| Depression is the most prevalent of all the emotional | | | | causing general depression.The excessive and |
| disorders. This may vary from feelings of slight | | | | indiscriminate use of drugs also leads to faulty |
| sadness to utter misery and dejection. It brings | | | | assimilation of vitamins and minerals by the body and |
| together a variety of physical and psychological | | | | ultimately causes depression. The use of aspirin leads |
| symptoms which together constitute a | | | | to deficiencies of vitamin C and antacids can cause |
| syndrome.Depression is the most unpleasant | | | | deficiencies of calcium and vitamin B. Diabetes, low |
| experience a person can endure. It is far more | | | | blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) and weakness of the |
| difficult to cope with than a physical ailment. The | | | | liver resulting from the use of refined or processed |
| growing complexities of modern life and the resultant | | | | foods, fried foods and an excessive intake of fats |
| crisis, as well as mental stress and strain in day to | | | | may also lead to depression.The CureThe modern |
| day living, usually leads to this disorder. It also arises | | | | medical system treats depression with anti- |
| out of the monotony and drudgery of a daily routine, | | | | depression drugs which provide temporary relief but |
| without any meaningful variation in urban life. Suicide | | | | have harmful side-effects and do not remove the |
| is the major risk in extreme cases of | | | | causes or prevent its recurrence. The harmful |
| depression.SymptomsIt is not always easy to | | | | side-effects include gross liver damage, |
| diagnose depression clinically. The most striking | | | | hypersensitivity, insomnia, hallucinations, a confused |
| symptoms of depression are feelings of acute sense | | | | state, convulsions, a fall in blood pressure which |
| of loss and inexplicable sadness, loss of energy and | | | | brings on headaches and dizziness , blurred vision, |
| loss of interest. The patient usually feels tired and | | | | difficulty in inhaling and urine retention. The plan of |
| lacks interest in the world around him. Sleep | | | | action for self-treatment of depression consists of |
| disturbance is frequent. Usually the patient wakes up | | | | regulating the diet, exercise, scientific relaxation and |
| depressed at 4 or 5 in the morning and is unable to | | | | meditation.Diet has a profound effect on the mental |
| return to sleep. Other disturbed sleep patterns are | | | | health of a person. Even a single nutritional deficiency |
| difficulty in getting off to sleep on going to bed at | | | | can cause depression in susceptible people. Dr. Pricilla, |
| night, nightmares and repeated waking from midnight | | | | associate clinical professor at the University of |
| onwards.The patient often suffers from guilt, | | | | California, prescribes nutritional therapy to build up |
| oppressive feelings and self-absorption. Other | | | | brain chemicals, such as serotonin and norepinephrine, |
| symptoms of depression are : loss of appetite, | | | | that affect mood and are often lacking in depressed |
| gidiness, itching, nausea, agitation, irritability, | | | | people. She recommends eating foods rich in B |
| impotence or frigidity, constipation, aches and pains all | | | | vitamins, such as whole grains, green vegetables, |
| over the body, lack of concentration and lack of | | | | eggs and fish.The diet of persons suffering from |
| power of decision. Some persons may lose interest in | | | | depression should completely exclude tea, coffee, |
| eating and suffer from rapid loss of weight while | | | | alcohol, chocolate and cola, all white flour |
| others may resort to frequent eating and as a result | | | | products,sugar, food colourings, chemical additives, |
| gain in weight.Cases of severe depression may be | | | | white rice and strong condiments. The diet should be |
| characterized by low body temperature, low blood | | | | restricted to three meals. Fruits can be taken in the |
| pressure, hot flushes and shivering.The external | | | | morning for breakfast with milk and a handful of nuts |
| manifestations represent a cry for help from the | | | | and seeds. Lunch may consist of steamed |
| tormented mind of the depressed persons. The | | | | vegetables, whole wheat chappatis and a glass of |
| severely depressed patient feels worthless and is | | | | butter-milk. For dinner, green vegetable salad and all |
| finally convinced that he himself is responsible for his | | | | available sprouts such as alfalfa seeds, mung, cottage |
| undoing and his present state of hopeless | | | | cheese or a glass of butter-milk would be |
| despair.CausesDepleted functioning of the adrenal | | | | ideal.Activity and ExerciseThe depressive mood can |
| glands is one of the main causes of mental | | | | be overcome by activity. Those who are depressive |
| depression. Irregular diet habits cause digestive | | | | will forget their misery by doing something. They |
| problems and lead to the assimilation of fats. An | | | | should turn away from themselves and consider |
| excess of carbohydrates like cereals, white sugar, | | | | others. At home they can take to decorating, |
| coffee, tea, chocolates and comparatively less | | | | repairing or constructing something new. The pleasure |
| quantities of vegetables and fruits in the diet may | | | | of achievement overcomes the distress of |
| result in indigestion. Due to indigestion, gases are | | | | misery.Exercise also plays an important role in the |
| produced in the digestive tract, causing compression | | | | treatment of depression. It not only keep the body |
| over the diaphragm in the region of the heart and | | | | physically and mentally fit but also provides recreation |
| lungs. This in turn, reduces the supply of oxygen to | | | | and mental relaxation. |
| the tissues, which raises the carbon dioxide level, | | | | |