Homoeopathy Combats Depression
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1997 Jan / Feb VOL VI NO 1.
Dr E Balakrishnan
' Aurum / Calc-c / Cyc / Lit-tig / Psor / Staph
Mind in its own place, and in itself, can make a heaven out of hell, a hell of heaven. The sorrow that has no vent in tears, may make the organs weep.'
Depression is said to be the single largest diagnosis made in medicine today. At
any general medical OPD we find between 40 to 75 percent of the patients exhibiting a psychiatric problem - most often depression. A recent report from the World Bank and Harvard university says that depression is set to sweep the world as the second largest cause of death and debility.' This was the summary of the Times of India Health column on 23.03.97.
Why is the medical menace reaching such gigantic proportions and what do we do about it ? ' Anti-depressants' and 'mood-elevators' are not the answer. Homoeopathy can well meet the challenge
In the matter of allaying mental stress, even emotions like fear, Homoeopathy is of signal value.
I would like to discuss few of the most important Homoeopathic remedies which are helpful in combating 'Depression'.
I will give only the 'mentals' of these drugs in synoptic form as given by our Masters.
The cases presented under each drug will verify the efficacy of these Depression.
AUR-MET
'Lack of gold has driven many to suicide; Potentised gold has brought many back to life and hope'.
' Characteristically, Aurum is suicidal.
Feels that he is not fit for this world; that he can never can succeed; that he is irretrievably lost; thought of death gives him intense joy.'
'Mind---Constantly dwelling on suicide. Profound Melancholy.
Ailments from fright, anger, contradiction, mortification, vexation, dread, or reserved displeasure.'
Case 1
Lady aged 44, was brought to me in Jan '97. She stays at Poona with her husband and two daughters--- one is married and settled in life and the other marriageable age, highly qualified, and is working in a firm.
The patient is worried on two scores -
(1) her strained relations with her husband
(2) second daughter is not married
She is always gloomy, depressed and spends sleepless nights; not taking care of health.
Thinking a change of environment and treatment would help her, her father took her to home town in Kerala, where other family relations were residing. She was placed under a psychiatrist's care, who prescribed various tranquilisers, mood- elevators etc, without any benefit.
During my recent visit to Kerala, the case was presented to me.
I found the patient very gloomy, sad and miserable.
She was continuously sobbing, weeping and repeating 'I would like to commit suicide --- I don't want to live --- there is nobody in the world who cares for me.'
I prescribed two doses of Aurum-met, 10M, directing her father to stop all allopathic medicines and to be vigilant to see that she should not, on a fit of impulse, commit suicide.
Within a fortnight her father reported --- she has come out of the 'gloom' and remains cheerful, with no thoughts of suicide and she sleeps well.
CALC - CARB.
Depressed melancholic or doubting mood; fears, disease, misery and disaster, of being observed, and of insanity, etc.
Calcarea has every kind of fear.
Uneasiness of mind, as if some accident or misfortune may happen to himself,
or someone else. Anxiety for the future. Despair of life, despair of salvation.
Fear that she will loose her reason.'
'Fear of insanity' (Kent)
Case 2
A working lady, aged about 42, approached me for treatment for inveterate 'Vertigo' --- Which was unresponsive to all allopathic treatment for years. All investigations including C.T. Scan were normal.
Very often, she needed help from her colleagues during her travel to the workspot --- which is near Masjid station.
During case - taking, she was a picture of melancholy. She said she is always haunted by the fear of becoming insane. Three years back, she had a Hysterectomy for heavy menstrual bleeding.
Analysing the case to be one of suppression ( having stopped menstrual bleeding by surgery) coupled with the mentals --- episodes of deep mental depression and fear of lunacy, she was given Calc - carb. In graduated potencies from 200 to 10 M at intervals, which brought about a marvelous cure.
She has kept well till now.
CYCLAMEN
'Mentally, Cyclamen reminds one of Drosera, with its illusions of being persecuted by everyone; or again of Staphysagria, with ailments from inward grief, or terrors of conscience: as if he had committed a bad act, or had not done his duty.'
Case 3
A college girl of 18 happened to be a victim of a sexual assault from a close college boy-friend which fact she had been nursing as a deep dark secret. The inward grief she suffered because of this was eating into her vitals.
This led to a delusion that she is being persecuted by everybody, which caused her serious mental depression. She became morose and remorseful, and lost all interest in studies and other activities. She spent sleepless nights. A few doses of Cycalmen 200 dispelled her gloomy attitude towards life and she is in her usual bright self to this day.
