I recently read an article discussing the benefits of organic food, things, etc. That got me thinking: how about an organic approach to depression?
When we use a medical model for mental health issues, we tend to end up with a pharmaceutical solution. An “organic” solution, according to Wikipedia, could not include synthetic chemical inputs, genetically modified organisms, irradiation, or the use of sewage sludge. Okay, that last one is not likely to be a problem. It is the first one that is rarely given much thought.
Well, is there an organic approach? Of course: psychotherapy. Nothing at all added; just talk.
Last week on the NICABM (www.nicabm.com) series on women’s health, Joan Borysenko referenced the work of Irving Kirsch, Ph.D., who reported in The Emperor’s New Drugs his findings that anti-depressants have no more effect than placebos in treating depression. In fact, he states, “The belief that antidepressants can cure depression chemically is simply wrong.” (Kirsch, Irving (2010). The emperor’s new drugs. p.5. New York: Basic Books.)
But is talk alone enough? Sometimes. However, that’s where energy psychotherapy comes in. We can use meridian therapies, hypnosis, or EMDR – tools that do not add chemicals to the body; tools that do help us create change without side effects.
