Do you remember the first time you saw an X-ray of yourself? How wonderful to see the inside of your body! And wasn’t it a relief when the dentist, after watching a movie of your mouth, was able to identify a particular premolar as the source of your pain? We are fortunate to live in an age where medical technology, with its CT scans, MRIs, and blood tests, provides an accurate picture of the inner workings of our bodies. However, amazing as these tools are, they can only examine physical form. What about the mind and our soul? Even psychiatrists, who are experts in mental disorders, treat patients on the basis of subjective oral communication; they only “see” what the patient gives them access to, and through the lens of their own medical training.
This is why so many people seek out psychics and intuitive healers: they perceive information invisible to the naked eye and ear, and beyond the reach of medical science. As an intuitive person, I can often “hear” what a person’s problem is after getting a glimpse of their mind and soul. This has helped me successfully treat numerous ailments, from food allergies to hormonal imbalances.
Historically, it has been extremely rare for physicians (at least those practicing Western medicine) to give credit to such professionals, but there are a growing number of physicians who are not only recognizing the effectiveness of the gifts of the intuitive, but are joining to their ranks. One such person is psychiatrist Shakuntala Modi, MD, who stated in her book Remarkable Healings that many mental disorders originate from the soul. Modi uses medical hypnosis to access the source of depression and guides the patient to release their problem.
One of the great things about being a chiropractor is that I don’t deal with life and death situations. I often think of emergency room doctors, who are faced with these kinds of cases day after day, and wonder how they do it. Sometimes I even find myself watching medical reality TV shows, just to remind myself how lucky I am. That said, I have treated people whose well-being, and their lives, are at risk, including sixty patients suffering from varying degrees of depression. They responded well to my natural approach and as the years go by, I seem to attract more challenging cases. Recently, three teenage girls came to my office, all within a week, stating that they were very depressed and that their antidepressant medication was not working. One girl, a 10th grader, was so depressed that she wanted to commit suicide. I felt like I could help beyond my ability, but her parents begged me to do what I could. I repeated my concern that I could turn it over, but promised that I would try to see what would happen.
After checking for the usual hormonal imbalance and nutritional deficiencies, I followed my protocol for depression. I discovered that the suicidal girl had underlying emotional problems of hopelessness and grief; I also realized that school was a major aggravating factor – she hated it to the core. Then I dealt with his emotional problems, and although it took longer than with the typical depressed patient, he actually responded. It was amazing to see this beautiful, artistic and sensitive woman start to smile again. I also convinced parents to divide their time between homeschooling (which means you took a few courses online) and their high school.
After a month, the other two girls responded as well, showing no signs of dejection. Now, I’m not ready to say that my approach is foolproof, or that these patients are completely out of the woods. They will need follow-up to ensure positive long-term results, but I was glad that I was able to improve, possibly even save, their lives.
This topic touches me very closely, since a cousin of mine committed suicide sixteen years ago. I knew I was suffering from bipolar disorder, but treating it was beyond my ability level at the time. Today I feel confident in my ability to help depressed people, even those with bipolar disorders.
Some suicide facts
• More than 800,000 people worldwide commit suicide each year, more than 39,000 in the United States alone.
• The effects of suicide on the loved ones of the deceased can be devastating; in fact, suicide survivors experience their own painful, often conflicting emotions, including guilt, anger toward themselves and the person who committed suicide, and depression.
• Firearms are the most common means by which people kill themselves. Other common methods include drug overdose, choking, and hanging.
• There are risk factors for suicide based on gender, age, ethnicity, and geography, as well as those based on family history, life stresses, and medical and mental health status.
In children and adolescents, bullying and bullying appear to be related to suicide.
Even healthcare providers are not immune from depression and suicide. According to Reuters, physician burnout and suicide has skyrocketed, with hospitals, medical groups and insurers feeling the toll of the overburdened US healthcare system. Reuters says experts “define burnout as a syndrome marked by emotional exhaustion, cynicism and decreased efficacy,” and reports that “many exhausted physicians reduce their hours to cope and a worrying number commit suicide.”
Some thoughts on depression.
Given the alarming statistics above, it is not surprising that more than thirty million people (including one in seven women) take antidepressants for their chronic and unwavering distress, irritability or emotional stress. Millions more are tempted to try these drugs, hoping to get relief from the exhausting inner turmoil that they simply cannot eliminate on their own.
Antidepressants never cure the problem; they simply mask or control symptoms by supplying more serotonin, a chemical associated with mood, to the brain. Most of our serotonin is found naturally in the gut, and while depressed people are not necessarily serotonin deficient, the extra amount can offer relief. It is a manipulation of our biochemistry. Antidepressants are also addictive, and those who stop taking them often experience nausea, hand tremors, and … depression!
A study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the majority of people who take antidepressants never meet the medical criteria for a genuine diagnosis of major depression; many are given antidepressants for problems like OCD, panic disorder, social phobia, and anxiety. This can be partly explained by the fact that most antidepressants are not prescribed by psychiatrists, but by primary care physicians. Interestingly, science has also shown that antidepressants are largely a placebo, a topic that Dr. Jeffrey Dach, among others, has been passionate about informing people about.
On the other hand, some people seem to do better with medication, and I’m all for whatever works. The bottom line is that when treating depression we must include nutrition, alternative health care providers, and psychologists. Dr. William Walsh has documented his successful treatment of three thousand patients (including blood and urine tests) using specific nutrients. Currently, Dr. Walsh is teaching other physicians his nutritional regimen, which seems to indicate that the medical community is beginning to move in the right direction.
Other organizations are also taking a more creative approach when it comes to mental illness. According to the I Will Listen campaign, 1 in 4 adults suffers from a mental disorder. Mental illness seems to be behind all of the mass shootings that we have witnessed with increasing regularity over the past few years. While some seem resigned to accepting this as the new normal, I believe more strongly than ever that depression can be treated and suicide can be prevented. To ensure a healthier society, we must openly discuss mental problems and remove stigma; We also need to start thinking outside of the pharmaceutical box when it comes to treating it.
