A Mind of Your Own: The Truth About Depression and How Women Can Heal Their Bodies to Reclaim Their Lives

Rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental illness have skyrocketed in the past few decades, as have the use of prescription medications to treat them. What are some of the causes of these rising rates? How effective are antidepressants (not very), and are there any effective natural alternatives (there are)? Psychiatrist Kelly Brogan used to be a by-the-book doctor until her own experiences prompted her to reach outside the box. In A Mind of Your Own, Brogan introduces readers to both the causes of mental illness–the food we eat, the chemicals in our environment, the medications we take, and how all of those disrupt our gut microbes–and offers new ideas for how to treat depression without antidepressants.

This book offers the same basic plan that she uses with her own patients, and it involves cleaning up diet, embracing practices of mindfulness, reducing chemical exposure at home and elsewhere, taking up exercise, and modifying sleep habits. Readers will be shocked to learn how the things we take for granted may be affecting our moods and our brain, as well as the fact that the popular notion of something being “off” in the brain is completely unsupported by science. Meticulously researched, Brogan’s book presents a ton of fascinating and important information in an easily-readable format.