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Complementary Therapies

People who practice complementary medicine believe quite reasonably that depression is a mind/body disorder that arises when many different factors come together in our lives. These factors range from genetically inherited chemical imbalances that predispose people to depression and anxiety, to learned attitudes of helplessness and low self-esteem that make us vulnerable to the same disorders.

Add in tragic life events that are all too common, and the result can lead to depression, anxiety or both. Hence, the reasoning behind the use of complementary therapies is that people need to address at least most of the contributing causes behind mood disorders in order to eradicate them successfully. The range and sheer number of complementary medicines recommended primarily for depression is long and varied and difficult to cover briefly. People who wish to have a more in-depth overview might wish to consult a well-referenced book, "Dealing with Depression Naturally" by Syd Baumel (Keats Publishing Inc., New Canaan, Connecticut, 1995, $29.95). Based on information from Mr. Baumel's book, here is a brief overview of plant or supplement-based products only felt by complementary medicine practitioners to be helpful in depression.

People are not troubled by things, but by their judgements about things.
- Epictetus

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