Homeopathy and Depression
Jacquelyn Wilson, M.D.
Homeopathic remedies use minute doses of a medicinal agent that stimulate the body's own natural powers of recovery to restore balance and health rather than to simply suppress symptoms. Dr. Wilson, a nationally recognized authority in homeopathy and past President of the American Institute of Homeopathy, has found this system of natural medicine to be bconsistently effective in treating mental and emotional problems, as a method of individual self-care, and in more serious cases, when administered under the care of a health professional. In classical homeopathy, however, there are numerous forms of depression, as depression is not considered to be a single disease but a specific symptom-picture. Classical homeopathic prescribing matches a single remedy with a patient's detailed symptom profile. The keyto the homeopathic approach to treating depression, therefore, is to find the medicine that corresponds or is similar to the depressed person's mind and body traits, and complaints.
The most important homeopathic remedies for depression are described in this chapter, along with the appropriate Bach Flower remedies and cell salts, including each remedy's matching symptom profile. Dr. Wilson also distinguishes between the advantages and disadvantages of the two primary forms of homeopathy--classical single remedy prescribing, and complex homeopathy which uses combination remedies. She provides a fascinating account of a serious depressed woman who did not respond to antidepresssants and conventional medicine, but significantly benefited from a specific homeopathic remedy.