Former public relations executive Guyol was determined to be free of psychiatric medication that caused dangerous side effects; that was the catalyst for this guide to the most effective natural remedies for depression and bipolar disorder. Highly detailed sections on frequently overlooked contributors to mental illness relate how many factors—low blood sugar; thyroid disease; allergies; vitamin, mineral and hormonal imbalances; Candida albicans
; parasites; excess caffeine and sugar consumption; and environmental toxins—can cause or exacerbate mental illnesses and such conditions as autism, ADHD and autoimmune diseases. Guyol describes now common alternatives (yoga, meditation, reiki, affirmation, homeopathy) as well as those unfamiliar to many mainstream physicians (glyconutrient supplementation, Nambudripad Allergy Elimination treatments, Mahikari no Waza). The focus is not only on treatment but on recovery. In moving real-life stories, readers will meet people whose illnesses left them incapable of basic functioning yet they continued their search for healing, discovering alternative and mainstream healthcare providers with whom they partnered. While no single treatment cured them, a combination of helpful supports restored their mental, emotional and physical capacities. Guyol's respectful presentation of their tenacity in the face of great obstacles is, perhaps, the main strength of this effort. (Aug.)
