrawal is withdrawal. It's a bad thing to deal with, whether it is from legal or illicit drugs.

Likes: Each imbalance has its own section. You get detailed information about what each deficiency can cause, and how to test for it.

We get Dr. Greenblatt's success stories. It's good to see that people were able to get their lives back on track.

Also, as little as he relies on medication, Dr. Greenblatt doesn't despise it. He prepares his patients, who wish to stop the anti-depressants, for the possibility that they may never be able to get totally off of the drugs.

Conclusion: This book may irritate those who are getting masters in the gender study fields. But I found it fascinating. If you have an open mind, and are interested in medical books, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Profile Image for Alicia Bayer.
Author 10 books251 followers
October 25, 2025
This is one of those self help books that is only relevant if you are upper middle class with a lot of discretionary income. The author recommends doing thousands of dollars worth of medical tests for all kinds of vitamins, minerals, ferritin, hormones, amino acids, celiac, etc. (most not covered by insurance) and then supplementing with hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of supplements. He almost always recommends a specific brand and I strongly suspect he either owns it or owns stock in it.

He has lots of case histories where patients were put on prescription after prescription and were miserable, and after doing all of his tests and going on his personalized regimen for them they were supposedly completely cured in a month. He recommends things like 5-HTP, zinc, lithium orotate, trace minerals, EFAs, and tons more, generally always saying to get them from Pure Encapsulations brand. Looking online, many of their supplements are a hundred dollars each (also, there are a lot of studies and worries about some of them). And that’s after paying for all these expensive tests of your blood and hair.

I’m not sure how on earth this book would help the average struggling person trying to pay bills while dealing with depression. I honestly just found it more depressing.

I read a digital ARC of this book for review.
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