>however, people
>must realize the role that genetics plays in how our children turn out. >>We
>are fortunate in this day and age to have the means to treat these
>conditions biologically through medications and/or natural treatments, as
>well as with different kinds of therapeutic support. Let's just not lose
>site of other factors that can influence a person's well-being.

Maddy,

Thanks for making a point that is often not made in more "natural health"
discussions.  I have often been guilty of not giving sufficient attention to
the reality that you describe.  For a long time I so wanted to cast all
pharmaceutical based treatment as evil.  Ironically, what got me to stop
being so judgemental was when I changed my diet and saw the effect it had
immediately on my depression.  Each time I would eat sugar again and sink
into a black funk which would then disappear as soon as I cleaned up my act,
I grew more respectful of the power of our biochemistry.  I definitely
believe that there is a role for medication alongside all the other things
we've talked about in this thread.  There is no reason for anyone to suffer
when natural approaches aren't producing relief.

Recently I have been introduced to the work of a doctor named Danial Amen in
California.  He is doing some very progressive work with brain imaging and
finding out that in some people different parts of the brain are either
under or over functioning (this is my very simple explanation; I actually
haven't read his book yet, my library just got it in for me yesterday).  He
is working on correlating various mental and emotional difficulties with
this information and uses a combination of drug and non drug treatments to
restore normal brain fuctioning.
www.amenclinic.com  or www.mindworkspress.com

Anyway, thanks for speaking up about an important point and sharing your
experience.

Judy