The Natural Medicine Guide to Depression

Books by Stephanie Marohn

Natural Medicine First Aid Remedies

The Natural Medicine Guide to Addiction

The Natural Medicine Guide to Anxiety

The Natural Medicine Guide to Autism

The Natural Medicine Guide to Bipolar Disorder

The Natural Medicine Guide to Schizophrenia

The Natural Medicine Guide to

DEPRESSION

Stephanie Marohn

Copyright © 2003

by Stephanie Marohn

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this

work in any form whatsoever, without permission

in writing from the publisher, except for brief passages

in connection with a review.

Cover design by Bookwrights Design

Cover art © 2002 Loyd Chapplow

Interior MediClip image © 2003 Williams and Wilkins.

All rights reserved.

Acupuncture meridian illustrations by Anne L. Louque

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Marohn, Stephanie.

The natural medicine guide to depression / by Stephanie Marohn.

       p. ; cm. -- (The healthy mind guides)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 1-57174-292-1 (alk. paper)

1. Depression, Mental--Alternative treatment.

[DNLM: 1. Complementary Therapies--Popular Works. 2. Depressive Disorder--therapy--Popular Works. WM 171 M354n 2002] I. Title. II. Series.

RC537 .M373 2002

616.85'2706--dc21

2002153238

ISBN 978-1-57174-292-6

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Printed on acid-free paper in the United States

THE HEALTHY MIND GUIDES

THE HEALTHY MIND GUIDES are a series of books offering original research and treatment options for reversing or ameliorating several so-called mental disorders, written by noted health journalist and author Stephanie Marohn. The series' focus is the natural medicine approach, a refreshing and hopeful outlook based on treating individual needs rather than medical labels, and addressing the underlying imbalances—biological, psychological, emotional, and spiritual.

Each book in the series offers the very latest information about the possible causes of each disorder, and presents a wide range of effective, practical therapies drawn from extensive interviews with physicians and other practitioners who are innovators in their respective fields. Case studies throughout the books illustrate the applications of these therapies, and numerous resources are provided for readers who want to seek treatment.

The information in this book is not intended to replace medical care. The author and publisher disclaim responsibility for how you choose to employ the information in this book and the results or consequences of any of the treatments covered.

To those who are struggling in the darkness of depression

Acknowledgments

My deep gratitude to the doctors and other healing professionals who provided information on their work for the natural medicine treatment chapters in the book. I am very appreciative of all the time and energy you so generously gave. Specifically, my thanks to:

Johannes Beckmann, M.D.

Ira J. Golchehreh, L.Ac., O.M.D.

Patricia Kaminski

Dietrich Klinghardt, M.D., Ph.D.

Reverend Leon S. LeGant

Thomas M. Rau, M.D.

Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, N.D., L.C.S.W.

Tony Roffers, Ph.D.

Malidoma Patrice Somé, Ph.D.

Zannah Steiner, C.M.P., R.M.T.

Bradford S. Weeks, M.D.

Great thanks to my brilliant physicians Dr. Ira Golchehreh and Dr. Thomas Rau for taking such good care of me.

Loving gratitude to my dear, dear friends Donna Canali, Mella Mincberg, and Moli Steinert for all that we share and for the sheer pleasure of your company.

Thank-you to my parents for your lifelong belief in my abilities and all the support you've given me over the years.

Continued gratitude to Nancy Gallenson for celebration, support, and inspired ballet classes.

My appreciation to Sue Trowbridge and Dorothy Anderson for all your hard work transcribing many interviews, and to Adrienne Fodor of the Institute for Health and Healing Resource Center in San Francisco for research assistance.

And finally, thanks yet again to my friend and editor Richard Leviton.

Contents

Introduction

Part I The Basics of Depression

1 What Is Depression and Who Suffers from It?

2 Sixteen Causes of Depression

Part II Natural Medicine Treatments for Depression

3 A Model for Healing

4 Healing from a Cellular to a Spiritual Level: Biological Medicine

5 Energy Medicine I: Traditional Chinese Medicine

6 Energy Medicine II: Homeopathy

7 Energy Medicine III: Flower Essence Therapy

8 Cellular Memory and the Terrible Triad of Depression: Soma Therapies

9 Trauma, Energy, and Spirit: Seemorg Matrix Work and Psychosomatic Medicine

10 Shamanic and Psychic Healing

Conclusion

Appendix A: Professional Degrees and Titles

Appendix B: Resources

Endnotes

Index

About the Author

Introduction

We in the United States and other countries in the developed world are in the midst of a mental health crisis. The psychiatric treatment methods we have been using are not working, as is clear from the dire statistics on mental illness. Here are just a few:

Mental illness is the second leading cause of disability and premature mortality in the U.S. and other developed countries.¹

4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries are mental disorders—major depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or schizophrenia.²

5.4 percent of adults in the U.S. have a serious mental illness (defined as substantial interference with one or more major life activities; less severe mental illness is not included in this statistic).³

1 in 4 hospital admissions in the U.S. in 1998 were psychiatric admissions.⁴

$148 billion = the total cost of mental health services in the U.S. in 1990⁵ ($69 billion in direct costs for mental health treatment and rehabilitation, and $79 billion in the indirect costs of lost productivity at work, school, or home due to disability or death).

A large reason why treatment of mental illness has a poor success record and is costing more all the time is because the overwhelming emphasis is placed on pharmaceutical drugs. Not everyone in the psychiatric field is happy with the ever-increasing governance of psychopharmacology (the science of drugs used to affect behavior and emotional states). Here is what one psychiatrist had to say about it. In December 1998, in a letter of resignation to the president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), Loren R. Mosher, M.D., former official of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), wrote:⁶

After nearly three decades as a member, it is with a mixture of pleasure and disappointment that I submit this letter of resignation from the American Psychiatric Association. The major reason for this action is my belief that I am actually resigning from the American Psychopharmacological Association….

At this point in history, in my view, psychiatry has been almost completely bought out by the drug companies….

We condone and promote the widespread overuse and misuse of toxic chemicals that we know have serious long term effects….

While psychiatric drugs (prescription drugs used for mental illnesses) may control certain disorders, and in some instances save lives, they do not cure the disorder, and they often compound the person's problems with disturbing side effects in the short term and the risk of permanent damage in the long term. If we are going to solve the current mental health crisis, we are going to have to turn to other approaches to treatment.

The state of affairs in psychiatric treatment is reflected in the focus of quite a few of the books on mental illness aimed at the general public. The help they offer involves information for the patient on coping with hospitalization; for family members on how to live with the illness in a loved one; and on how to work with side effects of antidepressants and other psychopharmaceuticals (psychiatric drugs)—that is, what other drugs you can take to reduce those effects.

The focus of The Natural Medicine Guide to Depression is healing from depression, not learning to live with it. The book explores the causes of depression and offers a range of treatment approaches to address those causes and truly restore health. Only by treating the underlying causes of depression, rather than suppressing the symptoms as most drugs do, can lasting recovery be achieved. And only by considering the well-being of the mind and spirit in addition to the body can comprehensive healing take place.

All of the therapies covered here approach the treatment of depression in this way. They all also share the characteristic of tailoring treatment to the individual, which is another essential element for a successful outcome. No two people, even with the same diagnosis, have exactly the same imbalances causing their problems.

This book explores the causes of depression and offers a range of treatment approaches to address those causes and truly restore health. Only by treating the underlying causes of depression, rather than suppressing the symptoms as most drugs do, can lasting recovery be achieved.

With the increase in the number of people who are using natural therapies, the public has become more aware of this medical approach. When many people think of natural medicine, however, they think of supplements or herbal remedies available over the counter. While these products can be highly beneficial, natural medicine is far more than that. Natural therapies are those that operate according to holistic principles, meaning treating the whole person rather than an isolated part or symptom and using natural treatments that Do no harm and support or restore the body's natural ability to heal itself. Natural medicine involves a way of looking at healing that is dramatically different from the conventional medical model. It does not mimic that model by merely substituting an herb for an antidepressant. Instead, it uses the comprehensive approach just described, which offers you the very real possibility of curing your depression.

I speak from personal experience. I struggled with depression my whole life. It was always there to some degree, sometimes worse than at others. Like two-thirds of the people who suffer from depression, I never sought treatment for it, although I began psychotherapy in my twenties to try to sort out my life and continued it off and on for the next ten years. While psychotherapy was tremendously valuable to me, it didn't solve my depression problem.

Many natural medicine doctors have told me that depressed patients usually come to them for other reasons and discover that treatment gets rid of their depression too. I was no exception. And many people also discover that their depression has no one cause. I too learned that. The therapies that provided the solution for me were traditional Chinese medicine (both acupuncture and Chinese herbs), constitutional homeopathy, and having my mercury fillings replaced. I used them in that order, but it was not conscious; it just happened that way. It was as if I was peeling the layers of an onion, with each layer being another imbalance I needed to uncover and correct.

Transpersonal psychotherapy led me to the last missing piece in my full recovery: the spiritual. Or to stay with the metaphor, you could say that I reached the center of the onion. I had already taken care of the body and mind in many ways, but my depression didn't completely disappear until I found my way back to a connection with spirit. Finally, I feel that my body, mind, and spirit are in harmony.

I tell you my story to give you an idea of how the therapies in this book can be used together, to peel the layers of your depression.

Before I tell you a little about what's in the book, I would just like to say a few words about the terms mental illness and mental disorders, or brain disorders as they are more currently labeled. All of these terms reflect the disconnection between body and mind—spirit is not even in the picture—in conventional medical treatment. The newer term, brain disorders, reflects the biochemical model of causality that currently dominates the medical profession.

I use the terms mental illness and mental disorders in this book because there is no easy substitute that reflects the true body-mind-spirit nature of these conditions. While I may use these terms, I in no way mean to suggest that the causes of the disorders lie solely in the mind. The same is true for the title of the series of which this book is a part: The Healthy Mind Guides. The name serves to distinguish the subject area, but it is healthy mind, body, and spirit—wholeness—that is the focus of these books.

While I'm at it, I may as well dispense with one last linguistic issue. As natural medicine effects profound healing, rather than simply controlling symptoms, I prefer the term natural medicine over alternative medicine. This medical model is not other—it is a primary form of medicine. The term holistic medicine reflects this as well, in that it signals the natural medicine approach of treating the whole person, rather than the parts.

As I said, the focus of this book is on comprehensive treatments. There are a number of books on the market that cover natural self-help medicines that aid in alleviating depression, such as the herbal remedy St. John's wort. While various of these remedies have shown benefit in alleviating depression, they do not address the underlying causes and, for that reason, I don't cover them in this book, which is dedicated to the deeper treatments. (For self-help treatments for depression, see my book Natural Medicine First Aid Remedies, Hampton Roads, 2001.)

Part 1 of The Natural Medicine Guide to Depression covers the basics of depression: what it is, who gets it, and what causes it. The natural medicine view of depression is that it is a multicausal disorder, with a variety of contributing factors.

Part 2 of the book covers a range of natural medicine treatments for depression. The material presented here is based on research and interviews with physicians and other healing professionals who are leaders and pioneers in their respective fields. This is original information, not derivative material gleaned from secondary sources. The therapeutic techniques of these highly skilled and experienced healers are explained in detail and illustrated with case studies (the names of patients throughout the book have been changed). Contact information for the practitioners whose work is presented appears in appendix B: Resources.

May the information in this book help you find your way out of depression.

Natural Medicine Therapies Covered in Part 2

PART I

The Basics of Depression

1 What Is Depression and

Who Suffers from It?

Depression falls into the category of mood disorders, also known as affective disorders. It encompasses a continuum of disturbance in thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and physical health, with the prevailing characteristic of persistent sadness and despair. While some people experience depression to the point that they can no longer function in their lives, others may not even realize that they are depressed. An estimated twelve million people in the United States are not aware that they are suffering from depression,⁷ and 80 percent of primary care patients actually fit the criteria for a diagnosis of major depression.⁸

Melancholia, a former term for depression, has plagued humankind for at least as long as recorded history, and likely from the beginning of human existence. Written accounts of depression date back to 2500 B.C., with an ancient Egyptian papyrus relating a man's despair and sense of emptiness as he contemplates suicide.⁹ One way of explaining the presence of mood in the human spirit is to regard it as an evolutionary adaptation.¹⁰ A depression in mood, for example, pulls us back from engagement with life, which we may need at that moment to keep us safe or to give us time to gain a perspective.

Viewed in this light, one might say that there is a tremendous need today for safety and perspective, given that depression is a worldwide epidemic. This point gains validity when one considers the complexity, toxicity, and stress of modern life and the physical, psychological/emotional, and spiritual causes of depression, as discussed in chapter 2 and throughout the book.

In the United States alone, thirty million people are taking Prozac, which is now in the top ten most prescribed drugs.¹¹

That translates to nearly one in ten people. One in eight adolescents and one in thirty-three children overall suffer from depression. One in four women will have clinical depression in their lifetime—twice the rate for men. (These rates reflect reported cases. The rate for men may actually be equal to that of women as societal factors contribute to men not seeking help.) Depression cuts across all ages, with more than one in six people over the age of 65 afflicted.¹²

While the devastation of depression cannot be measured solely in dollar amounts, its economic cost illuminates its farreaching reverberations. The annual cost of depressive disorders in the United States is $43 billion, a total of the costs of direct treatment, absenteeism, lost productivity, and mortality.¹³

In Their Own Words

What's really diabolical about it is that if there were a pill over there, ten feet from me, that you could guarantee would lift me out of it, it would be too much trouble to go get it.

—Dick Cavett,

on his severe depression¹⁴

Another tragic set of statistics reflects the profound human loss resulting from depression. A study by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Harvard School of Public Health reveals that by the year 2020 depression will be the single leading cause of death around the globe.¹⁵

The risk of suicide is 30 times greater among people with depression than in the general population.¹⁶ In the United States alone, there are 30,000 suicides every year.¹⁷ Suicide among the teen population has increased 300 percent in the past 30 years.¹⁸ Among children between the ages of 10 and 14, the rate of suicide