Shadow syndromes - John J Ratey

People who attribute their daily life problems to bad parenting or low self-esteem are, this work argues, stumbling with the shadow syndrome. The biological stumbling blocks of everyday life, mild forms of serious mental disorders which too often go undetected yet drastically affect the way we see the world and behave within it. This text seeks to show how emotional problems begin in biology. A shadow syndrome may be made worse by a bad parent or a bad relationship, but all syndromes begin in the genes - and until we understand this, we will not be able to take the right steps to escape biology's grip. The authors focus on what kinds of treatment have been effective, from medication and psycotherapy to diet, meditation and exercise. But the most crucial treatment is the recognition of what underlies these treacherous moods and behaviour that can hold us back and take over our lives. It is biology that, just as it has formed us, can be reformed by us once we identify its nature and take certain steps towards change. .