The Chemistry of Joy: A Three-Step Program for Overcoming Depression Through Western Science and Eastern Wisdom

by Henry Emmons, Rachel Kranz

The classic book that New York Times bestselling author Dr. Larry Dossey called “a valuable guide for anyone wishing to find greater exuberance and fulfillment in their life,” The Chemistry of Joy offers a unique blend of Western science and Eastern philosophy to show you how to treat depression more naturally and effectively, and what you can do TODAY to create a happier, more fulfilling life for yourself.

The Chemistry of Joy presents Dr. Emmons’s natural approach to depression—supplemented with medication if necessary—combining the best of Western medicine and Eastern teaching to create your body’s own biochemistry of joy. Integrating Western brain chemistry, natural and Ayurvedic medicine, Buddhist psychology, and his own joyful heart techniques, Dr. Emmons creates a practical program for each of the three types of depression: anxious depression, agitated depression, and sluggish depression.

The Chemistry of Joy helps you to identify which type of depression you are experiencing and provides a specific diet and exercise plan to address it, as well as nutritional supplements and “psychology of mindfulness” exercises that can restore your body’s natural balance and energy. This flexible approach creates newfound joy for those whose lives have been touched by depression—and pathways for all who seek to actively improve their emotional lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Health, Psychology, Mental Health, Science, Biology

290 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Henry Emmons, MD, is a psychiatrist who integrates mind-body and natural therapies, mindfulness and allied Buddhist therapeutics, and psychotherapeutic caring and insight in his clinical work.

Reviews

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read a book about depression like this. It's a blend of the typical stuff you're told on every blog and in every news article - sleep well, exercise, stop eating junk. The second half of the book is all about what type of depressed person you are and the things you can do to alleviate the pain. I like that there is acknowledgement of the various types of depression and how people respond to depression in a variety of ways. The way the author used his patients to tell stories was really interesting. I identified most with the 'grasping' section and the lethargic depression explainers. This book gives practical life advice on ways to break ruminating thoughts, identify what it is that triggers your depression, and how you can help yourself in a spiritual context. Sometimes it did feel like I was reading philosophical psycho-babble until I stopped judging it and started picking out the lines and sections that applied to me. This is technically Buddhism in practice, however I wasn't converted. Instead I was able to take what I needed and leave the rest. I got this from the library, but it's on my 'To Buy' list now.

[Erin Goettsch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts of this make all the sense in the world: treating patients' overall wellness, as a whole person, instead of reducing them to a diagnosis, is so great. There should be more books about this.

But this particular book is problematic in a handful of ways. Primarily, the tone is condescending and edges dangerously close to blaming patients for causing their own depression by having poor overall health (while seeming blind to the idea that it's actually the inverse of that cause/effect in many cases). Also, his recommendations of the types/cases of "depression" to treat without medication don't seem to match with the medical definition of "depression" -- which in some places, he seems to imply that you don't need medication even if you have actual chronic depression (although he also specifically disclaims that in several spots too? is confusing).

When I can put aside those issues, though, I really did like SO much of this book. It is clear and presents helpful practical ideas for overall wellness, and understanding how the brain works (and crumples) in depression. The sections on seasonal/light cycles and vitamin/nutrition are particularly good. The bits on Buddhism and ayurverda didn't quite click with me, but that's not really my jam anyway.

Interesting read - just don't use it as actual medical treatment or a mental health plan.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just ordered a copy of this for my home library - it will be a reference I return to again and again. Thank you, Jessica and Elisabeth, for an excellent recommendation!

Pitta with a touch of Vata, Anger type who has experienced anxious and sluggish depression and healed without prescription medication, I felt the message of every chapter in this book. I have so much work ahead of me, but also a good foundation to continue inner growth and healing.

I've been swallowing a TBL/day of cod liver oil for the past 2 yrs and recently- last 6 weeks or so- fallen out of the daily habit. Back on the wagon- I know what this one simple routine has meant to my physical & mental health. Omega-3, baby!

[Mimi Somsanith · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the Intuition book describes the WHAT, this book explains the HOW to maintain a healthy self. The first section covers Western medicine such as noting your deficiencies in the “happy” chemical, the “energy” chemical, and/or the “motivation” chemical and how to rebalance according to your individual needs. Of course, the author has scientific terms for these chemicals. The second section illustrates your persona as the air, fiery, or earth type. We all have some combination but there is one prominent type that resembles how we react to various food ingredients and how we find certain kinds of activities more agreeable. The third section is deep and may require a compelling thirst for knowledge to read through it. You’ll learn some wisdom that you may not be ready to comply but know in your heart it’s holistic and empowering. For me, I was glad to realize that we have options beyond our normal reactive responses for each frustration. Sometimes, we just need to be reminded.

[Heid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE fan of drugs, but this book has all the alternative stuff in one place, gives nice little boxes with how many and which B vitamins we all need (as well as a bunch of other odd oils and supplements to try for sleep and other good brain stuff) and its tone is no-nonsense and not too over-the-top positive for the typically skeptical low-serotonin type like myself. Oh, come on, read it!

[Eric Abels · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will be reread many times.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been recommended to me by almost every professor I've had in my graduate program, as well as an Ayurvedic practitioner I interviewed for a research project. I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it - it is excellent. Dr. Emmons focuses on depression and how to best cope with it and make yourself a "crucible for joy," with recommendations for diet, vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements, as well as ways to treat depression from Ayurvedic and Buddhist perspectives. It's a very accessible read for people of all levels of interest in holistic health, and I've already purchased copies for several friends and family members. Whether one considers themselves clinically depressed or not, the dietary, lifestyle, and spiritual recommendations in this book can be life-changing. I've implemented several of the suggestions he makes in my own life, and have noticed a significant different in my energy level and mood.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book helpful. It's not that I didn't know that I needed exercise, spirituality, & nutrition, but this book looks at depression from a western, ayurvedic/eastern & buddhist ways. I learned a lot about why I react to depression the way I do & how I can counteract.

I've already started some of his suggestions as I was reading it.

I found this book so useful, I bought a copy & plan to loan it to some friends who could use it.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this is a resource I will go back to time and again. An excellent and comprehensive look at East/West remedies for depression. Emmons wasn't preachy and didn't lean one way or another. Great resource lists included as well.

[Lily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parts were usable, but about 2/3 of the way through it started to remind me of What the Bleep Do We Know?, and once he got into spiritual matters it felt very cultish. From there until the end I had to grit my teeth and bull my through it.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended for anyone who has ever been depressed or known someone who is depressed.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book so helpful and interesting. I’m so happy to have it as a resource and recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about all aspects of your mental health.

[Sharon Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical and accessible, a very useful and helpful book.

[D.B White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read for people going through some things, and/or people who manage depression on a more chronic level and that just want alternatives to medication. Enjoyed his explanation for different types of depression and the simplified biochemistry behind it is something that almost anyone can understand, which is very important for people to make informed decisions about their healthcare. Book isn’t a one-size-fits-all, and not a substitute for medical help, but offers ideas of natural, safe, cheap/free and fairly harmless implementations that can help people that don’t want to take meds, want to reduce their reliance on meds, or who are taking meds but are still struggling with depression. His breathing and mindfulness recommendations are in line with third-wave psychotherapy, which is effective and well-studied. His intro to Eastern philosophies offers a holistic approach to understanding depression and he later brings spirituality into it, moving us away from Western approaches to illness that view all diseases as all bad. It can be freeing to view illness as something you have but not as something you are, and something that contributes to your worldview and spiritual growth because it is something you have to overcome or find a way to cope with. The book version is a lot nicer than the audiobook…I found the narrator’s voice breathy and annoying in an rich, entitled white yoga-teacher sort of way, especially at the last chapter. Didn’t bring joy, didn’t bring calm, only contempt and eye-rolls on my long drive, but hey, annoying voice aside, it’s still part of mindfulness, and it is still important. If it helps you, good, but if you’re a little unkind and impatient in your leisure time like I am, maybe buy the book instead.

[Manoj · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm very surprised that I haven't read this book before.

It relates to mindset, depression, and our mood in such an integrative, holistic way that I always search for in books.

The author is obviously extremely knowledgeable about his field of study. Not only is this book a compendium of facts, data, and highly curated advice based on science. But, it integrates that so beautifully with his passion for ayurvedic medicine and Bhuddism, and it dugtails perfectly in the 3 categories of depressed patients from the science chapters.

The three types of brain chemistry anxious depressed, agitated depressed, and sluggish depression. Ayurvedic types (doshas): Vata dosha (air type), Pitta dosha (Fire), Kapha dosha (earth type). And finally the 3 Bhuddist personality types mentioned in the book: Greed temperament, Aversive temperament, and Deluded temperament.

I also really liked Chapter 15. It really connected to me on a deeper level. I almost had an intuitive sense that it was true even though it was the more ethereal and spiritual of the concepts in the book. He had many many meditations that you can do for all the various types mentioned previously. He also so eloquently lays out a framework of living in acceptance, joy, and presence. Very powerful. Very eye opening.

Highly recommend a read.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I usually hate books that talk about strategies for coping with depression/tips on how to be happy because it's just oversimplified so much - yes, thank you, I get it, having a gratitude journal does help my mood but it cannot cure the lack of serotonin in my brain the same way my antidepressants can - but I think that for the most part Emmons does a good job in recognizing that sometimes, no matter what you eat and how much you exercise, you still need medication.

In particular, I love his three part approach of mind, body, and soul, because I do believe and have experienced how all of those things connect. It was interesting to read about the biochemistry, the Ayurvedic types, and the Buddhist mindfulness types.

There were a few times I didn't like his examples - one in particular of a survivor of sexual abuse verged on victim-blaming for me - but on the whole, a good book if you're looking for multiple strategies on how to mitigate your depression.

[Amy Uptain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hopeful look at a pathway out of depression

Mental health is a topic of great interest to me due to personal experience with mental illness. I read this author’s The Chemistry of Calm (his book about anxiety) last month as it applied more to my own personal experience at the time. I read a review somewhere that cited his The Chemistry of Joy as the better of the two books, and I have to agree with that reviewer. In my understanding and experience, anxiety and depression are bound up together. This book paves a bright and hopeful path using Western knowledge about mental health, Auyervedic understanding, and Buddhist philosophical teachings to offer a three-pronged approach to healing. Some of the suggestions are a bit out of my comfort zone as a thoroughly Western thinker, but it has provided me much food for thought and a great sense of hopefulness, which is invaluable.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Chemistry of Joy, Henry Emmons mixes eastern and western science in an attempt to help people struggling with depression to overcome it by focusing on more natural remedies. This includes, diet, physical activity, stress management and meditation. What I think sets this book apart from other books I've read is that it doesn't label western medicine as wrong and freely admits that there is a place for it. That being said, western medicine and pharmaceutical drugs used for treating depression seem limited in many cases.

While I wasn't astounded by the information in this book, there were parts that really resonated with me. The subject matter has always been one that I've been very keen on. I think it's a solid read that will leave the reader with a foundation of where to start in treating their depression naturally, but more importantly, to make certain lifestyle choices that will help them lead a happier, more fulfilling life.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of this is probably fine. Some of it is probably flim-flam. I didn't know we were still prescribing supplements in modern types, so I skipped that chapter because I don't need expensive pee. I can't figure out how my Ayurvedic type and my Buddhist type can be so different, and if I decide to pursue that interest I'll probably have to get help with that. For now, I'm going to try the nutrition information and see what that does.

I'm going to echo some of the comments about tone. For something written in 2006, it seems dated. For example, the college student whose concerns are minimized because of trouble with classes and friends and "no attention from boys." On the other hand, his adult male patient with other relationship and work issues are treated very seriously. I hope the author doesn't take that sort of tone with his patients, although I can't help but suspect he must.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seems legit. The Chemistry of Joy somehow makes neuroscience feel like a warm cup of tea; scientifically grounded, but surprisingly comforting. The author blends Western psychiatry with Eastern mindfulness and an Ayurvedic perspective, creating a guide that feels both credible and human. He doesn’t just throw serotonin levels and synapses at you; he explains how food, thought, and compassion work together to lift you back toward balance.

What’s refreshing is that the book never feels preachy or sterile. It’s hopeful and practical. Reading it feels like sitting down with a really wise doctor who also happens to know what turmeric does to your mood.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like others, I plan to purchase this to refer to at home because I found it THAT useful. I'd recommend reading a digital copy (rather than listening, as I did) so you can make and save highlights.

It's rare (in my experience) to find an MD that can provide the kind of holistic mental health perspective offered in this book while remaining so even-keeled and practical, neither pushing medication nor villifying those that need it. If you can read with an open mind, taking what speaks to you and leaving what doesn't, it should be a worthwhile read.

[Siel Ju · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Allow yourself to become a crucible for the chemistry of joy.”
*
First, an FYI: I’m not actually depressed! But I picked up this book after hearing it recommended on a
podcast about happiness. The book is really just about nurturing habits that make you happier in general — through diet, exercise, sleep, relaxation techniques, and mindfulness practices. I finished it with a new resolution for myself: eat more salmon! (For omega 3s)

[Beckie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this after reading the chemistry of calm, but it was not nearly as good. The patient stories seemed very cliche, feeding into the stories of mental health told time and again. I was not able to take as much away from this book. I appreciated the reinforcement of the benefits of St. John's Wort and Vitamin B complex, the calming breath technique and live with a full heart meditation.

[Donette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well rounded book on overcoming depression. The first half covers the science behind depression along with diet and exercise advice for the different types of depression. I loved that it didn’t go right to medication as a solution. The second half was Eastern theology and practices. Great balance for a very complex issue.

[Elena Stachew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as someone who is currently working through depression. I don't believe in just treating mental illness in terms of a chemical imbalance and treating with medication, but a holistic, lifestyle, mindset approach and this book definitely speaks to that. This book was recommended to me years ago and I finally got around to reading it!

[Patti · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read about 2/3 of this book and gave up. I don't feel that I fit neatly into any of the boxes he's described, and if I consider applying the advice given to all of the diffent personality types it becomes both redundant and contradictory. It boils down to some basic life advice of eat well, exercise, be self aware, and get enough sleep. I'm sure this book has helped some but it wasn't for me.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having friends with depression, I decided to try to educate myself on some way to help (or not further hurt) them. I think this is as helpful for myself as for them. Maybe a bit simplistic, but worth some thought. I got it from the library, so I couldn't write in it, but I could follow on separate paper. Prompted from introspection.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend this book for anyone who has depression.
This book has helped me gain a better understanding of myself, it’s changed my life. I’m so proud that I can identify an imbalance, and with the help of this book I can make the changes to restore balance and peace of mind. (Air type)

[Ragan Balzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

My history with this book had a troubled past, but despite that I didn't get rid of it and am finally in the spot to be open and receptive to its message. I absorbed it like a sponge and am grateful for the knowledge and insight in provided.

[Melaine]

I liked this one better than the other book but it’s still 20 years old. Some of the sources no longer work. Also not fitting exactly into one box and being a combination of multiple felt like the suggestions were contradictory.
There’s a few tidbits I’ll take away