Unfortunately, over 20 million Americans every year struggle with depression. In fact, one in eight people will fight depression at some point in their life.
This disease doesn’t only make people feel sad. It makes them lose joy in the world and the people around them. This can lead to poor decisions and the inability to get through the day normally.
The alarming part is that out of the 20 million people who experience depression, according to BottomLineInc.com, only 1/3 get professional help.
When someone experiences depression, something needs to be done to ensure that the problem gets resolved. There are plenty of options when it comes to curing depression: therapy, antidepressants, and hospitalization are quite common.
Many people are finding an even better solution, though. Homeopathic solutions have become and more popular for curing depression.
What are homeopathic remedies?
Homeopathic remedies are natural solutions to health problems that also emphasize treating the patient as a whole rather than treating specific symptoms or ailments. Luckily, this works especially well for people with depression.
Depression can be hard to treat because of its emotional components, but treating the patient as a whole can and will positively affect a person’s mood and emotions.
Symptoms of depression
According to Mayo Clinic, People who go through depression will generally show some signs. If you think that you or a loved one are experiencing depression, start by looking for common symptoms.
This includes:
- sadness/ emptiness/ hopelessness
- easily frustrated
- isolation
- insomnia or sleeping too much
- fatigue
- weight loss or weight gain
- guilt
- cloudiness
- suicidal thoughts
People who experience depression may gain weight suddenly, isolate themselves, abuse drugs or alcohol, and act differently than they used to. When you do notice these things, it’s best to get some sort of help.
It’s extremely important for people to get help immediately in the case of suicidal thoughts. Getting help does not have to mean that you will be forced to take antidepressants.
If you have concerns, talk to your mental health professional. For people who don’t want to go the traditional method, homeopathic methods are a great way to start treatment. A professional can help pick the right plan for you.
What causes depression?
Depression is the result of not enough of the neurotransmitter serotonin. It can also be caused by the serotonin breaking down too quickly.
Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain. What causes the abnormal serotonin levels are still debated, but it could be caused by genetics or environmental factors. Perhaps it is a combination of the two.
Despite the cause, there are plenty of risk factors that can indicate that you or a loved one might get depression at some point:
- low self-esteem
- trauma
- LGBTQ experiences
- other mental health problems
- drug/ alcohol abuse
- medication
- The Family history of depression
These risk factors do not necessarily mean that you will automatically get depression. It simply means that you are at a higher risk for depression than someone without the same risk factors.
Homeopathic cures for depression
Natural remedies are on this rise, and this includes homeopathic cures for depression. There are over 2000 different homeopathic medicines for depression, but we will focus on the most common and successful ones brought to the world’s attention by Dr. Vikas Sharma MD, also known as Dr. Homeo.
Sepia
Sepia derives from the cuttlefish. It is a common type of homeopathic cure for women going through menopause or postnatal depression.
It’s also common for people who have lost their will to live. Patients who respond to this treatment will feel sad and lack zest. They may also not have any desire to engage in healthy marital relations, work, or other once enjoyable activities.
Ignatia
Ignatia comes from a fruit that grows on trees in the Philippines and China. works for people who recently went through a traumatic experience or recent depression.
Many patients will go from laughing to crying extremely quickly and feel an impending sense of loss and grief. These patients typically bottle up their feelings, but this only makes the patient lash out unexpectedly.
Natrum Mur
Natrum Mur is made from sea salt. It is commonly used for people who have experienced long-term, chronic depression. The person who responds to this treatment experiences constant sadness and crying spells.
The person with this type of depression prefers to be by themselves and has let their issue go on for far too long. They also don’t necessarily appreciate input from outside sources.
Aurum Met
Aurum Met is a golden material found in the earth’s crust. It is particularly helpful for people who experience major depression and suicidal thoughts. This person may not see a lot of positive in life at the time. They may also be extremely self-critical and cynical.
Kali Phos
Some people with depression experience extreme fatigue and weakness. People with this depression benefit from Kali Phos, or Potassium Phosphate. It works best for people who also experience constant sadness and seclusion.
Mercurius Solubilis Hahnemann
Mercurius Solubilis Hahnemann is best for people who experience drastic mood swings as part of their depression.
Better Nutrition also informs that this type of depression comes from an extreme amount of stress. This treatment is used for people with a lot of useless energy and nervousness.
St. John’s Wort
According to the Mayo Clinic, St. John’s Wort is made out of Tipton’s Weed and can be taken as a tea or a capsule. People with depression are recommended to try St, John’s Wort 300mg three times a day.
Increase to 600mg if necessary. St. John’s Wort is not FDA approved in the United States, but it is used regularly overseas.
Unfortunately, this might not be the best option for people will additional conditions. St. John’s Wort should not be combined with anti-depressants, blood-thinning drugs, birth control pills, chemotherapy, HIV/AIDS medications, and treatments meant to help your body accept an organ transplant.
5-HTP
Use 50 – 300 mg of the supplement 5-HTP three times a day. This supplement turns into serotonin after you take it, giving you the serotonin boost that you need naturally. Taking too much can cause fatigue, and it’s not recommended to take it while taking antidepressants.
The Success of Homeopathic Treatments
Many studies have shown the success of homeopathic methods. Jonathan Davidson, MD, found that 60% of patients with major depression, social phobia, and panic disorder benefited from homeopathic treatment.
In another, a larger study from the United Kingdom’s Faculty of Homeopathy found 75.9% of 958 individuals saw positive results.
More and more studies are showing similar results that show that these options can work. With these success rates, many people are trying homeopathic methods before looking into more extreme options.
It’s a good thing, too, because there are a number of benefits to taking homeopathic cures instead of pharmaceutical drugs.
Why homeopathic?
One of the best reasons for using homeopathic methods to cure depression is that you won’t need to take anti-depressants.
Designer antidepressants have some serious side effects that can make things even worse than before. Just a small list of the possible side effects mentioned by Dr. Ullman and Dr. Reichenberg-Ullman of Healthy Homeopathy include:
- sexual dysfunction (30 – 50% of people on Prozac)
- insomnia (14 – 20%)
- nausea (20 – 25%)
- dry mouth (10%)
- drowsiness (12 – 20%)
- headaches (20%)
- diarrhea (12%)
These side effects can make the positive effects of the pharmaceuticals not worth the trouble. This can discourage patients from taking them. People taking homeopathic supplements will be more likely to follow their treatment.
Homeopathic methods do not have the serious side effects of prescription medicine. They are also 100% natural so you aren’t putting any unnecessary synthetic products into your body.
You won’t experience any withdrawal symptoms, either. If you stop taking the supplements, it’s not going to hurt you.
Other Natural Cures
Organic supplements aren’t the only natural way to help depression. Other ways that can help depression are talk therapy, healthy eating, and exercise.
Talking to someone can allow you to express bottled up emotions that desperately needed to be released. It can also make you feel good to take to someone who cares.
It doesn’t always have to be a therapist- it can be a friend or family member, too. Eating healthy (and incorporating good omega-3 fats and caring for your body through exercise can also make a huge difference.
Caring for your body, combined with homeopathic treatments, can go a long way in curing depression and other problems. The biggest way to cure your depression is to take some initiative and do something about it.
If you or someone you know struggles with depression, you have options. You have the opportunity to create a treatment plan with your mental health care professional that makes you feel comfortable.
It’s understandable that you wouldn’t want to jump into pharmaceutical drugs. Thankfully, we have a variety of natural treatment methods that encourage positive mental health and get you back to feeling your best.
