Book excerpt: Depression is the leading cause of disability in America. The incidence of depression in the United States today is 10 times greater than it was in 1960—and that rate doubles every decade. Changes in the way we live, work, eat, sleep, and interact have made us increasingly vulnerable to this mood disorder. We are living out of sync with nature, our bodies, our spirits, and one another. We are living in an age of depression. For 30 years, Dr. Jeffrey Rossman has been treating depressed people, many of whom do not want to take medication. Instead, they are looking for practical solutions that will help them get better naturally and permanently. In The Mind-Body Mood Solution, Dr. Rossman offers a comprehensive, drug-free depression treatment program that fully integrates psychological tools with lifestyle practices such as nutrition, exercise, sleep, breathing, and meditation. In doing so, you will learn to make healthy, sustainable changes that have been proven to improve mood. In treating the mind and body, Dr. Rossman advocates for a new view of depression as not simply an illness, but a call from within to awaken to the possibility of a vital, fulfilling life.