Holistic Treatments for Depression - Mental Health Disorders

Holistic Treatments for Depression

Depression is one of the most treatable mental disorders, and between 80 and 90% of all depressed people respond to treatment, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The holistic approach to treating depression is to first determine what nutritional, environmental, social, and psychological factors may be related to the depressive cycle. A complete medical examination is usually given to help identify the overall health of clients, whether they are suffering from illnesses such as hypothyroidism or hypertension that can bring on depression, or whether they are taking any medications that may contribute to their condition. The evaluation should also include a psychiatric history to outline a patient's emotional background, and a medical examination to uncover changes in mood, thoughts, patterns of speech, and memory that are symptomatic of depression.

Nutritional Therapies.     Nutritional therapies may help some individuals because unbalanced diets, food sensitivities, nutrient deficiencies, and food allergies have all been linked to depression. Many patients who complain of depression, according to Dr. Harvey Ross, an orthomolecular psychiatrist in Los Angeles quoted in Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide , also have hypoglycemia, or an excess of sugar in their blood. Hypoglycemia may “be the sole cause of their depression.” The same patients may also experience low energy, irritability, or suffer from attacks of anxiety or fear, sometimes to the point of developing phobias.

Dr. Ross suggests that depressed people who think they might be hypoglycemic start an individualized diet plan which eliminates simple sugars. He recommends a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. In addition to three meals daily, he advises patients to eat smaller snacks every two hours between meals until bedtime. After four months on this diet, Dr. Ross recommends that people suffering from depression begin a maintenance diet that avoids processed foods and sugars and adds no more than three servings of fruit a day.

Leon Chaitow, author of The Stress Protection Plan , suggests that one common cause of depression is the excessive use of aspartame, the artificial sweetener widely used in diet colas and foods. He claims that aspartame can cause an allergic or food sensitivity which leads to depression. Chaitow adds that because of the documented link between artificial food colors, flavors, and preservatives and depression, many European countries now officially prohibit their use in common foods.

James Balch and Phyllis Balch stress in Prescription for Nutritional Healing that patients suffering from depression, especially bipolar disorder (manic depression), should follow a dietary plan which consists of vegetables, fruits, nut, seeds, beans, and legumes. Foods that contain sugar or its byproducts should be avoided, along with alcohol, soda, caffeine, and dairy products. All foods which contain nitrates such as additives or food colorings, as well as processed foods, should also be eliminated.

Vitamin and Mineral Therapies.     A substantial amount of research has shown that deficiencies in vitamins B ₁₂ (thiamine), B ₆ , niacin (B ₃ ), folic acid, and vitamin C may be specifically linked to depression. Several mineral deficiencies, including magnesium and zinc, may also contribute to depression. As a result, some holistic physicians and nutritionists now believe that sufferers of depression may benefit from vitamin, mineral, and amino acid supplements. However, vitamin and mineral supplements should always be supervised by a physician or holistic health practitioner.

Botanical Therapies.     St. John's wort ( Hypericum perforatum ) appears to effectively relieve minor depression. Researchers have discovered that components in St John's wort alter brain chemistry in a way that improves mood. In one clinical study of 15 women with depression, cited by Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno in Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine , a standardized extract of St. John's wort significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression, and feelings of worthlessness. The extract also greatly improves the quality of sleep because it effectively relieves both insomnia and hypersomnia (excessive sleep). Additionally, ginkgo biloba extract has been effective in treating insufficient blood and oxygen supply in the brain associated with common symptoms of depression.

Increasing serotonin levels can also help reduce the symptoms of manic depression. Dr. Hugh Riodin, director of the Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning International, suggests in Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide that people who experience recurring cycles of depression may benefit from drinking walnut tea, which is high in serotonin, an amino acid believed to elevate moods.

Homeopathic Therapies.     According to Dana Ullman in Discovering Homeopathy , homeopaths treat both depression and anxiety disorders using a holistic approach. A homeopath will prescribe individually tailored medicines. When appropriate, they provide basic information on nutrition, exercise, stress management, and lifestyle changes. The may also provide psychological counseling. Because homeopaths view human nature as basically creative, they attempt to help the “bodymind adapt to and deal creatively with internal and external stresses.”

Exercise.     Exercise is extremely important in preventing and treating depression. A 1988 study by C. E. Ross and D. Hayes, summarized by Murray and Pizzorno, found that regular exercise reduces stressful emotions associated with depression, reduces muscle tension and anxiety levels, and increases self-confidence and emotional stability. This effect is due to enhanced cerebral circulation resulting from general cardiovascular improvement. As a result, many psychiatrists now encourage their patients to take up moderate aerobic exercises such as jogging. Regular exercise not only alleviates depression, but also improves concentration, memory, creativity, and mental agility. Physicians normally advise depressed patients to exercise three times a week at a level which elevates their heart rates by 50%.

Massage Therapy Massage therapy has been used to treat depression resulting from trauma. The Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami Medical School studied the effect of massage on patients whose depression arose from trauma. The researchers, according to an article by Meredith Ruch in the November/December 1993 issue of Natural Health , found that depressed patients had consistently lower levels of stress-related hormones–specifically Cortisol and norepinephrine–and were more alert, less restless, and better able to sleep after a 30-minute massage.

Deep Breathing Exercises.     Dr. Riodan, director of the Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning International, also uses deep breathing exercises to prevent the depressive stage of bipolar disorder. He claims that many studies show that a nondepressed person breathes in six times the amount of air as a depressed person. Deep breathing exercises increase oxygen levels in the brain and appear to elevate moods.