How Come They're Happy and I'm Not? (18 page)

My interest in mentioning this herb is for those of you who may be using dopamine-boosting medications like bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) or aripiprazole (Abilify) successfully. Patients who have found these to help with motivation, self-esteem, and general good mood may be able to use low doses of this herb to successfully wean off medication while still keeping their better mood intact.

For support with medication, I recommend starting with 200 mg of Mucuna Pruriens extract per day and moving up to 200 mg twice a day after two weeks (which supplies about 120 to 240 mg of L-dopamine). This is a relatively low dose. Mucuna may cause some bloating and nausea in some people and can interfere with anticoagulant drugs. It may boost testosterone and could aggravate polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in women. There have been reported cases of severe vomiting, heart palpitations, difficulty in falling asleep, delusions, and confusion. To be safe, I recommend working with a knowledgeable practitioner if you would like to try this herb.

The word
sage
comes from the Latin word
salvare
, which means “to heal.” Although short on formal clinical studies, sage has long been used for purification, protection, and longevity. The plant has been used in healing ceremonies by the Mazatec Indians of Oaxaca for centuries, and Native American rituals use the smoke from dried sage to eliminate negative spirits. In smudging ceremonies, which clear the psychic space of an area, bundled sage is burned so the smoke can fill the space. It's believed that when inhaled, sage can
bring old, buried issues into conscious awareness, allowing the person to release them and move on in life. Anecdotally, sage is also used internally in small doses. It's believed that just a nibble helps people break through repetitive patterns that keep them depressed. Sage tea also acts as a digestive stimulant and has been known to raise the spirits of those with depression.

My experience has been with using sage in smudging ceremonies with patients. Used as an anti-fever treatment, garden sage tea may be a reasonable choice to try. Sip one hot cup every four hours. Sage in these forms has no known toxicity.

Much of what we know about plant medicine we owe to the brilliant Native American healing tradition. The following is a passage from
Sacred Sage: How It Heals
by Silver Wolf Walks Alone, and I believe it truly captures the essence of the Native American use of sage:

I truly felt the power of the sage plant one time when I was very depressed and could not shake it off. I was wearing depression like an animal wears its fur. I decided to “smoke” it off. I went into a small room in my home and made a comfortable place to sit and lay down. I closed the door to the rest of the house and cracked the window. In my shell, I placed a large ball of sage leaves and lit them. The sage smoldered for at least a half hour. The room was heavily smoked, and I was resting peacefully. I had let my intentions be known through a prayer: I was ready to release this depression and was humbly asking for the help for the sage plant's Spirits and the Creator. When I noticed all the sage was burnt and the smoke was disappearing, I was indeed feeling better. With true desire and clear intention, and focus of action, healing can always occur.

Homeopathy is an energetic system of medicine founded by the American medical doctor Samuel Hahnemann, who is the namesake of Hahnemann University Hospital, part of Drexel University
College of Medicine. Homeopathy is commonly used in Western Europe, India, and Latin America. While slow to adopt natural medicines, North America has begun to see a rapid increase in homeopathy usage. A number of observational studies have shown positive results for homeopathy in conditions such as chronic illness, diabetic neuropathy, and cancer. Patients rightly perceive homeopathy as a lower-risk therapy than conventional treatments and report higher satisfaction rates. Despite this widespread use, relatively scant research has been performed to study the use of homeopathy for depression.

Probably one of the strongest studies to date for homeopathic treatment of depression is a 1997 study out of Duke University, which studied selected remedies on an outpatient basis to treat twelve adults who had major depression, social phobia, or panic disorder. The patients either requested homeopathic treatment or received it on a physician's recommendation after partial or poor response to conventional therapies. Patients were prescribed individual homeopathic prescriptions based on their particular symptoms and personalities for periods of time ranging from seven to eighty weeks. Overall positive response rates were between 50 percent and 58 percent. Although there was some confusion regarding some of the results, and there was no control used to judge the treatments against, the authors concluded, “Homeopathy may be useful in the treatment of affective and anxiety disorders in patients with mildly to severely symptomatic conditions.” This study was a good first step, but more is needed.

According to Dr. Dana Ullman, there are “literally hundreds” of possible remedies for depression. Although not exhaustive, the following is a list of common homeopathic remedies for depression, each followed by a condensed list of symptoms the remedy treats. Try looking at these lists to see which best describes you. You may not experience every symptom in a description, but if the overall description sounds like you, then you can give that particular remedy a try.

• Demanding personality
  
• Insecurity and anxiety
  
• Depression with impossibly high expectations of yourself and others
  
• A strong sense of dependency
  

• Impatience and tendency to interrupt others, walk and talk at a fast pace, anger easily, and be curt or rude
  
• Depression when you perform poorly or when you feel you do not live up to your expectations and sense of ability
  
• Serious outlook and believe yourself worthless
  
• Despair about life
  
• Discouragement
  
• Humiliation and anger, which lead to feelings of emptiness and worthlessness
  
• Emotional sensitivity
  
• Sensitivity to noise and light
  
• Increase in physical and emotional symptoms at night
  
• Nighttime head pain and high blood pressure
  
• Nightmares or insomnia
  

In extreme cases, people who are considering suicide or have attempted it may find relief with Aurum. According to Dr. William Mitchell, Aurum is a good choice for patients with depression and suicidal tendency, for which a 200X or 200C potency can make them feel like the light has been turned on. X and C refer to the strength of the homeopathic preparation. Mitchell found it effective to dose Aurum one time each day until symptoms clear. If you have suicidal thoughts, or have had them recently, please first tell a doctor, for he or she can help you. Then, look for Aurum.

• Overall personality is mild and gentle
  
• Dependable and industrious person who becomes overwhelmed from too much worry, work, or physical illness
  
• Frequent crying
  
• Anxiety, fatigue, confusion, discouragement, self-pity, and mood swings
  
• Dread of disaster
  
• Childlike desire to be consoled and gain sympathy, especially when given by a mother-like figure
  
• Aversion to conflict
  
• Difficulty making decisions
  
• Sluggishness after exertion
  
• Increased depression before or during menstruation
  
• Elevation of symptoms in stuffy rooms
  
• Craving for rich, fatty foods and eggs
  
• Perspiration while eating
  

• Continual grief
  
• Frequent crying
  
• Mental dullness and forgetfulness
  
• Severe discouragement
  
• Sense of injustice in the world and sympathy toward those who are wronged
  

• Energy and talkativeness when feeling well but gloominess when depressed
  
• Exaggerated fears of things like going insane, being attacked, or suffering disaster
  
• Painful menstruation
  
• Headaches that involve the neck
  

• Sensitive person who has suffered grief, loss of loved ones, and/or disappointment and tries to keep the hurt inside
  
• Defensiveness to avoid showing hurt
  
• Inappropriate laughing or crying
  
• Plum pit qi (the Chinese medicine term for a lump in the throat) and heaviness in the chest
  
• Frequent sighing or yawning
  
• Insomnia or excessive sleeping
  
• Headaches and cramps in the abdomen and back
  

One study with ignatia for patients with fibromyalgia showed a trend toward less depression as well as less tender points and pain, and better quality of life and health.

• Increased depression after stressors like excess work, illness, emotional strain, or excitement
  
• Exhaustion
  
• Nervousness and jumpiness
  
• Low concentration that leads to lack of confidence
  
• Headaches from mental effort
  
• Easy perspiration
  
• Sensitivity to cold
  
• Anemia
  
• Regular insomnia and indigestion
  

• Depression after an injury, disappointment, or illness
  
• Personality is mild, gentle, and selfless—making an effort to be cheerful and helpful
  
• Conflict aversion
  
• Privacy with feelings of depression
  
• Preference for sad music when lonely, leading to feelings of isolation
  
• Emotional and physical sensitivity to sun, weather changes, and many foods, especially milk
  

• Betrayal by trusted people
  
• Depression prior to or during menstruation
  
• Reservation and responsibility
  
• Privacy with strong inner feelings (anger, grief, romantic attachment, or fear of misfortune)
  
• Anger when people offer consolation
  
• Crying—only when alone, with heavy sobbing
  
• Anxiety
  
• Tendency to dwell on past grievances
  
• Migraines, back pain, and insomnia when depressed
  
• Craving for salt
  
• Elevation of symptoms during hot weather, fatigue with sun exposure
  
• Perceived or actual lack of bonding or nurturing from mother or father
  

• Depression or mood change after head injury
  
• May have pain in the back of the head
  
• Worse with wet, damp, and humid conditions
  
• Better with dryness
  
• Sensitive to criticism
  

• Emotional and physical fatigue
  
• Graying or loss of hair after severe depression or grief
  
• Loss of interest in activities or items previously favored
  
• Increased fatigue and depression after exercise
  
• Emotional numbness or indifference
  
• Emptiness
  
• Lack of concentration
  
• Perceived lack of intelligence
  
• Loss of motivation at work, lack of interest in business matters
  
• Tendency to dwell on disappointment
  
• Oversensitivity to lights, sounds, and odors
  
• Physical weakness in the morning
  
• Mood drops when exposed to cold outdoors or drafts
  

• Crying, desire for consolation and hugs
  
• Childlike softness and sensitivity
  
• Whininess, jealousness, or moodiness
  
• Mood elevation with crying, gentle exercise, or fresh air
  
• Increased anxiety in hot or stuffy environments
  
• If female, worse depression during hormonal changes (such as puberty, menstruation, or menopause)
  

• Great fatigue from daily life
  
• Preference for being left alone, not consoled
  
• Indifference to family members
  
• Menstrual problems
  
• Sense of organ prolapse (the falling or slipping down of an organ, such as the uterus)
  
• Very slow digestion
  
• Elevated mood after vigorous exercise or crying
  

• Depression, shame, resentment, or humiliation because of an insult or loss of pride
  
• Suppressed emotions
  
• Depression after a bout of anger
  
• Attachment to dignity when feeling beaten down
  
• Anger fits under pressure
  
• Emotional sensitivity
  
• Trembling associated with strong emotions
  
• Strong sexual desires and frequent masturbation
  
• Self-pity
  
• Sensitive and difficulty standing up for self
  
• Upset circadian rhythm
  
• Pains manifesting as toothaches, headaches, stomach aches, or bladder infections