The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions--Today

In March of 2008 I had to let my insurance go. I am self employed and the cost had skyrocketed. As I knew the end was coming I tried to prepare by reading about and using holistic treatments as opposed to the five prescriptions that I was going to have to do without. I was diagnosed as severely clinically depressed in the late '90s. The very first prescription that I was ever given was one for 60mg., yes 60mg, of Prozac. The doctor(s) wanted to hospitalize me but I refused, opting instead to see the psychiatrist every other day....the first week was every day. I managed to get through this first year without killing myself and it is all just a blur. There were side effects to the drug that they "treated" with more drugs. I gained weight, lost weight, slept for 8 months, went through my entire life savings, etc., etc., you get the picture. I was a total mess. As time progressed I noticed that the drugs stopped working as effectively as they did in the beginning so I'd get switched.... I have it all written down somewhere but I think the last prescriptions I filled were for Wellbutrin & Zanyx.... plus sleeping pills.... I can not recall all of their names right now....I think I've blocked them out at this point because I simply do not need them or take them any longer.... and I feel SO SO SO much better than I ever did while on the drugs. Seriously, a million times better. I still have days that aren't pretty, just like I imagine everyone does, but I can manage those days by taking an extra dose of SAM-e or one extra tablet of 500mg. L-Tryptophan at night. Another reviewer states it correctly here, this is not an overnight cure. However there are amino acids that even I felt better within one hour of taking them even while still a complete mess. I got The Mood Cure and The Diet Cure by Julia Ross and they both are invaluable to me. I learned so much from them about how things work in our bodies and what the cause and effect of what we put into our bodies is and what is happening when we are depressed or even when you have overwhelming urges to eat something like chocolate or carbs..... migraine headaches (which I have had) can be managed with the right combination of these amino acids, vitamins & minerals. I have never been anorexic or bulimic but those are also addressed and treatable in these books. Weight gain, weight loss, adrenal gland failure....it is all in these books. All completely treatable with the holistic means she tells you about in these books. Dr. Ross spells it out beautifully in these books. You can see yourself and read about exactly what has happened to you right in these pages. It is such a wonderful experience to know that you can get better. I did. I promise you can as well. She is honest and says that she can not treat two things by holistic means alone, those are bi-polar disease and schizophrenia which Dr. Ross says must be treated by prescription medicine but can be greatly helped with holistic treatments in conjunction. With those two aside you can figure out how to treat your severe clinical depression like I did with a trial and error approach to the suggestions she makes in the books. By the way, I really want to emphasize how important it is for you to take it extremely seriously how careful you are to get off of your prescription meds before you jump into "straight" holistics!! You could really crash and do serious harm to your psyche and also to your physical body if you are not careful. This is how I did it: I stayed on the meds while I learned to incorporate the aminos, etc. I would take a whole dose one day, 1/2 the next...I did this for one whole month. The second month I would do two days of 1/2 doses, then one whole....it took me several months, maybe 4, to completely get off of the prescription meds so please please be careful. You can have a severe set back if you just stop or stop too soon. With that said I also incorporated the aminos into my day as I was weening off the scrips. One of the great things about natural treatments like amino acids is that once your body has been refueled and doesn't need any more, say 5-HTP, or L-tryptophan, then you will get a MILD headache so you'll know you don't need that any more. But keep it, because if you have a bad life experience (like a mate dying or a family member, etc.) then you can understandably need to use them again until your supply is built back up. It took me until now from a start in March of '08, so 2.5 years, to be completely certain that I no longer need to take any of them! I still take a small (for me) dose of 500mg L-Tryptophan at night and occasionally I'll take a 200mg of SAM-e in the a.m. but for the most part I am strictly maintenance now....but the first year I was taking 6000mg, yes, six thousand mgs per day of L-Tryptophan, high grade pharm powder, plus L-tyrosine, and a few others. I feel that my adrenal gland was just completely shot and I know I was right because I am the living proof of it now. You will FEEL what is right for you as you try different suggested things in the book. Complete relief does not happen over night but enough relief to function can come within an hour of taking the right amino, just as they tell you in the book. I've waited this long to review the books because I wanted to really get to the point where I feel "cured" and I do. I feel very well. My energy level is good, my moods are mostly even and level headed, I sleep very well and I have an appetite for wonderful healthy foods. The only other thing I can tell you that I have used to get where I am now is Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) and their opinions on whole foods & cod liver oil....invaluable. Also, they are big believers in all organic, including meat, and raw organic dairy. Which I also advocate. So, good luck. My very best wishes for your improved health and happy life. I know it is possible. I'm living proof.

I bought this book over a year ago and immediately started buying supplements to try because based on the questionnaires I needed help in all four areas described in the book. I continue to use some supplements but no longer need others. I had been completely drained by taking care of my mother through her last year of life which was injurious to my mental and physical health. On top of that I had been in constant pain for over 15 years because of a work related repetitive strain injury which caused constant nerve impingement. I could not sleep more than a couple of hours a night, had constantly high anxiety levels and felt depressed much of the time. It never occurred to me to take my complaints to an MD because I did not want to become involved with prescription drugs. The GABA supplement made an immediate reduction in my stress level. I also bought Taurine and Glycine then discovered these three mixed together made the most difference in my mood. You can buy this mixture in a formula called True Calm which also includes some other ingredients. Whenever I felt a bit of over stressed I would have a tape loop in my head repeating the same worries over and over which just increased the stress. A tiny bit of the GABA, Taurine and Glycine mixture would stop this incessant tape loop within minutes. At first I needed this several times a day but now I only take True Calm once in a while if I have trouble getting to sleep because of the repetitive thought patterns. Tryptophan and 5-htp both help me sleep. I found the Tryptophan helped a bit better than 5-htp so use it exclusively. I take it every night and now my husband takes it most nights also. There is no residual drowsiness the next day and it seems to increase the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep all night. In addition to these supplements I tried all the others in the book. There are good instructions for how to take them and when to stop. Eventually I expect to stop taking all of them except perhaps L-Glutamine which is used by body builders for adding muscle. I take L-Glutamine in powdered form in tea as a mild relaxant. It is also supposed to be good for digestion. Julia Ross also recommends taking probiotics for digestion which works well for me. I had chronic constipation for over 15 years because of the physical pain and find probiotics keeps me regular. I have recommended this book to many people. Several people told me they got a lot out of it and recommended it to others.

Truly truly amazing book. I found this book accidentally after searching for a completely different kind of book in another category. My first impression was that I wouldn't be interested in the book because the name just didn't sound appealing to me and I didn't think it would apply to my life. I was only curious because of all the high reviews that I saw and I wanted to know what specifically this book was about. So I checked out the book and read it, and realized that I need to buy the book to keep for my own records. It really makes you wonder about how the food you eat affects how you act and what triggers you to act certain ways and certain feelings that you have. For example, the author talks about what kind of natural chemicals (amino acids) your body lacks or needs and which consequently affect your mood. Certain kinds of food make you feel happy and content and other ones make you feel sad and depressed. The chemicals in the foods are really what make the difference and if you're lacking in one of these, your body responds accordingly. The author talks about good-mood foods that help you to feel good, sociable, and healthy and about the bad-mood foods that do the opposite. There are some people who are always sociable and friendly and are always in a happy mood and it makes you wonder how they could possibly feel that way all the time. But those kind of people have more levels of the amino acids that help keep them in that mood and they avoid the foods that would counter the good mood feelings. If you eliminate the bad-mood foods from your diet and eat foods that provide you with the specific amino acids that you need, then it will positively improve your mood and level of content. This book is extremely informative and will really make you start thinking and wanting to change the way you eat in order to improve your LIFE. You can tell that Julia Ross really did her research on this and I will always keep this book on my bookshelf. It could probably change your life completely. I showed this book to my brother and he also loved it and started following some of the advice that the author gives. I am so glad that I stumbled upon this book and I really recommend it to everyone I know.

I've been suffering from chronic mild to moderate depression for about 4 years after some traumatic life events, just not bouncing back as in the past. Every little thing that happened seemed to send me into a nose dive of discouragement - and I was starting to have my first thoughts that life wasn't worth living when a friend told me about The Mood Cure - so I ran home and ordered it. It came within a few days and I started reading. The quiz she includes to determine your mood type revealed I was deficient in every area and first I started on 5HTP and then soon after added DLPA and L-Tyrosine. I've felt able to tackle many things that I found unbearable. The book has so much information, I am still reading it. I was so happy to find that I'm not broken beyond repair, as I was starting to feel. The author is easy to understand and what she says made sense to me so I felt able to take action and see results within a few days. Other methods of healing have not helped nearly as much as this. I liken it to trying to run a machine without any oil to lubricate the moving parts - it is difficult, can damage the machine and eventually it simply stops working at all. The neurotransmitters are like the much needed oil - not having enough was interfering with my ability to fully function. I highly recommend this book. Not being an expert, my endorsement is not a five star, more because of me being a novice at this topic than because of the book.

June 2019 It’s been seven years since I first purchased this book, took the survey, and began using the combination of supplements. As my lifestyle changed I had to make changes to the dosages. I gained weight and needed to use a higher dosage of St. John’s Wort. During times of extended periods of extreme stress a combination of daily morning exercise, the supplements, and lot’s of self-care proved very effective. However, the supplements do stop working when they build up in your system. When this happens, I stop taking them for at least 3 full months and I eat plenty of turkey. I eat so much turkey, I’m actually sick of it by the end of those 90 days. But turkey in the morning, afternoon, and evening combined with exercise is the only thing that helps me maintain that overall sense of well-being. On my best days there is an abiding sense of goodness, peace, and all is well. Things that should irritate me just roll off my back. On my worse days, I find myself impatient or overly sensitive and the as soon as I’m aware of it I stock up on the turkey. This month is been deli turkey, turkey chili, and turkey burgers. Did I forget turkey meatballs? You must use these supplements with a combination of regular exercise, meditation, protein, and relaxation therapy (lying in bed all day) for the best results. 2016 It's been 4 years since I first took Ross' online questionnaire and began taking the supplements recommended in her book. The pills are expensive, but the effects are worth every dime. My first 3 days taking the pills, I felt like "Wow, who let in all of this sunshine". I exercise about 5 days a week. I've have not been able to keep up with the diet, so I take the supplements regularly. Advice: Be careful with the supplements that affect serotonin. Although these are not prescription meds, they do seem to alter your brain chemistry. I've used St. John's Wort because it has had the least negative side effects. 5-HTP and Sam-E gave me unusual nightmares. I stopped them immediately. I've also experienced nightmares if I suddenly stop a high dosage of St. John's Wort, if I drink alcohol too soon after taking the supplement, or if I take the supplement with any over the counter sleeping pill. Aug 4. 2013 I've tried The Mood Cure supplements for a full year now and I know they work. Tip: make sure you purchase quality supplements. Do look for name brand and avoid store brand. I shop at Whole Foods and have generally found that buying their name brand supplements gives me the best results. Invest in 4-6 giant pill boxes. I sometimes plan out my pills for a full month by placing them in pill boxes and storing them in a paper grocery bag in the refrigerator. This way, when I am done with week one, all I have to do is reach inside my frig and grab week 2. The paper bag reduces the pills exposure to light when the frig opens and helps maintain their quality. I took the online test before I read the book, and then spent the next 90 days only reading the portions of the book that related to my "moods." For the past year, I've been reading and applying the rest of the book. Clinical depression runs in my family. I have never been diagnosed with depression, but after a series of personal challenges suspected I may be suffering from a low grade depression. After reading the numerous positive reviews, and because I was very concerned about my own emotional health, I decided to try the diet and supplements for 90 days. Adhering strictly to the diet wasn't one of my successes, but I was very successful at purchasing and planning out the supplement regime. The bottom line is: it works. I could have better results, if I stuck to the diet as well, but overall I am extremely pleased. I noticed a big positive difference in the way I felt within a few days. After a full year of using the supplements, exercising regularly, and having at least half of suggested protein intake each day here are my results: GREAT SLEEP! More patience Greater feelings of ease and peace Daily feelings of happiness and overall well-being More confidence Increased sense of clarity Better decision making in my professional and personal relationships In general I am so much happier. There isn't a day that goes by, that I don't feel good. In addition to taking the supplements, I increased my exercise from 4 times per week to 6 times per week. I also decreased my sugar and fat intake somewhat. Do try the herbal supplements in place of the aminos. I wasn't too happy with my results on the aminos. I very quickly replaced them with the herbal supplements. St. John's Wort has been the most helpful for me, as well as Calmes Forte. One last caveat, the book recommends taking the vitamins even when you no longer need to take the aminos. I've found this to be very true. As long as I take my vitamins, my feelings of well-being are maintained. They also help me get a good night's sleep. Whenever I slack off on my vitamins the, restlessness, sensitivity, and impatience return within a few weeks. The Mood Cure, has helped me understand how I'm supposed to feel. I had no idea how much happiness I was missing out on, until I began using the supplement regime the book describes. Buy all of it, experiment with all of it, stick to it, the investment will yield powerful returns!

The information in this book worked. Like, life-changing results, however, I developed really weird side effects (to l-tryptophan, it seems that's how it started) that I still have weeks later. It gave me crazy rapid heart beat, and crazy shaky hands throughout the day. Even after I stopped taking all supplements they were recommended for me, my hands still shake all day long and my heart beat goes rapid pretty frequently, especially at night. And whatever I was taking for brain/neurotransmitter support also flaired up the restless legs like crazy, which now I have to take a muscle relaxer for or I don't sleep at all. My dr did some prelim blood tests and my dopamine came up way too high, epinephrine low and norepinephrine high. Now I have to see an endocrinologist to see what went wonky. I recently found out I'm a CYP2D6 ultra rapid metabolizer so that might have had something to do with it, but, the moral of the story is - find yourself a good functional doctor that can oversee what you are taking and do blood/urine/saliva tests to pinpoint where you're at (baseline, and monitor the progress), so you don't end up paying crazy consequences. Anyway, even though I was able to get rid of the debilitating anxiety I was feeling, and I feel fine (not depressed, can focus, etc) I do not recommend experimenting with these supplements unless you have someone very knowledgeable oversee the progress.

This book is mixed with good advice and some poor advice. The author mentions over and over (and over) that protein is the key to a great diet and boosting your mood. No argument here. Then there's common sense advice like stop eating junk food and eat more vegetables. And I personally found the chapter on basic vitamin nutrition helpful; especially because I realized I was taking way too much vitamin D. However, the author repeatedly suggests L-tyrosine as the magic supplement to boost energy and mood. Tyrosine did not work for me personally, and I find it a bit irresponsible to suggest supplements without clearer information about possible side effects. A high dose of tyrosine increased my anxiety and made me jittery, while a low dose did little for giving me energy and made me feel wiped out several hours later. Yes, there are points in the book in which the author states things like, "Stop taking a supplement if you have side effects from it." However, some of the supplements she recommends are known to interact with SSRIs and other anti-depressants. Notably, I've read in various sources that people need to be very careful about taking St. Johns Wort with certain medications. Also, I want to point out that "pyroluria" is not a recognized medical condition (don't get me started on the section alluding to problems from the so-called "candida" condition). In Chapter 10, there's good advice about doses and straight up terrible advice on doses. I mean come on... page 75 is seriously recommending between 3-10 500mg doses of L-tyrosine per day. Page 202 recommends taking 2 multivitamins at breakfast and then 2 at dinner - this is directly in conflict with the advice about not exceeding too much vitamin D each day. She also recommends a vitamin B complex at breakfast and another one at dinner. Some people are immune to B12 because they constantly drink energy drinks... but for most people, B12 in the evening will probably make it difficult to fall asleep. I am not a doctor nor a nutritional expert. However, anyone currently taking an SSRI, SNRI, or other medications needs to be very careful about taking supplements (besides basic vitamins). These medications are already strongly effecting serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine levels.

I am this book's biggest fan. When I bought it on a whim one year ago, I had NO idea it was going to change my life, but it did. I bought this book to see if it could help with the moodiness I often felt (cranky when hungry, bad days for no apparent reason, occasional down weeks), and it did. But it did so much more than that too. I waited a full year to review this book, because I wanted to give the full long-run picture of its benefits, though I started noticing them within a couple of weeks. The first thing I noticed was exactly what the book promised. My moods improved. No, you don't become happy and upbeat 100% of the time. If something sad or disappointing happens in your life you will still feel sad and disappointed. But you stop getting those moods that come out of nowhere and leave you feeling confused and drained. During the same first few weeks I also noticed my energy level was much higher and my sleep patterns improving. I used to have issues falling asleep, and suddenly I was finding that I could fall asleep within 10-15 mintues of going to bed, which seemed like a miracle! As time passed and I worked on the diet and improved how I followed it, I started to notice 3 major things I had no idea would be affected: 1. I no longer was getting sick all the time. I used to be one of those people that caught everything going around. If my coworkers got sick, I got sick. If my roommates got sick, I got sick. If my boyfriend got sick, I got sick. I talked to doctors about it and was told that some people just get sick more often than others. Wash your hands, get sleep, drink fluids, etc. All the things I was already doing. I am AMAZED beyond belief to report that since beginning this diet a year ago I have not been fully sick one single time. (I had the beginnings of a cold and a flu during the fall that both went away within 24-48 hours.) Compare this to a normal year in which i would get at least 5 colds that would each last the full 2 weeks if not more. 2. My exercise induced asthma has disappeared. I developed mild asthma when I was about 20. Since following this diet I have not had a single attack and have stopped using preventative measures before exercising and have even begun to stop carrying my inhaler in most circumstances. 3. My chronic headaches have subsided. I've been battling headaches on and off since 4th grade and no doctor has ever been able to find a lasting med that has worked. I get headaches like a normal person now... only when I'm extremely stressed or hungover! I should stress the difficulty of this diet. This is by no means an "easy" cure. But it's an amazing one. Worth every penny for the supplements. Worth every painstaking moment of cooking and shopping for the healthier, less-processed foods (which also cost more money). I've become a cheerleader for this diet and actually bought 5 copies of the book to lend out to people. My boyfriend finally began the diet a few months ago and is also noticing amazing results in his own way. (He enjoys running and has found he is faster and has much more endurance.) I have read a couple of other books on this subject and so far this is my favorite. I plan to read more in the future. My favorite thing about her book is that she does a good job of describing what these foods are doing to your body and why they are resulting in bad moods. I needed that kind of description to get behind it and really give it a try. Please do yourself a favor and buy it and read it and follow it. It's the best thing you will ever do. I didn't even know my life needed so much improving until this book improved it 10-fold. This book is a journey though. A year later I am still working on the diet and trying to perfect how I follow it. Plan to work hard, and plan to reap the benefits!