Depression
- Overview
- Introduction
- Symptoms
- Causes
- Complications
- Homoeopathic Treatment
- Do's and Don'ts
- Diet and Nutrition
What is DEPRESSION?
DEPRESSION is a condition that causes extremely low and sad mood, that can last for weeks, months or even years. Everyone, at some point in their lives, feels sad, low and dejected, but when this sadness begins to infiltrate into a person's behaviour, relationships and work, it is called Depression and requires the help of a trained medical professional.
Depressed people feel a general lack of energy, lack of interest and sometimes, obsession with suicidal thoughts. It is like living in a "huge black hole".
The World Health Statistics, 2014, published by World Health Organization, made a disturbing revelation:
At least 350 million people live with Depression, and it is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Almost 1 million people take their own lives each year.
Click to read Causes of Depression.
WHAT HAPPENS IN DEPRESSION?
Quick Look | |
Mental Symptoms | Physical Symptoms |
Extreme and prolonged sadness | Overwhelming fatigue and exhaustion |
Lack of interest in everything with feelings of irritability | Weight loss or gain |
Severe sense of guilt | Unrefreshing sleep with either drowsiness or sleeplessness |
Thoughts of committing suicide | Disinterest in sex with decrease in sex drive |
Click to know more about Symptoms of Depression |
What Can Depression Lead To?
It is a misconception that Depression is a short-lived state of the mind that goes away easily. But Depression is touted to be amongst the major killers today because of its adverse complications on the depressed individual.
If untreated, Depression can lead to
- Self-hatred
- Substance abuse
- Physical illnesses like Eating disorders, Sleeping disorders, etc.
- Unemployment
- Suicide
HOW WELL HOMEOPATHY WORKS IN DEPRESSION
- Depression, if left untreated, can thrive and feed upon itself and have the power to consume life.
- Homeopathic Treatment For Depression is the safest and most holistic of therapies for this hydra-headed monster.
- Homeopathy works at the deepest level of the mind and helps to correct the irregularity in thinking, feeling and behaving with the help of naturally sourced and well proved remedies.
- There are more than 200 remedies in the treasury of Homeopathy in the Treatment For Depression.
Few of our amazing remedies include:
- Natrum Muriaticum: Indicated in people who have strong inner feelings of grief, anger, romantic disillusionment. They get angry on being consoled and brood over past grievances.
- Pulsatilla: This medicine is very effective in people who are shy, mild and sensitive. There is despair of happiness, discouragement, indecision and impulse to hide or run away. Great flow of very changeful ideas.
- Ignatia: One of the best remedies for grief or hurt that has remained unexpressed. Frequent feeling of lump in the throat with involuntary tendency to sigh. Accompanied with physical ailments like headache, cramps and insomnia.
- Aurum Metallicum: Excellent remedy for serious, hardworking individuals who become depressed if they feel they have failed in their duties. Such people can fall steeply into self-reproach, self-loathing and emerge with suicidal tendencies.
Do you feel unusually sad?
Do you feel life is hopeless?
Does life seem like a bed of thorns?
Do you want to stay alone always?
Do you feel nobody loves you?
Do you feel life is useless?
Are you getting repeated suicidal thoughts?
If your answers to most of the above questions are YES, then you are probably depressed.
According to World Health Organization DEPRESSION is the 4th most devastating illness in the world today. And with this rate, it may become the 2nd ranked illness by 2020. The average age of onset of Depression is mid-20s.
Depression can easily take control of your life, your thoughts, feelings and actions. The key to overcoming it, therefore is a combination of the right medicines with the right lifestyle changes. And this is exactly what Homeopathy offers.
With correct expert guidance, medication and counselling, Depression can be effectively defeated.
Homeopathy will relieve you effectively and safely without any side effects.
Mental Symptoms of Depression- Though these symptoms vary from person to person, there are few common mental symptoms.
- Intense sadness and hopelessness
- Helplessness and self-hatred
- Negative thoughts
- No interest in daily activities, fun activities, etc.
- Anger/irritability/frustration/gloomy feeling/self-loathing
- Irresponsible and reckless behaviour
- Less or no social interaction.
- Withdrawal even from favourite hobbies
- Guilty feeling.
- In children-lack of concentration, low academic performances
Physical Symptoms of Depression- Mental stress can channelize into symptoms of the body like
- Either weight gain or weight loss
- Lethargy and intense fatigue
- Bodyache
- Headaches
- Insomnia or excessive sleep
- Lack of interest in sex
- Abuse or misuse of alcohol, drugs, etc.
TYPES OF DEPRESSION
- Major Depression:
- Symptoms should be constant everyday for at least 2 weeks.
- 'Down the black hole' is the constant feeling
- Atypical Depression:
- People with this type of disorder have associated bad experience in childhood.
- Both physical and emotional symptoms are associated.
- Chronic Depression:
- It is mild, less severe and chronic.
- It can be periodic, occurring at fixed intervals of time.
- Genetic factor can be associated.
- Bipolar Depression:
- Depression occurs in alternation with periods of mania, wherein the individual feels unusually ecstatic, hyper and aggressive.
- Seasonal Depression:
- It happens every year at the same time.
- Usually it is seen at onset of summers or winters.
There are more than 100 symptoms of Depression, but they vary from case to case.
Any event that causes the development of stress in a person is a potential trigger for Depression.
Causes of Depression include:
- Traumatic events: Many times, certain events like terrorist attacks, mass murders, earthquakes, etc. may have a deep impact on a person and cause depressive episodes.
- Stress: Stress at home or at workplace is one of the most alarming causes of Depression in long run.
- Abuse: Depression is common in those people with a past history of physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
- Unfortunate events: The death of close family member or friend naturally brings grief to an individual. But if it is prolonged or affects daily activities, it becomes a cause of concern.
- Financial losses: Unemployment or sudden loss of job are among the most significant causes of Depression in majority of people.
- Emotional losses: Failure in relationships with parents, children, friends, spouse or disappointment in love may also cause depression.
- Medications: Certain medicines like steroids and antiviral drugs can cause low mood as a side effect.
- Heredity: Depression has also been seen to run in families.
- Personality trait: Certain people who are inherently anxious and hyper-reactive by nature are more susceptible to Depression.
- Serious and chronic physical illness: Person suffering from prolonged chronic illnesses and terminal diseases can plunge into serious depressive states. Other causes of Depression include neurological diseases like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and even Epilepsy.
- Substance abuse: People who are addicted to alcohol, tobacco, medical and illicit drugs may progress into Depression.
- Self-hatred and harm: Due to intense feelings of self-hatred, depressed people can indulge in activities harming themselves like scratching or slapping themselves, making multiple cuts on their body, etc.
- Alcohol and Substance Abuse: Depressed people try to find solace in alcohol, smoking, sleeping pills and even illicit drugs. Slowly, dependence on these substances increases and the individual gets addicted.
- Physical illnesses: Physical ailments can lead to or even be a consequence of Depression. It is common for depressed individuals to suffer from Eating disorders, Sleeping disorders, etc.
- Unemployment and social isolation: Depressed people keep themselves isolated, aloof. They avoid all social functions, interactions, gatherings, parties, functions, etc. This attitude can even cost them their job.
- Suicide: The most devastating complication of Depression is suicide. Upto 2/3rd of suicides occur as a result of Depression. Also depressed men are more likely to commit suicide than depressed women.
- Homeopathic treatment for Depression is fast becoming the first choice of management the world over with a success and non-recurrence rate of more than 70%.
- Homoeopathic treatment for Depression provides complete holistic wellbeing to the patient by boosting the immune system, helping to modify the thought processes, easing stress and assisting recovery in the safest and most natural way.
- With homeopathic treatment for Depression, the patient can enjoy immense relief through medicines that are natural, safe and without any side-effects. Homeopathy is a patient-oriented science and medicines are prescribed on the characteristics of the individual rather than just the symptoms of the disease.
Few remedies in homeopathic treatment for Depression include:
- Natrum Muriaticum: Indicated in people who have strong inner feelings of grief, anger, romantic disillusionment. They get angry on being consoled and brood over past grievances.
- Pulsatilla: This medicine is very effective in homeopathic treatment for Depression in people who are shy, mild and sensitive. There is despair of happiness, discouragement, indecision and impulse to hide or run away. Great flow of very changeful ideas.
- Ignatia: One of the best remedies in homeopathic treatment for Depression for grief or hurt that has remained unexpressed. Frequent feeling of lump in the throat with involuntary tendency to sigh. Accompanied with physical ailments like headache, cramps and insomnia.
- Aurum Metallicum: Excellent remedy for serious, hardworking individuals who become depressed if they feel they have failed in their duties. Such people can fall steeply into self-reproach, self-loathing and emerge with suicidal tendencies.
- Homeopathic treatment for Depression offers more than 300 remedies effective against the disease.
DEJECTED, FEELING: 2Abrot, 1Acon, 1Agar, 1Alum, 1Ambr, 1Anac, 2Ang, 2Ant-c, 2Ant-t, 1Arg-m, 1Ars, 1Asaf, 2Aur, 1Bar-c, 3Bell, 1Bov, 3Bry, 2Calc, 1Caps, 2Cham, 2Chin, 2Cina, 1Colch, 1Coloc, 2Con, 2Dig, 2Dros, 3Graph, 1Hydr-ac, 1Hyos, 3Ign, 2Iod, 1Ip, 1Kali-bi, 1Kali-i, 1Kali-n, 1Lach, 1Led, 1Lith-c, 2Lyc, 1Mag-c, 2Mag-m, 1Mang, 1Mur-ac, 1Naja, 3Nat-c, 2Nat-m, 2Nit-ac, 2Nux-v, 1Olnd, 3Petr, 1Phos, 1Pic-ac, 1Plb, 3Psor, 4PULS, 1Rheum, 2Rhus-t, 2Ruta, 1Sabad, 1Sabin, 1Sars, 1Sel, 2Sep, 3Sil, 1Spig, 1Stann, 2Staph, 1Sul-ac, 3Sulph, 1Tab, 1Thuj, 1Ust, 1Valer, 1Zinc
DESPAIR,Anxiety with:4ACON, 1Ambr, 1Arn, 3Ars, 3Calc, 4CHAM, 1Cimic, 1Ign, 1Lach, 1Lyc, 1Nit-ac, 1Plut, 1Puls, 1Rhus-t, 1Sars, 1Thul-c, 1Valer, 1Verat
INDOLENCE, AVERSION TO WORK, Sadness, from: 1Alum, 1Am-c, 1Anac, 1Arn, 1Aur, 1Berb, 1Bov, 1Calc, 1Caust, 1Croto-t, 1Cupr, 1Dor, 1Ign, 1Lach, 1Laur, 1Lsd, 1Merc, 1Mez, 1Nat-m, 1Nit-ac, 1Nux-v, 1Phos, 1Plb, 1Prun, 1Puls, 1Rhus-t, 1Sam-m, 1Sant, 1Sep, 1Sil, 1Staph, 1Sulph, 1Zinc
The remedy abbreviations with
- 4 Marks- most effective
- 3 marks- quite effective,
- 2 marks- less effective,
- 1 mark- least effective.
It is, however, worthwhile to remember that self-medication is not recommended.
Do's
- Unconditional love, patience and care are vital to healing.
- Be aware about the disease. The more information you will have, the more equipped you will be in dealing with the disease.
- Seek counselling and share your fears, stress and problems with your loved ones.
- Increase social interactions and indulgence in recreational activities.
- Enrol in stress-management classes or practice yoga and meditation to calm the mind.
- Be positive. Avoid negative thoughts. Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Don'ts
- Never criticize the patient or show lack of respect towards the patient.
- Never ignore the symptoms of patient as trivial.
- Try not to bring up the topic of Depression again and again in front of the patient. Help him/her lead a normal life.
Some foods contain chemical components that help to uplift the mood of a patient. They include:
- Omega 3 fatty acids: Present in flaxseeds, walnuts, beans, and fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, etc.
- Vitamins: A healthy daily dose of vitamins can be ensured through a combination of various foods like oils, fish, bananas, avocadoes, spinach, asparagus, tomatoes, citrus fruits, etc.
- Folic Acid: Rich sources include broccoli, beans, lentils, carrots, Brussels sprouts, nuts and dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and turnip greens.
- Water and juices.