11 Jul A Cure for Depression

Exorcising a low state of being – medication vs meditation.

What is depression?

“Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person’s thoughts, behavior, feelings, and sense of well-being.” as described by Wikipedia.

Dr. Lissa Rankin M.D. appeals to the psychological aspect of depression,
“…tears are healthy. Sadness doesn’t always need treatment. And it’s important to remember that the pain muscle and the joy muscle are the same.”

She goes further to describe her thoughts,
“I know anti-depressants can be life-saving for people. But unless you’re suicidal or otherwise in dire need of urgent medication, before you dose up on side-effect laden pharmaceuticals, it’s worth considering some natural treatments that might help lift your mood.”

It’s interesting to hear from a psychologist about the physiological power of our human inborn nature.
In other words, we can see that the body may naturally heal itself, even in dire circumstances.

There is always of course a more practical approach.
Many of us listen to the expert advice from our physician and take the prescribed pharmaceuticals.
We gain massive relief to our ailment, however, according to Dr. Chris Iliades M.D., we must initially deal with physical side effects such as,
“… headaches, joint pain, muscle aches, nausea, skin rashes, or diarrhea.”

He continues to explain that side effects also may range in scope outside the physical realm into,
“Sleep disturbance, daytime sleepiness, migraine headaches, weight gain, suicide, sexual side effects.”

Although suicide and sexuality are more self-induced than the aforementioned side effects, Dr. Iliades claims suicide is twice as likely taking anti-depressants than with a placebo.
He says than men and woman experience reduced sexual interest and ability to incur an orgasm.

Now that we reviewed the physical and psychological methodology, what about holistic or spiritual modalities?

Some may argue that there is little to justify spirituality’s ability to “heal” the human body or mind.

Dr. Rankin argues that meditation is helpful in treating depression if we agree it is primarily considered a ‘mood’ disorder.

“Meditate or try guided imagery. Meditation’s effects on mood are well documented. Settling your mind can lift your mood, in addition to a whole host of other health benefits.”

Note that she spoke about improvement to our emotions or ‘mood’ (mental) as well as health (physical) well-being.

If we understand her correctly, she is claiming that a spiritual modality such as meditation can benefit the mind and body.

Is this much different from the positive mental state that is created from working out, winning the lottery or receiving a warm hug from a loved one?

Are we able to look at depression in a new light and find new solutions to the heavy burdens so many of us carry?

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Sources

• 11 Natural Treatments For Depression: An MD’s Tips For Skipping The Prozac (March 31, 2011) Psychology Today [Online] 115 E. 23rd St., 9th Floor New York, NY 10010. Available: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/owning-pink/201103/11-natural-treatments-depression-md-s-tips-skipping-the-prozac [Accessed July 11 2017]
• Depression (mood) (No Date) Wikipedia [Online] Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depression_(mood) [Accessed July 11 2017]
• 7 Antidepressant Side Effects (July 23, 2015) Everyday Health Media [Online] Available: http://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/drug-side-effects.aspx [Accessed July 11 2017]