Depression
and Homœopathy (1/2).
Dr. Sayeed Ahmad D.
I. Hom. (London)
Depression
is a
serious mental disorder in which a person suffers long periods of
sadness and other negative feelings. The term depression also describes
a normal mood involving the sadness, grief, disappointment, or
loneliness that everyone experiences at times.Depressed people may feel fearful, guilty, or
helpless. They often cry, and many lose interest in work and social
life. Many cases of depression also involve aches, fatigue, loss of
appetite, or other physical symptoms. Some depressed patients try to
harm or kill themselves. Periods of depression may occur alone, or they
may alternate with periods of mania (extreme joy and overactivity) in a
disorder called bipolar disorder. This condition is also known as
manic-depressive disorder.Psychiatrists do not fully understand the causes of
depression, but they have several theories. Some psychiatrists believe
that depression follows the loss of a relative, a friend, a job, or a
valued goal. Many psychiatrists believe that experiences that occur
during early childhood may make some people especially subject to
depression later in life.According to another theory, disturbances in the
chemistry of the brain occur during depression. Brain cells communicate
with one another by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters. Some
experts think that certain neurotransmitters become underactive during
depression and overactive during mania. Some women experience temporary
depression in the weeks following childbirth. Experts believe that this
condition, called postpartum depression, is caused by fluctuating levels
of hormones and difficulty adjusting to the pressures of parenthood. In
a few cases, postpartum depression can be severe.Treatments for depression include hospitalization,
psychotherapy, drugs, and electroconvulsive (electroshock) therapy.
Hospitalization is an essential treatment for depressed patients who are
suicidal. In psychotherapy, the psychiatrist tries to understand (1) the
childhood events that make a person subject to depression and (2) the
events that preceded the patient’s current depression. The most
prescribed antidepressant in the United States is a drug called
fluoxetine. Fluoxetine is marketed under the name Prozac. Lithium
carbonate is a drug used in treating bipolar disorder. Electroconvulsive
therapy is generally used as a treatment only for patients who fail to
respond to other treatment.
Bipolar disorder
is
a serious mental illness in which a person alternates between periods of
severe depression and periods of mania (extreme joy, overactivity, or
irritability). The illness is also called manic-depressive illness or
manic depression. Approximately 3 million people in the United States
suffer from bipolar disorder. If treated inadequately, the illness can
have tragic consequences, such as suicide.In a period of depression, a person suffering from
bipolar disorder may feel sad, anxious, irritable, hopeless, or
unmotivated. Depressed patients may experience insomnia or excessive
sleeping, decreased or increased appetite, weight loss or weight gain,
slowing of thought and movement, and poor memory and concentration. Many
think about wanting to die and have unrealistic feelings of guilt.In a period of mania, a person may experience
euphoria (indescribable happiness). The person may also be unusually
irritable or may alternate between euphoria and irritability. Manic
patients sometimes behave inappropriately. For example, they may laugh
uncontrollably at funerals. Periods of mania also are characterized by
increased energy, racing thoughts, increased rate of speech, decreased
need for sleep, exaggerated sense of self-worth, and poor judgment.Periods of depression and mania may follow one
another at intervals of days, weeks, or months. Some patients experience
mania and depression at the same time. They are among the most severely
affected bipolar patients.Scientists believe genetic factors cause many cases
of bipolar disorder. About half of all patients first show signs of the
illness in their teen-age years.Treatment for the disorder includes drugs and
psychotherapy. The most commonly prescribed medications are lithium,
carbamazepine, and valproate.
Mood disorders
, also
known as affective disorders, mainly involve disturbances in the
person’s mood. The two chief mood disorders are major depression
(extreme sadness) and mania (extreme happiness and overactivity). People
with bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness, suffer from
alternating periods of depression and mania. Mood disorders are usually
episodic-that is, the person experiences mood disturbances at relatively
brief, distinct periods during the course of the illness. People with
mood disorders typically return to normal levels of functioning after
treatment.Most people with depression feel sad, hopeless, and
worthless. Many also suffer from insomnia and loss of appetite and have
trouble concentrating. Some people with depression move and think
slowly, but others feel restless. Some feel so hopeless and discouraged
that they consider or attempt suicide. About 15 percent of people who
seek treatment for depression commit suicide.
Antidepressants
Antidepressant is the name of a group of drugs
commonly used to treat major depression, a severe mental illness.
Antidepressants also help treat other disorders, including chronic pain,
anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.Antidepressants are thought to work by regulating the
brain’s neurotransmission system. Chemicals called neurotransmitters
carry messages from one nerve cell in the brain to another. These
chemicals attach to special molecules on nerve cells called receptors,
both in sending and receiving messages. Antidepressants first increase
the concentration of neurotransmitters in the brain. After several weeks
of treatment, the receptors become less sensitive, and depression lifts.The three main types of antidepressants are (1)
selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI’s), (2) tricyclic
antidepressants (TCA’s), and (3) monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI’s).
SSRI’s and TCA’s prevent brain cells from reabsorbing excess
neurotransmitters after the chemicals have delivered their messages.
SSRI’s block the reabsorption of the neurotransmitter called serotonin.
SSRI’s include the most widely prescribed antidepressant, fluoxetine
(Prozac). TCA’s, such as the drug amitriptyline (for example, Elavil),
block the reabsorption of several neurotransmitters, including serotonin
and norepinephrine. MAOI’s, which include the drug phenelzine (Nardil),
inactivate a protein that breaks down excess neurotransmitters.Most antidepressants are taken by mouth, and all
require the prescription of a doctor. The drugs may cause various side
effects. For example, SSRI’s can cause increased anxiety, poor sleep,
nausea, and loss of sexual interest. TCA’s can cause hypotension (low
blood pressure), irregular heartbeat, and constipation. MAOI’s may
combine with certain foods or drugs to create life-threatening
hypertension (high blood pressure).
HOMŒOPATHIC
TREATMENTArsenicum album
:
Anxious, insecure, and perfectionistic people who
need this remedy may set high standards for themselves and others and
become depressed if their expectations are not met. Worry about material
security sometimes borders on despair. When feeling ill, these people
can be demanding and dependent, even suspicious of others, fearing their
condition could be serious.
Aurum metallicum:
This remedy can be helpful to serious people,
strongly focused on work and achievement, who become depressed if they
feel they have failed in some way. Discouragement, self-reproach,
humiliation, and anger can lead to feelings of emptiness and
worthlessness. The person may feel worse at night, with nightmares or
insomnia.
Calcarea carbonica:
A dependable, industrious person who becomes
overwhelmed from too much worry, work, or physical illness may benefit
from this remedy. Anxiety, fatigue, confusion, discouragement,
self-pity, and a dread of disaster may develop. A person who needs this
remedy often feels chilly and sluggish and easily tires on exertion.
Causticum:
A person who feels depressed because of grief and
loss (either recent or over time) may benefit from this remedy. Frequent
crying or a feeling of mental dullness and forgetfulness (with anxious
checking to see if the door is locked, if the stove is off, etc.) are
other indications. People who need this remedy are often deeply
sympathetic toward others and, having a strong sense of justice, can be
deeply discouraged or angry about the world.
Cimicifuga:
A person who needs this remedy can be energetic and
talkative when feeling well, but upset and gloomy when depressed—with
exaggerated fears (of insanity, of being attacked, of disaster). Painful
menstrual periods and headaches that involve the neck are often seen
when this remedy is needed.
Ignatia amara:
Sensitive people who suffer grief or disappointment
and try to keep the hurt inside may benefit from this remedy. Wanting
not to cry or appear too vulnerable to others, they may seem guarded,
defensive, and moody. They may also burst out laughing, or into tears,
for no apparent reason. A feeling of a lump in the throat and heaviness
in the chest with frequent sighing or yawning are strong indications for
Ignatia. Insomnia (or excessive sleeping), headaches, and cramping pains
in the abdomen and back are also often seen.
Kali phosphoricum:
If a person feels depressed after working too hard,
being physically ill, or going through prolonged emotional stress or
excitement, this remedy can be helpful. Exhausted, nervous, and jumpy,
they may have difficulty working or concentrating—and become
discouraged and lose confidence. Headaches from mental effort, easy
perspiration, sensitivity to cold, anemia, insomnia, and indigestion are
often seen when this remedy is needed.
Natrum carbonicum:
Individuals who need this remedy are usually mild,
gentle, and selfless—making an effort to be cheerful and helpful, and
avoiding conflict whenever possible. After being hurt or disappointed,
they can become depressed, but keep their feelings to themselves. Even
when feeling lonely, they withdraw to rest or listen to sad music, which
can isolate them even more. Nervous and physically sensitive (to sun, to
weather changes, and to many foods, especially milk), they may also get
depressed when feeling weak or ill.
Natrum muriaticum:
People who need this remedy seem reserved,
responsible, and private—yet have strong inner feelings (grief,
romantic attachment, anger, or fear of misfortune) that they rarely
show. Even though they want other people to feel for them, they can act
affronted or angry if someone tries to console them, and need to be
alone to cry. Anxiety, brooding about past grievances, migraines, back
pain, and insomnia can also be experienced when the person is depressed.
A craving for salt and tiredness from sun exposure are other indications
for this remedy.
Pulsatilla:
People who needs this remedy have a childlike
softness and sensitivity—and can also be whiny, jealous, and moody.
When depressed, they are sad and tearful, wanting a lot of attention and
comforting. Crying, fresh air, and gentle exercise usually improve their
mood. Getting too warm or being in a stuffy room can increase anxiety.
Depression around the time of hormonal changes (puberty, menstrual
periods, or menopause) can often be helped with Pulsatilla.
Sepia:
People who feel weary, irritable, and indifferent to
family members, and worn out by the demands of everyday life may respond
to this remedy. They want to be left alone and may respond in an angry
or cutting way if anyone bothers them. They often feel better from
crying, but would rather have others keep their distance and not try to
console them or cheer them up. Menstrual problems, a sagging feeling in
internal organs, sluggish digestion, and improvement from vigorous
exercise are other indications for this remedy.
Staphysagria:
Quiet, sensitive, emotional people who have
difficulty standing up for themselves may benefit from this remedy. Hurt
feelings, shame, resentment, and suppressed emotions can lead them to
depression. If under too much pressure, they can sometimes lose their
natural inhibition and fly into rages or throw things. A person who
needs this remedy may also have insomnia (feeling sleepy all day, but
unable to sleep at night), toothaches, headaches, stomachaches, or
bladder infections that are stress-related.
Note:
Any
information given in this Article is not intended to be taken as a
replacement for medical advice. Any person with condition requiring
medical attention should consult a well qualified classical homœopath.
Reference:
World Book 2003
Copyright © Dr. Sayeed Ahmad
2004