A wide range of therapies can help depression. However, it is important that you have regular treatments and if need be adjust your lifestyle.

Reiki

A form of Japanese spiritual healing, Reiki helps to rebalance the whole body and therefore helps with any physical or emotional problems. For maximum benefit, Reiki needs to be carried out on a regular basis. However, if you decide to become “attuned”, you can actually reiki yourself every day and it won’t cost you anything (other than the cost of being attuned of course)
For more information about Reiki and attunements please contact me on 966775171 or 680256266

Tai Chi

This is a really a moving form of meditation. It is a good relaxation therapy said to help with stress-related conditions such as depression. Once you have learnt the moves from an experienced teacher you can then practice them by yourself.

Bach Flower Remedies

Dr Edward Bach discovered the 38 flower remedies which help with emotional problems. You can take the remedies directly from the bottle, dilute them in water or even apply them neat to the lips, wrists or ears. Rescue Remedy which is made up of 5 different remedies is probably the most useful for depression.
Again, if you need any more information please contact me

Naturopathy

Naturopaths will usually concentrate on 4 areas of your life: diet, toxin levels, lifestyle and your emotional state. They are able to help you by introducing new ways of thinking and drawing up an action plan for the depressed person.

Herbal Medicine – St John’s Wort

St John’s Wort has become increasingly popular as an alternative to anti- depressants. One of its main benefits is that from a clinical point of view it doesn’t have any side effects or withdrawal symptoms. It is not known exactly why it works but it is thought it may help to boost levels of the brain chemical serotonin which is low in depression sufferers.
Ways to help yourself

• Ask for help – it is not a sign of failure to feel this low, a doctor or counsellor will understand. Asking for help is a positive step in the right direction not a negative!

• Try to get out, even though all you may want to do is stay at home

• Eat properly – difficult when you have lost your appetite but it is very important

• Talk to someone about your feelings especially if you are feeling suicidal
• Be aware of thing you enjoy doing and do them as opposed to just doing chores

• Get plenty of exercise – it lifts your spirits and helps you to sleep better

• Avoid drowning your sorrows in alcohol – it is a depressant and may react with any medication you are taking

• Get in contact with self-help groups; meeting people with similar
problems can help you see things from a different perspective

• It is important to remember that many people have recovered from depression and you can too, although you may not believe this now; also some people come out of depression stronger and more able to cope – you could be one of those!!
Ways to help others

It’s not easy living with a depressed person and unless you have had depression yourself it is extremely hard to understand exactly how the person is feeling…here are some tips which may help

• Encourage the person to seek help from their doctor or a counsellor

• Support and sympathize as much as you can but you must make time for yourself!

• Be wary of criticizing the person and avoid comments like “pull yourself together” – that really will not work!

• Remind yourself that this person can’t help being down and difficult to live with

• Remember for most people depression doesn’t stay with them for ever, it is a temporary state of mind

• If you need to talk to someone to help you cope – do it!!

TOP TIP: Holistic Therapies Spain says; Different things help different people but the following may be useful for most people: friendship, exercise, well balanced diet, soothing music, and hands-on therapies such as massage or reiki.

The longer treatment is delayed the worse the depression is likely to get and the longer it can take for the treatment to take full effect. A natural remedy may take longer to work than medication from your GP so it is helpful to have other forms of support to use alongside e.g. using essential oils, relaxation techniques, talking to close friends etc

Recognize the signs

• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, self blame, feeling out of control and unable to cope
• Feeling tired and lethargic
• Poor concentration, indecisiveness, forgetfulness
• Loss of appetite and weight loss or an increase in appetite and weight gain
• Changes to your normal sleeping pattern – either insomnia or wanting to sleep all the time
• Restlessness or agitation
• An urge to cry all the time
• Lack of interest in sex

Different types of depression

Depression comes in many forms, with no two cases being the same. It is possible however to divide it into broad categories, although in real life there is often an overlap

Reactive depression
Triggered by trauma. This may be physical, such as a serious injury or accident or psychological such as bereavement or divorce. Counselling, loving family and friends and other practical or emotional support are often all that is needed. However, a reactive depression could continue to interfere with someone’s life if any other, older problems are brought to the surface.

Endogenous depression
This tends to be more severe than reactive depression. It is more to do with a person’s personality rather than an external event, and can happen at any time. The person’s mood tends to be worse at the beginning of the day and can be marked with periods of guilt and self doubt.

Manic depression/Bio polar disorder
This type of depression is marked by mood swings, from highs of excessive energy and elation to lows of utter despair and lethargy. These moods may occur directly after each other or may alternate with varying periods of stability.

Post-natal depression
This usually strikes between the 3rd and 10th day after the birth and is thought be caused by the sudden drop in the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone. It is believed that approx 50% of new mothers suffer from “baby blues” to some degree; they don’t usually last for long but some women suffer a much deeper, longer-lasting depression and a few women can end up needing hospital care. Swift treatment for post-natal depression is essential but counselling can often sort things out satisfactorily.

Masked depression
Usually reactive, occurring in people who have suffered trauma but don’t react in the “normal” way. On the surface the person appears to be quite happy but there can be physical problems such as a loss of energy or appetite or disturbed sleeping patterns.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD Syndrome)
This is a form of winter depression that affects approx a million people in the UK especially during December through to February. In addition, there are many people who are thought to be affected by the winter blues, a mild form of SAD. Symptoms include sleep problems, lethargy, a craving for carbohydrates, anxiety, loss of sex drive, mood swings and general irritability.
It is believed that SAD syndrome may be linked with a faulty production of serotonin, a brain chemical that helps control mood swings or it could be caused by increased levels of melatonin, the hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain as darkness falls, which induces sleep.
The most effective treatment for SAD syndrome is light, so spend as much time as possible outside in natural daylight or if you are in the house sit next to a window.

TOP TIP: Counselling Spain says; You can also buy light boxes which contain fluorescent tubes – you sit in front of these for a period of time and they pump out the same level of light you would expect on a bright, spring morning.