Cold Showers as efficient therapy for depression

Depression can be a
really devastating psychological disease, and treatments  may range from antidepressants with substantial
side effects to electric shock therapy for critical patients conditions, resent
researches suggest that a simple cold shower might sometimes cure, and even
prevent, debilitating mood disorders.

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Research

As the name implies,
cold showers therapy is done by subjecting the patient body to cold
temperatures of the running water, creating a physiological response in the
body and subsequently the brain. A recent study at the Virginia Commonwealth
University School of Medicine established that depressed patients who were
treated with cold showers showed a significant improvement in mood.

The treatments
consisted of cold showers that were 20°C for 2 to 3 minutes, performed once or
twice daily over several months. The evidence suggested that exposure to cold
activates the sympathetic nervous system, increases the blood level of
beta-endorphin and noradrenaline, and increases synaptic release of
noradrenaline in the brain. Additionally, due to the high density of cold
receptors in the skin, the cold shower sent electrical impulses from peripheral
nerve endings to the brain, which resulted in the anti-depressive effect.

How it works?

Cold therapy helps
with depression by creating the same type of physiological stressors that have
been experienced by primates through millions of years of evolution, such as
brief changes in body temperature produced by a cold swim. It’s theorized that
lack of this type of thermal exercise may impede adequate functioning of the
brain.

As the temperature
of a human body drops below the level required for health, various reactions
occur to protect the core--that is, the abdominal organs and brain--from
damage, even at the expense of the extremities. The brain is literally
insulated against extreme cold, and it will begin to suffer symptoms of damage
only at the point of advanced hypothermia, long after muscular symptoms such as
shivering first appear. This assumes that the core temperature is not dropping
very rapidly, as when a person is submerged in cold water.

The average healthy
temperature of a human body is 36.1 to 37.5° C, or 96.9 to 99.5° F. Hypothermia
is defined as any temperature below 35° C or 96° F. This is the beginning of
stage 1 hypothermia. Brain function becomes noticeably impaired only during
stage 2, which begins at around 33°C or 93°F. The person may exhibit confusion.
Many of the symptoms, which may appear as potentially neurological (including
lack of coordination, stumbling and labored speech) are in fact muscular in
nature. As part of the body's effort to protect the internal organs, the
vasomotor response constricts blood vessels in and near the skin. Consequently,
the individual’s hands, face, and legs lose function, although the brain is
largely unaffected.

Temperature jolts to
brain may have a similar effect as the phenomenon of homeopathy, whereby small
doses of something harmful may actually promote healing by stimulating the
body’s repair and recovery systems. Electric shock and deep brain stimulation
treatments operate on a somewhat similar principal, only with frightening
potential side effects, such as memory loss and cognitive impairment.

The study's author,
Nikolai Shevchuk, believes the biological explanation revolves around a part of
the brainstem known, appropriately enough, as the locus ceruleus, or "blue
spot."

"The possible
antidepressant effect may also have to do with the mild electroshock delivered
to the brain by a cold shower, because of the unusually high density of cold
receptors in the skin," he added, explaining that these nerve endings are 3-10
times higher in density than those registering warmth.

Shevchuk proposes
that depression may be caused by two factors. The first is a genetic makeup
that predisposes an individual to the disorder. Prior research has documented
that depression can run in families, but since some sufferers report no prior
family history and many people develop depression later in life, genes don't
appear to explain all cases. He suspects a lifestyle lacking sufficient
physiological stress, such as brief changes in body temperature, may also be a
contributing factor.

Kundalini Yoga Viewpoint

Interesting enough,
that the new findings of the Western researchers support the recommendations,
which have been practiced for long by Eastern practitioners. Gurudev Khar
Khalsa, a Sat Nam Rasayan healer and Kundalini Yoga teacher confirms that cold
showers can be very efficient tool to combat, and even prevent depression.

Cold showers have
the following positive effects:

* Brings blood to
the capillaries, therefore increasing circulation throughout the body.

* Cleans the
circulatory system.

* Reduces blood
pressure on internal organs.

* Provides flushing
for the organs and provides a new supply of blood.

* Strengthens the
parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.

* Contracts the
muscles to eliminate toxins and poisonous wastes.

* Strengthens the
mucous membranes, which help resist hay fever, allergies, colds, coughs.

Many health problems
are reduced or even eliminated over time by providing proper circulation of the
blood to the affected area using the cold shower massage.

"Ishnan"
is the term used in the old days when people in India referred to cold showers
(very cold showers). "Ishnan" is the point at which the body, by its
own virtue, creates the temperature that it can beat off the coldness of the
water. This happens when the capillaries open with the onset of the cold water.
They close again during the course of the cold shower and it is at that point
that all the blood rushes back to flush the organs and the glands. This process
allows the glands to renew their secretions and "youth" (i.e. young
glands) again returns to the body."

Cold shower
guidelines and restrictions

• The proposed treatment procedure would
  last several weeks to several months. It would consist of one or two cold
  showers a day at 20 ° C (68 ° F) for 2 to 3 minutes, proceeded by a 5
  minute gradual adaptation to lessen the shock.


• Many practitioners recommend 2 or more
  cold showers a day.  This is particularly essential if you are
  working on shifting a physical or emotional problem.  The majority
  recommend at least 3 a day. First thing in the morning, when you get home
  from work and before you go to bed. Other therapists suggest that for some
  people cold shower and other water procedures y not be suitable
  immediately before bedtime and just after awakening. For these people, they
  are commended during the day, when the body is active. The reason is that
  cold water quickly affects the central nervous system, eliminating fatigue
  so these people will have difficulties to fall asleep.


• Shower in cold water until your body temperature rises and no longer
  feels cold, but toasty and warm. Make sure the bathroom is heated. Never
  get out of a cold shower into a cold room.


• If you find it difficult to start with
  the recommended procedure, start small and gradually work up to the
  recommended procedure duration of 2 minutes. Start with 15 – 30 seconds,
  and begin with your feet then move to your knees and legs.  Gradually
  introduce the cold water to all parts of your body.  Some
  practitioners say it’s not absolutely necessary to get your head wet,
  just your face and back of neck (an important energy location).


• Little and often is far more effective
  than eight minutes at once.  Be mindful if you are feeling weak,
  listen to your body and start with small steps.


• Cold showers should not be taken during a women's time of
  menstruation. A woman needs extra rest and gentleness during her menses.
  Taking a cold shower is too much for the reproductive system during
  menstruation. Also, cold showers are not recommended for women after the 7-th
  month of pregnancy.


• Cold showers are not recommended for men
  immediately after ejaculation. At the moment, the male body is focused on
  making new sperm cells and semen, so cold showers can be a bit too
  stressful.


• One more potential restriction is related
  to the people with eating disorders and substantially underweight. This
  usually goes along with having a low body temperature and a general
  metabolic weakness which might prevent your body from generating enough
  heat to withstand the cold temperatures.


• Cold showers may be dangerous immediately
  after a vigorous workout. It is better to start with hot and finish with cold
  to avoid muscle cramping.


• If you use contrast shower (cold-warm-cold-warm…), always finish
  with cold water.

Some history

In the 1820s, a German farmer named Vincenz Priessnitz started touting
a new medical treatment called “hydrotherapy,” which used cold water to cure
everything from broken bones to erectile dysfunction. He turned his family’s
homestead into a sanitarium, and patients flocked to it in the hope that his
cold water cure could help them. Among his clientele were
dukes, duchesses, counts, countesses, and a few princesses to boot.

Priessnitz’s hydrotherapy soon spread to the rest of Europe and
eventually to the United States. Celebrities and other famous folks
took to it, like, well, a duck to water and helped popularize the cold water
cure with the masses. For example, Charles Darwin was a huge proponent of
hydrotherapy. The first hydrotherapy facility opened up in the U.S in 1843,
right when the sanitarium craze hit America. By the end of the 19th century,
over 200 hydrotherapy/sanitarium resorts existed in the U.S., the most famous
being the Battle Creek Sanitarium founded by John Harvey Kellogg.

The popularity of hydrotherapy began to decline in the 20th century as
many in the medical field moved to drugs to treat illnesses. As doctors
concentrated on conventional medicine, more holistic methods began to be seen
as quackery. While hydrotherapy was prescribed less and less to cure illnesses,
doctors continued to use it to treat injuries such as strained muscles and
broken bones. You’ll find athletes today taking ice baths to speed their
recovery from injuries and intense workouts.

Sources and
Additional Information:

http://www.randifredricks.com/randi/art/cold.cfm

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/12/18/depression-cold-shower.html

http://www.cold-showers.com/alleviate-depression/

http://earthclinic.com/Remedies/showers.html

http://thehealthylivinglounge.com/2010/02/15/12-essential-reasons-to-take-cold-showers/

http://www.secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/cold-showers.html

http://artofmanliness.com/2010/01/18/the-james-bond-shower-a-shot-of-cold-water-for-health-and-vitality/

Bach Flower Remedies and Depression

"Every single person has a life to live, a work to
do, 

a glorious personality, a wonderful individuality." 

Dr. Edward
Bach

What are the Bach Flower Remedies?

Back Flower Remedies were created by Dr. Edward Bach a British physician and well-known bacteriologist and researcher,
in the 1930s. Bach believed that illness is the
effect of disharmony between body and mind and that symptoms of an illness are
the external expression of negative emotional states. Disillusioned by modern
medicine, he assumed that every physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual
symptom offered clues as to what we need to restore balance.  Over time, Bach
discovered various recipes of the flower remedies to address the emotional
distress.

He identified 38 basic negative states of mind, divided into
7 traditional groups, and created a plant or flower based remedy for each one,
based on what emotional difficulties are handled. The emotional issues
addressed by healing flower essences
are isolation, despair, anxiety, hesitation, and insufficient interest in
current conditions, oversensitivity to influences and ideas and over-care for
the welfare of others.

From a total of 38 different Bach Flower Essences, 37 made
from specific flowers and one made from the water of a spring believed to have
healing properties. Each essence is used to treat a specific emotion or state
of mind such as fear, anger, apathy, etc. These are all emotions that most
people can readily identify in themselves and in other people. These emotional
states and their corresponding essence are all described in The Twelve Healers
and Other Remedies by Edward Bach. Dr. Bach’s goal was to create a system of
medicine that was simple enough that people who become familiar with the
essences through his publications could identify their negative emotional
state, select the corresponding essence and thus treat themselves.

The Bach Flower Essences are all natural, very dilute solutions
made from spring water, an alcohol preservative, and the parts of specific
flowers. They are used to help balance the emotions and bring about a state of
equilibrium in living organisms, and have been successfully used with people,
animals, and even plants. Bach Flower Essences are listed in the Homeopathic
Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS), have been issued with National Drug
Code (NDC) numbers by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are sold as
over-the-counter homeopathic products in the United States.

Although the Bach Flower Essences are listed in the HPUS and
are prepared at a 5X homeopathic dilution (0.00001 gram of active substance per
milliliter of tincture) they are not considered homeopathic medicine. While
they are prepared from plant material, they do not fall in the same category as
herbal medicine. The fact that we refer to them as “essences” suggests to some
that they are aromatherapy—the use of essential oils and other aromatic
compounds from plants to affect someone’s mood or health—which they are not.
Flower essences fill their own unique niche in the arsenal of complementary
medicine.

The Bach Flower Remedies are now well known as alternative
therapy that helps to manage the emotional demands of everyday life. Each
remedy brings balance to a specific emotion. They are completely safe and
natural. The remedies can be used by everyone and do not have any side effects.
They are even used to help plants and animals because they act in such a gentle
way.

Depression Treatment

Clinical
depression is a serious illness, requiring balanced professional treatment. In
many cases, you feel gloomy and down for a prolonged period of time, and you
are just not able to get excited by anything or feel any reason to see hope for
the future. People with depression often suffer from a feeling of monotony,
lack of concentration and therefore become forgetful, worry about problems more
than dealing with problems, low self esteem and in worse cases feelings of
suicide.

Back Flower
Remedies will not be able to replace medications and therapy in the severe
cases, but they might help with light to moderate depressive episodes, giving a
safe and side-effects free assistance to the person to regulate better the
general mood and emotions on a daily file.

Following are some of Bach’s flower remedies for
depression.  Select the remedy or remedies that best match how you are
feeling.  You can take one or more remedies.  Simply add four drops
of the remedy to a glass of water and sip throughout the day. 
Alternatively, take two drops under the tongue four times a day or as
necessary.

• Elm: When you are
  feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed because you are overworked or
  have too many responsibilities, Elm is the remedy of choice.


• Gentian: When you
  feel pessimistic, discouraged, or have lost faith.  It is used for
  depression when a person knows the reason for his or her sadness.


• Gorse: When you
  feel hopeless, that there is nothing that can be done for you, or resigned
  to your less-than-ideal fate, gorse may be helpful.


• Mustard: Mustard is
  used for sadness or depression that has no apparent cause.  It feels
  like a dark cloud has blocked out happiness and joy.


• Sweet Chestnut: Selected
  for feelings of hopelessness, Sweet Chestnut reflects a long, courageous
  battle that feels lost.  It is particularly suited when it feels like
  an inner transformation is occurring and a “dying off” of a person’s old
  self is taking place.


• Willow: Willow is
  best suited for negativity and a tendency to blame others for the problems
  in life.  Alternatively, if your sadness is linked to a grudge that
  you’re holding onto but would like to let go of, Willow is a good choice.


• Olive: Olive helps
  when you feel exhausted and tired most of the time.


• Wild Rose: Wild
  Rose is recommended when you feel you are losing interest in life, when
  you stop enjoying even the activities you used to like, when you
  experience resignation and apathy most of the time.

The best known flower remedy is the Rescue Remedy combination,
which contains an equal amount each of Rock Rose, Impatiens, Clematis, Star of
Bethlehem and Cherry Plum remedies. The product is aimed at treating stress,
anxiety, and panic attacks, especially in emergencies.

Reference Chart is provided below:

Use and Dosage

Bach's Flower Remedy
might be taken straight from the bottle, four drops at a time, as required in
any stressful life event or episode of depression. Nonetheless, it's ideal to
put four drops in a glass of clear, natural water, and to sip as needed.  Regardless of what remedies are chosen, the
technique for preparing the remedies will be exactly the same. When the remedy
is meant to be utilized now and again, place two drops of each solution in a
glass of clear, non-gasified natural water. However if you're making use of the
Rescue Remedy, you really should place four drops. The essence ought to be
taken up to four times per day, as needed. When it's going to be utilized for
chronic conditions then place two drops of each remedy or four drops just in
case you're making use of Rescue Remedy into a dark glass 30ml bottle with
non-gasified natural water. This solution ought to be taken 4 times on a daily
basis right until you have obtained relief from emotional stress. This could
take a couple of weeks relying on the seriousness of the situation.

Summary

Bach Flower Therapy
can be used as a self-help tool by anyone to help soothe daily irritability,
depression, moodiness and stress of all kinds. However, when problems are
deeper, repetitive, or chronic, psychological counseling and anti-depressants may
be more appropriate. Often, Flower Remedies can be used during the counseling
process as a form of support between sessions or as a way of facilitating the
psychological work itself.

Bach flower
remedies, and other systems of botanical treatments derived from Bach's work,
have been recommended for many psychological and emotional conditions. There
are numerous anecdotes about successful treatment with Bach flower remedies,
although effectiveness has not been thoroughly investigated by adequate
scientific research.

Sources and Additional
Information:

http://www.burnoutsolutions.com/08c-bach-flower-remedy.shtml

http://www.bachfloweressences.co.uk/pages/Bach-Flower-Remedies-and-Depression.html

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/7-flower-remedies-for-depression.html

http://www.depression-remedies.info/bach-flower-remedies-for-depression.php

http://bachflower.com/blog/2011/01/30/an-overview-of-the-bach-flower-essences/

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8513/34968/358740.html?d=dmtContent

Kava Kava and Clinical Depression

What is Kava Kava?

Kava Kava (Piper
Methysticum), also known as Kava, Cava Cava, Cava, Cawa Cawa, Awa, Ava, Sakua,
and Yaqona is an herbal plant that can be found growing in the Polynesian
Islands. As a relative of the black pepper plant, it has similar heart shaped leaves
and flowers as the black pepper plant as well as a similar peppery taste. Many
believe that it is extremely beneficial in countering the symptoms of
depression, anxiety, and stress when it is in ingested.

History

Kava kava is native to some islands of the South Pacific, including
Vanuatu and Fiji. Vanuatu is one of the world's
foremost suppliers of kava kava. It has been used for centuries in Fiji and
Hawaii to reduce fatigue, combat anxiety and enhance sleep.

Preparation

Kava kava must undergo preparation before it can be used to treat
depression or anxiety. The plant must grow for four years before it can be harvested.
The roots are then cut from the plant, peeled, washed and ground. They are then
steeped in water, and the root pieces are removed by straining the liquid
through cheesecloth. The resulting liquid is ready to drink.

The ground root pieces can also be dried and used in supplement capsules.

Consumption

Kava Root (the only
part of the plant that is used) is largely employed in many cultures as a celebratory
drink much in the same way that alcohol is used in the West. It helps mark
momentous occasions such as weddings, public festivals, political powwows and
holidays, and it is even used in ceremonies honoring the dead. Unlike alcohol,
kava does not produce or stimulate aggression. It does not condemn the user to
a dreaded hangover, unlike alcohol.

Kava Kava can be
purchased in liquid form, powdered form, as an extract or tincture, or in
tablet or capsule form. In some places, the root itself is actually chewed
which provides a much more concentrated dosage than any other preparation of
the herb. The most popular way to consume Kava Kava is in the form of a tea.

Therapeutic Effects

Many people find
other uses for kava, including many medicinal ones. It’s interesting to note
that kava has been shown to help ease anxiety, depression as well as producing
a restful sleep. It is used by athletes, businessmen and diplomats to help
“take the edge off” and focus concentration.  Widely prescribed throughout
Oceania and Europe to treat hyperactivity in children, it has also been used to
aid children who have difficulty sleeping on occasion.

People report the
following positive effects on health and well-being:

• Relaxes muscles.

• Calms nerves.

• Creates a general feeling of well-being.

• Induces a feeling of peace, relaxation and contentment.

• Enhances mental alertness and concentration.

• Can be successfully used as an herbal aphrodisiac.

• Reduces inhibitions and makes people more sociable.

It is not exactly known how
kava functions in the body yet, but it seems to influence a neurotransmitter
called gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA in the brain, making it
similar to benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax, according to an article
in the international journal "Planta Medica," which reported that
kava facilitated the transmission of GABA. In a 1990 "European Journal of
Pharmacology" article, researchers reported that kava was able to inhibit
uptake of another neurotransmitter called norepinephrine. In an article in the
October 1998 issue of the journal "Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology
Biology and Psychiatry," researchers found that one of the kavalactones,
D,L-kawain, has been shown to affect dopamine, resulting in an increase in this
neurotransmitter. According to Drugs.com, there are conflicting reports about
kava's effects on serotonin. Based on the current research, it is difficult to
say exactly how kava affects neurotransmitters --- of which the human body has
many --- but at a minimum, it affects GABA, norepinephrine and dopamine.



The kavalactones in kava are
able to pass through the blood-brain barrier and act as sedatives and
analgesics, as well, meaning that if you are experiencing the irregular sleep
cycles often found in individuals suffering from depression, kava can help with
that, as well!

Consumers’ Experience

When first ingested,
users will experience a numbing of their lips, tongue, and sometimes even their
stomach that is caused by the blood vessels constricting. Kava Kava has an
intoxicating effect which, which depending on the dosage taken, some might
compare to that of drinking alcohol or using marijuana. When taken in
moderation, most users experience a great sense of relaxation and well being
combined with the ability to think clearly. It can also induce a restful,
dreamless sleep. This can be extremely therapeutic to those that suffer from
depression. In some cases, if the dosage is too high, individuals will enter a
euphoric or dream like state that may be undesirable and can be avoided simply
by lowering the dosage.

Side Effects

For the most part,
other than the initial numbness of the lips, tongue, and stomach, there are no
reported side effects from Kava Kava as long as it is used in moderation. In
fact, some have replaced alcoholic beverages with it because they get the same
effect without waking up with a hangover the next morning. However, when used
excessively, there are some reported side effects and/or health problems such
as a hypertension, yellow, scaly rash, shortness of breath, eye irritation, and
changes in red and white blood cells and platelets.

Kava Kava and Liver Damage

In the early 2000's, demand for Kava rose dramatically as it began to make
its way into the mainstream. For many years, it was also being prescribed in
parts of Europe to treat anxiety as well; something that the pharmaceutical
companies were surely taking notice of. Shortly thereafter, reports of liver
damage by a handful of people in Europe began to emerge. Unfortunately, doctors
were quick to blame Kava, and soon, entire countries were banning this
historically safe and effective herbal supplement. Three of those countries
included the United States, Canada, and Germany. Others quickly followed suit
and the legal status of kava was suddenly in serious jeopardy.

But, the health industry fought back with a vengeance. Leading that fight
was the International Kava Executive Council. Even though they were outgunned
by governments, pharmaceutical companies and the media, the herbal industry was
able to provide more than enough evidence that the ban was unquestionably
unjustified. Furthermore, the IKEC showed that the conclusions that were reached
should never have been reached in the first place, as it became clear that Kava
was nothing more than a convenient scapegoat for the reported liver damage. As
the evidence was being submitted, ongoing research was also being conducted by
a number of independent laboratories and universities behind the scenes, partly
because a worldwide ban on kava kava could be devastating for several economies
throughout Oceania.

Fortunately, within a small span of time, several key pieces of evidence
emerged. Perhaps the most notable one came from from the University of Hawaii,
as reported by the Honolulu Advertiser in early 2003. It turns out that there's
a poison in the leaves and peelings (bark) of Kava called pipermethystine. And,
not surprisingly, this poison could potentially lead to liver damage.

It turns out that once the demand for Kava skyrocketed, there wasn't
enough Kava root to fill the demand. Suppliers then knowingly or unknowingly
bought the leaves and peelings of Kava plants (the parts that are always thrown
away as waste material) from unscrupulous growers. Up until that event, the
only parts of the Kava plant that were traditionally used throughout its 3,000
year history were the roots; never the peelings or the leaves. On a related
note: further research revealed that the handful of people who suffered liver
damage also consumed alcohol on a regular basis, restoring Kava's place in the
herbal medicine chest as a safe, effective, and pleasant herbal supplement.

Unfortunately, the damage had already been done. Countries started to
lift their bans on Kava in 2003-onward, but kava was now synonymous with
"but it causes liver damage." Nothing could be further from the
truth, but the media had accomplished its task, and restoring Kava's reputation
has been an uphill battle ever since.

So, where do we stand with the "kava legal status" question?
Happily for many, the United States lifted its ban completely, Canada lifted
its ban on Kava if it's imported by individuals for personal consumption, and
even Germany, where much of the original controversy arose, lifted its ban on
Kava in 2007. Except for a handful of countries such as Norway, Australia, and
Sweden, Kava is indeed legal throughout the world once again! The Canadian
Health Ministry even gave permission to export Kava to Canada, provided it was
only to private individuals.

Dosage

The most significant
anti-anxiety studies show that an effective daily dose of kava is 70-210
milligrams of kavalactones. The amount of kava to take depends on your purpose
for using it and your individual sensitivity to the effects of kavalactones.

Death or severe
illness from exclusive use of kava has not been reported in any medical
literature.

No standard dose
exists for kava. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a
typical dose may be between 150-300 mg, taken between one to three times daily.
However, the dosage recommendations on the labels of kava supplements will vary
according to the brand. Do not take kava kava for more than three months
without the close supervision of your physician.

Recent Research

In the recent, 2009,
study, researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia have found a
traditional extract of Kava, a medicinal plant from the South Pacific, to be
safe and effective in reducing anxiety. Lead researcher Jerome Sarris, a PhD
candidate from UQ’s School of Medicine, said the placebo-controlled study found
Kava to be an effective and safe treatment option for people with chronic
anxiety and varying levels of depression.

“We’ve been able to
show that Kava offers a natural alternative for the treatment of anxiety, and
unlike some pharmaceutical options, has less risk of dependency and less
potential of side effects,” Mr. Sarris said.

Each week
participants were given a clinical assessment as well as a self-rating
questionnaire to measure their anxiety and depression levels. The researchers
found anxiety levels decreased dramatically for participants taking five
tablets of Kava per day as opposed to the placebo group which took dummy pills.

“We also found that
Kava had a positive impact on reducing depression levels, something which had
not been tested before,” Mr. Sarris said. In 2002 Kava was banned in Europe, UK
and Canada due to concerns over liver toxicity.

While the three-week
trial raised no major health concerns regarding the Kava extract used, the
researchers said larger studies were required to confirm the drug’s safety.

“When extracted in
the appropriate way, Kava may pose less or no potential liver problems. I hope
the results will encourage governments to reconsider the ban,” Mr. Sarris said.

Summary

While Kava Kava has
been shown to help alleviate some of the debilitating symptoms of depression,
it should never replace any prescription medication or traditional therapy
without first consulting with a physician. It is important to remember that
what works for one person might not necessarily work for another and what might
be safe for one person might be dangerous to another. Kava Kava is an extremely
potent herb for depression that can have some undesirable effects if it is
misused. Work with your physician to determine if it is right for you…

Sources and Additional Information:

http://www.herbsfordepressionrelief.com/kava-kava.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-is-the-Legal-Status-of-Kava?&id=3303256

http://www.kava.com/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511122619.htm

http://www.livestrong.com/article/135977-kava-kava-depression/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/439633-what-neurotransmitter-does-kava-kava-affect/

Celiac Disease, Gluten-Free Diet, and Glutenated Depression

Overview

Depression can be defined as a deep, chronic feeling of sadness. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it almost always requires treatment to improve. Many treatments exist, including natural remedies that can help a person avoid the need for antidepressant medications. A gluten-free diet is offered for consideration by some experts as an alternative treatment for depression, but conflicting research exists as to whether this is effective. More than that, the overwhelming data has been recently received that gluten-free diet may cause or aggravate the depressive disease. It is important to talk with your primary doctor or therapist before beginning alternative treatment like that.

Celiac Disease

While some chose to maintain the gluten-free diet, other do not have much choice. Celiac disease is an inherited, autoimmune disease in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats.

There are many symptoms of celiac disease, such as bloating or gas, diarrhea, headaches, an inability to gain weight and fatigue. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness also lists other nonphysical symptoms, such as depression and irritability. As of today, following a gluten-free diet during lifetime is the only treatment for celiac disease.

It’s very hard for some celiacs (people with celiac disease) to accept the fact that they need to adhere to gluten-free diet for their life. Many of them lack mental strength to accept this reality. Also, such dietary plans create many deficiencies in the body.

Glutenated Depression Causes

Research has shown that people with celiac disease do develop depression; however, the connection is not fully understood. The higher sensitivity to the depressive episodes can be explained by several reasons:

1. Some people may not be aware they are not aware that they are suffering from celiac disease, so they inadvertently consume an inacceptable for them dose of gluten from their daily intake. Simple things like breads, pizzas and other wheat products contain huge quantity of gluten. This in turn affects their villi (lining of your small intestine) and their capacity to absorb essential nutrients is substantially reduced. The malnutrition may cause severe health and mental consequences. Sometimes, depression related to the celiac disease is referred in the literature as ‘glutenated depression’.


2. While being diagnosed with celiac disease, patients have to accept a bitter reality that they have to consume gluten-free diet for lifetime. They are told to change drastically their eating habits and lifestyle, with complete exclusion of wheat. So they will be banned from eating all sorts of breads, pizzas, they cannot drink beer and they will be cutting most of the deserts from their diet. It’s not easy to accept these realities. Their mind and body will resist. It becomes very hard for them to say “no” to all ‘glutenated’ foods every now and then, even if they are told by their doctor that these things can harm them. They may get severe cravings for the gluten containing treats, but they have to keep their mouth shut, which is not always easy. Gluten is very nasty nutrient. It will immediately show up. Starting from diarrhea and stomach upsets, it will make the person sick mentally and physically. So it will lead to glutenated depression.


3. Even if a person follows a strict gluten-free diet, he/she may not be aware of the deficiencies, which such diet creates in the body. So he/she strictly adheres to gluten-free diet, but may not take in essential vitamins and nutrients, which would have been otherwise, part of his/her normal diet. So it will affect his body (mainly brains) and within a short period of time he will start feeling empty and depressed. This may be considered as the third potential cause of glutenated depression.

Research Studies

According to various studies, there is a some link between depressive disorder and adherence to the gluten-free diet, required for celiac disease patients.

• One study conducted by Addolorato et al., reported that depression was present in a higher percentage of celiac patients. They found that one year of gluten-free diet failed significantly to affect depressive symptoms. The presence of depression after introduction of the gluten-free diet could be related to the reduction in quality of life in celiac patients. The non-regression of depression after introducing the diet could suggest that these patients need psychological support.

• Another study found that celiac disease increased a patient's risk of subsequent depression. Moreover, patients with celiac disease were 1.8 times as likely to develop subsequent depression as those without the gastrointestinal disorder. Also, prior depression increased the risk of celiac disease at odds ratios of 2.3. The investigators suggested, in the Journal of Affective Disorders, that this increased risk might be due to increased screening for the condition among patients with mood disorder compared to healthy individuals.

Consideration

While it is absolutely clear that celiac disease is a strong risk factor for the depression development, the leading factor for the depression might not be a gluten-free diet itself, but other two factors of consideration, reviewed earlier.

The authors of the study published in the journal BMC Psychiatry observe:

“Celiac disease in adolescents has been associated with an increased prevalence of depressive and disruptive behavioral disorders, particularly in the phase before diet treatment.”

There are also ‘non-celiac’ aspects of gluten sensitivity. Gluten related inflammation in the brain can manifest as a host of cognitive, emotional and neurodegenerative disorders in the absence of intestinal manifestations. This is often referred to as “silent celiac disease”:

“Celiac disease is an under-diagnosed autoimmune type of gastrointestinal disorder resulting from gluten ingestion in genetically susceptible individuals. Non-specific symptoms such as fatigue and dyspepsia are common, but the disease may also be clinically silent.”

They further note that:

”Depressive symptoms and disorders are common among adult patients with celiac disease, and depressive and disruptive behavioral disorders are highly common also among adolescents, particularly in the phase before diet treatment. Recently 73% of patients with untreated celiac disease – but only 7% of patients adhering to a gluten-free diet – were reported to have cerebral blood flow abnormalities similar to those among patients with depressive disorders.”

Their data revealed abnormalities in tryptophan assimilation (tryptophan is the amino acid precursor to serotonin) and prolactin levels in adolescents with celiac disease and depression prior to treatment. They revealed that

 “A significant decrease in psychiatric symptoms was found at 3 months on a gluten-free diet compared to patients’ baseline condition, coinciding with significantly decreased celiac disease activity…”

This data shows that the diet by itself plays a small role in the depression development in celiacs, so for those who are diagnosed with celiac disease, there is no second thought that they have to adhere to the required gluten-free diet.

But what about others, who want to try gluten-free diet “by choice”? Based on the unclear and sometimes conflicting data available as of today, I would be careful with such experiments, and I would not make such diet related life changes without approval of your primary doctor or therapist.

Sources and Additional Information:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/348064-gluten-free-diet-and-depression/

http://www.safedepressiontreatment.com/181/glutenated-depression-what-is-that/

http://depressionselfhelptips.com/glutenated-depression-is-really-a-bully-just-face-it-down.html

http://www.celiaccentral.org/Celiac-Disease/Related-Diseases/Depression/43/

http://www.lapislight.com/wp/2010/05/28/gluten-free-diet-can-improve-depression-and-behavioral-problems-in-adolescents/

Buddhism on Depression: Religious, Psychological, and Cultural Perspectives

Introductions

Depression can come in various forms, from a passing blue mood to a severe psychological condition like major depression or manic-depressive illness, which require extensive treatment. The more serious conditions require professional help with for example intensive therapy or medication, there seems to be no easy way to avoid that. General psychology has determined that depressive disorders are often caused by a combination of genetic, psychological and environmental factors, but can also be caused by other illnesses. Women experience depressive disorders twice as many as men, and hormone levels appear to have a significant influence.

Please note that this page deals mainly with aspects of the 'lighter' forms of depression, the techniques described here should not be considered in any way to replace professional treatment for a serious psychological condition. However, the discussed techniques may help to avoid the recurrence of depression, once one has come out of the 'black hole' again.

Buddhism generally approaches depression from a quite different viewpoint than modern Western psychology. The Buddhist perspective is that an underlying selfishness/egotism is often the basic cause of feeling depressed. Please realize that if this is upsetting you, basically this is considered the main psychological problem that everyone has according to Buddhist psychology, and depression can be an unexpected result of it. Also, this does not mean that the suffering person should be 'blamed' for the condition, but rather opens up a very different approach to the problem using meditation and emphasis on compassion and loving-kindness. Even though these methods may neither be quick nor instantly effective, negative side effects are virtually unheard of; and who cannot use a bit of emphasis on loving-kindness?

A very interesting aspect of reflection on compassion and love is the point that we need to respect, forgive and have compassion not only for others, but ourselves as well.

One of the causes for depression can be a strong sense of dissatisfaction with ourselves; perhaps the page on lack of self-confidence could be helpful? In modern society, it appears that only 'being number one' counts, but this leaves out the other 6 billion people, including 'me'. Does that mean that I am worthless? Of course not!

Just look at the other end of the scale: many of our so-called great heroes of the past are admired for their power, courage and intelligence, but how many heroes can you think of that actually made it a point to create happiness and security instead of waging war and creating havoc? Simply being a loving and caring person tends to help the world a lot more than being 'number one'. One may admire pop-idols and movie stars, but many of them are (or will be) in a sorry state, addicted to drugs and 'life in the fast lane'; not understanding that happiness is a state of their own mind, not of their bank account, level of drugs, availability of sex etc.

If we can genuinely wish ourselves happiness and radiate that wish to others, our state of mind can change dramatically. If we change our mind, we can change our mood - a simple process, but not easy to achieve quickly. One of the most important things is to understand that we can change our own mind if we make a bit of an effort. If we would not be able to change anything in our mind, how did we ever learn to read and write?

Andrew Solomon wrote in 'Anatomy of Melancholy':

"When you are depressed, the past and the future are absorbed entirely by the present, as in the world of a three-year-old. You can neither remember feeling better nor imagine that you will feel better. Being upset, even profoundly upset, is a temporal experience, whereas depression is atemporal. Depression means that you have no point of view."

When we are in such a state, we probably need more than what is described below, but once we can see the way out again, it is possible to work on a more permanent change of our mind.

The great Buddhist sage Nagarjuna said:

If there is a remedy when trouble strikes,

What reason is there for despondency?

And if there is no help for it,

What is the use of being sad?

So come what may, I'll never harm

My cheery happiness of mind.

Depression never brings me what I want;

My virtue will be warped and marred by it.

Openness can be another key factor: 'miracles' do happen when we stop resisting them, because although the result can appear miraculous, our mind changes continuously, and our minds can only be changed by ourselves. Sincerely trying to help others is probably the best cure when we really feel sorry for ourselves. But if we are not mindful of ourselves and others, helping others can lead to Burnout, see this small part in the compassion page. So the Buddhist approach of study and meditation emphasizes taking control over our own mind and directing it into more positive habits.

From notes on a teaching by His Holiness the Dalai Lama:

"There was an empirical study that found that people who have the tendency to use more self-referential terms (I, me, myself) tend to have more health problems and earlier deaths (the Dalai Lama had heard this the day before from another speaker in neurology at a symposium on Buddhism and meditation in New York City). These people have more involvement with the self. Being self-absorbed has an immediate effect of narrowing one's focus and blurring one's vision. It is like being pressed down by a heavy load. If, on the other hand, you think more about others' well-being, it immediately makes you feel more expansive, liberated and free. Problems which before may have seemed enormous would then seem more manageable."

The following message appeared in a Buddhist discussion forum, where self-centeredness was discussed as a possible important factor in depression:

"Having myself experienced extreme, regularly to the point of suicidal, depression, I think I can understand your point of view at least to a certain extent. But on the notion of self-centeredness, I'm afraid I have to agree. From my own experience, coming through a massive clinical depression and coming through to the other end, cured, I believe self-centeredness to be the very cause of depression. And not just depression, but every ailment in the world as we know it. The irony is, I can only see this NOW, with hindsight, looking back at my mind state when I was depressed: "ego all the way, me me me, MY problems, MY depression, MY past, MY MY MY MY..." That very self-absorbed, self-centered fascination with my own ego and its agenda mind state is exactly what kept me trapped in that depression for so long. It's only when I started to consider that maybe -- just maybe -- as one of the 6 BILLION people on this plant, other people had problems FAR WORSE than mine, that the clouds began to part. And when I realized that I was being very selfish and WASTING my life in a state of -- excuse me, but there are few better terms -- mental masturbation.

All I was doing was feeding my ego, indulging its little whims and woes, and feeling sorry for myself. What was I doing for humanity? Nothing. And yes, that is self-centredness in its highest -- or should I say lowest -- form.



Of course, the great curse of the ever-nourished ego -- the root of all depression -- is that when you're IN that state, you CAN'T SEE it for what it is. It's like the people stuck in the Matrix (the film). They wouldn't believe it if you told them they were living in a dream. You have to wake up for yourself, then you see it."

Joshua Bryer

From Working with Anger by Thubten Chodron:

"We often focus on a few circumstances in our life that aren't going well instead of all those that are. Although we all have problems, when we over-emphasize their importance, we easily begin thinking that we are incapable and worthless. Such self-hatred immobilizes us and prevents us from developing our good qualities and sharing them with others.

When we look at the broad picture, however, we can see many positive things in our life. We can rejoice that we are alive and appreciate whatever degree of good health we have. We also have food (often too much!), shelter, clothing, medicine, friends, relatives, and a myriad of good circumstances. Many of the people reading this book live in peaceful places, not in war-torn areas. Many have jobs they like, and family and friends they appreciate. We shouldn't take these for granted. Most importantly, from a spiritual viewpoint, we have access to an authentic path, qualified teachers to guide us, and kind companions who encourage us. We have genuine spiritual aspirations and the time to cultivate these. Thinking about these good conditions one by one, we will be filled with joy, and any sense of being incapable and hopeless will vanish."

Similarly, the Buddha himself said:

"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think.

When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves."

Driving Ourselves Crazy

With most problematic states of mind, and certainly with depression, we often have a tendency to maintain the problem by self-confirmation. What I mean with that is often repeating to oneself things like "I am depressed", "I feel miserable", "Life sucks", "They are bad", "I hate myself", "I can't do it". The problem is that when we repeat this often enough, it will all come true! These kind of self-obsessive thoughts blind us to the needs of our family and friends, and we do nothing to help them. As a result, we receive less positive feedback and love from them, and also less simple satisfaction and joy of making them happy.

In Buddhism, we use meditation to improve our state of mind by habituating ourselves to a positive state of mind, but repeating the above sort of tantrums throughout the day will only keep us in the same negative state. Just imagine what happens if a perfectly happy woman suddenly starts saying to herself "I feel miserable, I hate myself" once every five minutes...

Instead, positive affirmations can have a strong therapeutic effect; "I love my family", "I don't need to grow hungry", "Other people are much worse off than me", "I can help others", "I am OK".

So a simple technique is to forbid yourself using the word 'depressed' and your standard negative expressions, but replace them with more positive phrases. It takes quite a bit of mindfulness in the beginning, but with a bit of persistence you can talk yourself into a better mood!

From Ven. Thubten Gyatso:

"Should you flush your Valium and Prozac down the toilet? No, not yet. Begin with small actions to help others - empty the garbage can without being asked, clean up your own mess in the kitchen, polish the shoes of others. Smile occasionally. Gradually build up the courage and determination to confront your self-cherishing mind and declare yourself a slave and friend of all living beings. Then you will extract more joy from cleaning up somebody else's mess in the kitchen than you will ever get from watching television. Not only will this lift your depression, it will place you on the path to bliss."

Excerpt from Lama Yeshe's talk at VajraYogini Institute, France, September 5, 1983:

"In Western cities nowadays, you can see, the older you are the more problems you have. When we are young, not so many problems, but then there are drugs and sex, and eventually they become dissatisfying, then more depression, more depression. So, as your body becomes bigger and your brain becomes wider, you have more and more problems and become more and more depressed. The more money you have the more problems come. You can see this.

You only take care of your body, you never take care of your mind, and the result of this imbalance is depression. For most western people this is the case: only the body is reality and they don't care about the existence of the mind, the soul, the consciousness. They don't believe they can change their minds. They can change their nose through an operation, but they don't believe they can change their mind. And when you believe this, then no way can you resolve your depression.

Our thoughts, our mind or consciousness are mental energy and cannot be localized in the body. It cannot be touched; it has no form and does not travel in time and space. We cannot touch it or grasp it.

What is important to understand is that the view you have of yourself and the view you have of your environment are based on your own mind; they are the projection of your mind and that is why they are not reality."

Twenty-Four Brand-New Hours (By Thich Nhat Hanh)

Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy, and happiness to ourselves and others.

Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see. The Question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We don't have to travel far away to enjoy the blue sky. We don't have to leave our city or even our neighborhood to enjoy the eyes of a beautiful child. Even the air we breathe can be a source of joy.

We can smile, breathe, walk, and eat our meals in a way that allows us to be in touch with the abundance of happiness that is available. We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive at the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive.

Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment. ...

PRAYER FOR FREEDOM FROM SUFFERING

May all beings everywhere plagued

with sufferings of body and mind

quickly be freed from their illnesses.

May those frightened cease to be afraid,

and may those bound be free.

May the powerless find power,

and may people think of befriending each other.

May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wilderness--

the children, the aged, the unprotected--

be guarded by beneficent celestials,

and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.

The Buddha

Transforming Depression  (by Lama Zopa Rinpoche)

The best solution to purify the karma of having depression is to do the purification practice of Vajrasattva. As long as the karma isn't purified, you'll continue to suffer from depression again in future lives.

Maybe you wake up in the morning feeling depressed for no particular reason. If you can't solve this problem through meditation it might help to just go to sleep, or go somewhere to rest, or take a nice drive somewhere. Otherwise you'll get upset, disturbing the people around you as well. When you're angry, all sorts of bad, uncontrolled thoughts can come into your mind.

If you're depressed due to a certain situation then you can apply the meditation techniques that relate to that particular set of conditions. But if you just feel sad for no particular reason, it's best to practice bodhicitta.

You can recite the verse from the Guru Puja,

"Please bless me to realize that the disease of the self cherishing thought is the door to unwanted suffering."

Blame the demon, the self-cherishing thought, for your problem of depression.

Then recite the next verse,

"Bless me to realize that cherishing others, bodhicitta, the attitude that leads all mother living beings to happiness, is the door to every excellent quality."

Another quote from Guru Puja is,

"Even if all living beings become my enemy, may I cherish them more than my life."

It's very good if you can recite these verses daily, especially when you feel depressed. Then you'll be using your depression to practice the meaning of these two verses; that all problems and suffering come from cherishing the 'I', therefore the I is the object to be renounced, to be given up. All your own and others' happiness, including all the realizations up to enlightenment- all perfections and happiness come from cherishing others- bodhicitta.

Because all these good things come from the attitude of cherishing others, they depend on other living beings. Therefore living beings are to be cherished forever. You need to repay the kindness of all these precious beings, to help them however you can. How best to do this? They've been millionaires countless times, they've even been universal kings but none of this power or wealth has freed them from the sufferings of samsara. The best way to repay their kindness is to practice Lamrim, to transform the mind from ignorance, attachment and self-cherishing into wholesome, pure thoughts. By actualizing the path to enlightenment you can easily liberate other beings. Therefore the best way to repay their kindness is to meditate on and develop bodhicitta in your own mind.

Taking

Every living being is the source of all your past, present, future happiness. Generate compassion by thinking, "I'll take all their suffering and its causes (afflictive emotions and negative karmic imprints) including the fires of the hot hells, the ice of the cold hells and the unpleasant, unhealthy, ugly, unpeaceful and polluted environments of human beings into my heart." This eliminates the self-cherishing attitude. Once the self-cherishing attitude has been destroyed do a short meditate on emptiness.

Giving

After the self-cherishing has been destroyed, generate love by giving your own happiness, your merit, all the good things you have, including your body, wealth and possessions. All their wishes are fulfilled as if they had a wish-granting jewel. By giving them all these things you create unbelievable amounts of merit. You can recite mantra while they're receiving everything they want and need. Actually they don't know they really need. What they need is to meet the dharma. But if they don't understand the benefits of the dharma, they want something other than dharma.

Receiving all these good things causes them to actualize the spiritual path, to purify the two obscurations (to liberation and enlightenment). They achieve the Rupakaya (the form bodies of a Buddha) and become enlightened. Think, "How wonderful it is that I can do all this for others! I've died many times in past lives while working for my own happiness, but it didn't accomplish anything. I'm still in samsara. I've never died while working for others. Even if I have to die for the benefit of others, for them to stop creating negative karma, to not be reborn in the lower realms and for their minds to become the dharmakaya and Rupakaya and enlightened, it would be immensely worthwhile."

Mediate on the extensive kindness and precious of all beings. "Every living being is the source of all my past, present, future hap. My own future Buddha, Dharma and Sangha come from purifying my negative karma enabling me to attain all the realizations and to achieve enlightenment. All this happens on the basis of other beings. Therefore every sentient being is the most precious thing in my life. Anything other than working for living beings is totally meaningless." This includes experiencing depression for them. There's nothing to work for other than sentient beings. Anything else is totally meaningless. Experience depression on their behalf by thinking this isn't my depression but the depression of numberless beings, this is their depression, their suffering. To give them every happiness; including freedom all the sufferings of cyclic existence and the bliss of full enlightenment is fantastic!

Feel the joy of it! This is their depression, so the most wonderful thing would be to experience it for them and allow all those suffering from depression to have every happiness. Then rejoice that you have this opportunity to experience this problem of depression on their behalf. "How fantastic it is that I'm experiencing this depression on behalf of all beings!"

Do this practice of tonglen (taking and giving) in the morning, afternoon and evening.

Think again and again, "How lucky I am that I can experience this depression for them. I've made many prayers to take others' suffering onto myself, so now those prayers are being actualized. How fantastic this is! It makes my life so rich, so meaningful! How fortunate I am to experience this depression on behalf of all living beings."

Think about the meaning of your life, a psychological method that makes a huge difference because much of the problem comes from your exaggerated concept of pain. It's possible to reduce or completely eliminate pain with the mind. "The purpose of my life isn't just to be healthy, wealthy, to have a good reputation, to be popular and have lots of friends. Even if I had all these things, it isn't the actual purpose of my life. Even if I live for 1,000 years or am perfectly healthy for eons, if I don't have love and compassion in my heart my life it's meaningless and useless because my life isn't benefiting others. Leading such a life would be empty. Therefore it doesn't matter what happens; if in my life there's health or no health; depression or no depression; cancer or no cancer, wealth or no wealth. The real purpose of my life is to make my death beneficial for others. Even if I have cancer, I'll make that experience beneficial for all beings by using it to develop compassion and bodhicitta, to achieve realizations and enlightenment." In this way the cancer becomes the cause of happiness. Depression can also be used to achieve enlightenment to benefit all beings in this and future lives, especially all those who suffer from depression- just like using snake venom to produce it's own anti-venom.

You're using your depression to achieve enlightenment. In this way it becomes the cause of happiness for all sentient beings experiencing depression. Think, "The main purpose of life is to benefit all living beings, to free them from suffering and bring them happiness in this and future lives. Even if I have cancer, aids, depression or whatever, the purpose of my life is to bring happiness to all sentient beings by experiencing these problems on their behalf." In this way depression becomes a quick way to achieve enlightenment. The same with cancer. Use it to quickly achieve enlightenment. If it's experienced for the benefit of others it becomes the quick path to enlightenment because experiencing suffering for others is incredible, unbelievable purification. This is excellent!

There was one monk in Thailand who was walking around the country. He came across a big river. On the banks of the river was a woman with leprosy, with pus oozing out of her sores. She begged the monk to carry her across the river. He refused, on the basis that his monk's vows prevented him from touching women. After some time one of the monk's disciples came along and when he saw the poor woman, unbelievable compassion arose in his mind. Without hesitation he picked her up and carried her across the river, even though her body was covered with open wounds. When he reached the middle of the river the woman transformed into Vajra Yogini and took him - not just his consciousness, but also his body, to Vajra Yogini's Pure Land. This means that by now this monk has attained full enlightenment, because anyone who goes to Vajra Yogini's Pure Land is enlightened there. Being in a Pure Land is a quick way to achieve enlightenment if it hasn't yet happened in your present life. In this case Vajra Yogini took the aspect of an ordinary, pitiful woman with leprosy in order to stimulate compassion in the disciple's mind. This compassion quickly purified the heavy negative karma blocking him from seeing Vajra Yogini.

In the case of the great Tibetan yogi, Milarepa, the karmic blocks preventing him to see Vajrayogini were purified by his pure service to his holy guru, Marpa.

It's the same for you. If on the basis of feeling strong compassion you experience depression on behalf of all beings, this meditation of taking and experiencing the suffering for others is a quick path to enlightenment, just like the example of the monk. It's a quick way to achieve enlightenment because experiencing cancer, depression or any suffering for the benefit of living beings is unbelievably purifying.

Suffering from depression can be a good thing because it allows you to easily see the pain of other people. By using your own experience of depression you can clearly feel the unbearable pain of many, many other people. There are so many people who are depressed and many others creating karma for future bouts of depression. Experiencing depression on their behalf might be even more powerful than practising tantra because if tantra isn't done correctly, on the basis of the three principal paths, it's not a quick path to enlightenment.

When feeling depressed you can think, "I'm exhausting so much of my negative karma to have depression that I've accumulated throughout countless past lives". Rejoice! You should feel great joy about finishing the karma instead of seeing the depression as something bad.

As it's said in Guru Puja, living beings and their environments are filled with unbelievable problems and sufferings, coming one after another like rainfall, sufferings that are the results of negative karma. "Please grant me blessings to see my depression as exhausting the results of my negative karmic imprints, and bless me to be able to always transform bad conditions into the path to enlightenment." You can recite mantra while doing this meditation.

For example when you wash a dirty piece of cloth, the water becomes black with dirt. You don't see the black dirt as a negative thing since it means the cloth is getting clean. In the same way, when you practice dharma negative karmas can ripen causing you to get sick because you're purifying so much negative karma by practicing dharma. So you should rejoice when you get depressed!

Depression happens in the first place due to being under the control of the ego, self-cherishing, attachment, anger, broken vows and pledges and having disturbed the minds of holy beings and your spiritual teachers in past lives. This depression is caused by the ego, the self-cherishing attitude and the self-existent "I". So rather than accepting the depression, give it back to the self-cherishing attitude. Use the depression like a bomb to destroy the wrong conception of the I. Then meditate on the emptiness of the self-existent I.

These are some ways to use depression to achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible. By using it to develop compassion and bodhicitta you collect merit as vast as limitless space and purify unbelievable amounts of negative karma. It's being used like a powerful bomb to destroy the wrong conception of the inherently existent I, the thing that caused the depression in the first place. It's the demon that has prevented your enlightenment, your liberation from samsara, all the realizations, and is the door to all your problems.

You can also do some preliminary practices such as Vajrasattva to purify the negative karma that causes depression.

Meditation on Affliction

Assailed by afflictions, we discover Dharma

And find the way to liberation. Thank you, evil forces!

When sorrows invade the mind, we discover Dharma

And find lasting happiness. Thank you, sorrows!

Through harm caused by spirits we discover Dharma

And find fearlessness. Thank you, ghosts and demons!

Through people's hate we discover Dharma

And find benefits and happiness. Thank you, those who hate us!

Through cruel adversity, we discover Dharma

And find the unchanging way. Thank you, adversity!

Through being impelled to by others, we discover Dharma

And find the essential meaning. Thank you, all who drive us on!

We dedicate our merit to you all, to repay your kindness.

Gyalwa Longchenpa, source: SoultoSpirit.com

How meditation on the Buddha can help, by Sogyal Rinpoche in Glimpse of the Day:

"There is a spark of hope, a playful humor about the posture we take in meditation, which lies in the secret understanding that we all have the buddha nature. So when you assume this posture, you are playfully imitating a buddha, acknowledging and giving real encouragement to the emergence of your own buddha nature. You begin to respect yourself as a potential buddha.

At the same time, you still recognize your relative condition. But because you have let yourself be inspired by a joyful trust in your own true buddha nature, you can accept your negative aspects more easily and deal with them more generously and with more humor.

When you meditate, invite yourself to feel the self-esteem, the dignity, and the strong humility of the buddha that you are. If you simply let yourself be inspired by this joyful trust, it is enough: Out of this understanding and confidence, meditation will naturally arise."

A Teaching on Depression (by Ven. Thubten Gyatso)

Depression is a state of extreme unhappiness, described by sufferers in a recent BBC radio program as a black, dismal, dungeon of despair; as a stifling hot room with no means of escape; as a heavy overcoat of pain with the buttons soldered together; and as like walking through treacle. It is characterized by a sense of loss of control over one’s life, a loss of enthusiasm, and the inability to enjoy pleasure. One may know what to do, but cannot summon the energy to do it.

Depression may be precipitated by bereavement, illness, unemployment, and perhaps sometimes a neurological abnormality. According to Buddhism, however, the overriding cause of depression is self-cherishing - seeing one’s own physical and mental pleasure as more important than anybody else’s. Self-cherishing is irritability when our spouse asks us to do something that interrupts our own enjoyment, such as watching television, playing sport, or talking with our friends. It is the desire to get the best food for oneself, the best seat in the cinema, the best result in an examination, and the most praise from someone of influence.

How can a small thing such as selfishness, which we all have, be the cause of such a major illness as depression? There are two main reasons. The first is that unhappiness arising from selfishness is cumulative. When we do not obtain what we want, or are stopped from doing what we want, we often over-react to a ridiculous extent. Examine your own experience - how many domestic arguments have exploded out of incredibly petty causes? Even though we chastise ourselves for our stupid behavior, we repeat the same thing again and again. At home, at work, at the club, wherever we go to relax, our selfish behavior isolates us from others. The accumulation of small failures in life erodes our self-confidence, we are unable to be happy, and we spiral into depression.

The second reason why selfishness causes depression is because it prevents us from doing the one thing that is guaranteed to bring happiness - cherishing others. Self-obsession smothers consideration for the needs of others and we stop giving love. The constant whirl of self-centered thoughts in our heads, “I am so sad, I need to be happy,” blinds us to the needs of our family and friends, and we do nothing to help them. Our self-confidence takes a further battering because we no longer receive the feedback of love from them, or the pure satisfaction and joy of making them happy. The joy of making others happy is pure because we do not crave it again and again, unlike the joy of self-indulgence which is impure because it never brings satisfaction. Cut off from the world, we sink into unhappiness, self-doubt, and the thought that we are going insane. This is depression.

Buddha’s diagnosis of the cause of depression is not petty or discriminative. We all have self-cherishing, and if we allow it to take over our lives and block our love and compassion for others, we will be in danger of following that awful path into depression. Depression does not cause misery, depression is misery, at its worst. In the human realm anyway. Depressives may not believe this, but it can get far worse in other realms of rebirth.

To indicate our own part in the development of depression is not to point the finger of blame and cause guilt. If we can see that the cause is in our own mind, we will understand that the cure is also in our own mind.

Seeing the shattered self-confidence of depressed people, many new-age creeds attempt to cure the problem with the philosophy of “love yourself first.” But this is the cause, not the cure. The great Indian Bodhisattva, Shantideva, said, “If you want to be happy, you should never seek to please yourself.” Instead, we should seek to please others.

If we ask, “But, don’t I have to protect myself from suffering?”

Shantideva replies, “If you wish to be protected, you should constantly protect all others.” Buddha’s prescription for happiness is to forget yourself and love others. The more we look after our family and friends, the more they will care for us. It is so simple, so obvious, but we have to do it. Not just our family and friends; our purpose in life should be to protect every living being from suffering. When this attitude is supported by wisdom, we will never know unhappiness.

Should you flush your Valium and Prozac down the toilet? No, not yet. Begin with small actions to help others - empty the garbage can without being asked, clean up your own mess in the kitchen, polish the shoes of others. Smile occasionally.

Gradually build up the courage and determination to confront your self-cherishing mind and declare yourself a slave and friend of all living beings. Then you will extract more joy from cleaning up somebody else’s mess in the kitchen than you will ever get from watching the football on television. Not only will this lift your depression, it will place you on the path to bliss.

Source: http://viewonbuddhism.org/depression.html