The Supplementary The Supplementary Treatment Of Depression Treatment Of Depression

Using Homeopathic and Bach Using Homeopathic and Bach Flower remediesFlower remedies

The Supplementary The Supplementary Treatment Of Depression Treatment Of Depression

Is Useful For Is Useful For • Patients who will not take anti-Patients who will not take anti-

depressantsdepressants• Patients who develop side effects Patients who develop side effects

on anti-depressantson anti-depressants• Treatment resistant depressionTreatment resistant depression

Samuel Hahnemann 1755-Samuel Hahnemann 1755-18431843

The “Like Cures The “Like Cures Like”Principle (similia Like”Principle (similia

similibus curentur)similibus curentur)The drug which cures is capable of The drug which cures is capable of

producing symptoms similar to producing symptoms similar to those which it cures (eg.onions for those which it cures (eg.onions for colds)colds)

Materia MedicaMateria Medica

• Symptoms produced by poisoningsSymptoms produced by poisonings• Symptoms produced by provingsSymptoms produced by provings• Symptoms relieved when remedy Symptoms relieved when remedy

given for other symptomsgiven for other symptoms

Taking A Homeopathic Taking A Homeopathic HistoryHistory

• Presenting complaint-Presenting complaint-aetiology,modalitiesaetiology,modalities

• PMHPMH• DHDH• FHFH• SHSH• Generals-environment,foodGenerals-environment,food• Mentals-personality,anxieties,moodMentals-personality,anxieties,mood

PatientPatient Remedy Remedy Symptom Symptom

PicturePicture• Physical Physical

characteristicscharacteristics• Local & general Local & general

symptomssymptoms• TemperamentTemperament

Drug PictureDrug Picture• ToxicologyToxicology• ProvingsProvings• ExperienceExperience

RepertorisationRepertorisation

• Repertories-books or computer Repertories-books or computer programmesprogrammes

• List symptoms under body systems List symptoms under body systems and the remedies which produce themand the remedies which produce them

• Ideally choose prominent symptoms Ideally choose prominent symptoms in each area-mind,general and localin each area-mind,general and local

• AetiologyAetiology• Peculiar symptomsPeculiar symptoms

How Are Remedies How Are Remedies Prepared ?Prepared ?

• From- plants,minerals,animals,disease -From- plants,minerals,animals,disease -macerated in alcohol = mother tincturemacerated in alcohol = mother tincture

• Serial dilution - 1 part added to 9 or 99 Serial dilution - 1 part added to 9 or 99 parts of solution = 1X or 1C potencyparts of solution = 1X or 1C potency

• Succussion in between dilutionsSuccussion in between dilutions• Common potencies :- 6C, 30C, 200C, Common potencies :- 6C, 30C, 200C,

1M, 10M, 50M1M, 10M, 50M

Precipitating FactorsPrecipitating Factors

• Acute grief reactionAcute grief reaction - Ignatia - Ignatia• Suppressed griefSuppressed grief - Natrum Mur. - Natrum Mur.• Emotional shockEmotional shock - Opium - Opium• Worry,grief,homesickness,disappoiWorry,grief,homesickness,disappoi

nted lovented love - Phosphoric Acid - Phosphoric Acid• ResentmentResentment - Staphysagria - Staphysagria• Loss of propertyLoss of property - Aurum - Aurum

Aurum (Gold)Aurum (Gold)

Often suicidal thoughts - talks of suicide Often suicidal thoughts - talks of suicide and desires death,but also fears and desires death,but also fears it.Dreams of death.it.Dreams of death.

Ideas of worthlessness,critical of self and Ideas of worthlessness,critical of self and othersothers

Broods,wants to be alone.Sensitive to Broods,wants to be alone.Sensitive to noisenoise

Craves alcohol-can feel better for itCraves alcohol-can feel better for it

Often unable to cryOften unable to cry

Natrum Sulph.(Glauber’s Natrum Sulph.(Glauber’s Salt)Salt)

Often suicidal thoughts,but fights Often suicidal thoughts,but fights against themagainst them

Often early morning wakening, 4-5 Often early morning wakening, 4-5 amam

Hates coversingHates coversing

Poor memoryPoor memory

Periodicity,down every springPeriodicity,down every spring

Arsenicum Album(White Arsenicum Album(White Arsenic)Arsenic)

Depression and anxiety or agitated Depression and anxiety or agitated depression.Very restless,never placiddepression.Very restless,never placid

Despairing,hopeless,irritatedDespairing,hopeless,irritated

Fears + + death,being aloneFears + + death,being alone

Lack courage,aggressive to othersLack courage,aggressive to others

Very tidyVery tidy

Hallucinations of smell and sightHallucinations of smell and sight

Exhausted after slight exertionExhausted after slight exertion

Cimicifuga(Actea Cimicifuga(Actea Racemosa)Racemosa)

Depression & anxiety- Depression & anxiety- “like a black cloud”“like a black cloud”

Often pre-menstrual Often pre-menstrual or puerperalor puerperal

Feeling of impending Feeling of impending evilevil

Fears- going Fears- going mad,being killedmad,being killed

Hallucinations-rats Hallucinations-rats and miceand mice

Calc .Carb.(Chalk)Calc .Carb.(Chalk)

Depression with psychomotor retardationDepression with psychomotor retardation

Sit staring in front,heavy,dull, not restlessSit staring in front,heavy,dull, not restless

Broods over little thingsBroods over little things

Fears- insanity,illness,dark, “something Fears- insanity,illness,dark, “something terrible” will happenterrible” will happen

Sensitive to injustice to othersSensitive to injustice to others

Silent tearsSilent tears

Poor memoryPoor memory

Phosphoric AcidPhosphoric Acid

Extreme indifferenceExtreme indifference

Settled despair - often after grief, Settled despair - often after grief, worry, homesickness, disappointed worry, homesickness, disappointed lovelove

TATTTATT

Impaired memoryImpaired memory

Often young peopleOften young people

Useful in PVFS with depressionUseful in PVFS with depression

PhosphorusPhosphorus

Disinclined to work,study or converse.Disinclined to work,study or converse.

Weary of life.Indifference even towards Weary of life.Indifference even towards own children.Weeps before menses.own children.Weeps before menses.

Anxious and restless esp.in dark or Anxious and restless esp.in dark or twilight.twilight.

Memory poor.Dread of death when Memory poor.Dread of death when alonealone

Ignatia (St.Ignatius`Bean)Ignatia (St.Ignatius`Bean)

Acute grief reaction Acute grief reaction -usually -usually expressed, often expressed, often remorseful and remorseful and self-criticalself-critical

May be silent and May be silent and broodingbrooding

Natrum Muriaticum (Salt)Natrum Muriaticum (Salt)

Depression following grief, rejection - Depression following grief, rejection - prolonged grief reactionprolonged grief reaction

Indifferent (usually sympathetic)Indifferent (usually sympathetic)

Anxiety,hypochondriacalAnxiety,hypochondriacal

Poor appetite,bad dreamsPoor appetite,bad dreams

Afraid will go to hell,but may feel Afraid will go to hell,but may feel suicidalsuicidal

Worse pre-menstruallyWorse pre-menstrually

Staphysagria (Delphinium)Staphysagria (Delphinium)

Suppressed Suppressed resentment or guilt resentment or guilt (esp. sexual)(esp. sexual)

Difficulty expressing Difficulty expressing angeranger

Anxious, irritable, Anxious, irritable, hypochondriacalhypochondriacal

Very sensitive to Very sensitive to remarks of othersremarks of others

Prefers to be alonePrefers to be alone

Edward Bach 1886-1936Edward Bach 1886-1936

Cherry PlumCherry Plum

• Uncontrollable Uncontrollable fears - going fears - going mad , suicidemad , suicide

• ““Out of control”Out of control”

Sweet ChestnutSweet Chestnut

• Intense severe Intense severe suffering.Feel suffering.Feel trapped. Isolated. trapped. Isolated. Silent tears. Not Silent tears. Not usually suicidal , usually suicidal , but feel ttere is but feel ttere is no way out.no way out.

GentianGentian

• Depression when Depression when the cause is the cause is known eg. known eg. disappointment in disappointment in job or love.job or love.

• Disillusion , doubt Disillusion , doubt ..

GorseGorse

• Hopelessness , Hopelessness , despair despair

• More profound More profound than Gentian , but than Gentian , but not so acute as not so acute as Sweet Chestnut.Sweet Chestnut.

• Useful in terminal Useful in terminal illness , patients illness , patients in long term care .in long term care .

MustardMustard

Depression when Depression when cause unknown .Out cause unknown .Out of the blue “like a of the blue “like a black cloud” black cloud” (cf.Cimic.) Lifts of its (cf.Cimic.) Lifts of its own accord Not as own accord Not as hopeless as Gorse.hopeless as Gorse.

Can be useful for Can be useful for SADSAD

Star Of BethlehemStar Of Bethlehem

After effects of After effects of loss , grief .loss , grief .

Depression that Depression that feels like a loss .feels like a loss .

Can seem to cope Can seem to cope superficially , but superficially , but no joy ,anhedonia no joy ,anhedonia . .

HoneysuckleHoneysuckle

Useful for regrets Useful for regrets after a after a bereavement .bereavement .

Keynote - “ Living in Keynote - “ Living in the past”the past”

ClematisClematis

Can be useful in Can be useful in grief .grief .

Lack of concentration Lack of concentration , thinking of lost , thinking of lost person person

May escape into May escape into alcohol or drugs .alcohol or drugs .

Keynote - lack of Keynote - lack of interest in the interest in the present .present .

HornbeamHornbeam

Mental fatigue and Mental fatigue and lassitude .lassitude .

Don’t want to get Don’t want to get up , can’t be up , can’t be bothered .bothered .

OliveOlive

Exhaustion, Exhaustion, longstanding longstanding overwork, burn-overwork, burn-out .out .

Overtired , can’t Overtired , can’t sleep .sleep .

More physical than More physical than Hornbeam .Hornbeam .

PinePine

Guilt .Punish Guilt .Punish themselves themselves

Often insidious Often insidious depression .depression .

Unhappy relationships Unhappy relationships because they feel because they feel unworthy . unworthy .

Feel guilty if they relax Feel guilty if they relax or go on holiday - or go on holiday - workaholics .workaholics .

WillowWillow

“ “ Victim mentality “Victim mentality “

Not true depression , Not true depression , but may present as but may present as such .such .

Resentment ( cf. Staph )Resentment ( cf. Staph )

Not happy with Not happy with improvementimprovement

Put responsibility for Put responsibility for their feelings onto their feelings onto others (opp. Pine )others (opp. Pine )

ElmElm

Overwhelmed by Overwhelmed by responsibility .responsibility .

Usually temporary .Usually temporary .

Normally Normally capable ,take on capable ,take on too much and feel too much and feel inadequate and inadequate and depressed .depressed .

Less physical than Less physical than Olive Olive

Wild RoseWild Rose

Apathy and Apathy and resignation .resignation .

Chronic illness or Chronic illness or situation .situation .

Reluctant to change Reluctant to change ..

Flat affect .Sit down Flat affect .Sit down heavilyheavily

ScleranthusScleranthus

Uncertainty, Uncertainty, changeable .changeable .

Useful for mood Useful for mood swings , swings , cyclothymic or cyclothymic or bipolar illness .bipolar illness .

“ “ Bach remedy Bach remedy lithium”lithium”

Outcomes for Patients Outcomes for Patients with Depression 1996 - with Depression 1996 -

2000 n=242000 n=24

01

234

567

89

10

0 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+ DNA

GHHOS

0=No improvement

1=Minor ``

2=Moderate ``

3=Major ``

4=Cured