Light help

After reading a moving and insightful article by the widow of recently deceased Dr David Servan-Schreiber, I borrowed his 'Healing Without Freud or Prozac' from the library.

It is a good book with some very helpful ideas and approaches to physical and mental wellness, which refreshingly are described as completely interdependent. Although I do not share Dr Servan-Schreiber's adulation of Dr Antonio Damasio (readers of The Master and His Emissary will know why...), the compassionate and thorough nature of this book seems to me worth the library visit. Having tried a few of the suggestions, I would already recommend 'artificial dawn', or a 'light alarm clock', for those of you who, like me, jump at the sound of an alarm, which jolts you straight from dreaming to waking. I bought one of these, pictured below, and already feel much better immediately on waking. Also, unsure of how to use a certain feature, I called the Lumie helpline number, (a normal land line rather than an over-priced premium one), and within 2 rings it was picked up by a friendly, knowledgeable woman who gave me clear instructions that answered my query. I can't remember the last time I called a helpline that was answered by a human, rather than a machine.

EMDR, Non-Violent Communication, acupuncture and other non drug-based approaches that are well regarded but under-studied in Western medicine are also covered in the book. For those of us meeting and connecting with folks who are often in difficult or turbulent times in their lives, this book could offer some really useful suggestions to pass on.