A quarter of the British population will experience some sort of mental health problem in their life times. Depression & Anxiety are the most common type of mental health problem in the UK. World wide 350 million people are affected, many of them never receiving any treatment.
It is also, estimated that 1 million suicidal deaths in the UK are related to depression, with men three times more likely than women to commit suicide due to depression. Male suicide has hit an all time high in the last decade.
Gone are the days when anxiety or depression were considered a dirty word. When a stiff upper lip were the expected response to disaster or problems. Now we use terms like, "stressed out" or "brain dead" or "my heads a shed" without any fear of negative judgement. But what if your head is a shed all the time, day after day? What if feeling stressed out or zoned out is not just an occasional occurrence, but a regular symptom that impinges on your everyday existence?
As statistics on anxiety and depression show, women are more likely to seek medical help than men. Up to two thirds of those seeking help for depression are women. Doctors are aware that some sort of talking therapy such as counselling or CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) alongside regular medication is preferable. However, resources are limited and often it is only after the patient has been taking antidepressants for sometime, with little or no improvement that a talking therapy is offered in addition to antidepressants.
Most antidepressants work by increasing levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. These neurotransmitters such as Serotonin and Noradrenaline improve mood. Although it is not fully understood how they work. There are a host of antidepressants available that can do this, some of the more common ones are; Citalopram (Celexa), Escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex), Fluoxetine (Prozac). This group work by manipulating the amount of Serotonin in the brain, other antidepressants manipulate the Noradrenaline levels in the brain or other chemicals which are seen to be responsible for the way that we feel.
I've always been mildly amused by this clinical way of looking at depression. As if the human being was simply a machine and with the right care, such as changing the oil, or putting in a better grade of petrol, the machine would be returned to normal functional behavior. Of course we too, fall into the same trap of thinking that a quick fix of a few chemicals will enable us to carry on just as before and we can return to living in the same way as previously without needing to address the root cause of the malaise.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if instead of seeing illnesses such as depression as an annoyance to be overcome as quickly as possible, we could welcome this as an opportunity to take stock, think about our lives, indeed treasure our very existence and use this opportunity to "upgrade" our spiritual/psychological condition, so that we can become even happier than before. Depression comes about as a result of feeling stuck, that we are unable to move forward, create change, or even have a creative and fulfilling life. We feel that there are no further options open to us, but to put up and shut up. We cannot see a way forward and the only remaining option is to sink into a pit of resignation and despair.
I have seen patients with symptoms of depression caused by a number of difficulties. Grief is a common one, sometimes the grief can become so overwhelming that the patient becomes stuck, unable to return to a place of health and optimism. When the grief is from the death of a loved one a useful homeopathic remedy could be Nat Mur. People needing this remedy are sensitive by nature, and have difficulty expressing their feelings. I once saw a child who was suffering from a persistent cough. She had had all the usual treatments from the doctor for this cough, but still it persisted. In the homeopathic consultation I discovered that her grandmother had recently died, after a few doses of Nat Mur the cough disappeared.
Another type of grief can be caused by loss of a business or loss of property. Aurum can be a helpful remedy in situations such as this. It is often a men's remedy, (but not exclusively). The remedy picture is of a person who is regarded highly by all, he/she is a pillar of the community. Always well behaved, nicely mannered, upright. He is seen as a reliable and pleasant individual whom many people like, although they may not know him very well and he is not disposed to talk about his personal life or problems with people outside the family. There is a feeling of shame and guilt in the heart of an Aurum person, he/she feels that nothing they ever do is good enough. These feelings of guilt and shame can also be accompanied by suicidal tendencies in some cases. A dose of Aurum, when it is properly indicated can bring about a much sunnier disposition within a matter of days. Its so rewarding to see people who have been dogged by depression to be able to finally lift themselves out of it and experience joy once more.
Depression is a many facetted thing however, it could be as a result of abuse, historical or current; a past trauma such as a car accident or being involved in a violent or shocking event. It could be as a result of abandonment or a whole host of other possible life events. The great thing is, that there is a homeopathic remedy for all types of depression, no matter what the cause. It is often the case that we do not know the cause of our depression, by its very nature depression comes clocked in mystery. All being part of the "stuck" syndrome.
Homeopathy is capable of addressing the cause, and creating an opportunity for the patient to revisit the area of their distress, but in a lesser form, so that they can come to terms, let go and move on.
Contact me if you feel homeopathy would be of help to you and we can discuss your way forward.