GOODBYE, BLUES: Breaking the Tranquilizer Habit the Natural Way

A sketchy, poorly-explained program using vitamins, diet, meditation, and ""talk-it-out"" self-therapy to get off tranquilizers. Psychotherapist Green bases his scheme on patients he's seen in practice over the last 20 years; but he hasn't set out the programs with nearly enough organization or detail for someone trying to go it alone. Mixed in with liberal helpings of composite-patient anecdotes is some interesting material--the very idea, in fact, of tapering tranquilizer doses, increasing vitamin intake, and supporting the effort with lifestyle changes. And Green does address some of the biggest problems in trying to ditch a tranquilizer habit: coping with stress, above all--plus insomnia and physical complaints. But there's no hard support, overall, for what he advocates; everything is grounded in people stories. Green has definitely placed his finger on a continuing problem--physicians who still go overboard in prescribing Valium et al. for myriad complaints--and affected readers will find some sympathetic counsel here; but the plan as presented doesn't stand up.