Depression

The term "depression" covers the whole range of negative human experience from “feeling blue” to terrifying anxiety and suicidal despair, as well as physical symptoms ranging from flu-like aches and pains to a sense of profound tiredness.

Depression tends to leave people feeling very cut off from the rest of humanity. The stigma which traditionally surrounds “mental illness” makes the sense of misery even worse and stops many people from seeking help. But depression is not anyone’s fault; it is a recognized illness which can be effectively treated in a whole range of ways.

And as befits a complex condition, depression has a range of causes as wide as life itself. Stressful events which cause a deep sense of loss – such as bereavement, divorce, physical illness or the loss of a job – can trigger depression. Some people believe that bottled-up anger and frustration also turn into depression.

Chemistry also has a part to play in depression: when you feel very low, chances are that your brain is lacking in vital nerve messengers called neurotransmitters, although whether this is cause or effect is not clear. Similarly, hormonal changes (as women with P.M.S. know all too well) can make us feel depressed.

The Orthodox Approach

Orthodox physicians look for the following symptoms in identifying depression: feelings of worthlessness and guilt; impaired concentration; loss of energy; thoughts of suicide; loss or increase of appetite and weight; insomnia or oversleeping; agitation or a sense of being slowed down. If you have had four of these for two weeks or more, without another illness which could be causing them, you are likely to be diagnosed as depressed.

Until recently orthodox medicine relied chiefly on drug treatments to lift the symptoms of depression. Modern antidepressants work to increase the quantities of neuro-transmitters in your brain, although getting a drug to suit your symptoms without unpleasant side-effects is often a matter of trial and error.

Yet while antidepressants can give us the lift we need to tackle the causes of depression, most of us don’t like taking pills for what we perceive as a problem of mind, body and spirit. Increasingly, modern physicians are taking a two-pronged approach: prescribing drugs, but also referring depressed patients to counsellors who can help identify the roots of the problem.

The Hale Approach

Depression is principally endogenous (caused by a lack of chemicals in the brain) or exogenous (caused by external events). This differentiation is important, since drug treatment is often required for the former, whereas good counselling can put an end to the latter without recourse to drugs. A counsellor or psychotherapist is a good starting point, and referral through them to a physician or psychiatrist would be beneficial. Complementary therapies will speed up most treatments.

Many different events in a person’s life, both physical and mental, may trigger depression. It is important for the individual patient to be properly advised at the outset which treatments are likely to be most effective for them. For example, some depression may be aggravated by physiological problems such as hormone imbalance, blood sugar problems allergy or lack of vital nutrients for brain chemistry. In these cases nutritional advice or light therapy may be necessary. Other patients may benefit from acupuncture and homeopathy, which address both the physical and the mental aspects of depression. With others, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, or counselling will be necessary. For many patients a combination of treatments will be necessary.

The Hale Clinic would therefore advise seeing our complementary medical consultant or a psychologist, who can advise patients suffering from depression on the best course of treatment for their particular case. If it was felt appropriate, we might refer a patient for another medical opinion regarding medication.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy, perhaps more than any other complementary therapy, shows how much power your mind really has when it comes to influencing health. At the very least, hypnotherapy helps you to relax without drugs, reversing the stress effects which soften contribute to depression. It is especially useful in relieving depression in people who are terminally ill or undergoing acute medical treatments.

Hypnotherapy makes it possible to listen to – and talk to – the unconscious. For instance, it can help to imagine and visualize feeling better.

A person’s qualities, successes and achievements are often submerged by depression. It is important, by slowly but surely developing strategies for change, to re-empower a sufferer so that they learn to recognize their qualities and inner strengths.

Herbal Medicine

Herbal Medicine is very effective in the treatment of mild to moderate depression, with patients noticing a difference within 7-10 days. In clinical trials, it was proven that Herbal Medicine is as effective as pharmaceutical anti-depressants, but without the side-effects. A full case history is taken in order to gain a full picture of the patient's health, diet and lifestyle. In cases where the depression has come about through long-term stress or trauma, treatment to restore adrenal function is given. This improves sleep and increases energy, restoring the patient's sense of well-being. The herbal medication also helps to keep stress levels within healthy limits, without causing drowsiness.

Homeopathy

Both chronic and acute depression can be helped by homeopathy; although you should contact a physician immediately if you or someone close to you is having thoughts of suicide.

Not only is depression tremendously variable, but homeopathic remedies are very individual. “There are some 200 to 300 homeopathic remedies for depression”. Explains one practitioner, “but in simple terms, low-potency remedies of 30x or below work on mental symptoms, while high-potency remedies of 200x or above treat mental symptoms of depression”.

Homeopathy is good for depression which follows distressing life events (often called reactive depression): “It also works well for depression caused by lack of chemicals (often called endogenous) when prescribed in conjunction with nutritional supplements such as zinc and Vitamin B6“. In addition to homeopathy, some form of counselling or psychotherapy is essential to understanding why you have become depressed.

While you are advised to consult a qualified practitioner, this homeopath suggests that if, for example, you feel depressed after deep grief or heartbreak you may benefit from Ignatia 200x or Natrum mur. 200x, to be taken in three doses, one each night. If this is the right remedy for you, depression should begin to lift within a week.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, which gives you precious time and space to talk about how you are feeling – and why – with a qualified practitioner, can be enormously beneficial in coming to terms with complex and deep-seated depressions. One psychotherapist works with individuals as well as groups to address the events in your life which my have contributed to depression.

Nutrition

If it’s true that you are what you eat – and 98 percent of your body’s cells replace themselves each year – food is essential to your mental and physical health.

Psychological causes can lead to biochemical imbalances AND Biochemical imbalances can affect the psyche.

Loss of loved ones - genetic

Lack of intimacy - substance abuse

Victim of abuse - severe nutrient imbalance

Stress (family, work, finances) - chronic illness

Deficiency in essential fatty acids (EFA)

How to determine an EFA deficiency?

A tendency to substance abuse or feel that it affects you differently from others

Trouble with alcohol in your teenage years

Depression among close relatives

A family history of alcoholism, depression, suicide, schizophrenia

Depression that persists while you are abstinent from alcohol

A personal or family history of Crohn’s Disease, hepatic cirrhosis, cystic fibrosis, atopic eczema, Sjogren-Larsson syndrome

A personal or family history of Ulcerative Colitis, IBS, diabetes

Winter depression that lightens in spring

Experiencing an emotional lift from certain foods or vitamins

VITAMIN AND MINERAL DEFICIENCY AND DEPRESSION

The B-complex vitamins are essential to mental and emotional well-being. They cannot be stored in our bodies, so we depend entirely on our daily diet. B-vitamins are destroyed by alcohol, refined sugar, nicotine and caffeine.

A number of symptoms can be triggered from deficiencies in any of the following:

B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B12, Folic Acid, Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, Copper, Iron, Manganese and Potassium. These symptoms of depression include:

Low self esteem

Insomnia

Excessive sleep

Agoraphobia

Substance abuse

Panic attacks

Negative outlook on life

Suicidal thoughts

Poor libido

Appetite lack or increase

Fatigue

Inappropriate behaviour

Healing

In healing, the body, mind and soul are seen as one entity in which good health depends on harmony. It can be a powerful form of therapy for depression, which so many of us experience as a kind of profound discord.

Supportive treatments

Acupuncture

Depression is traditionally associated with the liver, so an acupuncturist would concentrate on the liver meridian to regulate the flow of chi (vital energy) in the body.

Aromatherapy

Massage with essential oils working on specific acupressure points helps lift patients out of depression, enabling them to help themselves and be positive about change. Advice would be given on diet, exercise and counselling or psychotherapy may be recommended.

It is important to look for the root cause of the depression in order to choose the most appropriate oils, whether for massage, to put in the bath or to inhale. Mandarin is particularly good for calming nervous tension, anxiety and feelings of isolation; ylang-ylang also relieves tension and boosts low self-esteem; bergamot or rose help counteract the lethargy that often goes with depression.

Yoga/T’ai Chi/Chi Kung

By balancing the body’s energies, these exercises can help reduce stress and remove toxins from the system. They enable you to slow down, find your own centre and restore mental balance.

Tips

If you are feeling under pressure, try to cut down on your work load and to take some time off – perhaps going out with your partner or a close friend. Avoid tea and coffee and increase your intake of B vitamins (found in many foods, including cereals, wheat germ, milk, and green leafy vegetables) and Vitamin C (found in fresh vegetable and fruits, including tomatoes) You can also apply your own DIY light therapy, making the most of natural light by going outside whenever possible, especially at midday, or get a full-spectrum light box to use at home. Try to leave off contact lenses and glasses in order to expose your eyes to daylight – and perhaps take a midwinter break in a sunny resort.