Depression and Loss

Loss can be a trigger for depression, even in people who have never experienced it before.  Of course, that’s kind of like saying snow is white!  But before you say: “Duhh…” and move on to the next WP blog that interests you, stop and think for a moment….

Everyone knows that loss can trigger depression, but why is no one prepared for the depression when they lose someone?  Do we think we will somehow magically waltz through life, totally unaffected by the natural circumstances that befall everyone else?  Do we think it will never happen to us?  Or, more likely, is there a difference between what we ‘know’ in a theoretical sense vs. what we know by experience?

My position is: the latter is true.  We don’t really ‘know’ depression, until we’ve been there, done that!

So it stands to reason, we don’t really know what it is like to lose someone close to us until they are gone.  I could be wrong, but I have the feeling that death and divorce/breakups are probably the two top depression triggers.

PERCEPTION

What may surprise you even more is my view that depression that is caused by such events is a direct result of our skewed perceptions.

Let me explain.  If we fail to have a correct perception of life and death, or of relationships, very likely we refuse to consider the possibility that everything ENDS!  Nothing is standing still, even the very sub-atomic particles that make up our bodies are in motion!  and motion brings change.  Little by little, day by day,  everything in this reality is changing!  Even our very bodies are not the same as they were 2 minutes ago.  Our ‘mind’ changes with every passing moment.

Because of this constant change, things arise, continue for a while, and then pass away.

I too, shall pass some day.

If you have been following this blog, you know that I lost my Mother, Grandfather, Wife, Home, and suffered through bankruptcy, divorce, job loss, and my father’s stroke.  All in a 2-year period.

Yes, Loss is rough.  After all that, major depression was a virtual certainty.  Overcoming major depression was not.  Add to that teen depression, and what my therapist diagnosed as Chronic, Recurring, Long-Term, Severe depression, and you have a lot of experience with mood disorders.

I tell you all this not to impress you, or to have you feel sorry for me, but merely to impress upon you the fact that it took all these things to spark the mental evolution that led to me Overcoming Depression!

Today I have a much different view of reality.  Now I look at a friend and/or loved one and value them with a much greater appreciation.  I know that they are a phenomenon that has no equal, either in the past or the future.  And they will be gone some day.  Just like a shooting star that streaks across the night sky, so we come into existence, burn brightly, and then pass beyond the veil.

And this is a good thing!  There are two advantages to this understanding.

• First, when we truly understand this, we accept loss as a natural thing.
• Secondly, we value every moment, and live in the present, not the past or the future.

In conclusion, depression is a failure to understand reality correctly!

That’s MY perception of it anyway!


Overcoming Depression with St John’s Wort

In my ongoing research into Natural methods for overcoming depression, I have found a lot of useful information.
The Black Dog Institute is attached to the Prince of Wales Hospital and affiliated with the University of New South Wales.

One of such is their fact sheet on the use of St John’s wort, and it’s effects. (read it here)
Personally, I have used St John’s Wort  for several years with varying benefits.  It is no ‘cure-all’, but it does have some beneficial effects.
However, like any other herbal medication, it need to be used with some caution.  It apperars that mixing it with doctor -prescribed medications may have adverse effects, as it can amplify the side-effects of certain pharmaceuticals.
Basically, St john’s Wort acts as a Serotonin Uptake Inhibitor, but is not beneficial to people with Melancholic (or genetic) Depression.
Consult with your Doctor for more information on whether this treatment would be beneficial to you or not.


Why NATURAL Anti-Depressants?

     When I understood I had to begin overcoming depression, one of the first things I bean to look for, was a method of overcoming depression naturally. 

     One of the biggest controversies today is ‘Natural vs. Pharmaceutical’.  Of course there are well educated, well respected, advocates on both sides of the fence.

     I am not an expert or professional in either field.  My intention is solely to share with you what worked for me, and why I made the choices I did.  If you are on a doctor-prescribed medication, and you are achieving the results you desire, by all means – continue it!

However,  if you are still searching for more information, perhaps there will be something you can use in my story!  To get a better understanding of what happened to me, it would be helpful to start with the post “Overcoming Depression”.

One of the primary reasons I began to try vitamins, herbs, and other supplements, was the side effects connected to the prescription my doctor gave me.  Mine were relatively mild, but if you read the list of ‘adverse reactions’, they range from the unpleasant to the downright scary!  Another reason I didn’t like the SSRI the prescribed for me was the seeming lack of effectiveness.  I have lately discovered that this feeling was more than imagination!  Read the Article!

Aside from the physical reactions, I hated the disconnected feeling I had everywhere I went.  I had progressed from mental distress to no longer caring.  Neither is a state that adds anything to the quality of your life, and my search was about finding a joyous and peaceful state of mind.

 I understood that on a cognitive level, my depression was a pattern of thoughts leading away from the state of mind I wanted to achieve, but that there was a physiological aspect also.  Just because I wanted to experience a joyous mental state did not mean it was possible to ‘will’ it into existence.  And, I wanted to overcome depression naturally, rather than walk around like a living zombie!

A friend of mine in the medical community suggested I try a herb known as St. John’s Wort.  I had heard of it’s positive, mood enhancing properties for some time, but hadn’t personally experienced them.  At first, they helped, but I sensed there were other times when they merely amplified my sadness.  That was just MY particular experience.  One thing about ANY product, is that everyone’s experience is different.

I DID find that St. John’s Wort used in conjunction with Omega-3 oils had a more positive effect on my mental state than either used alone.

I had some success drinking green tea, and taking green tea extract in capsule form.

However, the most benefit of any one particular experience has been in the form of a Bi-directional herbal tonic.

That’s when I discovered a whole new field of research involving Herbal Remedies. 

There are lots of natural way to overcome depression, but one of the best ways I have found to date is through the use of bi-directional herbs.