The book:”A mind of your own“is about a former psychiatrist, Kelly Brogan, who broke away from the standard medical model and now recommends a healthy lifestyle instead of medication. That alone makes the book remarkable and relevant.
It's particularly interesting because it's about taking control of your own health, without being dependent on medication or a care system that primarily combats symptoms. The book invites you to take responsibility for yourself and take a critical look at what health really means.
Health through knowledge
Kelly Brogan describes her experiences in the medical system in which she was trained in an open and honest way. As a psychiatrist, as usual, she started prescribing medication for depressive symptoms. Through her own research and personal experiences, however, she came to a confronting conclusion: conventional treatment did not make many patients better, but actually sicker.
Using statistics and scientific sources, she shows that some antidepressants do not even have convincing evidence of their effectiveness. Often, there is mainly consensus within the medical world, not solid evidence. Market forces and system pressure have created a situation where more and more people use pharmaceutical drugs for a long time.
These drugs have side effects — ironically, including depression and emotional flattening. New drugs are then prescribed for these side effects, resulting in side effects again. This creates a vicious circle where the end is often lost.
No medication but a healthy lifestyle
Fortunately, the book does not dwell on criticism alone. A clear alternative is also provided: do not seek health in a pill, but actively build it.
At the heart of this vision is to reduce inflammation in the body. According to Brogan, you do this by:
- paying attention to nutrition
- sufficient and appropriate movement
- taking stress seriously and regulating it
- to ensure recovery and rest
The book contains lots of practical advice about nutrition and supplements, so you can get started on your own right away. In addition, non-invasive therapies such as yoga and acupuncture are highlighted, which can help restore balance in the body and mind. For some people, this is not a quick solution, but a process. Through concrete examples and experiences, the book shows that this approach does work — and can be sustainable.
It is an inspiring book for anyone who wants to look at mental health differently. Totally worth reading.
Read more
- Treating stress with acupuncture (blog)
