Depressed? Wise Woman Ways Offer a Helping Hand
Winter time is depression time for many women. Perhaps it is harder to look at the bright side when days are short, perhaps the holidays and family demands take their toll on us. Of course, depression can also be triggered by lack of thyroid hormone and by use of steroids, high blood pressure drugs, and ERT/HRT. But most often the cause of depression is the belief (valid or not) that nothing you do makes any difference. Victimization and poverty lock women into depression. More than one-third of all American women have been victims of sexual or physical abuse; and women make up more than two-thirds of all Americans who live below poverty level. Yet our culture frowns on women who express their anger. No wonder depression is a woman's issue. "Look here," Grandmother Growth motions to you as she spreads her story blanket at your feet. "See how depression is deeply woven with anger and grief. When our need for reliable, joyous intimacy is frustrated, and expression of our frustration would endanger us, depression comes and protects us. When there is no way to deal effectively with situations that enrage us, depression comes and helps us quiet our violent impulses. "Depression is not an easy companion on your journey, but she knows much about life. In her bundle, she carries the anger you have carefully frozen with frigid blasts of fear and kept nourished with your pain. She carries your wholeness. She carries your ability to go beyond the pain, your ability to allow your rage to move you into health. She carries your wholeness. Will you let her teach you?" Wise Woman remedies don't seek to eliminate our feelings, or turn "negative" ones into "positive" ones, but to help us incorporate all of our feelings into our wholeness/health/holiness. - Welcome the dark. Cherish the deepness. Give yourself over to a day or two of doing nothing. Then, get up, no matter how bad you feel. Set a goal for the day and meet it. Smile - it releases brain chemicals that make you feel good. Smile no matter what. Do it as an exercise. Hate it while you do it. But SMILE!
- Homeopathic remedies include Arum metallicum, for women with frequent thoughts of suicide who feel cut off from love and joy; and Sepia, for women who are disinterested in everything, angry at family and friends, and just want to be left alone.
- It's more than idle chatter that depression comes with gray skies and happiness with sunny ones. For emotional health (and strong bones) get 15 minutes of sunlight on your uncovered eyelids (outside, no glasses, no contacts) daily. If you can't get out (or if the sun doesn't cooperate), wake up 1-2 hours earlier than usual. (You can stay in bed, but keep those eyes open.)
- Sing the blues; dance 'em too. Women have depended on songs and dances to carry them out of depression for centuries. Dance therapy is more effective than talk therapy for reaching and healing traumatic experiences. Even a single session may have a dramatic effect.
- Find your rage and write it down. Get a massage and let the anger move out of the muscles. Volunteer to help change something you are upset about, even a small thing.
- St. Joan's/John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) lives in very sunny locations and blooms at summer solstice. I call it bottled sunshine. A dropperful of the bright red tincture taken 1-3 times daily has helped many women relieve SAD (seasonal affective disorder), move through grief, ease the physical pain of depression, and walk on the sunny side! CAUTION: Hypericum in capsules is not as effective and can cause unwanted side effects.
- Oatstraw infusion (not tea, tincture, or capsules) has been an ally for depressed women since earliest times. Gentle Avena nourishes the nerves and helps you remember why life is worth living. To make an infusion: Brew one ounce by weight of dried herb (that's a cup by volume) in a quart jar filled to the top with boiling water. Steep for at least four hours, then strain and refrigerate your infusion. Drink as many cups a day as you wish. Or make an oatstraw bath by adding two quarts of infusion to your bath water.
- Garden sage (Salvia) is an ancient ally for emotionally-distressed women. In some societies, only crones were allowed to drink the brew made from the nubbly leaves (at least partly because it delays menses and dries up breast milk). Make an infusion (see oatstraw); drink by mixing a few spoonfuls of the dense brew into hot water or warm milk; add honey to taste. The undiluted infusion keeps for weeks refrigerated.
- Behavioral and interpersonal therapies are as effective as drugs in relieving depression. Not only that, two-thirds of those who simply read about therapy improve significantly.
- Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise, especially soon after awakening, has been shown to help women whose depression is resistant to all treatments, including drugs.
- Sleep less. If you are a woman who overproduces a normal depression-causing substance which accompanies sleep you will feel depressed and often find it difficult to wake up. Sleeping more will only compound the problem. Instead, stay up all night once a week. If you can't cope with no sleep, even mild sleep deprivation (such as sleeping five hours or less for two nights in a row) dramatically decreases depressive symptoms in some people.
- Low levels of calcium, zinc, and B vitamins are associated with depression. Get more by eating more cheese and yogurt, more garlic and mushrooms, more whole grains and beans.
- Lack of vitamin B12 doubles the risk of severe depression for older women. This critical nutrient, found only in animal products, is destroyed by tofu and soy beverage. Drink real milk, eat real cheese, eat meat at least occasionally and watch your mood improve :)
- 1600 mg of SAM-e (A-adenosylmethionine) relieved the symptoms of moderate depression as well as imipramine, but no better than Hypericum (St. J's wort). CAUTION: Of the brands tested by Consumer Reports, only Natrol, Nature Made, TwinLab, and GNC passed all tests.
- Avoid hormone replacement - ERT/HRT - if you're depressed; it's strongly associated with an increase in suicide attempts.
- Women who used to take lithium say they have gradually switched over to skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). A dose of infusion is one cup/250 ml or more per day; of fresh plant tincture is 5-8 drops twice a day; of the dried plant tincture is a dropperful/1 ml several times a day. CAUTION: Skullcap can make you sleepy.
- For women whose depression resists all other therapies, electro-convulsive treatments (ECT), previously known as shock treatments, have been updated with special care taken to minimize harm. The women I spoke with who were using ECT told me it was incredibly effective, and the side-effects, including severe memory loss, acceptable to them.
From doing nothing, to ECT, the range of remedies available to depressed women is enormous. To help you choose wisely, these effective, simple Wise Woman remedies are in order of safety: the safest remedies first, and the most dangerous ones last. Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion. Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081
Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative. Susun is one of America's best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women's health. Her four best-selling books are recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are used and cherished by millions of women around the world. Learn more at http://www.susunweed.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Eye yoga, anyone?Daily News & Analysis, India - 6 hours agoDr Kunti Nagvekar from India, one of the members of the Natural Vision Improvement Group, has coined this concept as Sampoorn eye yoga. ... |
If Sarah Palin Did Yoga... (VIDEO)Huffington Post, NY - 11 hours agoI don't know if Sarah would be into trying yoga. It can be a fairly meditative practice that involves self-observation. Also, I'm pretty sure it's not ... |
Yoga marathon at Marion Square for a good causeTheDigitel, SC - 13 hours agoSome of Charleston’s most popular yoga instructors will be at Marion Square on Saturday, October 11, from noon to 2 pm for the 5th Annual yoga-thon to raise ... |
Yoga program brings religion into schoolWatertownDailyTimes.com, United States - 15 hours agoI would like to express my opinion on this yoga issue. I have done my research on the subject and do not mean to offend anyone. Yoga is indeed part of the ... |
Yoga for Parkinson’sPacket Online, NJ - Oct 10, 2008”It’s strengthening, energizing and calming,” instructor Carolyn Stephens says of yoga’s benefits. Ms. Stephens will lead the “Yoga for Parkinson’s” class ... |
Yoga - Google News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
When Your Fears and Depression Have the Best of You
What do you do when your fears and depression are stronger than
what you can handle? There are times that no matter what you do,
your fears have the best of you. Here is a list of techniques and
suggestions on what to do when this happens.
Antidepressants: Control or Cure?
What's curious is that most of them will be on these drugs for life. Equally curious is that over seventy percent of people who stop taking them, for any length of time, will relapse into another painful episode of their illness.
The Cost of Giving Up
I'm sure at times of deep crisis many of you have considered thoughts of "giving up". What is the cost to you of entertaining such thoughts? Well as one client with a progressively deteriorating illness I was working with stated "it's like having one foot out the back door".
FDA Approves Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Treatment for Depression
On July 15th, 2005, the U.S.
Stress and Depression are Killing Us!
A short generation ago, families could set their watch by the time the father got home from work each day. My dad always walked through the front door at precisely 6 PM and supper was served at 6:10.
Depression Explained
Depression is a mental state marked by melancholy, pessimism or dejection.
Depression can also be defined as a psychotic condition characterized by stuporous withdrawal from reality and intense guilt feelings.
Know the Signs of Depression and Improve Your Life
Typical signs of depression actually show a change in the way a person has come to think about himself."I just can't get myself to do any work around the house.
Depression in Teenagers: Now What Can We Do?
No doubt you have seen the recent news headlines about a federal panel that recommended to the FDA that anti-depressant medications carry the strongest possible warning label for use in children and teenagers. This recommendation to the FDA shook the medical community, especially those who work with depressed young people.
The Patients Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression
INTRODUCTION
Everybody has a story. My story is the one I know best and can write about.
5 Super Effective Tips To Kill Depression
Being lonely is a normal part of our everyday lives. We get sad when we fail in our exams, when we're rejected by the person we love, or when someone very close to us passes away.
Depression is the Number One Cause of Disability in the United States
According to the World Health Organization, 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the United States and other developed countries are mental disorders, including major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Approximately 23% of American adults each year have a diagnosable mental disorder and as many as 5.
Depression
Many of us feel depressed at one time or another, but for some, depression may be chronic and even debilitating.Emotions are a normal part of our life.
Change Your Life Forever with New Medical Breakthrough Treatment for Depression
With the next few weeks, the FDA is expected to issue its final approval of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic or recurrent depression. The approval of vagus nerve stimulation will be the first ever FDA approved long-term treatment option for the four million desperate Americans( and their families) who have not had an adequate response to traditional anti-depressants.
Sources of Online Suicide Help for People Suffering from Severe Depression
There are Many Resources for Online Suicide HelpFirst of all, if you are currently having suicidal ideations please immediately call:1-800-SUICIDE (800-748-2433)This is the National Hopeline and you will be connected to a trained counselor in your local area that can help you.There are many sources of online suicide help and information.
Depression is a Choice
There is one very simple reason for all emotional depression.In a recent article entitled "Intelligent Emotions" I discussed how the feelings of "happiness" and "saddness" emerge spontaneously from within one's Self with every decision one makes for themselves in their lives.
Tuning the Music Therapist
Music so strongly evokes emotional responses that it is being more frequently employed in the context of psychotherapy as a powerful healing modality. As a novice in this field I inquired at a recent conference on music therapy as to how this tool effects healing in clients with emotional disorders.
Depression Series: Why Don't I Respond to Medications? (Part 1)
Maria has been feeling depressed for at least two and a half years. About three years ago, her husband of 20 years left her for another woman.
What About Drugs for Anxiety and Depression?
As a counselor, I am often asked, "Can drugs be helpful for anxiety and depression?" The answer I give is "Yes" and "No."Yes, drugs may be useful for short-term help.
Eliminate The Belief That Your Illness Is Genetic
Many illnesses, emotional and otherwise, are often said to be genetic in origin. When one is told that their particular problem is of a genetic nature it often leaves them feeling helpless since, to date, the idea of reversing something that is stored deep within one's structural DNA, which exists in every single cell of one's body, is considered an impossibility.
5 Ways to Transform Your Struggles Into Victories
Have you read the famous quote, "Every struggle is a victory"? It was stated by an extraordinary person who overcome great challneges and achieved greatness - her name was Helen Keller.In this brief article we will explore 5 key aspects
for turning your Struggles into Victories.
|
