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Book Review
An Indepth Look at an Iceberg
By John Lehman
(This Book Review was Originally published at BookReview.com
on 28 April 2008)
Like many readers I am not totally objective on this subject. As the authors point out “in the United States, for example, 40 million or 18.1% of the population 18 and older have anxiety disorders.” We suffer from this illness or have family members, neighbors or business associates who do. Consequently we look to information like this for new understanding and practical solutions. Women are twice as likely to be affected as men and more than a billion dollars a year is directly related to the cost of anxiety disorder in the United States alone. The commercially attractive cover and wonderful preliminary page succinctly addressing nine misconceptions indicate that we will receive answers. We do in the second half of the book with specific program recommendations and case histories of people who have benefited from them. A key word in the subhead —“A New Philosophy on Illnesses of Stress, Anxiety and Depression” — is “Philosophy” and the first half of this work is a less interesting, quasi-academic perspective on the philosophy of medical science.
There is an extensive “Bibliography & Further Reading” listing of sources in the back, but no indication who the authors of this book are. The material is logical and the presentation clear, but I want to know who is speaking and what is their experience (if not their credentials). This anonymity undermines some of the credibility of what they are saying. In any case the thesis is that the three mainstream treatments of anxiety disorders—psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and prescribed medication—are based upon a faulty model: “Research on illness and disease tends to treat the living body as a dead body, a mechanical machine and an assemblage of decomposable parts. Medical researchers try to understand the living whole by analyzing the disconnected and inorganic parts.” As the authors point out, when medical theory is established, it is highly abstracted. This theory (under the name of science) becomes an authority first, then a fashion and then a dogma to which the majority of physicians subscribe. Finally it becomes a faith—doctors not only believe in it, but impose it on their patients. Revisiting the original theory involves questioning its assumptions and examining other possibilities—not something those who are part of the existing medical franchise are likely to do.
This book, on the other hand, treats the human body as a systemic whole: “…a unification of interrelated and cooperative functional systems working together in ongoing processes.” As a consequence humans are part of nature and our ever-changing environment directly affects the health of the mind and body. What does this mean in terms of people now afflicted? The answer, I think, is not to give up. Current forms of treatment in reality have worked for only a small percent of those suffering from stress, anxiety and depression, but follow “The 3 N Formula” (Natural, Nurtural and Nutritional) and you can drastically increase your chances of leading a healthy life. For example, research shows that 60-70% of anxiety disorder patients who take fish oil every day have more than a 50% improvement—much higher than the improvement rate with prescribed antidepressant medicines. This 3 N Formula emphasizes sunlight, fresh air, water, earth qi, moderate exercise, rest, diverting panic fears, acceptance, socialization, entertainment, meditation, diet, food supplements, vitamin and mineral supplements and herbs.
As to who will bring about a reexamination of the problem on a larger scale, hopefully this book will find its way into the hands of those who form public opinion in political, educational and commercial communities as well as those unhappy with the status quo within health care. “The Triple Process Remedy” offers an in depth look at an iceberg we have only seen the tip of until now.
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No content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, prevention or treatment. Consult your doctor regarding the applicability of any ideas, opinions or recommendations to your symptoms and medical condition.
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