Medical Resources for NDs: A Review of Current Publications for the Naturopathic Industry

DARIENNE SLATER, NMD

Overcoming Overwhelm: Dismantle Your Stress from the Inside Out

Dr Samantha Brody, a naturopathic physician, has used her 20 years of clinical experience to complete a clear and concise 4-step guide to overcoming and minimizing stress in life. In her book, Overcoming Overwhelm, she provides real solutions for preventing stress – an effective alternative to the temporary tactic used most often: stress management.

This book is a great resource for patients looking to find ways to work through stressful lifestyles, as well as for naturopathic physicians looking for tools to help patients in practice.

Dr Brody has done an incredible job, in 18 chapters and 4 sections, of simplifying and creating an engaging workbook for anyone looking to eliminate stress and overwhelm from his or her life.

Step 1, “Find Your True North”

In Step 1, “Find Your True North,” the reader is challenged to identify her individual values and compare them with how she wants to feel each day. Readers are tasked with breaking out pen and paper and beginning to identify who they are and what changes they need to make in order to honor their values. This is a powerful exercise for the reader, and one that too few have the guidance to complete on their own. The use of relevant personal and patient examples also helps foster trust and understanding in the reader.

Step 2, “Establish Your Foundation”

In Step 2, “Establish Your Foundation,” the reader is tasked with pinpointing factors that get in the way of making changes, as well as individual change-making strengths and weaknesses. This is where the individualistic naturopathic approach shines through. Dr Brody assists the reader in understanding his or her own style of creating change in life, as well as his or her own obstacles to cure. Since health is a major source of stress for most people, as well as a high-priority item, Dr Brody adds very helpful tips and resources to this section.

Step 3, “Take Your Overwhelm Inventory”

In Step 3, “Take Your Overwhelm Inventory,” the reader is encouraged to look at each area of her life and discover the stress and responsibilities in each category, to create an overall picture of her total stress load. Dr Brody uses an efficient and complete guide for the reader that leaves “no stone unturned” when it comes to taking a holistic view of life. The guide makes a deep dive, promoting a very comprehensive assessment of various areas of life, such as physical and social environment and, within them, concerns such as relationships, addictions, and technology.

Step 4, “Craft Your Personal Plan”

In Step 4, “Craft Your Personal Plan,” the reader takes all of the compiled information from the first 3 steps and creates a plan to categorize, prioritize, and sometimes eliminate, stressors based on defined goals and values. Readers walk away with an action plan for preventing stress as soon as – if not before – they put down the book. In addition, Dr Brody accomplishes this with total understanding, non-judgment, and with an approach that is not forceful.

Overall, this is a great book that offers a clearly effective technique for reducing and preventing stress in modern life. Practitioners will find this book to contain valuable resources for patients as well as for themselves.