Naturopathy for depression?

[Connorrun]

Hi,

I am a depressed soul. I was in a romantic relationship for about 3 years. I met my girlfriend during our college days. Everything was going smooth early. But later, she began to change. She was too possessive. She was suspicious whenever I talked with other girls. And we used to fight in the name of this. My dream was to become a model. She interfered in that and never liked me doing modeling. Because she feared that I may leave her for other girls. I was fed up.

Recently, my girlfriend and I separated due to the irreconcilable differences between us. I am heartbroken and depressed. Because I loved her very much and cannot forget her. There are no days without crying. I became weak. Seeing my condition, one of my friends told me to do naturopathy treatment as it is good for curing depression. He suggested me to approach a clinic offering naturopathy treatment services. Had anyone done treatment here? Is it effective? Can naturopathy really cure depression? Please share your experiences, views, and opinions.

Thanks!

[Spleefy]

Hi Connorrun,

Naturopathy is indeed very effective for a wide range of conditions, including depression. In many ways, naturopathy is more effective than allopathy (mainstream Western medicine) for a number of reasons. The main ones include…

> It is client-centred

> It is health-focused rather than disease-focused. Disease cannot exist in a healthy body.

> It uses a holistic approach to health—that is, takes into account all the factors contributing to health and illness such as physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of human functioning.

> Treatments are customized to each client, as each person is considered to have individual health needs. In other words, no two people, even with the same condition, will receive the same treatment plan.

> Naturopathic consultations are generally longer than allopathic consultations. The reason being is because naturopaths are very thorough and have a genuine desire to build a rapport with the client and care for their wellbeing

> Allopathic medicine promotes dependency, passiveness, and reliance on drug therapy. Naturopathy, on the other hand, promotes independence and empowers clients by encouraging them to be proactive in their own treatment regimen. We are responsible for our own health. Naturoapthy will put you in charge and control of your own health.

> Naturopaths will not only treat but educate you. Actually, one of the six fundamental principles of naturopathy is: "Doctor as teacher."

> Treatments are designed to facilitate or augment the body’s natural healing processes. This is contrast to allopathic medicine, which is designed to suppress symptoms. Suppressing symptoms does not affect a true cure. Depression is not a Prozac deficiency--you must always treat the underlying causes of disease.

> Naturopaths will investigate lifestyle factors that may be contributing to poor health, such as our relationships, diet, work, environment, etc.

> Naturopaths treat the whole person, not just individual bodily systems or parts. The body is viewed as an integrated whole.

> Naturopaths are trained to place emphasis on prevention by focusing on overall health. After all, prevention is better than cure.

> Treatments are naturally based and are intended to affect change as quickly as possible with the least amount of harm to the client.

It should be noted that naturopathy is not a panacea for all conditions. Like any medical modality, naturopathy has its limitations. However, naturopathy is exceedingly effective. It also comes down to your own attitude to health.

For some people, allopathic medicine is good for them, such as those who don't want to be proactive in their own healing process. These group of people prefer to just take medicine and hope for the best. Thus for these people, allopathy is right for them. But for people who are willing to put in the effort and be a part of their own healing process, then naturopathy is very powerful, life changing, and empowering.

I encourage you to give naturopathy a go. Depression is multifaceted, and naturopaths will thus look in-depth at a range of causative and contributing factors to depression, including genetic predisposition, lifestyle factors, diet/exercise, psychological invulnerabilities, acute/chronic stressors, inflammatory dysfunctions, etc. This is where allopathic medicine falls short—it is just not thorough enough and treatment is not fully customized to the individual based on their own health needs.

I studied naturopathy and health science in complementary medicine, and used what I was learning to permanently cure my own depression. I've also used it to rapidly cure other ailments in my life, such as psoriasis.

I hope this helps.