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Herbal Medicine for Mental Health: Natural Treatments for Anxiety, Depression, ADHD and More
From the prestigious Amen Clinics, a psychiatrist's practical, authoritative, straight-forward guide to the use of herbal medicine to treat mental health struggles.
Millions of Americans suffer from depression, anxiety and a host of other mental health issues, and many get psychiatric help. For many of those patients, medication is a necessary part of treatment. But pharmaceuticals are not a cure-all. Sometimes they are ineffective, leaving patients feeling hopeless, as though nothing can be done. Some medications also have terrible side effects, leading patients to discontinue the drug. More and more, patients are turning to more natural products, supplements, essential oils, and herbs to solve their problems...
But what are herbs really? Are they a replacement for the medications? Do they work? Are they safe? Have they been studied? How are do you even figure out where to start? Start here. This book takes those question head-on with simple, practical answers from a trusted and experienced psychiatrist, so patients and practitioners alike can discover how herbal medicine can be an effective part of treatment.
Millions of Americans suffer from depression, anxiety and a host of other mental health issues, and many get psychiatric help. For many of those patients, medication is a necessary part of treatment. But pharmaceuticals are not a cure-all. Sometimes they are ineffective, leaving patients feeling hopeless, as though nothing can be done. Some medications also have terrible side effects, leading patients to discontinue the drug. More and more, patients are turning to more natural products, supplements, essential oils, and herbs to solve their problems...
But what are herbs really? Are they a replacement for the medications? Do they work? Are they safe? Have they been studied? How are do you even figure out where to start? Start here. This book takes those question head-on with simple, practical answers from a trusted and experienced psychiatrist, so patients and practitioners alike can discover how herbal medicine can be an effective part of treatment.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2022
23 people are currently reading
791 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 10, 2022
Lillian Somner's expertise as a psychiatrist, osteopathic physician, acupuncturist, and her experience working with the brilliant Daniel Amen really shows in this excellent guide for treating mental health naturally.
She covers a lot of ground in the various aspects and details of areas of mental health, ranging from treating depression to ADHD to specific hormonal issues for women. What’s particularly refreshing is her method of combining herbals, vitamins, other supplements, dietary changes, and at times medications to treat the whole person. Often medical books on treating conditions naturally vilify allopathic medicine, but she maintains a balance that I appreciate. And of course, she recommends working along with your own medical professional to implement herbal remedies.
Highly recommended for anyone wanting a reference book in their collection to help navigate the tricky waters of treating mental health conditions.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
She covers a lot of ground in the various aspects and details of areas of mental health, ranging from treating depression to ADHD to specific hormonal issues for women. What’s particularly refreshing is her method of combining herbals, vitamins, other supplements, dietary changes, and at times medications to treat the whole person. Often medical books on treating conditions naturally vilify allopathic medicine, but she maintains a balance that I appreciate. And of course, she recommends working along with your own medical professional to implement herbal remedies.
Highly recommended for anyone wanting a reference book in their collection to help navigate the tricky waters of treating mental health conditions.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
October 16, 2024
This is a good guide to types of depression, anxiety, etc and herbs that can be used to treat them. I appreciated that it delves into different reasons for depression and anxiety, with different herbs recommended depending on the cause. For instance, depression related to PMDD and hormonal causes will need different remedies than depression related to gut imbalances or stress. It goes into ways you can take them (capsule, tea, tincture) and some dosage recommendations.
As a forager and herbalist, I was hoping for more information on making my own remedies but this is meant for people who just buy their herbs. Most of the information is from the perspective of studies and established mainstream science, rather than from the perspective of experienced herbalists. Therefore, there’s more of a focus on Asian remedies since they have been doing studies so much longer and on the few western herbs studied by herbal companies and the medical establishment. I was hoping for more plants (and mushrooms) that are in my region. Generally, herbal wisdom from communities like indigenous and Appalachian herbalists is discounted and I would have liked to see their perspectives. Still a great guide for the many herbs it does cover though.
I read a digital copy of this book for review.
As a forager and herbalist, I was hoping for more information on making my own remedies but this is meant for people who just buy their herbs. Most of the information is from the perspective of studies and established mainstream science, rather than from the perspective of experienced herbalists. Therefore, there’s more of a focus on Asian remedies since they have been doing studies so much longer and on the few western herbs studied by herbal companies and the medical establishment. I was hoping for more plants (and mushrooms) that are in my region. Generally, herbal wisdom from communities like indigenous and Appalachian herbalists is discounted and I would have liked to see their perspectives. Still a great guide for the many herbs it does cover though.
I read a digital copy of this book for review.
March 22, 2022
This is the book that every medical student should be introduced to during medical school and continue using as a reference to help heal the entire person. A good blend of herbal medicine and western medicine can be found in this book. "An herb is used not only for the action needed but for its affinity for the organ." It was helpful that the author made many comparisons to other modalities of medicine (allopathic, osteopathy, western, herbal, Chinese energetic). The book addresses the follow topics, chapter by chapter: Depression, gut-brain connection, the cortisol connection, the thyroid connection, the sex steroid connection, polycystic ovary syndrome, the Vitamin D connection, the insulin connection, and other treatments. Anxiety disorders, deficits in attention, sleep bipolar disorder and pain relief are all covered in more details as well. This book was so interesting to learn about a variety of topics and the herbs that can make a significant difference.
August 19, 2022
5 Stars!
This book is a fascinating read, filled with knowledge, advice, and tips for improving one's health.
Lillian Somner does an excellent job of breaking down and explaining medical terms in simple details for readers. The book also includes photos and diagrams to further explain and show topics. The book covers herbal medicine for topics such as anxiety, depression, disorders, and others.
With these current times, mental health is important now more than ever. I recommend checking out Mental Medicine for Mental Health! It's a fascinating book, with helpful tips to improve one's health.
My thanks to Kensington Publishing for a copy of this book for my review!
This book is a fascinating read, filled with knowledge, advice, and tips for improving one's health.
Lillian Somner does an excellent job of breaking down and explaining medical terms in simple details for readers. The book also includes photos and diagrams to further explain and show topics. The book covers herbal medicine for topics such as anxiety, depression, disorders, and others.
With these current times, mental health is important now more than ever. I recommend checking out Mental Medicine for Mental Health! It's a fascinating book, with helpful tips to improve one's health.
My thanks to Kensington Publishing for a copy of this book for my review!
February 14, 2022
This is an excellent reference book explaining the best herbs/supplements/tinctures to naturally treat many illnesses. I have already ordered some herbal tea blends from Mountain Rose Herbs. I really enjoyed reading this book. Filled will very good information.
April 29, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. There were some great takeaways on specific herbs and medical interventions currently being used or researched for mental health, as well as traditional herbal medicine. It felt well rounded and unbiased.
March 14, 2022
Fantastic! The author provides a good account of herbs and their uses to support mental health and conditions like ADHD and PCSO, as well as other treatments such as CBT.
March 29, 2022
Dealing with mental health issues can be very difficult. I found this book to be very informative and helpful. I recommend it to anyone dealing with mental health issues.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews