Alexander Technique for Depression and Stress

Background

The Alexander technique is an educational program that aims to change habitual patterns of movement and posture that are thought to be harmful. Teachers of the Alexander technique guide clients ("students") through various movements using verbal directions and light touch. The goal of these sessions can be to improve coordination and balance, reduce tension, relieve pain, decrease fatigue, improve various medical conditions or promote well-being. Students are encouraged to use what they learn in everyday life. Actors, dancers and athletes use the Alexander technique to improve performance.

F.M. Alexander, an Australian-English actor, developed the Alexander technique. He believed that poor head and neck posture was the cause of his recurrent voice loss. He suggested that people be trained to alter harmful movement patterns and positions.

In 1964, the American Center for the Alexander Technique was founded to provide teaching certification. The certification process generally involves 1,600 hours of training over three years in an approved program. The North American Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique was established in 1987 to educate the public and to maintain standards for certification of teachers and training courses in the United States. The Alexander technique is taught at wellness centers, through health education programs and by individual teachers.

Theory

Basic beliefs underlying the Alexander technique are that musculoskeletal movements and relationships can directly affect other aspects of health or function and that beneficial movement patterns can be reinforced through repetition. The position of the head and spine is thought to be important in this approach. Many physiologists and behavioral scientists are advocates of musculoskeletal techniques similar to the Alexander technique, although there are few scientific studies of the Alexander technique specifically.

Method

The Alexander Technique is a way of becoming more aware of your balance and how you move. It's based on the premise that most people have bad postural habits that, over time, stop us using our bodies as easily and comfortably as we should be able to. Wrongly used muscles contract and pull down, giving rise to the classic sign of bad use: head tipped back at the start of any movement, especially sitting down or standing up. As well as the long-term damage to joints and cramped internal organs, poor posture causes a lot of tension, most commonly felt as chronic backache or stiff shoulders. It's also linked with respiratory ailments: people develop round shoulders from hunching protectively around their painful chests as they cough and wheeze, which in turn restricts their airways still further.

Frederick Matthias Alexander believed modern living gives rise to our bad postural habits: shoulders raised and stiffened by stress, neck poked forward over desk work, tired bodies slumped into saggy armchairs. Soon we've lost all sense of how we really are, so that what feels natural (because it's habitual) is wildly out of line. That's why it's very hard to correct our own posture without expert help.

The Alexander Technique aims to re-educate each body into moving more easily - relearning the natural grace all children have till they go to school and start slouching over desks.

It's based on what Alexander teachers call 'good use of the body' - allowing the spine to regain its natural curves, holding the head effortlessly in the easiest position and distributing weight evenly over your feet. The bonus is that you look taller and feel two stone lighter.

It's a hands-on teaching method, though you don't undress; after three years' full-time training Alexander teachers can 'read' people's muscles through layers of clothes with their fingertips. To start with, you and the teacher observe your stance and movements for some time, and the first shock is seeing how asymmetrical you are when you think you're standing up straight. Then you're gently moved into a healthier position when you're sitting, standing and lying down.

As part of the relearning process, you stop and think before plunging into a habitual move, then make the movement mindfully. It feels odd to practice getting up or walking with someone's hand lightly holding the back of your neck, and even odder for the first few days when you keep making conscious efforts to do it the way you've learnt. If you're used to standing with your pelvis jutting further forward than your toes, for example, you feel as though you're going to fall over backwards when you tuck your tailbone in and bring your weight nearer a point above your heels. But your legs, no longer struggling to hold you at a slant, now carry you effortlessly. You may be noticeably taller. Walking upstairs feels like levitating. The idea is that this soon becomes second nature.

The Technique's basic idea is that when the neck muscles do not overwork, the head balances lightly at the top of spine.  The relationship between the head and the spine is of utmost importance.  How we manage that relationship has ramifications throughout the rest of the body.  As the boss -- good or bad -- sets the tone for an organization, the head / spine relationship -- compressed or free -- determines the quality of the body's overall coordination.  Our neuromuscular system is designed to work in concert with gravity.  Delicate poise of the head sparks the body's anti-gravity response: a natural oppositional force in the torso that easily guides us upward and invites the spine to lengthen, rather than compress, as we move.  Instead of slouching or holding ourselves in a rigid posture, we can learn to mobilize this support system and use it wherever we go -- in the car, at the computer, in the gym.

And the homework couldn't be easier: for 20 minutes a day you lie on your back on the floor, with just enough books under your head to keep your neck parallel to the floor (so you can swallow comfortably), knees raised and hands on abdomen. Keep your mind on the Alexander mantra: 'Let the neck be free so the head can move forwards and upwards and the back can lengthen and widen.'

Young children have this natural poise. If you watch a toddler in action, you will see an erect spine, free joints and a large head balancing easily on a little neck.  A healthy child walks and plays with regal posture.  Barring birth defects, we all began that way.  But over the years, we often lose that spontaneity and ease.

Using the Alexander Technique, you can learn to strip away harmful habits, heighten your self-awareness, and use your thought process to restore your original poise.  In a way, you are learning something that, deep down, your body already knows.  With the Alexander Technique, you come to understand much more about how your body works, and how to make it work for you.  You can tap more of your internal resources, and begin on a path to enhancing your comfort and pleasure in all your activities. 

Self-Help

Begin observing yourself in a mirror. A full length one is best. Pay special attention to the relationship of your whole head (not just your face) to the rest of your body. Notice how this relationship changes as you perform simple activities like talking, walking or raising an arm or leg.

How does what you see in the mirror correspond to what you think you're doing, and what do you feel you're doing? Which do you think is more accurate? Take plenty of time to explore and compare your experiences with Alexander's.

Experiment with changing the relationship of your head to your body, perhaps tilting it a little forward or backward from the top of your neck and observe what difference these shifts make to your movements and to your breathing.

Alexander found that the most useful change he could make was to mentally direct his neck to be free so that his head, followed by his body, could release in an upward direction - delicately, without any stiffening or undue effort.

Try this. What do you notice? Does anything look or feel different?

Now, try doing the opposite. Stiffen your neck a little as you gently push your head down towards the rest of your body. What effect does this have on your ability to breathe, speak and perform simple activities?

What happens when you just leave yourself alone? Is there a relationship between your head and your body that you tend automatically to go back to? 'Exaggerate yourself' for just a moment. Notice what happens to your head/body relationship when you do this.

Feel free to experiment in other ways that occur to you. Pay close attention to the results of your experiments. Remember that you are both the experimenter and the object of the experiments. So you are always going to have to be careful that you are not deceiving yourself. Continue comparing what you see with what you're thinking about and what you feel.

After you've experimented in front of the mirror long enough to have made for yourself some of the same kinds of observations that Alexander wrote about, extend your self-study to your daily round of activities. Can you sense how your body reacts to stressful situations, for example? How about pleasant experiences? Does the presence of some people act as a stimulus to tighten your neck? Do others seem to encourage freedom and expansion in your body?

Notice the effects of sound on your physical mechanism. Experiment with scanning your auditory 'horizon' and noting the effects of actively listening to the highest pitched sounds available to you. These could be high musical notes, the chirping of birds, even the sound of wind blowing through the branches of a tree. Then, shift your conscious attention to the lowest-pitched sounds you can hear - drum beats, the sounds of heavy machinery, for example. What effect does this shift have on the way you're using your body?

Keep in mind that Alexander's purpose in performing his investigations was to improve the quality of his performance. So begin to observe other people--and animals and small children--with a view toward becoming a good judge of quality of movement. Keep a look out for particularly good examples of ease, balance and co-ordination. Look also for particularly bad examples. Can you make any generalizations about quality of movement and the nature of the head/body relationship?

Potential Dangers

Instruction or practice of the Alexander technique has not been associated with reports of severe complications. However, safety has not been studied systematically. Some practitioners believe that this technique may be less beneficial in people with mental illness or learning disabilities. Safety during pregnancy has not been established scientifically, although the Alexander technique has been used by pregnant women and during delivery without reports of complications.

Do not rely on the Alexander technique alone as an approach to treat medical conditions. Speak with your health care provider if you are considering using the Alexander technique.

Summary

The Alexander technique has been used to address several health issues, but there is still no overwhelming scientific evidence that it has been proven effective for any specific condition. Do not rely on the Alexander technique alone to treat a potentially severe medical condition. Speak with your health care provider if you are considering using the Alexander technique.

Sources and Additional Information:

http://www.healthyplace.com/alternative-mental-health/treatments/alexander-technique-for-depression-stress/menu-id-1017/

http://www.alexandertechnique.com/jwright.htm

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/traineo/exercise/article3773825.ece

http://www.alexandertechnique.com/at/

http://www.ati-net.com/articles/dm-rrick.php

Laughter Therapy to Fight Depression

Patient: I have a problem doctor. I feel depressed and worthless.

Doctor: You should cut down on your drinks.

Patient: I don't drink and have never touched a drop in my life.

Doctor: You should cut down on your smoking.

Patient: I don't smoke either doctor.

Doctor: You should cut down on womanizing.

Patient: Good heavens!! Haven't touched a woman in my entire life.

Doctor: Your problem is you have no problems!! Get yourself a drink, learn to smoke, and find a couple of girlfriends and you will be alright.

Therapeutic Effects of Laughter

Plato's remark that "Even the Gods love jokes." must be correct, for the value of laughter is recorded in sacred scripture. For example, the Koran states that "He deserves Paradise who makes his companions laugh." By the fourteenth century, the healing power of humor was recognized by the medical community. An important French surgeon, Henri de Mondeville (1260-1320), wrote, "Let the surgeon take care to regulate the whole regimen of the patient's life for joy and happiness, allowing his relatives and special friends to cheer him, and by having someone tell him jokes."

However, extensive research on 'laughter therapy' did not begin until after the New England Journal of Medicine published an article by Norman Cousins in 1976. Later, in 1979, this article became the first chapter of his book, 'Anatomy of an Illness.' In it he explained how he was diagnosed in 1964 with ankylosing spondylitis (also known as spondylitis, AS, or Bechterew Disease). The disease usually results in acute inflammation of the spine and can affect other areas of the body as well. Norman Cousins' case was so severe that he was given a one in five hundred chance of recovery and a few months to live.

Realizing that negative thoughts and attitudes can result in illness, he reasoned that positive thoughts and attitudes may have the opposite effect. So he left the hospital and checked into a hotel where he took mega doses of vitamin C and watched humorous movies and shows, including 'Candid Camera' and the Marx Brothers. He found that ten minutes of boisterous laughter resulted in at least two hours of pain-free sleep. He continued his routine until he recovered. Thus, he proved that laughter is the best medicine, and pointed the way to mind-body medicine.

William Fry, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Stanford University Medical School and expert on health and laughter, reports the average kindergarten student laughs 300 times a day. Yet, adults average just 17 laughs a day. Why the difference? Are we too uptight, too tense? Do we take life too seriously? Isn't it time we learned how to relax? We don't stop laughing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop laughing. So, if we want to fly like the angels and share in their happiness, we'll have to follow their example and take ourselves lightly.

Our five senses are not enough for ideal living. We need to use our sixth sense: our sense of humor. Humor isn't about merely telling jokes; it's the way we view the world. We can be sincere about life without taking it so seriously. We can laugh about our mistakes and pain. Louis Kronenberger explains: "Humor simultaneously wounds and heals, indicts and pardons, diminishes and enlarges; it constitutes inner growth at the expense of outer gain, and those who posses and honestly practice it make themselves more through a willingness to make themselves less."

Recent Research

I'm absolutely healthy... The voices in my head agreed as well.

Presented at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Orlando, Florida, the two studies showed how psychological factors could affect a person's health.

”We don’t recommend that you laugh and not exercise, but we do recommend that you try to laugh on regular basis. Thirty minutes of exercise three times a week, and 15 minutes of laughter on a daily basis is probably good for the vascular system,” said Dr Michael Miller of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

In the experiment, researchers showed two movies, one humorous and the other stressful to 20 healthy volunteers and monitor the blood vessels’ reaction. The researchers specifically looked at the endothelium, the linking of the vessels, and found that the blood flow was reduced 35% in 14 of the 20 volunteers after watching the stressful movie clips. However in 19 of the 20 volunteers who laughed at the funny movie segments, blood flowed 22% more freely.

“The endothelium is the first line in the development of the atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, so, given the result of our study, it is conceivable that laughing may be important to maintain a healthy endothelium, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease”. Miller said.

“The magnitude of change we saw in the endothelium is similar to the benefit we might see with aerobic activity, but without the aches, pains and muscle tension associated with exercise”.

Laughter against Depression

I was depressed last night so I called Lifeline. They've got a call center in Pakistan. I told them I was suicidal. They got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck.

Laughter can be a powerful antidote to depression and anxiety – without a prescription and without side effects.  Laughter relieves tension, improves our sense of well-being, serves as an outlet for anger and provides a healthy escape from reality.

Research has proven the benefits of laughter for our mental health. In one study, says Faiz Qadri, MD, director of the Creighton University Mood Disorders Clinic, movie-watching patients who watched only comedies for three months had measurably more enhanced positive attitude and social interaction than patients who watched a variety of types of movies. “I recommend to my patients that they watch a comedy every week,” he says.

Our brains actually process laughter to produce mood-lifting brain chemicals. “Laughter causes our body to release a bath of serotonin and other "feel good" chemicals into the blood stream and opens us up to experiencing a situation differently,” says Tian Dayton PhD, author of Emotional Sobriety: From Relationship Trauma to Resilience and Balance. “It reduces at least four of the neuroendocrine hormones associated with the stress response: epinephrine, cortisol, dopac, and growth hormone.”

Welcome to the Psychiatric Hotline.

If you are obsessive-compulsive, please press 1 repeatedly.

If you are co-dependent, please ask someone to press 2.

If you have multiple personalities, please press 3, 4, 5, and 6.

If you are paranoid-delusional, we know who you are and what you want. Just stay on the line so we can trace the call.

If you are schizophrenic, listen carefully and a little voice will tell you which number to press.

If you are depressed, it doesn't matter which number you press. No one will answer.

If you are delusional and occasionally hallucinate, please be aware that the thing you are holding on the side of your head is alive and about to bite off your ear.

Here are some of the ways laughter can help you:



* Laughter may strengthen the immune system by activating cells that attack viruses.

* Laughing may lower blood pressure for some by inducing relaxation and preventing the release of stress hormones such as cortisol.

* Some describe laughter as “internal jogging” as you inhale oxygen which stimulates heart and blood circulation.

* Laughter can trigger the release of endorphins which give you a sense of well being. These endorphins are also natural painkillers.

* It is possible that the stimulation of particular cerebral regions, involved in depression pathogenesis, and the normalization of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical system dysfunctions, both mediated by laughter, can counteract efficiently depressive symptoms.

* Laughing can reduce stress and anxiety because it naturally relaxes you. Laughter induces your heart rate to slow down and your blood pressure to decrease.

* Some experts say that laughter increases our creativity as it encourages a new perspective to look at things.

* Laughing with others may be the best way to reap the benefits of laughter as it improves our mood through social connection and an increased feeling of belonging. Laughing with friends can decrease feelings of alienation and lowers our risk for depression.

Laughter Yoga

One of the first things to go when you're depressed is your sense of humor. Nothing is funny, even things that previously made you roll on the floor laughing. When the brain's chemistry is out of balance, it's more difficult to make that humor connection.

Laughing at a comedian on TV or watching a funny movie can provide a little lift in mood but some take it a step further and believe that regular group sessions where you laugh with others can be a therapeutic treatment for depression. There is a method called “Laughter Yoga” which is gaining ground as a credible treatment for depression and anxiety. Laughter Yoga concentrates on the purely physical aspects of laughter. You can just start laughing, even if you don't feel like it. You can learn to laugh for no reason. To do this, begin with some fake laughter. It's always better with 2 or more people, because as you look each other in the eye, you just start to laugh more.

Laughter yoga groups around the world are coming together to participate in exercises which combine yoga techniques with forced laughter. The people who run such groups believe that you don’t need to laugh at a joke to reap the benefits of laughter. For example, participants in the Pasadena Laughter Club chant, “Ho-Ho-Hah-Hah-Hah!” as they march and clap to the rhythm. This is no comedy club and the members laugh for no reason as a part of this unique therapy.  “Fake it until you make it” is the mantra of the creator of laughing yoga, Dr.Madan Kataria, who is otherwise known as “the Guru of Giggling” by his followers. Dr. Kataria has been quoted as saying, “Laughter cannot solve your problems but it can give you the energy to face your problems, to look at life in a different light, a positive light.”

Video Presentation:

Laughter Yoga Against Depression

Sources and Additional Information:

http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/laughter.htm

http://www.oohoi.com/inner_self/mind/laughter.htm

http://www.moodletter.com/Laughter.html

http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/84292/117961/depression

http://depression.ygoy.com/laughter-therapy-for-depression/

Dance and Movement Therapy for Depression

Dance therapy has been used to treat mental and physical disabilities and illnesses in the United States since the 1940s. It is recognized by many major organizations as a legitimate form of treatment despite the scarcity of scientific studies that explore its effects. At the very least, it is known that dance/movement therapy will "provide exercise, improve mobility and muscle coordination...reduce muscle tension...improve self-awareness, self-confidence, and interpersonal interaction, and [act as] an outlet for communicating feelings," according to the American Cancer Society.

What is Dance and Movement Therapy?

In this type of therapy, a dance therapist helps a group of people to express themselves in movement. Expressing feelings in this way is supposed to improve mood.

Dance/movement therapy, as a creative art therapy, is rooted in the expressive nature of dance itself. Dance is the most fundamental of the arts, involving a direct expression and experience of oneself through the body. It is a basic form of authentic communication, and as such it is an especially effective medium for therapy. Based in the belief that the body, the mind and the spirit are interconnected, dance/movement therapy is defined by the American Dance Therapy Association as "the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process that furthers the emotional, cognitive, social and physical integration of the individual."

History

Dance therapy, as it is currently defined, began in the U.K. and spread to the United States in the 1940s.

Dance/movement therapy as an organized profession was born in psychiatric hospitals such as St. Elizabeth's in Washington, D.C., in the 1940s and Camarillo State Hospital in California in the 1920s. Students of the early pioneers of the field in those hospitals and other settings started the Dance Therapy Association in 1966. I was trained in that model, which was developed from the work of Marian Chace, a Denishawn dancer who started dance therapy at St. Elizabeth's Hospital and Chestnut Lodge.

Dance therapists noted progress and outcomes in the nursing logs in terms of expanded range of affect and motion, increased interpersonal communication skills, and group dynamics. Dance therapists no longer work primarily in psychiatric settings but now function in medical hospitals, wellness settings, workplaces, and spas. In these settings, they bring their unique healing combination of body, symbol, energetics, resiliency, and recovery. 

Basics

Dance therapy is founded on the idea that the mind and body are inseparable. At its most basic level, dance is a form of exercise, providing mobility, flexibility and strength. Exercise increases neurotransmitters in the brain called endorphins, which encourage happiness and contentedness, curing symptoms of depressive patients. Total body movements enhance the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal and muscular systems, according to the American Cancer Society. Furthermore, the ACS notes that dance therapy helps patients "develop a nonverbal language that offers information about what is going on in their bodies," improving their communication with themselves and others, decreasing isolation and providing a sense of hope for the future.

Uses

A qualified dance therapist will observe a patient's natural movement and decide upon an appropriate program for their particular needs. Therapy sessions may occur individually or in groups. The American Dance Therapy Association holds classes at nursing homes, daycare centers, hospitals and educational settings, among others. Dance therapy has reportedly assisted people with learning disabilities, eating disorders and autism, as written in Levy's book "Dance/Movement Therapy: A Healing Art." Dance therapy is said to help a patient develop organizational skills, help improve body image issues and expand cognitive abilities. Because dance therapy operates on the belief that the mind and body are linked, it seeks to heal emotional and physical illness simultaneously. Depressive patients are encouraged to find freedom from debilitating emotions in their movements.

Considerations

The American Cancer Society notes that "few scientific studies have been done to evaluate the effects of dance therapy on health, prevention, and recovery from illness." Dance therapy should be pursued under the supervision of a primary care physician and should be part of a holistic health and wellness plan, regardless of a person's diagnosis.

Recognition

Dance therapy is now practiced all over the world. This expressive therapy is recognized by the Health Care Financing Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Administration on Aging and the Office of Alternative Medicine of the National Institute of Health. All dance therapists working for the ADTA must have a master's degree and a minimum of 700 supervised hours of clinical training.

You do not like dancing?

The common misconception is that you need to be a skilled dancer to practice dance therapy. Absolutely wrong! It is not about learning new moves and getting on the dance floor to show off. It is all about getting alone with your body and mind. Even if you do not need dance therapy on a clinical level, you can practice self-growth dance techniques to help you reach a blissful state of freedom and emotional relief. Learn to let go completely and surrender to your body's needs. Authentic Movement and Contact Improvisation are two powerful, expressive dance techniques.

Authentic movement is a personal growth tool to help you tune into your body. Authentic Movement creates a space for the development of a process through spontaneous movement. As a practice, it integrates many traditions: therapy and meditation, individual and community process, ritual and improvisation. Everyone can benefit from Authentic Movement.

Contact improvisation is another self-growth dance technique in which physical contact with another human being provides exploration through movement improvisation. Contact Improvisation is one of the most well-known forms of postmodern dance. To physically touch another person in an expressive, uninhibited way can be a powerful way to release repressed feelings.

“I love the feeling of using something I really believe and know is good for me,” Given said when discussing her calling as a dance therapist. “It is very rewarding having a tool to share with others.”

Quick facts

• As defined by the American Dance Therapy Association, "Dance/Movement Therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process which furthers the emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration of the individual."


• Dance/movement therapy emerged as a distinct profession in the 1940's.


• The American Dance Therapy Association was formed in 1966. It maintains a code of ethics and has established standards for professional practice, education and training.


• There are approximately 1203 dance/movement therapists in 46 states and 29 foreign countries.


• Dance/movement therapy is an effective treatment for people with developmental, medical, social, physical and psychological impairments.


• Dance/movement therapy is practiced in mental health rehabilitation, medical, educational, forensic, nursing homes, day care, disease prevention and health promotion programs.


• Dance/movement therapy is used with people of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds in individual, couples, family, and group therapy formats.


• Entry into the profession of dance/movement therapy is at the Master's level. The title "Dance Therapists Registered" (DTR) is granted to entry level dance/movement therapists who have a master's degree which includes 700 hundred hours of supervised clinical internship. The advanced level of registry, "Academy of Dance Therapists", (ADTR) is awarded only after DTR's have completed 3,640 hours of supervised clinical work in an agency, institution or special school, with additional supervision from an ADTR.

Gratitude Dance

Sources and Additional Information:

http://www.ehow.com/about_6556906_dance-therapy-depression.html

http://www.healthyplace.com/alternative-mental-health/depression-alternative/dance-and-movement-therapy-for-depression/menu-id-55/

http://www.the-bright-side.org/site/thebrightside/content.php?type=1&section_id=893&id=1144

http://www.ileneserlin.com/dance_movement_therapy.pdf

http://www.examiner.com/dance-in-nashville/dance-therapy-the-art-of-healing-through-expression

Depression Treatment with Herbs and Ayurvedic Remedies

About Ayuverda

Ayurveda (the science of life) is a system of traditional medicine practiced in India for centuries and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, the word Ayurveda comprises the words ayus, meaning 'life' and veda, meaning 'science'. Ayurveda traces its origins to the Vedas , the Atharva veda in particularand is connected to spiritualism and mythology. The earliest literature of Ayurveda appeared during the Vedic period in India, the Sushruta Samhita and the Charaka Samhita were influential works on traditional medicine during this era.

Ayurvedic practitioners also claim to have identified a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for curing various ailments and diseases. Ayurveda is considered to be a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within the western world, where several of its methodssuch as herbs, massage, and Yoga as exercise or alternative medicineare applied on their own as a form of CAM treatment.

Ayurveda believes in 'five great elements' (earth, water, fire, air and space) forming the universe, including the human body.  Chyle, Blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow, and semen are believed to be the seven primary constituent elements of the body.  Ayurveda stresses a balance of three substances: wind/spirit/air, phlegm, and bile, each representing divine forces.  According to Ayurvedic beliefs, the doctrine of these three Doshas vata (wind/spirit/air), pitta (bile) and kapha (phlegm) is important. Any imbalance in these three elements results in a disease. Traditional beliefs hold that humans possess a unique constellation of Doshas. It is believed that building a healthy metabolic system, attaining good digestion, and proper excretion leads to vitality. 

Ayurveda also focuses on exercise, yoga, meditation, Pranayam and massage. The concept of Panchakarma is believed to eliminate toxic elements from the body.

Ayuverda and Depression

Depression is a neurological disorder. When a person is too overcome with negative emotions, it becomes difficult to focus on any other issue. The person may become lethargic and lose interest in what is going on around them. Such a state may occur when a person fails in an examination, loses a job, gets jilted by a lover, gets divorced, loses some dear one, etc. Some people are able to get over their emotions quickly. But in some others, depressions may last for several days, weeks or even months.

In Ayurveda, depression is known as Chittavsada. It is caused by the increase in the tamas and rajas of the mind with a vitiation of the kapha dosha. Sometimes, an imbalanced vata may also be responsible for depression.

From the ayurvedic perspective, emotional imbalance is caused by lack of coordination of an individual's senses, emotions and thoughts. The heart and mind are intimately connected, because the heart is the "seat" of consciousness. In the Charaka Samhita, a major ayurvedic text, it is said, hridaye chetana sthanam, which means, "the seat of consciousness is in the heart.

The main cause of emotional imbalance is the lack of ability to process emotions in a timely fashion. Some people are able to process an emotion quickly, which means they are able to let go of it and move on with their lives. For others, the processing or "cooking" of thoughts is slow, so the negative impression remains with them for a very long time and impacts their current thoughts and emotions, resulting in depression.

Useful Herbs in the Treatment of Depression

1. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

Ashwagandha has the requisite properties to remove negative thoughts from the mind. The aphrodisiac properties of ashwagandha also help in improving the mind and removing depression.

2. Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri)

Brahmi is prescribed before a yogic session. The reason is that brahmi helps to relax the mind and bring it to a comfortable state. Brahmi is very popularly available in the form of oils. The oil has a cooling and soothing effect on the mind. Regular use of this oil can prevent the person from feeling depressed.

3. Cardamom (Elattaria cardamomum)

Cardamom has a very pleasing odor which can soothe the nerves. When a person is depressed, a tea made by putting cardamom in it can have almost miraculous effects.

4. Guggulu (Commiphora wightii)

Guggulu has become the focus of attention recently due to the presence of special chemicals in it called as guggulsterones. These chemicals improve the nervous coordination and hence are beneficial in the treatment of depression. Guggulu is more effective in depression caused due to seasonal affective disorder.

5. Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi)

Jatamansi brings a calming effect on the mind. By canalizing the energies of the mind in the right direction, jatamansi can remove the depressive thoughts.

6. Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

Turmeric is effective in treating depression that is caused by the change of seasons, i.e. seasonal affective disorder.

Dietary Treatments for Depression

For people with depression a heavy food is not advised. The person must not eat to the full capacity. Hot, spicy and pungent tastes must be avoided as these will aggravate the senses further. Fluids and fresh vegetables (in salads) must become an important part of every meal. The person can have cool sherbets like rose sherbet in the middle of the day, especially in the afternoons and when the evening is beginning. Tea and coffee may be taken occasionally to stimulate the brain.

Most people with depression lose their appetite and desire to eat. For such people, food must not be forced, or it could lead to vomiting. When such a disinterest in food occurs, fruits can be consumed. A diet rich in fruits is beneficial in the treatment of depression.

Ayurvedic Treatment for Depression

The Ayurveda Panchakarma therapy is the cleansing process that helps to purge unwanted toxins. The Panchakarma treatments are extremely helpful in relieving deep seated diseases. Besides, they are benefical for maintaining and improving both physical and mental health.

Shirodara: the patient lies on a special wooden bed and a steady stream of warm, aromatic oil, milk, or buttermilk is rhythmically poured across the forhead. This treatment calms the mind and soothes the nervous system. It brings on profound peace and happiness.

Abhyanga: this is a firm but gently whole body massage of aromatic herbal oils that are administered by two skilled technicians who work in complete harmony. The abhyanga massage may last up to one hour.

Udvarthanam: this is a massage using a special Ayurveda herbal paste to enliven and energise the body. It helps to promote good digestion, healthy skin, firm muscle tone, better circulation, and it reduces cellulite. It is perfect for those who wish to lose weight.

Nasya: the nose is seen as the doorway to the brain and also to consciousness. This therapy helps to ease problems of excess mucus and blocked sinuses. A stimulating head massage is followed by a steam inhalation with aromatic herbs and the application of hot towels. Finally, herbal nasal drops are administered to melt, loosen, and release mucus from the sinus passages.

Pizhichil: is also known as „Royal Treatment“ as it is the ultimate therapy for relaxing. The patient remains in a sitting position and a cloth soaked in oil is squeezed all over the body. This treatment softly heats the skin and helps to draw impurities to the surface. It leaves the patient feeling peaceful, calm, and wonderfully relaxed.

These are just a few examples of Ayurveda Panchakarma healing treatments.

Home Medications

1. Get someone do a good head massage with a cooling oil like brahmi oil.

2. Improve the regimen of your day. Begin with yoga in the morning and then listen to good soothing music. For some people, visiting their religious places of worship also helps to come out of depression.

3. Focus your mind in other activities and hobbies in order to keep the thoughts causing depression away.

4. You can try eating an apple with milk and honey. This helps to improve the mood.

5. Simple lemon juice (the extract of one lemon in a glass of water, sweetened with sugar) is also good. It releases stress-removing hormones and brings the mind at ease.

Fighting Winter Depression with Ayuverda

Winter depression is considered by health experts as one of several Seasonal Affective Disorders, or those disorders that develop as part of the body's response to changes in season or outer atmosphere. During winter, one experiences shorter days and longer nights. Meanwhile, the weather becomes chilly such that you have to switch to winter clothing or gears that enable your body to stay warm.

As of now, experts are still in search of reasons that would explain why one develops winter depression. However, a few evidences reveal that it could be due to lack of sunlight exposure, although the extent at which this factor cause winter depression to arise still needs to be further examined.

Some of the common symptoms of winter depression include the following:

• Tendency to overeat.


• Consumption of too much sweets.


• Craving for carbohydrate-rich foods.


• Uncharacteristic weight gain.

According to Ayurveda principles, winter is believed to be the time for Hemanta ritu (period between mid-November to mid-January) and Sisira ritu (period between mid-January to mid-March). Ayurveda has a valid explanation when it comes to the human body's response to the seasonal changes. Winter depression is one of those conditions. Any changes that take place on your body, physiologically speaking, is due to the increase of Vata or body fire, which aims to compensate for the extremely cold weather on the outside such that you can regulate internal body temperature.

People who have vata as their major constituent in their body are at the highest risk of developing winter depression. Thus, ayurvedic treatments against winter depression recommend reducing vata to combat any effects of this condition to your body.

Since winter depression is believed to be caused by lack of sunlight exposure, then you must try to get as much sunlight as you can. In the absence of sunlight, you must expose yourself to artificial source of lighting such as sitting by the fireplace. This Ayurveda tip is believed to be really effective. Also, you must keep your home well-lit to reduce the depressive symptoms or intensity of the condition.

Engaging in regular but moderate exercise is also ideal for relieving winter depression. One such exercise that would reap effective results is yoga. A more suitable alternative would be to regularly engage in a sexual act, since it not only improves physiological condition but can improve your mood, as well.

Below are additional tips that you can use for Ayurveda treatment against seasonal affective disorders, such as winter depression:

• Use a vata balancing herbal oil such as abhyanga and massage it all over your body. Concentrate the application of oil and massaging on your head.


• After massaging with the oil, remove it off your body by taking a warm or hot bath. You can also prepare a homemade herbal scrub to use on your bath, which includes a combination of the following ingredients in equal proportion: yellow and green gram, and fenugreek seeds.


• You can consume warm soups.


• Eat foods that are known to balance your vata such as black gram, wheat, oil, and jaggery.


• Instead of focusing on a single type of food, you can cycle through various tastes – from sweet, to salty, to sour.


• Wear thick sheets or clothing materials such as wool, cotton, or silk.


• Never forget to protect your feet with the right kind of winter footwear.

Sources and Additional Information:

http://disease.holplus.com/Conditions/Depression/Depression-Treatment-With-Herbs-and-Ayurvedic-Remedies.html

http://www.livingtouch.com/29/ayurveda-therapies/

http://www.tarunaoils.com/articles/combating-winter-depression-ayurveda-treatment.asp

http://deltahealth1.com/site/page5.aspx

http://www.mapi.com/ayurveda_health_care/newsletters/ayurvedic_emotional_health.html

Adlerian Therapy against Depression

Overview

Adlerian psychotherapy was founded by Alfred Adler (an ex-associate of Freud who rejected Freud's notion that sex is the root of all psychological problems.) It takes a positive view of human nature: We are all goal-oriented creatures who are striving for social connectedness, and we are in control of our destiny. Many personal difficulties, Adler believed, stem from feelings of inferiority-he in fact coined the term "inferiority complex."

An Adlerian therapist will identify, explore, and challenge a client's current beliefs about their life goals. He or she will gather family history and will use information about a client's behavior patterns to help the client set new, socially satisfying, and attainable goals. These could relate to any realm of life and could include developing parenting or marital skills, or ending substance abuse. Once these healthier objectives are set, the therapist may also assign homework, set up contracts with the client, and make suggestions on how the client can reach his or her new goals.

Probably, the most influential contribution Adler has made was his emphasis on birth order and sibling relationships. This emphasis propelled him to focus his therapeutic approach in family relationships. This approach was labeled “family constellation”, which gathers information on the client’s immediate family member, such as parents, brothers and/or sisters, and others living in their house. A summary and interpretation of this information portrays how the client interacts with the social world.

The Adlerian therapy focuses on spotting concerns or issues revolving around unrealistic ambitions or lack of confidence. The therapist also discovers the successes and failures the client has gone through and how these experiences have affected him or her. The diagnostic tool of early recollections is also practiced. With this method, the client narrates early childhood incidents that keep on happening again and again. According to Adler, these recollections describe how an individual sees himself or herself and what he or she envisions for the future. After gathering this information, the therapist then develops a lifestyle assessment, or the main targets of therapy.

It is a guideline for Adlerian therapists to guide the client in exploring his or her strength, rather than revealing his or her weaknesses. Therapists use an objective interview that inquires about the beginning of the client’s problems, the client’s medical history, the client’s purpose for engaging in therapy, and the person’s coping mechanisms. Indeed, based on this approach, therapists or counsellors are “lifestyle investigators”.

Questions about family environment have likewise been included in the techniques. The family issues include the client’s similarity or dissimilarity with the parents and other siblings, parents’ treatment of the children and discipline in the home. Early recollections are also practiced, commonly starting with the line, “Tell me something that happened one time.” This narration is further interpreted by the therapist, according to the client’s perception of the event. Personality priorities are also interpreted based on the four behavioral patterns of superiority, control, comfort, and aim to please.

Adlerian Therapy Focus for Depression Treatment

- Emphasis is placed on the importance of the feelings of self that arise from conflicts and interactions

- The sense of self being the central core of personality is also stressed

- The relationship of ego being the core personality of a person is another focus of the therapy

- It starts from psychoanalysis

- Great emphasis is placed on motivation and social interaction 

How Adlerian Therapy works?

The goal of Adlerian Therapy is to challenge and encourage the clients' premises and goals, to encourage goals that are useful socially and to help them feel equal. These goals may be from any component of life including, parenting skills, marital skills, ending substance abuse, and most anything else.

The Adlerian therapist provides a supportive, accepting environment that can help you build trust, hope and confidence. This can be achieved in a non-judgmental, non-labeling context where the client is stimulated (or irritated) into thoughts and actions which strive for a positive, balanced, connected, competent and creative approach to self and others. The therapists may also assign homework, setup contracts between them and the client, and make suggestions on how the client can reach their goals.

Adlerian Play Therapy

Adlerian Play Therapy is a component of the complete program of Adlerian Therapy. Although Adlerian Play Therapy may work a little different because it is geared to appeal to children, the concept is the same. In Adlerian Therapy sessions, the therapist will focus on and examine the lifestyle of the client and try to form a mutual respect and trust with the client. They will then mutually set goals as the therapist provides encouragement and makes suggestions on how the client can reach those goals. The therapist will also provide the encouragement for the client to make the changes that will assist him or her in attaining the goals that have been set.  

In the case of children, they are not always perceptive to opening up and talking about their feelings, and without this very important part of lives being revealed, it’s difficult for a therapist to help solve the problem that may be plaguing the child. As a result, a systematic approach to therapy was developed called Adlerian Play Therapy and is used in combination with the Adlerian Therapy. Children, being as they are, do not like the idea of anyone trying to find out why they act a certain way, or what happened to make them the way they are. They are very timid little creatures when it comes to the way they feel inside and why they feel that way. I am sure many parents have heard their children say, “I’m not saying anything. I don’t like talking to strangers.” It becomes difficult for a parent who is trying to get to the root a problem with her child’s behavior or the way her child thinks. 

What is the solution and how do you help a child who refuses to open up? That’s where the concept of Adlerian Play Therapy steps in. Your child doesn’t want to talk to a stranger, and no matter what you do, he or she just won’t open up and talk. With the Adlerian Play Therapy concept, the child is “fooled” into opening up because the session is conducted during a course of playtime with the therapist. By playing together and developing a sense of being on the child’s level, he or she opens up without even realizing it.

Methodology

Adler taught that a client’s life-style can be viewed as a personal mythology. These mythologies are true for the individual and so the individual acts accordingly. These mythologies are “truths” and “partial truths,” but they can also be myths that one confuses for truths. Adler calls these basic mistakes. Look at common overgeneralizations, such as “people are hostile”, “life is dangerous” as well as misperceptions of life, “life doesn’t give me any breaks”, are all myths that one confuses for truth. These mythologies or life-styles are expressed in the client’s physical behavior, language, dreams, interpretations, etc. The intervention in Adlerian therapy is reeducation and reorientation of the client to myths that work “better”.

Concept of Change/Development According to Adler's theory of change, the therapist uses a variety of strategies that help the client to identify his specific needs. The client is unique; therefore, the technique used must fit the situation of the client. Thinking, feeling, emotion and behavior can only be understood as subordinated to the individual's style of life, or consistent pattern of dealing with life. The individual is not internally divided or the battleground of conflicting forces. Adler believed that humans possess the freedom to act, determine our fate, determine our personality, and affect our style of life.

The goal of the therapy is to stimulate cognitive, affective and behavior change. Although the individual is not always fully aware of their specific goal, through analysis of birth order, repeated coping patterns and earliest memories, the psychotherapist infers the goal as a working hypothesis. The client approaches control of feelings and emotions. First, the client recognizes what kind of feeling he or she is having (angriness, sadness, frustration, etc). Once the client sees and knows the feeling; then he or she will try to imagine or think of something pleasant that had happened to him or her, replacing the bad feeling for a good one. By doing this, the client is in control of his or her emotions and can change the mood only by thinking differently. It is believed by Adlerians that thinking different thoughts can effectively change mood states.

The client is helped by the therapist to see life from another perspective. The client tries to put him or herself into another role. Change occurs when the client is able to see his or her problem from another view, so he or she can explore and practice new behavior. As the therapist explores the thinking, feeling and acting of the client, he or she directs the client into a new philosophy of life. Thus, the client is able to think about a new philosophy of life. He or she makes decisions and conclusions about his or her own life.

Adlerian psychotherapy can be broken down into three basic phases: 1) Understanding he specific style of life of the patient, 2) Explaining the patient on himself or herself, and 3) Strengthening the social interest in the patient. It attempts to bring each individual to an optimal level of personal, interpersonal, and occupational functioning. The objective of therapy is to replace exaggerated self-protection, self-enhancement, and self-indulgence with courageous social contribution.

Tools and Techniques Once the initial analysis has been completed and goals for treatment have been set, Adlerians employ a variety of techniques to encourage individuals to move forward and elicit change. Most of the techniques are action-oriented, focusing on facilitating life-style changes while working to help the individual learn to counteract discouragement, enhancing self-efficacy and increasing self-esteem. Treatment may occur in the form of multiple psychotherapy (whereby several therapists treat a single patient), individual psychotherapy, and/or group therapy.

Within the therapeutic relationship, the therapist is said to represent values the patient may attempt to imitate. In serving as models for their patients, Adlerian therapists therefore characterize themselves as “being for real”- genuine, fallible, and able to laugh at themselves. An emphasis on humor as an important asset is frequently utilized in treatment since “if one can occasionally joke, things cannot be so bad”. Other verbal techniques include giving advice while taking care to discourage dependency; frequent use of encouragement and support; and utilizing language that avoids moralizing by referring to behaviors as “useful” and “useless” as opposed to “good” and “bad”.

Some of the more action-oriented techniques include creative and dramatic approaches to treatment such as role-play, the empty-chair, acting “As if”, and psychodrama. Other techniques include task setting, creating images, catching oneself, and the Push-Button Technique. Dramatic techniques such as Role-play, the Empty Chair, and Acting “as if”, are all utilized to help the patient practice useful skills and behaviors as they “try on” new roles and styles of living. While these techniques provide valuable opportunities for patients to rehearse new life-skills, they also allow for the patient to make choices as to which roles they wish to discard, and which they wish to use in their everyday life. Psychodrama is technique that occurs exclusively in a group setting, whereby the internal struggles of a single patient (or “protagonist”) are worked though dramatically. The process occurs with the active participation (and support) of other members of the group who are employed by the protagonist to represent challenging aspects of his or her inner life, while he or she attempts to move “successfully” through it.

Creating images is another technique utilized by Adlerians in eliciting change. Based on the premise that “one picture is worth a thousand words”, patients are given (or generate) images to describe themselves. Use of this technique maintains that remembering this image, the patient can remember goals, and in later stages, can learn to use the image to laugh at oneself.

The Push-Button Technique also utilizes the patients’ own imagination in service of therapeutic goals. After being instructed to call upon two specific life experiences- one pleasant experience and one unpleasant experience- patients are encouraged to focus on the feelings each of these incidents evoke. This process is utilized to teach patients that they can create whatever feeling they wish by deciding what they think about. As a result, the patient finds that he is the creator, not the victim of his emotions, and the power of self-determination is enhanced.

Sources and Additional Information:

http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/content/therapy_methods.html

http://www.healthster.co.uk/adlerian-therapy/

http://www.depression-guide.com/adlerian-therapy.htm

http://www.depression-doctor.com/adlerian-therapy.html