Depression is a major mood disorder where a person experiences long term sadness, feelings of emptiness or hopelessness along with other symptoms such as low energy, loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyable activities, irritability, anger, sleep disturbances, appetite changes, weight gain or loss or unexplained physical issues such as headaches or back pain.

While therapy may help with shifting a person’s perspective to a healthy mental state, in some cases, another type of intervention is necessary to completely alleviate depression.

The aim with standard pharmaceutical medications is to control or suppress symptoms of depression, hence the term anti-depressant. With this type of treatment, a patient will need to keep on taking the anti-depressant to keep the depression away, and there can be negative side effects from the medicine.

In contrast, homeopathic treatment for depression works gently with the body, using ultra-diluted but very powerful natural substances, without side effects, to activate the body’s natural ability to heal. Thereby it treats the root cause and can truly heal the patient so that the depression and accompanying symptoms gradually go away. With successful homeopathic treatment, no further medicine is needed.

It is said that homeopathy treats the person, not the disease…

What is meant by this is that homeopathic treatment is not focused on the disease label, but instead on the patient’s unique symptoms in their state of illness so that the person with depression, not simply depression somehow detached from the individual experiencing depression, is being treated.

A homeopath arrives at an understanding of a patient’s unique state of illness and the root cause of their depression by taking a thorough medical history and asking detailed questions about the patient’s state of ill health, the specific physical, mental and emotional symptoms and all the accompanying feelings and sensations they are experiencing, when these symptoms began, significant life events, and about the nature of the patient, including how they relate to others, their preferences, likes and dislikes. Then the homeopath will sort through and analyze this information to identify a pattern that closely resembles the patterns associated with a particular homeopathic remedy.

The most characteristic, unique and unusual qualities of your depression and you are used to find a remedy that best matches all of your details. There are a very large number of remedies that can help with depression, as homeopathy is highly personalized medicine.

Remedies for the homeopathic treatment of depression.

A few of the more common remedies that are used in homeopathic treatment for depression are as follows:

Arsenicum

This remedy is suited to people who are perfectionists, greatly concerned about health and cleanliness, and can have despair that they will never recover. They can be quite anxious, with strong fears of being robbed, are very possessive of the people close to them and the objects that they own. They are often afraid of losing the support of their significant others. There may be burning sensations which are better with heat. These people are typically very chilly, better with heat and are worse from midnight to 2 am.

Aurum

People needing this remedy tend to be ambitious and are often in managerial positions, with a great sense of responsibility for others. When they experience depression, it is often about a loss of money, status or social position. The despair can be very intense and there may be a strong desire to commit suicide. There can be associated cardiovascular issues – high blood pressure, sensation of the heart stopping for a few seconds, and also rapid, irregular or slow pulse. They are worse from cold and many complaints arise only in winter.

Calcarea Carbonica

Patients who can benefit from this medicine are obstinate, industrious, and concerned with security and duty; their issues can develop because they have overworked themselves. They tend to have many fears, including contagious disease, going insane and others observing them having mental issues, and can be forgetful and confused. There is often cold perspiration on the head, hands and feet. They are worse from cold in any form and better in warm dry weather.

Lycopodium

Lycopodium is often suitable for intellectual, insecure individuals with a love of power who tend to be dictatorial with those they perceive as being beneath them while being submissive to those they consider as being their superiors. These people can be anxious and fearful with a constant fear of breaking down under pressure and often are afraid of responsibility. They frequently feel full from a small amount of food and bloating is common. Warm food and drinks make them feel better and they are worse from 4 – 8 pm.

Natrum Muriaticum

This remedy is associated with silent grief about relationship issues or disappointed love. People needing this remedy are very responsible, have a fear of rejection, can be irritable about minor issues, dwell on past disagreeable occurrences, want to be alone in their grief, cannot cry in front of others, and are worse from consolation. There can be headaches that have a hammering sensation over the forehead and eyes. These people can be very thirsty, and although very chilly are worse from the sun.

Rhus Tox

Rhus Tox is commonly used for people who are tearful, feel tired of life, and want to be alone. They may be confused, forgetful, superstitious and fearful at night in bed. They are also known for being impatient and very restless, both mentally and physically, and feel better from changing their physical position. They can have ailments from strains and over lifting; joints and tendons often have become painful and stiff. They are worse indoors and from cold damp weather; in contrast they are better outside and from warm dry weather.

Sulphur

Individuals needing Sulphur are philosophical, ambitious, intellectual and self confident, although they like others to approve of them. They can be selfish, with little regard for others, may be very messy and not pay much attention to their appearance, or be fastidious, and like collecting objects, which are not seen as having great value to others. There are often burning sensations, their body temperature is warm, they are aggravated by heat and like to put their feet out from under the covers while sleeping.

If you would like to start on a natural and gentle path towards a long lasting solution to your depression, please be in touch.