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.

ILIUM - TIGRINUM
'A precious remedy not enough understood.
Depression. Constant inclination to weep, with fearfulness and apprehension of suffering from some terrible intense disease.'
Tormented about her salvation, with ovarian or uterine complaints ; consolation agg.
Profound depression of spirits; can hardly avoid weeping; is very timid, fearful.'

Case 4
Lady aged 56. During her menopausal stage, she developed varied heart problems (heart block) and prolapsed uterus and came in for Homoeopathic treatment.
Because of her serious heart problems, she was not found fit for surgery, i.e. Hysterectomy. She had prolapse of uterus while defecating and urinating; palpitation on least exertion due to the heart problem.
Profound depression of spirits and despair of recovery, goaded her even to suicidal thoughts. Lilium-tigrinum in graduated potencies, from 200 onwards, relieved her from the uterine prolapse totally and also her heart problems. She is still under observation. 

PSORINUM
'Sad; hopeless. All dark. Business a failure. Sinned away his days of grace. No joy : Despair of recovery. Anxious ; full of fear; melancholic; very depressed, suicidal thoughts.' 

Case 5
Patient X aged 36. A young stock sub - broker, suffered heavy loss in speculative trading in the stock market and he had to give up his business.
Chill penury made him a picture of misery --- sad and depressed --- not moving out of his house --- with blasted hopes of ever coming out of the present financial crisis.
Earlier he had suffered from psoriasis, which was almost cured except for one or two small patches at the elbow and neck.
But this crisis bought back the psoriasis in full form and thick patches appeared all over the abdomen and legs; some patches oozed muco - purulent offensive liquid.Psorinum 1000, 1 dose followed by Calc-sulf 200 few doses relieved him totally within a period of eight weeks.
His mental outlook also changed totally and he took up a job. This was really a great change --- for a person used to being a boss, had now to work under someone would be a difficult proposition. But, thanks to Homoeopathy, he could do it. 

STAPHYSAGRIA
'Very sensitive to slightest mental impressions; least actions or harmless word offends. Ailments from pride, envy or chagrin; was insulted ; being too dignified to fight, subdued his wrath and went home sick , trembling and exhausted.'
'Staph is the Arnica of the psyche; the stress that is difficult to absorb because it creates a feeling of being impotent; revolts; vexatious without being able to defend oneself, revengeless humiliation, the medicine which helps to resolve ' the bruises of the soul' or I could say the haemaetomas of the heart'.
'Ailments from indignation and vexation, or reserved displeasure.'
Not a day passes without reading cases of rape and reports of assaults on the modesty of women.
Have we thought, even for a moment, the mental trauma suffered by these unfortunate innocent victims of such assaults who are unable to fight, have to subdue their wrath and go home sick, gloomy, trembling and exhausted; indignation, vexation and chagrin rankling most in their minds.
No amount of 'anti-dep' tablets or mood elevators can come to their rescue and take their gloom and despondency.
'Staph' few doses may help clearing the encircling gloom and depression.
I had occasion to treat a few such cases recently and every time 'Staph' came to my rescue.