Treat depression as a journey rather than a disease, contends Dr. James Gordon, and sufferers can take charge of their destiny — like legendary Odysseus — instead of surrendering to the siren’s song of pills.
Gordon has spent four decades honing holistic treatments for depression and trauma. The founder of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in D.C. calls depression “a sign that our lives are out of balance, that we’re stuck.”
A holistic, non-drug approach
In his new book, “Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression,” Gordon details practical steps to break free of debilitating worries, self-doubts, and depression.
Over time, fight-or-flight responses tax the body; experiences alter brain chemistry when relived in the mind. Chronic stress keeps blood sugar elevated and weakens the immune system. Explains Gordon, “Every organ and every cell become more vulnerable, including those in the emotional center of our brain.”
Anxiety and depression also contribute to backaches, headaches, fatigue, insomnia and hypersomnia. While antidepressants and other drugs can relieve symptoms, holistic approaches tackle root causes.
Bolster sense of control without side-effects
Gordon’s prescription includes:
» Meditations instead of medications. “Meditation not only can change brain function — decreasing activity in centers associated with unhappiness and increasing it in others that are crucial to love, compassion, and happiness — but can also alter the anatomical structure of our brains.”
» Soft belly breathing: Teaching mind and body to relax naturally.
» Dietary changes to balance physical and mental functioning. Nutritional imbalances can predispose someone to depression.
Elimination diets revealed many clinically depressed youths and adults had sensitivities to milk. sugar (including high-fructose corn syrup) and caffeine.
Writes Gordon, “simple sugars may also, in the long run, overload the brain’s serotonin and beta-endorphin receptors and produce an ongoing, and potentially addictive, higher demand for these substances, and, perhaps, depression.” (He tells of a hyper-agitated patient’s setback after celebrating 10 sugar-free days with a candy bar binge.)
» Vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins are among foods on Gordon’s mood-lifting diet.
» Movement, such as freeform dancing.
» Spiritual practices.
» Going from helplessness to mindfulness. For example, changing self-defeating patterns.
Genetics and trauma are not a life sentence to suffering. Gordon maintains that changes in brain function and structure resulting from depression may be reversed. Costing far less than therapy, this book offers an expert guide for the journey out of darkness.
Feeling stuck?
» “Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression” by Dr. James S. Gordon; 426 p., 2008. Penguin Press
Robin Tierney is a freelancer who writes about health and environment issues. She can be reached at [email protected].
