Bach's flower remedies are not something found at the corner store - but they're surprisingly "present", without one having to do back flips to obtain them. Quiet English doctor Edward Bach died in 1936 – but his simple, gentle remedies are still in demand today.
These gentle homeopathic remedies still come in traditional tiny glass bottles with droppers – dark-colored to block out potentially harmful effects of light; and glass as the most neutral container.
A house surgeon at University College Hospital in London, England, Dr. Bach also had an office in fashionable Harley Street, the “medical district”. He specialized in bacteriology, and worked on vaccines - and 7 “nosodes” which later brought him fame.
What is a “nosode”? It’s Bach's first homeopathic group of natural remedies, each dealing with a particular primary negative emotion - created when Bach grew convinced that man's disorders were tied to his emotions.
Under each nosode, or group, Bach created remedies to break these emotions down even further, targeting specific causes. Bach’s original groups were:
• Fear
• Uncertainty
• Insufficient interest in present circumstances
• Loneliness
• Over-sensitivity to influences and ideas
• Despondency or Despair
• Over-care for welfare of others
As he saw real success with his experiments, Dr. Bach lost interest in the omnipotent and patriarchal medical establishment, which he felt was out of touch with real human beings, thanks to their fascination with only the symptoms and pathological causes of disease. In 1930, he abandoned his successful and prestigious Harley Street medical practice and left the city, devoting all his energy to continuing his research with flower essences.
He enjoyed locating plants during the spring and summer, experimenting with them. During the winter, he offered holistic medical healing to local residents. At this time, he became even more convinced that his patients’ emotions played a major part in the physical symptoms each manifested, and worked hard to isolate specific remedies further.
There were many success stories – and of course, many detractors from traditional medicine. And both trends continue to today. What is particularly telling, however: Edward Bach’s 38 remedies remain exactly as he invented them. And are still readily available across the world, in almost every Natural Health store.
An example just 7 of these remedies, and what they are for (remember – these are homeopathic tinctures of flowers:)
1. Gorse - To counteract despair
2. Rock Rose - To counteract panic attacks
3. Star of Bethlehem - To counteract sudden shock, severe loss
4. Gentian - To counteract being too easily discouraged, crushed by the slightest setback
5. Mimulus - To counteract fear – of everything (loss, poverty, loneliness, etc.)
6. Pine - To counteract guilt and a tendency to blame oneself for every small thing
7. Willow - To counteract bitterness and a tendency to blame life
Finally, there is Bach’s famous “Rescue® Remedy, a combination of flowers said to be especially good for traumatic situations. It’s formulated from a blend of 5 flowers:
• Star of Bethlehem
• Rock Rose
• Clematis
• Cherry Plum
• Impatiens
Depression patient Mary P., also reminisces about carrying tiny bottles of Rescue Remedy with her, when she first began to leave her house. “I don’t really care if it was a placebo effect – the point is, a few drops of Rescue Remedy under my tongue would relieve the worst anxiety attack.”
Holistic practitioner Sandi Chadwick, R.N., swears by Rescue Remedy; and says she finds it particularly beneficial against shock, especially with the elderly.
And the best part about these gentle, homeopathic remedies?
They can be taken by anyone – even pets – and won’t interact badly with any other medication. The interesting part about giving it to pets, says Chadwick: “They don’t know anything about `placebo effects’. And it really works.”
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Depression Support: Where To Get It – And How To Provide It
One of the best “natural” remedies for depression lies in the type of depression support you allow yourself to enjoy. But just as there are ways to be supportive, so too is there a protocol to receiving support – even when you’re depressed.
Hopefully, you will have managed to muster together a few trusted people to call on, instead of suffering through the depressive episode alone. You are not always going to be able to behave like the perfect supportee, of course – but if you keep these principles in mind on those occasions where you are still in control of your emotions or level of despair, you are going to receive a much more willing level of support.
1. Don’t phone your support contacts before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m. – unless it really is an emergency. People who suffer from “burnout” cite one overwhelming reason above others: suddenly having to flip to "caregiver mode" when they’re either sleeping, or have “shut off” for the day.
2. Phone the appropriate person – If you want comfort and warmth, or to talk about your feeling, phone friends and family who have agreed to be there for you. If you are suicidal, don’t dump that responsibility onto someone you love. Call a Crisis Line, or just ask your loved one to take you to the nearest hospital.
3. Focus on their needs, once in a while – This one’s a toughie, if you’re clinically depressed. But do try to remember they have stresses, feelings and needs too. A little acknowledgment once in a while will help keep them staunchly at your side.
4. Do try to rotate your support “team” – It’s good to have at least 2 or 3 support people on your side. One person bearing the brunt of all your stress is far more likely to “burn out” than 3.
5. Remember they are not trained therapists – always ask permission to talk to them about your problems. Ask “Is now a good time?” And keep the really heavy baggage for your counsellor.
6. Be honest about how you feel - Telling people honestly what is going on with you and what you need is far better than playing “head games” such as expecting them to “understand” you.
7. Remember you do not have permission to use them as a verbal punching bag – tell them how you feel, but don’t treat them to an angry tirade, if you can possibly help it. Using someone else as a verbal punching bag is simply inexcusable, whether you feel you can handle that or not.
8. The world doesn’t revolve around you because you’re depressed – even though you feel it does. This is not a negative or judgmental comment, but a blunt acknowledgment that you may genuinely be in the rawest “survival mode” while depressed. If this is so, all veneer of manners and appropriate interaction may go out the proverbial window. However, there will still likely be times when you can muster yourself together long enough to remember your manners.
How To Provide Support To A Depressed Person
People who are depressed are not thinking the same way you are. However, you can provide a powerful – occasionally even life-saving – source of support.
It’s a huge responsibility, however, and one you should never let someone “dump” on you, if they’re not actually about to jump off a bridge. And even then, your first action should be to either call 911 yourself, or quickly ask someone else to while you keep the depression victim talking.
In other word, leave the life-saving to the professionals.
There are some other ways you can help yourself as much as your depressed friend or relative:
1. Set boundaries – make sure they’re ones that work for you. For example: “Don’t phone me after midnight. If you’re in real crisis, please call the Crisis Line.”
2. Help them set up a “Crisis Plan”, with numbers such as the Suicide Hot Line or local Crisis line on the fridge (as well as any other relatives or friends they are at liberty to call.) Find out the numbers for them, if they are especially unable to function. Make sure these are prominently displayed in heavy marker, or highlighted with a bright color. People suffering a severe depressive crisis may experience a genuine decrease in visual awareness.
3. Listen more than you talk – don’t make well-meaning suggestions, if you can help it, unless asked directly. You are not a therapist. You are not a judge. If you’ve never experienced severe depression, you do not know what you are talking about. Especially if you think you do.
4. Never tell them to “snap out of it” – or any other phrase of that sort. If they can't, firing phrases like these at them is the cruelest thing you can do.
5. Do encourage anyone who comes to you in a state of depression to seek professional help immediately. Help them to get it by looking up numbers and making initial phone calls, if necessary
6. Let them know in advance that if they ever threaten suicide, you will call Emergency workers immediately. And stick to that resolve. (It’s the quickest way to weed out those unlikely few who are just looking for attention, or trying to "drag you into a drama".)
So there you have it: 14 ways to communicate more effectively, whether you are the victim of depression, or a concerned relative anxious (or afraid) to help.
Sometimes, the best “natural remedy” is just knowing you’re not alone.
http://depressionhelpfast.com
Hopefully, you will have managed to muster together a few trusted people to call on, instead of suffering through the depressive episode alone. You are not always going to be able to behave like the perfect supportee, of course – but if you keep these principles in mind on those occasions where you are still in control of your emotions or level of despair, you are going to receive a much more willing level of support.
1. Don’t phone your support contacts before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m. – unless it really is an emergency. People who suffer from “burnout” cite one overwhelming reason above others: suddenly having to flip to "caregiver mode" when they’re either sleeping, or have “shut off” for the day.
2. Phone the appropriate person – If you want comfort and warmth, or to talk about your feeling, phone friends and family who have agreed to be there for you. If you are suicidal, don’t dump that responsibility onto someone you love. Call a Crisis Line, or just ask your loved one to take you to the nearest hospital.
3. Focus on their needs, once in a while – This one’s a toughie, if you’re clinically depressed. But do try to remember they have stresses, feelings and needs too. A little acknowledgment once in a while will help keep them staunchly at your side.
4. Do try to rotate your support “team” – It’s good to have at least 2 or 3 support people on your side. One person bearing the brunt of all your stress is far more likely to “burn out” than 3.
5. Remember they are not trained therapists – always ask permission to talk to them about your problems. Ask “Is now a good time?” And keep the really heavy baggage for your counsellor.
6. Be honest about how you feel - Telling people honestly what is going on with you and what you need is far better than playing “head games” such as expecting them to “understand” you.
7. Remember you do not have permission to use them as a verbal punching bag – tell them how you feel, but don’t treat them to an angry tirade, if you can possibly help it. Using someone else as a verbal punching bag is simply inexcusable, whether you feel you can handle that or not.
8. The world doesn’t revolve around you because you’re depressed – even though you feel it does. This is not a negative or judgmental comment, but a blunt acknowledgment that you may genuinely be in the rawest “survival mode” while depressed. If this is so, all veneer of manners and appropriate interaction may go out the proverbial window. However, there will still likely be times when you can muster yourself together long enough to remember your manners.
How To Provide Support To A Depressed Person
People who are depressed are not thinking the same way you are. However, you can provide a powerful – occasionally even life-saving – source of support.
It’s a huge responsibility, however, and one you should never let someone “dump” on you, if they’re not actually about to jump off a bridge. And even then, your first action should be to either call 911 yourself, or quickly ask someone else to while you keep the depression victim talking.
In other word, leave the life-saving to the professionals.
There are some other ways you can help yourself as much as your depressed friend or relative:
1. Set boundaries – make sure they’re ones that work for you. For example: “Don’t phone me after midnight. If you’re in real crisis, please call the Crisis Line.”
2. Help them set up a “Crisis Plan”, with numbers such as the Suicide Hot Line or local Crisis line on the fridge (as well as any other relatives or friends they are at liberty to call.) Find out the numbers for them, if they are especially unable to function. Make sure these are prominently displayed in heavy marker, or highlighted with a bright color. People suffering a severe depressive crisis may experience a genuine decrease in visual awareness.
3. Listen more than you talk – don’t make well-meaning suggestions, if you can help it, unless asked directly. You are not a therapist. You are not a judge. If you’ve never experienced severe depression, you do not know what you are talking about. Especially if you think you do.
4. Never tell them to “snap out of it” – or any other phrase of that sort. If they can't, firing phrases like these at them is the cruelest thing you can do.
5. Do encourage anyone who comes to you in a state of depression to seek professional help immediately. Help them to get it by looking up numbers and making initial phone calls, if necessary
6. Let them know in advance that if they ever threaten suicide, you will call Emergency workers immediately. And stick to that resolve. (It’s the quickest way to weed out those unlikely few who are just looking for attention, or trying to "drag you into a drama".)
So there you have it: 14 ways to communicate more effectively, whether you are the victim of depression, or a concerned relative anxious (or afraid) to help.
Sometimes, the best “natural remedy” is just knowing you’re not alone.
http://depressionhelpfast.com
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Antidepressants and Their Side Effects
All types of antidepressant drugs can potentially cause side effects, some of which can be serious, even life-threatening in some cases. Though newer generations of antidepressant drugs are generally safer, with lower toxicity and less chance of overdosing, they still cause significant problems for some users. Some are unsuitable for pregnant women. Anyone taking them should read the package insert carefully for possible drug interactions, allergic reactions and other complications. The FDA online medication guidelines may also be useful.
Side Effects – General
Headaches, nausea and stomach upsets are common side effects of the antidepressants, and some people also experience unpleasant feelings of agitation and anxiety. Sexual dysfunction is not uncommon and feelings of apathy, numbness and emotional detachment are also reported. Other side effects include dry mouth, vision problems, dizziness, skin complaints and fluctuations in weight. Some may interfere with driving or use of machinery.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are known for the serious consequences arising from drug interactions and if users eat foods rich in tyramine (including red wine and cheese). They also reduce REM sleep and can cause fatigue. Serotonin syndrome is a rare but dangerous drug reaction that can be caused by any of the antidepressants (not just SSRIs) and some tranquillizers.
Although not addictive in the way that the benzodiazepines (such as Valium) can be, antidepressants can nevertheless induce physical and psychological dependence and if discontinued, this should be done gradually. Reputable practitioners will discourage long term use of antidepressant therapies.
Major Controversy
Antidepressants have regularly made the news, with some high profile lawsuits. Thousands have sued GlaxoSmith over paroxetine (Paxil/Seroxat), who advertised it as safer than subsequent studies suggest. As well as risks associated with withdrawal, it is claimed that it can raise a person’s suicide risk (or their risk of acting out suicidal behavior by harming others). Those under 25 are thought to react especially badly to it, and it is contraindicated for children and adolescents.
Antidepressants have transformed some people’s lives, and made others’ lives a misery. They can be dangerous and should be used with extreme caution, always strictly according to prescription specifications.
Side Effects – General
Headaches, nausea and stomach upsets are common side effects of the antidepressants, and some people also experience unpleasant feelings of agitation and anxiety. Sexual dysfunction is not uncommon and feelings of apathy, numbness and emotional detachment are also reported. Other side effects include dry mouth, vision problems, dizziness, skin complaints and fluctuations in weight. Some may interfere with driving or use of machinery.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are known for the serious consequences arising from drug interactions and if users eat foods rich in tyramine (including red wine and cheese). They also reduce REM sleep and can cause fatigue. Serotonin syndrome is a rare but dangerous drug reaction that can be caused by any of the antidepressants (not just SSRIs) and some tranquillizers.
Although not addictive in the way that the benzodiazepines (such as Valium) can be, antidepressants can nevertheless induce physical and psychological dependence and if discontinued, this should be done gradually. Reputable practitioners will discourage long term use of antidepressant therapies.
Major Controversy
Antidepressants have regularly made the news, with some high profile lawsuits. Thousands have sued GlaxoSmith over paroxetine (Paxil/Seroxat), who advertised it as safer than subsequent studies suggest. As well as risks associated with withdrawal, it is claimed that it can raise a person’s suicide risk (or their risk of acting out suicidal behavior by harming others). Those under 25 are thought to react especially badly to it, and it is contraindicated for children and adolescents.
Antidepressants have transformed some people’s lives, and made others’ lives a misery. They can be dangerous and should be used with extreme caution, always strictly according to prescription specifications.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Avoid Major Life Decisions When You Are Depressed!
One of the symptoms of depression is an altered mood. People, who are normally bubbly and outgoing, change and become more sullen and withdrawn. Anyone who knows you can tell that something is wrong.
Many of the symptoms of depression revolve around your attitude. There is a tendency towards insomnia or trouble staying asleep. Sleep is the time when the body recharges itself.
If you are suffering from depression, you may notice that you are more irritable than usual. That could be followed by crying spells and moments of anger. The majority of suicides have been diagnosed with some form of depression at some point in their lives.
All of these symptoms and others lead to one thing: a change in your outlook on life and your own well-being. It is a common practice for depressed people who are contemplating suicide to give away their belongings. It may not be odd to be generous but these are items that they hold dear and, under any other circumstance, wouldn’t be parted with.
For that reason, making any major life decisions is not wise at this time. If you know anyone who exhibits signs of depression, get them help right away. When people who are depressed are approached by salespersons, they can be more highly suggestible than normal. You may not have wanted to change your life insurance policy a year ago, but in light of your depressive episodes, you may be talked into changing that and more. The downside here is that your life can be totally turned upside down in those days and months when your depression went undiagnosed.
If you or someone you know is being treated for depression, ask a friend or family member to hold you accountable physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. Changes in relationship status, financial status, work status (to name a few) need to be put on hold until you are thinking more clearly.
for a free report....http://depressionhelptips.com
Many of the symptoms of depression revolve around your attitude. There is a tendency towards insomnia or trouble staying asleep. Sleep is the time when the body recharges itself.
If you are suffering from depression, you may notice that you are more irritable than usual. That could be followed by crying spells and moments of anger. The majority of suicides have been diagnosed with some form of depression at some point in their lives.
All of these symptoms and others lead to one thing: a change in your outlook on life and your own well-being. It is a common practice for depressed people who are contemplating suicide to give away their belongings. It may not be odd to be generous but these are items that they hold dear and, under any other circumstance, wouldn’t be parted with.
For that reason, making any major life decisions is not wise at this time. If you know anyone who exhibits signs of depression, get them help right away. When people who are depressed are approached by salespersons, they can be more highly suggestible than normal. You may not have wanted to change your life insurance policy a year ago, but in light of your depressive episodes, you may be talked into changing that and more. The downside here is that your life can be totally turned upside down in those days and months when your depression went undiagnosed.
If you or someone you know is being treated for depression, ask a friend or family member to hold you accountable physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. Changes in relationship status, financial status, work status (to name a few) need to be put on hold until you are thinking more clearly.
for a free report....http://depressionhelptips.com
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