The Brighter Side Of Depression

An estimated three to five percent of the world’s population experiences depression at any given moment. Therapy for depression must be individualized for the reason that there are various types of depression, all of which have different underlying causes. There are many prescription medications for depression that only mask the symptoms, instead of correcting the root of the problem.
Let us compare the psychophysical problem of depression with a beautiful garden that has become over grown with weeds. Instead of pulling the weeds out by hand one at a time and removing the entire root, I might be tempted to break out my weed eater and chop them all down at once. This quick solution to the problem makes the garden look much better for a little while, but soon the weeds grow back in larger quantities than before. By contrast, if I had taken the time and care to tend to the weeds properly through elimination of their roots, I could have enjoyed the beauty of my garden for many days to come. By choosing the quick solution all I accomplished, in the long run, was exasperating the problem.
Similarly, oftentimes prescriptions of Western medicine for the treatment of depression prove not merely expensive, but they also come with an endless list of potential side effects including: fever, seizures, heart pounding, anxiety, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, dry mouth, stomach upset, sleeplessness, nervousness, drowsiness, tremors, sweating, decreased sex drive, flu-like symptoms, headaches, diarrhea, dizziness, gas, vision changes, rash, vomiting, confusion, changes in behavior, increased blood pressure, etc.
In my opinion, it just doesn’t seem worth the risk when there are numerous ways that we can tackle the problem from the root up. Unfortunately, in our modern society most people are looking for “quick fix “ solutions offered by prescription drugs that simply mask the symptoms, instead of taking the time to analyze their lifestyle habits and make the necessary changes required to alleviate the problems from the root up.
If we look upon depression as our teacher, providing us with an opportunity to learn ways to improve our health for the better, we can transform the despair and hopelessness that accompanies depression into strength, wisdom and splendor. Since what we resist, persists, why not embrace our depression, instead of fighting it and transform our lives into a more harmonious state of being. The simplest and most effective way to accomplish this is by going to the root of our problems and eliminating the negative thinking, behavior, diet and/or destructive habits that lead to depression.
Taking control over our illness and working from the root up can enable us to create and sustain positive mental health. There are simple lifestyle changes like meditation, yoga and physical exercise that can increase our sense of well-being and boost the serotonin levels in our brain, leaving us in a brighter mood, with improved feelings of self-worth that we carry with us throughout our entire day.
A primary cause of depression is negative thoughts and emotions. Many of us never even consider how destructive elements can affect our consciousness. Often we are inundated by such influences constantly, soaking them up like a sponge, until we find ourselves wallowing in a pit of despair without any concept of how it happened. Being mindful of the people we surround ourselves with, the programs we watch on television and the things we choose to read, or listen to on the radio is more important then most of us realize. The news is typically filled with one horrific tale after another aired round the clock on the television and over the radio. Primetime viewing is filled with crime, murder and a never-ending flood of greed and/or fame motivated “reality” shows. Watching these programs before going to sleep can subtly encode our subconscious minds, thereby affecting our mental, physical and spiritual well-being.
Instead of the morning news, try listening to uplifting music, or doing a few minutes of yoga or meditation. Often, I simply want to see the weather report in the morning, so I’ll turn on the news and in a matter of a couple seconds I’m flooded with war, murder and chaos, which leaves me feeling very depressed. Consequently, I now turn the volume down and raise it only when I see the weatherman giving the daily forecast and then immediately turn it off completely after that. Chaos is everywhere and it is up to us to filter it much like we do our drinking water, so as not to allow destructive thoughts and emotions into our minds and our hearts.
This same logic can also be applied to our diets and what we choose to eat and drink. If we are not supplying ourselves with the necessary nutrients for a well-balanced body and mind then how can we expect to have good health and alleviate our symptoms of depression? Here again is where the “quick fix” mentality hurls us to fast food chains and pre-packaged meals loaded with preservatives and fillers. In addition, alcohol, tobacco, and excessive amounts of coffee rob our bodies of vital nutrients. Finally, many low carbohydrate diets can result in a depletion of serotonin levels that further exasperate the symptoms of depression.
By contrast, a diet consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as soy products, brown rice, millet and legumes can help to improve our physical and mental states. In addition, there are wonderful herbs that can assist us in managing depression such as, alfalfa, black cohosh, dong quai, gotu kola, licorice (note: avoid licorice if you have high blood pressure), passion flower, skullcap, lavender, sarsaparilla, black walnut and red raspberry just to name a few. Ayurvedic herbs for depression are musta, saffron and mugwort. Chinese herbs for depression include curcuma, sweet flag, albizzia bark, biota, fleece flower root, zizyphus seeds and ginseng. Homeopathics useful for treating depression are arsenicum album, aurum metallicum, ignatia amara, kali phosphoricum, phosforicum acidum, pulsatilla and rhus toxicodendron.
In addition, the amino acid tyrosine raises dopamine levels, which can influence moods and taurine can assist the neurological function. Also, taking a multi-vitamin that has all the necessary minerals and vitamins (especially B vitamins), will help soothe the nerves and alleviate undesirable symptoms. Extra B-12, calcium, magnesium and zinc
supplementation will help as well.
Most of the herbs and homeopathics can be obtained by going to the links page of my website www.alternativetao.com, where you will find a link for Mountain Rose Herbs. In addition, http://www.abchomeopathy.com is a good place to purchase many homeopathic remedies. Most of the vitamins and supplements mentioned above can be obtained in any health store, or your local supermarket.
In conclusion, if we learn to embrace our depression, instead of thinking of it as a handicap, we can recognize it as a wonderful opportunity, a quest for knowledge, a chance to learn much more about ourselves on many levels and utilize what we’ve learned to turn something dark and negative into something life affirming and positive. By gradually becoming more and more empowered we render depression powerless over our lives and us.

Namasté

*Check with your physician before beginning any new exercise, diet and/or supplemental program.