Help and Self-Help for Depression

How complimentary therapies can help

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)


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.

Fighting Your Fears

Most of us have experienced each of the fears mentioned or seen other people experience them. They can have a dramatic effect on individuals and the world in which we live…

Take some time to think about yourself and your life…what aspects are you unhappy with and would like to change? What fears lie behind these aspects? It is not always easy to identify fears as they can be subtle, persuasive or addictive silently directing your behaviour. Recognising them and their influence can be complex and may involve taking a long, hard look at your life.

Fear encourages us to stay stuck and not to embrace change. The more you dislike or avoid change the greater your underlying fears. If the unexpected disturbs you, then fear is holding you in its grip.

For most of us overcoming our fears (of whatever) takes time and we also need a real desire to want to put the fear to bed.

The following sayings are ones that I have found useful over the last few years – if any resonate with you put them where you can refer to them regularly and keep repeating them to yourself.

Pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness

Ships in harbour are safe but that is not what ships are for

Security is not having things, it’s handling things

Whenever you feel “I am afraid” replace it with “ I am excited”

Replace “I am vulnerable” with “I am protected”

Meditate to help release your fears

Here is a simple meditation which you can do to help release any fears you may have. Start by deciding which fear is the one you would most like to get rid of now…there is no need to rush the meditation, just go forward at a gentle and unhurried pace.

• Focus on the specific fear
• Breathe slowly in and out, visualizing your breath washing the fear until it is totally transparent
• When you have done this, see the fear in your mind’s eye burst into flames and burn itself out
• As it is burning, feel peaceful energy flow out of your heart and into the rest of your body, your mind and your daily life
• As you practice, you will feel a weight being lifted from your shoulders and your fear will lose its sting
• As you become aware of this, breathe slowly and see yourself covered in a halo of flames which cannot hurt you but which are just burning away all obstructions


Counselling Spain says: Remember, when you worry about things or are scared of something happening you create negative energy and according to the spiritual law of attraction you will end up attracting the things you don’t want into your life…