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A Mind of Your Own  By  cover art

A Mind of Your Own

By: Kelly Brogan M.D.,Kristin Loberg
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
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Publisher's summary

Depression is not a disease. It is a symptom.

Recent years have seen a shocking increase in antidepressant use the world over, with one in four women starting her day with medication. These drugs have steadily become the panacea for everything from grief, irritability, and panic attacks to insomnia, PMS, and stress. But the truth is, what women really need can't be found at a pharmacy.

According to Dr. Kelly Brogan, antidepressants not only overpromise and underdeliver, but their use may permanently disable the body's self-healing potential. We need a new paradigm: The best way to heal the mind is to heal the whole body.

In this groundbreaking science-based and holistic approach, Dr. Brogan shatters the mythology conventional medicine has built around the causes and treatment of depression. Based on her expert interpretation of published medical findings combined with years of experience from her clinical practice, Dr. Brogan illuminates the true cause of depression: It is not simply a chemical imbalance but a lifestyle crisis that demands a reset. It is a signal that the interconnected systems in the body are out of balance - from blood sugar to gut health to thyroid function - and inflammation is at the root.

A Mind of Your Own offers an achievable, step-by-step 30-day action plan - including powerful dietary interventions, targeted nutrient support, detoxification, sleep, and stress reframing techniques - women can use to heal their bodies, alleviate inflammation, and feel like themselves again without a single prescription.

Bold, brave, and revolutionary, A Mind of Your Own takes listeners on a journey of self-empowerment for radical transformation that goes far beyond symptom relief.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2016 Kelly Brogan (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about A Mind of Your Own

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Unfairly Biased

I have never written a book review before, but I had a personal experience with depression and the information this doctor is pushing really angered/upset me. I am a Registered Nurse specialized in Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. I am alive today because an antidepressant saved my life. I had all of the symptoms of major depression. My life was so dark, hopeless and had no meaning. I wasn't living my life, I was struggling to live my life to the point where I just wanted to die. When you have major depression, everything and everyday is a major struggle. You do not have the energy to exercise, make lifestyle changes and plan a new diet as this doctor suggests. I didn't even have an appetite. I am totally into organic foods and am a vegan. I use only organic or natural products and I exercise regularly. I have a healthy lifestyle, yet evil depression found me and almost took my life from me. For this doctor to totally dismiss the use of antidepressants when they have saved me and many of my patients is extremely poor medical advice and just wrong. Antidepressants may not be the appropriate treatment in every case, however, if indicated and lives can be saved, why wouldn't a doctor prescribe them??

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95 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good, but too optimistic about what it can achieve

This is a good guide to healing depression through natural approaches. I do think it is a bit overly optimistic though, especially for people with more persistent and life-long mood issues. Some of us have spent years already working with the kinds of nutritional protocols and lifestyle changes Brogan suggests, but achieving true healing has been impossible or short lived. I agree that psychiatric drugs are not the answer, but I also feel that for many of us, there is no real "answer." The world is inherently a stressful place to live in these days with all the toxins we throw into it, and all the technology we have chosen to live with. Some of us are probably born with genetics that simply don't fit comfortably in this modern world. Brogan seems to assume that if we are mentally ill, we are obviously still eating junk food and not taking care of ourselves. Not true. I have not eaten Crisco or cheatos for over 20 years, but I felt like I was being talked down to by someone who thought she knew better than me. The narrator's horribly precious intonations did not help, and probably lead me to feel a little worse about the author than I would have if I read the book myself. There was just way too much touchy-feely, privileged upper-middle class, white yoga lady vibe. To me, that energy can only make light of mental illness and gloss over the complex challenges involved. Also, the author disregards the fact that doing her "program" requires a tremendous amount of financial and socio-cultural resources that are not available to many.

That said, I still give this 3 stars because there was a fair amount of valid information of how to address depression naturally. For some people this will be very useful. The truth is though, this advice simply will not work adequately or won't be sustainable for some of us who need it the most.

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42 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Critical and Necessary Read

I found the information presented here to be brave. We need more specialists in the field of health to come forth with their experiences and knowledge of Big Pharma and the food industries incessant corruption that is poisoning us from every direction. We can't simply stand aside any longer and just allow it. Voices must be heard in whatever capacity possible. If you are not comfortable with leading edge information you may find this book to be more in line with conspiracy but if you have intuition and ability to think for your self you will know the truth when it rings. Dr Kelly Brogan courageously presents her experience in the world of mental health and her personal journey with human biology and nutrition as an offering to empower woman to forgo the damaging effects of pharmaceuticals as well as donates a wealth of knowledge to young, old, male, female ground breaking information on diet and lifestyle that is truly all encompassing. Only the brave enter here though. Be prepared to have the rug pulled out from under your beliefs about certain systems that make up our current world.

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23 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent material

If this is the first time you have heard the material or it's a reminder, this book is right on the mark. As a functional nutritionist I know when I stray from what works for me and try to justify it saying it's ok, I should be able to handle it, it just doesn't work. I've had "depression" all my life searching for ways to "handle" it from meds to counseling to more permanent solutions and nothing is more powerful than what is suggested in this book.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The narrator is awful

The narrator sounds haughty, know-it-all, and sarcastic. It was difficult to get through this book because of the narrator. However, the information provided is very important, so I struggled through it.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I wish I could've given a five star, but couldn't

I am an avid reader in this arena. Namely health, nutrition, complimentary practices, wellness, etc. I am also a practitioner. I can't remember the last time I had such strong mixed feelings about a book of this caliber.
What I loved, first.
Brogan is brilliant. The depth of her knowledge is fantastic. I love that she incorporates western medicine with complimentary interventions. I love that she bucked traditional psychiatry in order to help her patients heal not only their bodies, but also their souls. I think this was my favorite part. Her willingness to be an outlier within her profession is highly commendable.
Her explanation of healing the gut was as good as any I have read or studied. Her compassion toward her patients with a commitment to empower them was sincere. I got a lot of really good insights from this book.
However... I had just as many considerations about Brogan's approach.
1. She recommends meat way too much in my opinion. I did not hear a single word of support or recognition for those of us who choose a plant-based (vegan) diet. I don't need for her to validate my decision. But I would hesitate to recommend to a client to read this book because the meat focus came on way too strong for me. I get that eating animal products works for her, but I'd prefer if she did not come on so strong for others to follow her path.
2. Her recommendation to eat three eggs a day is very dicey. I realize that the experts do not agree on with whether animal fats are good for us or not. But three eggs per day with no cautionary remarks seemed risky to me. She does not make any distinctions about heart health or pre-existing conditions with these recommendations, and that seemed reckless to me.
3. Teaching Kundalini yoga to neophytes reading the book is pretty outrageous. I have trained extensively in this form of yoga and got tremendous benefit. But to tell her readers to "sit with a straight back" is wrong in so many ways. Many people cannot do that, and there is no alternative suggested. Plus, for many people, the effort to sit the way Brogan recommends is so difficult, that they will create significant strain in their soft tissue and structure in an attempt to follow these recommendations.
4. Her claims that the cravings will never come back are outrageous. Four weeks to eliminate cravings indefinitely is unreasonable. And it is misleading. People have their own journeys. Some people (like many of my clients) really do get past debilitating cravings. But not because they "ate healthy" for four weeks, but because they practiced over time, including when life got complicated and challenging. Taking the life part out of this equation is very unprofessional, especially for someone whose claims for expertise are as grand as this author's are. There are so many moving parts that shed light on cravings. Metabolic and endocrine in particular. To say that EVERYONE will be done with cravings after 30 days is unbelievable coming from a physician.
5. She uses the word "cheating" a lot to describe readers who are not perfect in their doing what she teaches. Everything about this word is wrong and it sets up blame and shame. People can be doing the very best that they can do, and have honest slips. Imperfections. That's life. But to call those little slips cheating devalues the person, and there is no place for this in this environment.
6. The last one for now is the author's style for extremes. The book is very black and white. She does not allow for human imperfection. The journey to wellness is paved with imperfection. People can get amazing results and not be perfect. (One of my favorite topics for blog and podcast.) This author would be in much better service to her readers if she would acknowledge ways for us to forgive ourselves, get back on track, and be incredibly patient with ourselves as we create new wellness strategies with which we can live, thrive, and that get folded into our lives.

I could go on and on. I've never written a review like this. But like I wrote, I had such strong mixed emotions to the book and, frankly, felt somewhat protective of some of the readers who are desperately seeking relief. Wellness is a journey and it lasts a lot longer than 30 days to be authentic.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wealth of Information Difficult to Implement

Well researched book. Excellent information about psychiatric medications, their undesirable side effects and natural alternatives. The remedies outlined are very extreme and unrealistic for most people to implement in today's society. The alternatives to these drugs are simple to understand, but difficult to implement.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Mind. Blown.

Everyday I am talking with other woman, mothers, and friends who are struggling with depression, anxiety or some form of mental angst. This book is the answer. This is the transformative information we have been searching for. This is what our world needs to hear to shift from fear-based choices to having faith in our bodies and our gut instincts. I have never struggled with anything close to depression and found many pearls of wisdom and many immediate take-aways to start now. Please, read this book with an open mind and heart. Notice yourself feeling the truth and don't be afraid. It's a game changer. Take ownership of your health and give your body the chance to thrive!

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Critical information for survival !

I'm so on this mission for truth, understanding, and options for a plan of action with my personal health issues!!! I'll save the broken bones for the doctors but avoid conventional medicine as much as possible. I knew I wanted to read this book asap when I heard it was going to rock the pharmaceutical industry, as we ALL should as often as possible. JUST SAY NO. Our lives, our kids, our loved ones are being sold out.
I'll share this book with as many as I can!!!!
Great narrating especially with all the complexities covered in full detail. Thank you. Best of luck on spreading the message!!!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

important information

narrator is not my favorite but content is exceptional. wish i got the jard copy though for easy reference.

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7 people found this helpful