Healing Depression without Medication: A Psychiatrist's Guide to Balancing Mind, Body, and Soul

(Paperback)

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An effective, evidence-based guide for preventing, treating, and overcoming depression--without drugs. Antidepressants--the first line in our standard of care for treating depression--may not be much more effective than placebos, yet 1 in 6 Americans takes medication to alleviate feeling sad, anxious, stuck, or unable to focus or sleep. More and more, conventional medicine pathologizes how we respond to life's challenges, like feeling trapped in an unfulfilling job, grieving the death of a loved one, or being anxious about a bad relationship, telling us that they're symptoms of disease. But what if everything we thought we knew about depression--and how to heal from it--was wrong Psychiatrist Dr. Jodie Skillicorn presents a new path, debunking the myth of the neurochemical imbalance and exploring the roots of depression, like adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and poorly managed day-to-day stress. In Part 1, Dr. Skillicorn explains what depression is, why we get it, and how we got to where we are now within a pharmaceutical-driven treatment paradigm. Part 2 addresses different aspects of physical and mental health and includes practical, guided Wellness Rx exercises that teach readers to nourish, heal, and restore balance to body and mind. Fully supported and evidence-based, Dr. Skillicorn introduces holistic methods for beating depression, including nutrition, mindfulness, fostering meaningful connections, exercise, sleep, nature, and breathwork--and empowers readers to become agents of their own wholeness and healing.

Reviews

If you think you need psych meds to cure your mood, think again. And read
this book.
CHRISTIANE NORTHRUP, MD,New York Timesbest-selling author of
Goddesses Never Age,The Wisdom of Menopause, andWomens Bodies, Womens Wisdom

The unfortunate reality is that the majority of patients treated with medications
for depression fail to recover. In this insightful new work, Dr. Skillicorn shares
her holistic prescriptions on how to live a fuller and depression-free life. This is
a must-read in my clinic.
Joel Kahn, MD, FACC, author ofThe Plant-Based Solution

While there are dozens of self-help books on depression, Dr. Skillicorn has done
a masterful job of explaining principles of neuroscience and how they work to
create new neural pathways for healing depression. Neuroplasticity is the name of
the game, and Dr. Skillicorn presents meticulous research about the need to look
beyond diagnose and adios medicine to help each individual develop his or her own
customized program of activities and nutrition so that the brain can heal itself organicallywithout dangerous medication. Whether you are a doctor, patient, or seekinghelp for someone you care about, you will find the help you seek in these pages.
LAURIE NADEL, PhD, author ofThe Five Gifts: Discovering Hope, Healing, and Strength When Disaster Strikes

In this well-researched and empowering book, Dr. Jodie Skillicorn demolishes the
facts surrounding depression, including the erroneous assumptions that it is caused
by a flaw in the brains neurochemistry and that pharmaceutical cocktails are the
answer. Creating her own potent healing recipe of mindfulness, meditations, guided
imagery, healing movement, nutritional advice, and much more, this is a book that
anyone dealing with depression cannot afford to miss.
CATE MONTANA, MA, author ofThe E Word: Ego, Enlightenment and Other Essentials

Author Bio

Jodie Skillicorn, DO, is an osteopathic physician board certified in Psychiatry and a diplomat of Integrative Holistic Medicine. She integrates conventional medical training with evidence-based holistic methods that include breath-work, meditation, yoga, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Mind-Body Medicine, energy medicine, nutrition, exercise, and auricular acupuncture at her private practice. She lives in Akron, OH with her husband, two kids, two cats, and dog.