Dr. Freudine On A Healthy Quest For The Mood Cure
Written: Jun 18 '03 (Updated Jun 18 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: very informative, interesting, helpful and sensible
Cons: it sounds great, but I haven't first-hand knowledge of whether advice helps
The Bottom Line: If you haven't a clue who the strange lady is, check out the previous Dr. Freudine installment!
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| jankp's Full Review: The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Rebalance You... |
NOTE - The following psychiatric session with Dr. Freudine is really less of a session than it is a quest for more knowledge to help her clients. She's just read The Mood Cure by Julia Ross, M.A., author of the bestseller The Diet Cure, and inspired by it, she decides to try using the information on her favorite clients, 29th_Candidate and DavidMac. A new client (or two) will be checking her out, too!
First, though, a bit about the book. It boasts a 4-step program to either help you "blast the blahs, comfort oversensitive feelings, cool anxiety and stress, let go of emotional eating (binges) and lift the dark cloud of depression." Author Julia Ross knows her subject well after thirty years' experience and thoroughly discusses why nutritional therapy should be our first line of defense against bad moods instead of antidepressants. Take her Mood-Type Questionnaire to see if you need to read the book and change your diet.
The chemical problems we face are commonly deficiencies of serotonin, the feel good hormone and endorphins, the pain-relieving chemical that can be depleted by too much exercise, for example. We also may have too much cortisol, the stress hormone, or a thyroid problem. The book is set up to help us identify where our problems and solutions lie, then helps us to design our "nutritherapy master plan" with good mood foods (protein, vegetables and fat), getting rid of bad mood foods (sugar, glutinous flour products, dairy products, soy, others) and recipes for everyday eating.
It then goes on to tougher cases where medication is needed, sleep is elusive and addiction to hard substances needs "nutritional rehab." Ross finishes with five tool kits that address how to test and rebalance your thyroid, adrenals and sex hormones for both sexes as well as a plan of attack on food cravings and resources for finding what or who you need. If you want a mood cure, this seems to have it all.
My story will illustrate how easy it is to use The Mood Cure. I don't know if the moods of Dr. Freudine's clients will improve, but temporary supplementation as she recommends is sensible and something many of us might want to look into.
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I tap my fingers on the hefty, hard-bound book that had swallowed up the majority of my day in the office. Nutrition psychology, as put forth by Julia Ross, seems to have a lot of potential, but results in one day? Sure, the woman has been a leading force in the field and well-publicized with articles I've read in Psychology Today and Natural Health, but her promise on the front cover to "take charge of your emotions in 24 hours...naturally," sounds too gimmicky. People who seriously need help with their emotions will suck up the dream she's offering and then be disillusioned by psychologists!
But what if she's right? I should follow up on this. It's helped so many people already by the looks of it, based on 15 years of proven clinical results, and it's natural medicine that can only help or do nothing when taken for a day. I look up 29th_Candidate's work phone number (it is almost five) and punch in the numbers on my cell phone. His nasal-sounding secretary keeps me on hold for an eternity (but who's counting?) and then the familiar voice with the New York twang caresses my ear.
Me: 29th? So glad to catch you still in.
29th: Hi there, Doc! Me, too. What a day. I hope you're not calling to cancel my session.
Me: Not a chance. I'm thinking of our session right now, 29th, and how you could prepare for it. It involves nutritional psychology and rebalancing yourself chemically and naturally for your emotional health.
29th: Oh, gee, a diet?
Me with a laugh: Actually it involves supplements and diet, but after a while you won't need the supplements in most cases.
29th: Okay, tell me what to buy. If it gets rid of my nightmares so I can sleep and be refreshed in the morning, then bring it on, I say!
Me: What do you do now to help you sleep?
29th: Well, usually I snarf down ice cream. I've tried to get to sleep without it, but can't.
Me: You're a night owl, I believe.
29th: Oh baby, am I! The darkness depresses me, makes me all crazy, you know? I sometimes contemplate suicide, Doc, so if you know of something that can help me relax naturally, you'll be saving my life.
Me: I can't guarantee anything...
29th:, with a hint of mischief in his voice: I understand. I won't sue you if it doesn't work.
Me, laughing: I wouldn't want you to take me to court, that's for certain! I'll give you the next session free, okay?
29th: If you insist.
Me: Well, 29th, you must be two different people. Your daytime and your nighttime personas are, well, like night and day! The author of The Mood Cure would say, based on your emotions and what vice you crave, that you're under a dark cloud. What do you think? You're low on the hormone serotonin, basically.
29th: Radical! So how do I fix that? Serotonin pills?
Me: No such thing. Write down 5-HTP. She says you may see an improvement in your mood right away, but you'll need another 300 milligrams or less in a few hours. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon is okay..
29th: What food do they come from? I don't like pills, Doc.
Me: The amino acid trytophan, but he's such a little guy that he gets run over by the big guys. You can take it instead of 5-HTP if you'd prefer.
29th: Thanks. I'll go look for it now. See ya next week!
Me: Also look for nutritional yeast that has trytophan. Be seeing you. (We hang up and I flip through the book to where it discusses DLPA, in the section called "Too Sensitive To Life's Pain," and start to call up DavidMac's phone number. Suddenly I hear a knock, just a moment before a slightly wild-eyed, disheveled-looking lady pops her head in. She sighs loudly when her eyes meet mine and then tiptoes in with her sneakers, closing the door gently while motioning for me to go on with my call, but instead I set the phone down.)
Me, a bit impatient: Hello. Can I help you?
Strange Lady: Dr. Freudine, I presume? Mother thought your number was 444 so I wasn't sure. Well, I pictured you much older and German-looking. Isn't that funny? Like Sigmund Freud's wife, hahaha. You don't know me. Heck, who does? I'm a friend of 29th_Candidate...
Me: Ahhh!
Strange Lady: ...who told me of you, so I told my usually sweet mother about you, but the other night she had some kind of dream about you. At least that's all she'll say about it and for no reason at all she'll hit me! With anything that's in her hand like a book or TV Guide. She even slugged me with a pillow 'til it ripped in two! I need help with her, don't you think? But she adamantly refuses to come see you. Why? I sure wish I knew. Can you hypnotize?
Me: Hypnosis? It depends on if the subject wants to be hypnotized. I think nutritional therapy would be more helpful.
Strange Lady: Hmm. She's been eating more healthy because of a vegan guru she likes to read. I don't think that's her problem because her violence just began with that dream. It's like hypnotized her or somethin', Dr.
Me: Sounds like stress to me. Why don't you both try taking 100-milligram GABA tablets and let them dissolve under your tongues? You may take three a day. I'd also make sure you're getting protein and fats such as cold water fish. If you would call me in a couple of days...
Strange Lady: Well, all righty. Let me write that down. (She swipes my notepad and pen). Thank you, Dr. What's that you're readin'?
Me: The Mood Cure. It's how I knew what you and your mother need. And you're welcome. I hope they help. They're in health food stores, by the way.
Strange Lady: Even better! Good night. (She leaves. I check my watch and groan. It would have to be a short call to DavidMac and he would hate that. He could thank the character in the sneakers for my bad mood. It was obvious the crazy broad thought hypnosis the better cure. Oh, why didn't I get her name? I don't want the mother to hurt her...)
Previous Dr. Freudine installment:
http://www.epinions.com/content_3329335428
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jankp
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Member: Jan Peregrine
Location: Lincoln, NE
Reviews written: 1499
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Farrah, I'm stunned. Play with the other angels, love.
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