A well-regarded psychiatrist who thinks there are other-than-pharmaceutical antidotes to biochemical depression? Rank heresy! Oops, actually we meant -- how very refreshing indeed.
A soulful journalist who's lived and worked in war-torn countries, and knows what it's like to be a survivor -- who then turns her attention to helping veterans and their families come home from war and rebuild the pieces of their often-shattered psyches? Again, a wonderful suggestion.
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NPR the other day published a great interview with none other than James S. Gordon, M.D., author of the new book called "Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression." Depression is an important topic, because many people who are risk for suicide have depression as an underlying state. According to one psychiatry textbook for medical students, "A majority (60% to 80%) of people who commit suicide carry a diagnosis of depression."
If you remember, we've talked about Dr. Gordon on this blog before. He has an impressive, very talented background academically (Harvard College, Harvard Medical School), and is the founder of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, D.C., as well as a frequent lecturer at the Smithsonian, and the former chairman of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine, also known as "CAM." (We've blogged about CAM, also known somewhat misinformedly as natural medicine, and its opportunities for treating PTSD here on the blog, at length here; and also about the varieties of mind-body medicinethat might show some promise for treating combat trauma and PTSD, here.)
To listen to the NPR interview, or to read the accompany material on getting unstuck -- in Dr. Gordon's words -- click here. To read Dr. Gordon's bio -- click here. To read our previous posts about his work on "Healing the Wounds of War," click here; on "Healing the Troops," click here; and on his and the Center for Mind-Body Medicine's annual conference, planned for October 25-29th in Minneapolis, Minnesota this year, click here. The topic of this year's conference is the highly-appropriate "Integrating Mind-Body Medicine into Clinical Practice, Medical Education & Trauma Healing." As Dr. Gordon's website says, "We're teaching thousands to heal the world's millions." Indeed -- and what a noble task that is; and how very, very vital.
If I had ONE RECOMMENDATIONfor the Pentagon, the DOD, the VA, the various branches of the military (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, National Guard) that frequently comb this site, looking for answers to the questions they have -- it's that they would get to know Dr. Gordon's work, and send representatives to this conference in late October, 2008. Check into mind-body medicine, with a credible expert, and somehow who's already worked with, and proven his work with, the war-torn and traumatized (troops and civilians) here and abroad. Broaden the outlook on how to treat PTSD and combat trauma, by returning people to themselves, and helping them to learn to manage their own stress in creative and supportive ways.
Dr. Gordon says his book, Unstuck, goes into many of the same principles that his trauma work does. I can't wait to start reading my copy, which his office promises to send.
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In the meantime, I hope Dr. Gordon gets to cross paths professionally with Minnesotan Britta Reque-Dragicevic. I have read her book-- devoured it in one sitting is the more accurate description -- and think it has lots of potential to comfort, support and nurture returning veterans and their families in putting the pieces of the puzzle back together. (One thing I love about both Dr. Gordon and Britta Reque-Dragicevic -- they both "get" it. They've had a personal experience with what they're talking about; it's not just academic. And they're both driven to help others heal from their suffering -- the not exactly unspoken single purpose of this blog: there's synchronicity.)
Reque-Dragicevic has written a completely soulful manual on getting unstuck herself, and with her profound understanding of the needs of trauma survivors, as a longtime journalist in post-war Saravejo and Bosnia, I sense a little (**magical?!**) professional matchmaking going on that would only serve to increase the amount of healing and overcoming in the world, especially among trauma survivors and veterans with PTSD. If you want to read more about Reque-Dragicevic's marvelous book, Close to Home: A Soldier's Guide to Returning from War, click here. Her book is endorsed and recommended by Dr. Edward Tick, among others. At a mere $10 as a download on the Web, you really can't go wrong. (We'll be quoting from Reque-Dragicevic's book on this blog in the future, with her permission, because it's wonderful stuff and she really "gets" it. Veterans and their families need to experience this.)
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If you have $10 to spare, or as a gift for someone else, buy Britta Reque-Dragecivic's book. It's a download, and you can have it in your hands within minutes, from anywhere in the world, and start the healing process today. If you have about $18 and shipping, buy Dr. Gordon's book, and start the healing process when it arrives in the mail -- or at your local bookstore. If you have about $40, buy them both :-)
