Are Anti-Depression Lights Really Effective Against Depression?
Are you one of those people who become depressed as the winter months approach and we have less daylight hours to look forward to? If so, you may be suffering from SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Essentially, this is a condition in which prolonged exposure to an environment with few hours of light leads to feelings of depression. However, SAD is a specialized form of depression. Many who show no signs of depression during the spring and summer months when the number of sunlight hours is at its peak, suddenly find themselves feeling depressed as winter approaches.
But, the really interesting thing about this type of depression is the discovery of one of the most effective treatments that researchers have discovered to combat it – light therapy. The theory behind light therapy is simple. It is that the moods of a certain percentage of the population is inordinately affected by the amount of daylight that they receive each day. This phenomenon of light having an impact on mood has been firmly established during multiple research studies since the nineteen eighties.
The reason for this is found in a hormone called melatonin. Most people know melatonin as the hormone that helps to regulate the sleep cycle. When it gets dark, the body naturally produces more of this hormone which helps the person sleep better. However, melatonin can also directly affect mood. And, in certain people, when the levels of this hormone in the body rise over a certain threshold – it causes them to become depressed. Many people experience this as “cabin fever”. Others refer to it as winter depression. And the effect on the body is real.
Studies seem to show that sunlight cause melatonin in the body to be produced at a lower rate. So, as spring rolls around, and the person is receiving more sunlight, his melatonin reserves are reduced and the depression seems to magically go away.
Having proven the connection between daylight and depression, the next step, of course, was to see if the effect of natural daylight could be simulated to produce the same effect. And, much to the researchers delight, it could be. It was found that if a patient spent a certain amount of time in the presence of the anti-depression lights, the body was fooled into slowing its production of melatonin and the depression disappeared.
This is a godsend for those suffering from SAD and looking for a natural way to treat their depression. Even though it is natural, however, it is best to receive this treatment from a medical professional who can work with you to determine the precise levels of light that you need to help control your moods.
Basic Natural Remedies to Help Ease Depression
This is a very broad topic that cannot be dealt with in any real depth in a brief article. However, if you or someone you know suffers from depression I hope there are some ideas here that will inspire you to investigate further and look for positive, life-changing therapies.
Depression from Loss
Certainly there is situational depression which happens in direct response to a life-changing event, the loss of a loved one or loss of a job, for example. In this case, the support of friends and family, along with maintaining a daily routine, are often helpful. It can take two years to work through the bulk of the emotion from a significant loss, and certainly, by the end of that time one should begin to see relatively steady improvement, eventually experiencing more good days than bad. One of the best remedies I have ever found for loss/grief induced depression is Bulgarian Rose Essential Oil.
A few years ago I exchanged emails with a fellow-practitioner from Australia. We met at a practitioner chat room on the internet and had been exchanging essential oil experiences when she emailed me privately and told me of a very tragic 2 years wherein she had lost five family members including her husband. She was deeply depressed and having a hard time functioning. I suggested she should use Bulgarian rose oil, just one drop under her nose, first thing in the morning. Her reply was that it was too expensive and she was on the verge of going bankrupt and losing her home. I encouraged her to get the rose oil in spite of her finances.
She emailed me the next day and said that she had opened the rose oil she had brought in for a client and put one drop under her nose before she got out of bed. She had gotten up, then showered and dressed – two activities that had not happened on the same day since her husband’s passing six months earlier.
The next day she used one more drop of Bulgarian rose oil, got up, showered, dressed, and sorted through her husbands’ closet. On day three, using one more drop of that very precious rose oil she contacted her lawyer and he was able to ascertain that the house could be saved and that filing for bankruptcy would not be needed.
Indeed the rose oil had changed this fine lady’s brain chemistry and enabled her get back into the game of life.
Depression from Seasonal Affective Disorder
For some people depression is a cyclical thing happening in the winter only. It can start as early as October or as late as February, and last until March or April. January and February are usually the worst months. This is seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD.
Clinical research has shown that some people are very much affected by the reduced sunlight in the winter. This is complicated by the fact that in the winter we rise in the dark, go to work in the dark, come home in the dark, and go to bed in the dark. Our work and life schedules seem to keep us from ever seeing the sun. This is definitely a problem for some people.
Some key symptoms that differentiate SAD from other types of depression include: the depression only happens in the winter months; and the depression always resolves itself when daylight hours get longer.
We all have a small gland in the middle of our heads called a pineal gland. This gland is our ‘light receptor’. It produces melatonin in response to darkness. Melatonin makes us sleepy and lethargic, and makes us crave carbohydrates. Because SAD is a form of depression we may also see some of the other common symptoms of depression including crying, lack of interest, lower energy, feeling blue or sad, irritability, and appetite and/or sleep pattern changes.
One of the best forms of treatment for SAD is phototherapy. This easy therapy involves sitting beside a special light for twenty minutes within the first two hours of waking up, and at the same time each day. This light stimulates the pineal in the same way the sun does. People who are affected by SAD see the best results using the light year-round.
The therapeutic lights that are recommended by the SAD clinic at the Foothills hospital are available through Northern Lights Technologies.
Liver and Adrenal Gland Connection
Many authors that I have read link depression to the liver and/or adrenal glands. I will admit that since so many people are concerned about ‘detoxing’ the liver I often prefer to focus on the adrenal glands.
Just to make sure we cover all the bases, however, I will start with the liver. The liver ultimately processes everything you eat, breathe, or absorb. It breaks things down that are harmful, prepares things for other organs to use, and then collects all of the metabolic garbage and breaks it down into things the kidneys can extract.
The Chinese consider the liver to be the center of ‘feeling’, and when not working right, this is where they say anger, resentment, and bitterness originate and are stored. If you tend to ‘keep score’ or ‘hold a grudge’ it is likely your liver needs ongoing support.
Chinese Herbal formulas that are ‘wood reducing’ are often used for supporting the liver, especially when there is anger, resentment, or depression involved.
The adrenals, the unsung heroes, take a beating day in and day out. Our normal daily patterns often involve unrelenting, if not insidious, stress. Whether your adrenals are functioning well or not is easy to determine by how your nights are. Your adrenals should be putting out hormones that ‘bring you down’ after a stressful day, however, if you sleep for 2 -4 hours, then spend the rest of the night waking up frequently and sleeping lightly you are probably suffering from adrenal exhaustion. At night your adrenals should produce anti-diuretic hormone which slows the kidneys down for the night to reduce the amount of urine produced while you sleep so If you waken more than once each night to urinate (and are not a male with prostate problems) you probably have very tired adrenal glands.
Supplements that contain vitamins and minerals along with bovine adrenal extract to support and nourish the adrenal glands are often very good for building the adrenals up again.
A Chinese herbal blend duo that works well is ‘generate chi’ and ‘regulate chi’. These two supplements, used as per bottle instructions, can also create dramatic results with the adrenals.
Stress formulas that a combine B Vitamins, Vitamin C, and herbs for the nervous system are excellent choices for supporting the nervous system and creating resiliency in the face of stress. Interestingly, the B Vitamins are essential for healthy liver, adrenal, and nervous system function
Now, bringing this back to depression…if we get the liver and adrenals on track we can often have a positive impact on depression.
Exercise
One of the most valuable, yet underrated, therapies for depression is exercise. It’s not that everyone who is depressed should aspire to be an Olympic athlete. Far from it. More reasonably everyone, and most especially those who suffer with depression need to make the effort (and it will be an effort at first) to get 30 – 45 minutes of cardio exercise daily. I’m going to qualify this further in saying that cardio exercise as a part of the treatment program for depression needs to happen during daylight hours, and preferably outside, if possible.
Cardio exercise is anything that uses large muscles and increases the heart rate significantly. Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, stairstepping, and treadmilling are just a few of the more common cardio exercises. Sadly, gardening doesn’t usually get the heart rate high enough for long enough to count as cardio, however, shovelling snow might, depending on how long your sidewalk is.
We used to believe that endorphins were responsible for the feelings of enhanced well-being experienced by people who engaged in regular physical activity. We now know that endorphins can’t do it for us. They are too large to cross the barrier into the brain. However, all is not lost. Science has shown that we all have THC receptors in our brains. THCs are the active ingredient in marijuana. Now I’m not saying we should all take up smoking pot. No need to do that when vigorous physical activity allows our bodies to make natural chemicals that cross the barrier into the brain and work on the THC receptors resulting in a dose of ‘feel good’ that is totally legal and very addictive! So, when you are feeling low one of the best things to do is go for a brisk walk or a fast-paced hike on a nearby trail.
Sometimes, as in usually, depression is also rooted in learned behavioral patterns. The patterns of how to relate to people, what and how to think of ourselves and how to establish and honor boundaries will also affect how we feel, often without our knowing it. A book that I have found most useful, and that came highly recommended to me, is called Changes that Heal by Dr. Henry Cloud. (As a word of caution – this book is written by a Christian psychologist, so if that is not your bend you probably won’t like the book.) This book is a not a ‘light read’. I found it to be a ‘read a few pages and think about it for a few days’ type of book.
Depression is a complex issue and it demands a complex solution. Often a multi-faceted approach of nutrition, supplements, exercise, and mental/emotion homework produces the best results.
Depression Treatments Are Well Worth Trying
All natural depression treatments are available for those suffering from chronic low moods, which can hamper your life and the relationships within it. It is highly recommended for anyone with suicidal thoughts to seek immediate treatment with qualified professionals. However, if you have mild depression, there are many things you can do yourself to lift your mood that do not require medication. Natural treatments can be quite effective.
Exercise is the main natural way to combat mild depression. Studies have shown that people who engage in thirty to forty-five minutes of cardiovascular exercise feel their depression improved in time. This is understandable as “runner’s high” is very real and a well-documented reaction to cardiovascular exercise. Serotonin and endorphin levels are raised after exercise naturally as opposed to taking medication to do the same. Yoga is another form of exercise that can be very beneficial. The meditative as well as the physical aspect of yoga can help put your mind at ease in order to find peace and raise your mood.
Other recommended depression treatments include eating healthy and maintaining regular sleep patterns. Aim to eat a well-balanced, mostly plant-based diet and take vitamin supplements. Avoid junk food, processed foods, and high fructose corn syrup. Highly refined sugars will result in blood sugar levels spiking then dropping off dramatically, which will negatively affect your mood. It is also important to maintain regular sleep patterns, so establish regular times to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
Finally, it is essential to have a social support network to keep you busy and motivated to continue to work on your own health. Regularly see family or friends in social settings, or branch out to meet new people. Investigate your local community activities, join a book club, take a fun class on a new subject, or try volunteering to help others less fortunate. Active minds and bodies are less likely to suffer from depression. Pets may help as well, dogs are great as they are loyal companions and will need to be exercised on a daily basis. Think of your dog as a personal trainer to get the daily exercise and companionship you need.
It may be difficult to be motivated at first but well worth the effort to try these natural depression treatments. Regular exercise, good nutrition, regular sleep patterns, and social interaction will combat depression for those willing to give it a try.
Green Lipped Mussel Depression Treatment
Nowadays, depression is one of the world’s most common psychological disorders. Anyone who’s suffered from it, or knows someone who’s suffered from it, will understand how frustratingly debilitating it can be. Antidepressants are the most common way of treating it. But is there a natural alternative? What about green lipped mussel depression remedy?
The problem with treating depression is that there are actually many different types of the illness. Some people even experience anxiety and panic disorders along with their depression. This makes it more difficult to effectively address.
But what is the underlying cause of depression? As we know, it’s got little to do with “depressive thoughts”. People suffering from depression can’t just snap out of it by changing their thought process. There is usually an underlying imbalance in the brain that’s a significant contributing factor to depression.
An emerging school of thought, supported by a number of scientific studies, is that a deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acids has a lot to do with it. These days, many people’s diets are lacking in the foods necessary to supply the body with the Omega 3-fatty acids that it requires. Every function in the body needs Omega-3 fatty acids, but the body can’t make them itself. Instead of taking in good Omega-3 fatty acids (from foods such as oily fish) people are getting a lot more bad Omega-6 fatty acids (from foods such as refined oil), which is detrimental to health.
One of the consequences of Omega-3 deficiency is impaired brain functioning, which can even be resistant to the most powerful antidepressants.
The largest clinical study on people with severe unipolar depression (also known as major depression) was completed in 2010 by Dr. François Lespérance of the Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier at the Université de Montréal (CRCHUM). It was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. It took place over for years, from October 2005 to January 2009, and involved 432 participants. The results were very encouraging, but only on patients whose depression wasn’t accompanied by anxiety.
Guidelines to Vitamins That May Relieve Depression
The disabling condition commonly termed depression is often described by feelings of profound sadness and an intense sense of hopelessness. Like many common descriptions of illness, depression is an umbrella that covers a wide range of similar symptoms and underlying causes. It may be caused by stressful events, significant losses, chemical imbalances and a host of other things.
People suffering from depression tend to withdraw from the world, are often quite irritable, lose interest in things once enjoyed, suffer from a myriad of sleep disorders like insomnia or being unable to get out of bed. Often these symptoms are accompanied by thoughts of doing harm to self or others including suicide. Depression is a serious condition but it is not untreatable and today there are many options available to those that suffer.
Yes, there are a lot of ways to treat depression. Behavioral changes can be learned that may remove the source of the depression. Medication, talk therapy and changes in diet, especially removing sugar and starchy carbohydrates from the diet, along with exercise are often effective in helping to control depression. Adding vitamins to one’s daily routine may also have a profound impact on symptoms, especially when the underlying cause is related to vitamin deficiencies.
Vitamins have been shown to have an effect on one’s moods. The vitamins of the B-complex are known to balance emotional and mental response. Since these vitamins cannot be either stored or manufactured by our bodies, we are wholly dependent on our daily food intake and any supplemental vitamins we take to replenish our supply.
Vitamins are destroyed by alcohol which metabolizes into sugar, carbohydrates which also metabolize into sugar and refined sugar which is already sugar. Caffeine and nicotine may also have a negative impact on the destruction of vitamins. Is it any wonder that many people are vitamin deficient?
Thiamine or Vitamin B-1 is known to be used by the brain to convert blood sugar into “brain” food. Insufficient B-1 and fatigue, irritability and anxiety and other symptoms of depression are the result. In addition, memory problems, loss of appetite and constipation may also be present. Sugars and carbohydrates are the most serious depletion agents when it comes to vitamin B-1.
Vitamin B-3 or Niacin deficiency can produce psychosis, dementia and more. While many processed foods contain Niacin, an anti-depression diet suggests that one not eat anything that comes in a box. Supplemental Niacin is a must in your daily intake of food. An additional benefit of Niacin is that it is really good for your heart.
Vitamin B-5 or Pyridoxine, processes the amino acids which are the building blocks for all proteins. Additionally, B-5 is essential for the body to maintain proper levels of serotonin, melatonin and dopamine, all of which help maintain chemical balance in the brain.
Vitaman B-12 is critical for the formation of red blood cells and a deficiency leads to problems with oxygen transport causing pernicious anemia. If present mood swings, paranoia, dementia, irritability, confusion and other disorders are often reported.
Folic Acid is needed to facilitate the production of Sadenosyl Methionine as well as DNA synthesis and should be taken along with B-12.
Vitamin C is a powerful anti-stress supplement and when taken along with a strong B-complex regimen is a significant stress reliever.
In addition to vitamin deficiencies, some mineral deficiencies such as calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron can lead to symptoms of depression and should be considered as a component of any depression relief therapy undertaken.
Depression Cures – Natural Cures For Depression
Overcome depression by the natural means.
Depression is a mood disorder caused and carried on by several factors, mainly environmentally, psychologically, biologically and genetically. It affects the person’s thoughts and actions, usually negatively and may impact the physical condition ultimately.
However it can be treated with or without medication. The depressed should always seek help from their trusted family doctor and consult if medication is needed.
Medication however is advisable depending on the condition of the depressed patient. But what i can offer you through this article are tips on how to overcome depression through the natural ways. It is done through adjusting one’s life back on track and getting rid of their bad habits, so this is what we call the therapeutic lifestyle change.
So through Therapeutic lifestyle change, we aim to overcome depression naturally by adjusting one’s life. One of the most important steps is to ensure that you consume the right food.
By consuming the right food means to increase your intake on healthy food and foods that will give your brain its sufficient nutrients so that it will function properly! Brain food is what we call them- such as omega 3 in fishes, antioxidants in nuts and teas. Only by having such nutritious food would your brain function well and especially at such a crucial period, take note to have better foods!
Next, step 2,is to be connected with the world, that refers to being connected with someone or something- animal perhaps! Because that would allow you to open up emotionally so that you will not have any withdrawal symptoms. This is crucial in making the depressed patient feel better and having a higher self-esteem as they are involved in a relationship now.
Step 3, is to get healthy sleep! It is very important for the person to get sufficient quality sleep so that he/she’s daily mood will not be affected. Bad sleep may cause mood swings to a person as proven scientifically, thus ensure that you are taking care of your health by sleeping soundly with no disturbance!
Step 4, you can try light therapy and that simply means being exposed to bright light as it is proven that it will lighten up your mood. As compared to one who is exposed to darkness daily, the one who is exposed to bright light or sunlight would appear to be more cheerful.
Step 5 is to stop rumination. Do not let your imaginations run wild! Or else your mind will be in a twirl and you will get confused with your own emotions. You can prevent your rumination by transferring your thoughts to something you enjoy doing. For example, fishing, swimming or cooking! This will occupy your mind and prevent unnecessary thoughts.
Lastly, step 6 is to get yourself to exercise! By doing anti-depressant exercises, such as jogging, badminton or even yoga as this not only improves your ability to think, your ability to respond, it also improves your sleep at night. By exercising sufficiently, 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time, you will be able to think clearly and react rationally.
These are 6 recommended approaches to overcome depression naturally, by adjusting one’s lifestyle.
Whether or not you are suffering from depression, you can also follow the steps in therapeutic lifestyle change so as to have a more healthy life!
What Is Depression? Getting to the Root of Depression
Often clients will come through the door after suffering from depression for a large proportion of their adult lives. As we explore the depression and where the depression may have come from, many questions are thrown up.
Every thought, feeling and emotion arises for a reason and depression is no different. If a client can ask themselves what is depression? and work out the meaning of their depression, I believe they will be one step closer to coming to terms with the depression and subsequently will start to come through it.
It is important for a person to reflect on why they do what they do, why they think the way they think and why they feel the way they feel.
Useful questions to ask when experiencing a depressive episode are:
Where are the feelings coming from within me?
What are these feelings saying to me?
Where do my reactions come from?
What part of me is being triggered right now?
It can be useful within the therapeutic setting, for the client to question why they are feeling depressed at this point in time and to question what the depression is attempting to change in their life.
A person experiencing a depressive episode will often withdraw from their work, family and friends. Yet, depression can be functional and often serves a very important purpose. The person will retreat into solitude; give up their daily routines and interests whilst spending hours thinking about the depression. Days will go by as they lose themselves in the darkness and become consumed by their thoughts.
In this place, which at first may feel hopeless, a person can begin to ponder the deeper questions in life, and think about how they have lived and continue to live their life. If a person can sit with the questions, explore the possibilities and begin to generate answers, they can begin to make changes to the way they live their life and life may renew itself in a whole new way. This approach to depression initiates change, as the person relates to their depression in a completely accepting and positive way.
Depression may weave in and out of a person’s life, it may come as a reaction to a life event or it may always be a part of a person’s make-up. Whatever the root cause of the depression, you have a choice in how you approach it, what meaning you attach to it and how you go forward with it. You may not be able to change what is but you can change your attitude towards it.
How Acupuncture and Therapy Can Help Anxiety and Depression
If you are currently struggling with chronic emotional issues such as anxiety, depression, or severe stress, then it’s likely that you’re seeking natural treatment options that don’t tax your body and nervous system with all kinds of unwanted side effects.
Two of the best treatment options for anxiety and depression are acupuncture and psychotherapy. The combination of these approaches often creates a synergistic healing effect for the client.
- Talk therapy is very helpful because it helps the client see their issues with more clarity, awareness, and compassion. A skilled therapist can expose limiting beliefs that are causing the client’s emotional struggles. It’s often said that a limitation of therapy is that it helps you see your problems more clearly, but it doesn’t really give you the right tools to actually transform them.
- This is where acupuncture can be very helpful. Acupuncture aims to restore energetic imbalances within the body and mind by regulating the flow of functional energy or Qi through the main energy pathways of the body. This approach has been used for thousands of years for all kinds of internal medical issues, and is now surging in popularity for its uncanny ability to treat the mind.
Many people turn to acupuncture when all else fails. They don’t want to take pharmaceuticals and they feel that they have reached a plateau in their course of therapy. Since acupuncture works on a completely different substrate of the body than any other modality, it can often help where other techniques fail.
For clients struggling with chronic emotional issues, it is best to combine acupuncture with therapy. In this way, the client receives in-depth support on all levels and from all perspectives. The mind is addressed directly by the therapy sessions, whereas the underlying somatic component is addressed by the acupuncture sessions.
Many clients will also find that changing their diet, taking Chinese herbs, and using a range of nutritional supplements also helps their condition tremendously. Because anxiety and depression tend to arise from a multitude of factors, it’s best to treat these conditions utilizing a variety of approaches that take the whole person into account.
Be sure to commit to a weekly series of therapy and acupuncture sessions for at least one month before deciding if it’s working or not. Many people don’t get the full benefit of treatment because they give up prematurely. Since these are more natural techniques, the healing process will likely be gradual. The good news is that the root cause of the problem is actually being addressed, whereas pharmaceuticals tend to put a bandage on the symptoms without targeting the underlying causes.
Acupuncture and therapy work together in profound and potent ways to bring people back to a state of balance. Try them for yourself and see how you feel after a month or so of care. You’ll likely find that you have your life back!
Major Depression Is Highly Treatable
What is major or clinical depression?
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a condition characterized by signs and symptoms that interfere with the ability to work, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities. Depression is common and often goes undiagnosed, because, the onset of the first episode of major depression may not be obvious if it is gradual or mild.
According to the DSM-IV — a manual used to diagnose mental health conditions. For a major depressive episode a person must have experienced at least five of the nine symptoms below for the same two weeks or more, for most of the time almost every day, and this is a change from his/her prior level of functioning. One of the symptoms must be either (1) depressed mood, or (2) loss of interest.
1. Depressed mood. For children and adolescents, this may be irritable mood.
2. A significantly reduced level of interest or pleasure in most or all activities.
3. A considerable loss or gain of weight (e.g., 5% or more change of weight in a month when not dieting). This may also be an increase or decrease in appetite. For children, they may not gain an expected amount of weight.
4. Difficulty falling or staying asleep (insomnia) or sleeping more than usual (hypersomnia).
5. Behavior that is agitated or slowed down. Others should be able to observe this.
6. Feeling fatigued, or diminished energy.
7. Thoughts of worthlessness or extreme guilt (not about being ill).
8. Ability to think, concentrate, or make decisions is reduced.
9. Frequent thoughts of death or suicide (with or without a specific plan), or attempt of suicide.
To be considered major depression:
- Your symptoms aren’t due to a mixed episode – simultaneous mania and depression that can occur in bipolar disorder.
- Symptoms must be severe enough to cause noticeable problems in day-to-day activities, such as work, school, social activities or relationships with others.
- Symptoms are not due to the direct effects of something else, such as drug abuse, taking a medication or having a medical condition such as hypothyroidism.
- Symptoms are not caused by grieving, such as temporary sadness after the loss of a loved one.
Treatment
Although major depression is a serious mental disorder that profoundly affects an individual’s quality of life. It is highly treatable. Many types of treatment are available. Medications and psychotherapy are very effective for most people. Some studies have shown that antidepressant drug therapy combined with psychotherapy has better results than either therapy alone.
Medications
Medications include:
- Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
- Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs)
- Atypical antidepressants
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
Psychotherapy
There are several types of psychotherapy that have been shown to be effective for depression including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT).
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps to identify negative beliefs and behaviors and replace them with healthy, positive ones.
- Interpersonal therapy (IPT) focuses on the interpersonal context and on building interpersonal skills.
An Alternative and Complementary Approach To Anxiety and Depression Treatment
What are Depression and Anxiety? And what causes them? Volumes could and have been written about this and a detailed elucidation is beyond the scope of this brief introductory article. It is clear that depression is a state of powerlessness, hopelessness and desperation, a state in which one often feels dread at facing another day and generally feels unable to cope with life with any degree of composure or harmony. Depression and anxiety are a state of isolation, separation and disconnection from oneself, others and life in general. A person who is depressed will wish to withdraw from interaction and participation with life as much as possible, repressing an expression of their feelings and turning their anger inwards upon themselves, then finding ways to numb themselves and their feelings further – for depression is a state in which we are tortured by our own thoughts and the desperate feelings they fuel.
A fundamental characteristic of depression or anxiety is the internal struggle with the truth of the way things are, the what is. We do not want things to be the way they are, for we have an idea, a belief that they should be different, the way we want them to be. There is a lack of acceptance, and self-acceptance. This causes a mental, emotional and energetic paralysis and so we continue going round and round within the small, self-absorbed and self-enclosed loop of fearing change, yet also creating that which we fear most. Without the opening to acceptance, we cannot change, only continue with our exhausting struggles.
Most of us have and will experience depression and anxiety during our lifetime, and often at many times and for extended periods. It is a matter of degree, whether it is severe paralysing clinical depression on one end of the scale or a mild slump at the other end, but they all spring from the same root.
There are many causes of depression, and many ways to begin to reduce its grip upon our lives. That which we take into ourselves clearly creates what we are and how we feel, and this is certainly true of what we eat. The modern diet is extremely poor, nutritionally and energetically, and will consequently make us feel equally poor when this is what we assimilate. Many studies have shown that simple changes to a person’s diet, like removing all wheat products can have a radical impact in reducing or even totally clearing depression.
Without regular exercise we become energetically stagnant – like a body of water, which is what we are – especially given our predominantly sedentary lifestyle. So exercise is essential in keeping our energy flowing harmoniously, but also to nurture feelings of power and contentment in ourselves.
We are never taught how to speak to ourselves and others, how to effectively use the tool of our minds in communication and in choosing what we place our focus and attention on. We use words, whether thoughts or spoken gestures, as a means of reinforcing our limiting beliefs and ideas about ourselves and the world – for example, once a child has been told he is useless enough times by his parents he will believe it – and then continues to repeat it, as a mantra, to himself well into adulthood. This can then begin to feed looming states of depression and anxiety. To change he must begin to change the way he talks to himself. It is also a question of changing the way he uses the laser like quality of his mind to focus on one thing or another. You can focus on what is good and glorious about yourself and life, and how to achieve what your heart desires, or you can focus on your monolithic beliefs about how you are useless, good for nothing and that you will never get anywhere in life because your life, society or whatever has messed you up – you are a victim. To choose to place your attention on that which is uplifting and expansive is a step into adulthood, responsibility and self autonomy – in other words growing up. Depression is always a state ruled over by childishness, victimisation, powerlessness and a lack of responsibility.
We may fall into depression following trauma, abuse, loss and bereavement, but ultimately, depression and anxiety are caused by the pain of becoming separated, isolated and disconnected from the whole of life. No one truly wishes to be alone, isolated and separate, but we are drawn further into our own deceptions whereby we believe we must protect ourselves, withdraw from others or whatever the story is, and the worse we start feeling usually the more we withdraw into ourselves. This creates an unnatural state in which we close off to receiving all the abundance life has to offer – instead all we receive is a recycled version of our own tired self-absorption. Then to avoid the pain of existing in this state we must find ways to numb the pain which only further cocoons ourselves into the depression. Depression denies a life of purpose, joy and empowerment. And what underlies depression and the isolation is always fear. Fear causes this contraction and closing to the life that could be for us, where our hearts and souls dream to soar like a bird through the skies.
Most of us are not taught as children how to live life to its fullest, how to express ourselves without limits and how to see the possibility, joy and interconnectedness in everything. So we often slip into states such as depression or anxiety. But we all reach a point at which we cannot go on living like that, and it is then that we must begin to find a way to learn how to live differently.
To overcome depression and anxiety we must reach out to others, and do the thing we have been resisting and fearing – then we open ourselves to receiving compassion from others. None of us can do everything ourselves – this belief in self-sufficiency is one of the biggest isolating myths. We need others and when we show ourselves to others, and open to truth, we allow a connection with life and joy so that then depression and anxiety can begin to fade away. Obviously this is an on-going process and change is made step by step.
Whilst in a state of depression or anxiety, we need someone who can guide, uplift and empower us to find and fight for our own way out of it – not to prop up and support which can disempower and keep us in depression and the fears that underpin it. My approach to treating depression and anxiety uses massage, bodywork, Reiki Healing and another very powerful means using essences to dissolve the very fears that keep us in limited and painful states of being – this is The Emerald Heart, a powerful light for truth and transformation. The Emerald Heart helps to reveal the truth of our situation – until we face the truth we have no hope of change – then using high vibrational essences the clouds of fears that keep us held begin to dissolve, clearing the way to our freedom.
The Emerald Heart is a simple and powerful tool to bring external empowerment to your intent to change. I have seen many people make significant shifts out of various states of chronic, long term depression, anxiety and general struggle in a matter of weeks or months – by removing the fears that are the foundation of depression and anxiety. It is also a means to removing limitations to our self expression, to self and spiritual development, towards the evolution of who we are. A state of depression or anxiety or limitation can then, and so often does, become a gateway into transformation.
Alongside the Emerald Heart in helping people find a way out of depression, I encourage people to receive massage and bodywork such as Shiatsu, Thai Massage and Reflexology. When we are depressed or suffer with long term anxiety, we can become very disembodied. This means we spend most of our time thinking, in our heads, rather than inhabiting our bodies. In fact, most people live like this to some degree, whether depressed or not. This causes many problems, but one common to depression is the stagnation that creeps in, reinforcing the feelings of depression and which can then cause other problems. So all massage and bodywork helps to harmonise the flow of energies within us – quite simply helping us to feel better and relieving the depression or anxiety.
Massage, bodywork, Reiki and the Emerald Heart are all complementary forms of treatment that require no adjustment to your life in any way and are fine to receive alongside any other treatment or medicine you may already be receiving.
The Emerald Heart and all forms of healing, bodywork and massage, despite the associated new age terms which can cause dismissive feelings in some are really and simply just a way to a better, happier and more fulfilled life. Now who wouldn’t want that?