Harmonious Healing:

Depression: Alternative Treatments

Roughly 20% of the modern world will have it during their lifetime, and women Are twice as likely to suffer from it than Men. Some people say that suffering from it feels like a black curtain of despair coming down over their lives. The condition is depression, and it is often misunderstood and needlessly stigmatized. 

Depression is one of the most common psychological problems, and it affects everyone either through personal experience or through depression in a loved one. Depression can and often does interfere with normal daily functioning and often causes additional problems with family, work, and social interaction. 

Depression changes how a person thinks and feels. It affects social behavior and one's personal sense of well-being and contentment. It is a "whole-body" illness that involves the body, mind, and emotions. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, size, sex, temperament or social status. Clinical depression is a very common problem, however, most people do not seek proper treatment. Additionally, most people who have experienced one episode of depression will, most likely, have another one.

Some symptoms of depression include:

• Constant feelings of sadness, irritability or tension

• Decreased interest or pleasure in usual activities or hobbies

• A change in appetite

• Weight loss or weight gain

• Difficulty sleeping, early morning awakening, or sleeping too much

• Loss of energy

• Feeling tired despite lack of activity

• Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or guilt

• Restlessness or feeling "slowed down"

• Thoughts of suicide or death

Symptoms vary from person to person. Some people may experience changes in thinking (problems with decision making and concentration) and memory. Pessimism, poor self- esteem, guilt and self-destructive thoughts are common. Changes in feelings are also common, and one may become irritable, apathetic, slow, helpless/hopeless or unmotivated. Behavior changes include social withdrawal, change in appetite, excessive crying, increase in complaining, temper outbursts, reduced sexual activity, and reduced household or work productivity. Physically, many experience sleep changes, chronic fatigue, and have aches and pains. The symptoms last for weeks, months, or even years if one is not treated.

There are different types of depression according to the modem medical paradigm. A licensed professional is required to officially diagnose a condition. Depressive disorders include:

Major Depression - the most serious type of depression. People moderately to severely depressed fall within this category. Sometimes it appears from a single traumatic event in one's life, but other times it seems to develop slowly as a consequence of numerous personal disappointments and life issues. 

Dysthymic Disorder - low to moderate levels of depression that persist for at least two years. Symptoms are not as severe as in major depression but are more resistant to treatment. Sometimes people with dysthymic disorder will report that they do not remember not feeling depressed. They are usually able to function, but depression causes distress and interferes with life responsibilities. 

Unspecified Depression - this includes people with a serious depression which does not fit into the major depression category, people with chronic, moderate depression, etc. If someone is depressed but does not fit into any of the other categories, this diagnosis is made.

Adjustment Disorder - depression in response to a major life stressor or crisis. This type is sometimes called "reactive depression" and is a "last resort" category - only if the person does not fit into another category will this diagnosis be used. If symptoms last longer than six months, one would not fit into this category. 

Postpartum Depression - depression found in women after having a child. It usually starts out as the "baby blues", which is commonly seen as a hormone fluctuation issue. Some women tend to experience this on a deeper level and thus are diagnosed as depressive. 

There is no single cause of depression. Regardless of the cause, physical changes in the brain can be seen and imbalances of chemicals are present. Some common factors in depression are family history, trauma and stress (financial problems, a breakup, death, life changes), a pessimistic personality, low self- esteem, medical conditions and other psychological disorders such as anxiety. 

The modern medical system treats depression with either medications, therapy, or a combination of both. It is said that those who are treated with medication respond to treatment better when combined with psychotherapy. Cognitive psychotherapy is particularly effective in reducing depressive symptoms, and Interpersonal psychotherapy is used to help the individual resolve relationship problems that are causing the depression. 

Prescriptions control symptoms but do not solve the fundamental problem. This means that medications are not a cure, but rather a coping device. Antidepressants are used for serious depression and anxiety. There are a number of different antidepressants. MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) were the most common medications used in the past, but now SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are more common. SSRis include fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft):

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS

Ayurveda

Ayurveda sees psychological problems as imbalances of internal energies that are interwoven into the whole existence of humanity and its remedies treat the imbalance rather than exploring personal experience. According to Ayurveda, there are diverse causes of mental imbalance including emotional stress, trauma, repressive religion, sexual abuse, drugs, excess thinking, meditation, etc. Each dosha has its own symptoms: 

Vata Imbalance: low mood, low energy, skin cold to the touch, poor appetite, weight loss, digestive problems, anxious, can't sleep, excessive talking, fearful, restless. Factors that contribute to Vata depression are overactivity, over-exercising, irregular hours, staying up late, too much sex or frequent masturbation, and exposure to cold. 

Pitta Imbalance: feeling hot, desire to eat sweets, medium to strong build, irritable, easily angered, hair falling out, ulcers, diarrhea, redness of eyes. Factors that contribute to Pitta depression include not wearing a hat in the sun, taking hot showers, eating hot foods, missing meals, and frequent anger experiences. 

Kapha Imbalance: feeling cold, overeating, low energy, overweight, oversleeping, loss of ability to experience pleasure. Factors contributing to Kapha depression include laziness, lack of exercise, a heavy diet, daytime sleep, and poor eating habits.

SAM-e

S-adenosylmethionine, or SAM-e, is the synthetic form of a compound that is naturally produced in the body. Researchers in Italy discovered during a trial of the substance for schizophrenia that, while it did not help schizophrenia, it did help depression. It is a prescription drug in Europe for depression, and is available over the counter in the USA. 

SAM-e is involved in over 35 biochemical processes in the body. It has various and diverse effects on the body and can improve liver function, increase cartilage formation, ease osteoarthritis, and relieve depression.

Herbs, Vitamins and Minerals

Herbs that help depression include St. John's wort, Kava, Ashwaganda, Ginseng, and Ginko.

Nutrients that help depression include fish oil, tyrosine, folic acid, vitamin B12, tryptophan, L-camitine and vitamin B1.

Japanese Kampo 

Kampo, or Japanese herbal therapy, sees depression as a physical condition that manifests in emotional symptoms. There are three types of depression: 

I. too little nutritive energy reaching the heart (insomnia, nervous unrest, night sweats) 

2 too much nutritive energy reaching the heart (palpitations, restlessness, ulcers of the mouth, mania, nightmares) 

3, liver oppression or unrestrained anger (heartburn, anxiety, pain in the side, feeling of fullness in the chest) 

Kampo treatments include barley sprouts (mild depression in adults with diabetes and ADHD), biota (age-related memory loss with depression), Ginko (increases flow of axygen to the brain), Liconice (depression wide fatigue syndrome), and Morina (antdepressant herb that increases male sexual function). 

KEMETIC HEALING 

According to Traditional African Initiations, depression is a very deep and very human. "To understand depression, you have to stand one thing first, " said Master Naba, Traditional African Healer and Priest. "The human being has a tendency of being confused by his environment, and this is a very fundamental principle. There is a discrepancy between what the human is aware of and what really exists. Because everything becomes and transforms, there is a spiritual conflict that is created in every human being because the rhythm of our becoming as humans is slower than the rhythm of becoming of other things." Because of this difference, all human beings are on a different "wavelength" so to say, than other parts of existence. This leads to a basic confusion that is inherent in all human beings. “Our first reaction to this is to make up things, and the human being holds onto this first perception of something. One only sees the thing the very first moment in which it comes across the thing: after that, one does not see the thing, but rather one's perceptions of it. Things transform too quickly for the human being to have time to adapt. One cannot catch up with one's becoming, so illusion is our favante ground for thinking. There is a delay between what things are and how they appear to us, and when we make our rules and behavior based on our perceptions, we become lost and lose touch with reality," explains Master Naba. 

Most people, then, tend to give up their search for reality, choosing to rely on illusion instead. The brain is not made to survive a world that is not based in nature and reality, so mental dysfunction occurs. Every human being is prone to depression, and when one finds oneself in this condition, one is literally headed toward self. destruction. "Nature has one rule: whatever is not in harmony with the energy lines is seen as an obstacle, and that thing gets cut off from the Earth's energy channels. Human beings are a favorite subject for this," says Master Naba. 

There are three levels of depression in the African healing system. The first level is found in literally every human being, and is seen as a person thinking that it is okay for certain things to happen to others, but not to oneself. One example is seeing a person crying because they have been called a name. The second level of depression happens when one can justify their feelings - for example. one may say "I am crying because my car "The person's vision of "self" has expanded to include things that are not the "self". The third level is when one has emotional outbursts without being able to identify why they are emotional. 

The traditional African healing system has herbs that will help depression. The herbs stop the deterioration of the brain that accompanies depression and allows the brain to regenerate itself. This allows the individual a new chance to decide to search for reality rather than be comfortable in their illusions; if the individual does not choose to take this new path, he or she can easily fall back into depression. 

Preventing depression is possible, despite the fundamental set-up a human being has for the condition. Through education, understanding of realities, and making clear choices, a human being can reduce his/her tendency for depression. "A person has two options: to be destroyed or to survive. Clearly choosing to survive will determine one's attitude and will change the way one adapts to life. Allowing oneself to adapt more easily will reduce the discrepancy between man and nature/reality and will thus reduce the risk for depression," explained Master Naba. Other mental illnesses are just extensions of more severe depressions, and we can see people living in more vivid and strong illusions. "Practicing non-attachment will also help," added Master Naba. 

It should be noted that the modern medical system's explanation for depression is only a theory, which they readily admit. Depression is more of a spiritual and coping problem and should be treated as such. Everyone is prone to the condition, and it is only one small decision that could push an individual into depression. Understanding that it is a human phenomenon that is not taboo to any human being will help one understand and prevent the condition.