Blair on PR Newswire

Blair Lewis, a.k.a. The Happiness Doctor, weighs in on the "medication vs. meditation" debate sparked by the infamous comments of Tom Cruise

HONESDALE, Pa., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Tom Cruise really has the country talking about mental illness. On one hand, we have the actor and his supporters saying, "Mood altering drugs are bad, bad, bad." (Call them the "Pull-Yourself-Up-By-Your-Bootstraps Brigade.") On the other hand, we have a white-coated army of doctors poised to write prescriptions for everything from "the blahs" to clinical depression to Social Anxiety Disorder. (Call them the "Chemical Imbalance Society.")

"It's good that Tom Cruise has us focusing on the subject of mental health," says Blair Lewis, PA, a holistic physician assistant and author of Happiness: The Real Medicine and How It Works (Himalayan Institute Press, 2005, ISBN: 0-89389-245-9, $14.95). "But the issue has gotten way too polarized. The 'right' treatment depends wholly on the individual."

So what factors determine whether a depressed or anxious patient should go the "prescription" route or a more natural route? Lewis lists a handful of them:

- Finances. Quite often, health insurance won't cover extended talk therapy sessions, natural herbs and supplements, massages, and the like -- and many people may not have the funds to pursue such remedies on their own.

- Family situation. For a patient with a less-than-ideal family structure, natural remedies simply may not be feasible. "If someone is a single parent of four kids who works two jobs, how will he or she have time to practice yoga every day for an hour?" Lewis says.

- The severity of pain a person is experiencing. "When a person is drowning in the ocean, just being able to get one hand on a lifeboat is huge," Lewis points out. "A good anti-depressant, for example, can be just such a lifeboat. When you feel more in control, you can work on the issues that are causing your depression."

- The desire to do the hard work of going a more natural route. Some people really do just want a quick fix. Getting to the root of an emotional problem requires a commitment of time, money, and mental energy that some people aren't willing or able to make.

"Weigh all the factors that make up your life and you'll come to a solution that makes sense for you and your family," says Lewis. "But remember: medication is probably best as a stopgap measure, not a lifetime commitment. If you want a deep, profound, lasting happiness, you just can't find it in a little blue pill."

Blair Lewis is affectionately known as The Happiness Doctor. He is a seasoned and recognized expert of holistic medicine, Ayurveda, and yogic sciences. Trained in the tradition of the Himalayan Institute, he has been a physician assistant and holistic practitioner for over 25 years. See www.aliveandhealthy.com for more information on him and his book.

SOURCE Blair Lewis -0- 07/28/2005 /CONTACT: Dottie DeHart of Rocks-DeHart Public Relations, +1-828-459-9637, or DSDeHart@aol.com/ /Web site: http://www.aliveandhealthy.com / CO: Blair Lewis ST: Pennsylvania