Homeopathy for the Mind

October 10 is World Mental Health Day

Mental health is an important part of all round well being. In today's fast-paced lifestyle, in spite of all the advances in technology and modern-day conveniences, anxiety disorders, stress-related illnesses, panic attacks, PTSD, and depression are commonly seen in populations around the world.  

Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. (Source - WHO). It is not merely the absence of mental disorder(s). Many factors contribute to mental health, including, but not limited to socio-economic, biological, work- or family-related stress, and unhealthy lifestyle.

Homeopathy has always given importance to mental health and homeopathic case taking requires inquiry into symptoms of the mind in all cases of chronic illness, and sometimes in acute illnesses too. The reason for this inquiry is the principles of homeopathy that say that the body, mind, and vital energy are all connected and affect one another. It is only recently that modern medicine has accepted the body-mind connection and opened up new departments for 'psychosomatic medicine' and 'integrated medicine'.

Let's look at some homeopathic remedies that are commonly used in maintaining mental health.

A woman came to me with great anxiety and palpitations of the heart. She had an intense liking for sugar and all things sweet. She was an impulsive person by nature. She was relieved of her anxiety after taking Argentum nitricum.  

Arsenicum album is recommended for persons who are extremely anxious about their health, and about maintaining order in their surroundings (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). The saying 'A place for every thing and everything in its place' might have been written for an Arsenicum person. 

Someone who needs Gelsimium experiences muscular weakness along with anxiety. The person is sensitive to sunlight and often has headaches. 

Children who are emotionally affected by life's transitions by becoming clingy and insecure may need Pulsatilla. They feel better by being comforted.

Someone who needs Aurum metallicum is depressed to the extent of having suicidal thoughts; while someone who has many fears, including fear of death, may need Aconite. 

Hyoscyamus and Stramonium are indicated in different forms of mania, as is Belladonna.

Natrum muriaticum and Ignatia may be indicated for women with hormonal disturbances and emotional issues. A woman who had become depressed and indifferent towards life felt better after taking Sepia.

A person who has had failures at work and losses in business may need Bryonia or Lycopodium. There was the case of a man who worked hard and partied harder, pushing himself and his body to do more and more until he became irritable and angry with everything in life. His need for alcohol and caffeine reduced and he felt less stressed after taking Nux vomica. 

A student who was very shy, nervous, and couldn't concentrate on his studies just before his exams was helped by Silicea. He became more confident and did not dread his work any more.

These are just a handful remedies that I have named to illustrate how homeopathic remedies are used for symptoms of the mind. Virtually any remedy from the homeopathic materia medica (the manual of homeopathic remedies) can be used, as long as it best suits the person who it is given to. I cannot name the whole list of remedies here since the materia medica contains more than 3000 remedies!

It is important to remember that homeopathic remedies are given based on the individuality of each person and not on the name of a disease. Each person is unique and even though two people may appear to be affected by the same kind of illness, their symptoms will always differ. 

For example, depression may present as excessive eating, increased sleep, and intolerance to cold in one person; whereas it may present as decreased appetite and sleep, and intolerance to heat/sunlight in another person. While modern medicine gives pertinence to the name of the disease (the diagnosis), homeopathy only considers the person presenting with signs and symptoms. Therefore, even though two people have the same disease diagnosis, their homeopathic remedies may be different based on their own unique symptoms. 

Research has concluded that homeopathy can immensely help people who are troubled with anxiety, depression, and other symptoms of mental illnesses. As is obvious, it is imperative that the practitioner recognize signs of psychosis or suicidal tendencies and integrate other methods of treatment along with homeopathy. 

For the management of daily stress and the mental symptoms that arise due to tough life situations, homeopathic remedies can greatly help!


 

You Can Change Your Genes!

DNA double helix

"It's in your genes." Everyone has heard this phrase before. Would you believe me if I told you that even though it's in your genes, you can change how your genes act? Although this concept is nothing new to mind-body medicine and holistic healing systems, it was not analyzed by evidence-based medicine until the turn of the century. When some scientific studies came to light around 2003-2004, they brought about a major transition in the scientific circles regarding genetics. The popular belief that you are born with a set of genes that is your karma is now being challenged by a new science called epigenetics. As promised in this post about the high incidence of immune system disorders, I'm here today with some basic facts about genetics, and lots more food for thought! Read on because this is important!

What is a gene? 

A gene is the basic physical and functional unit of heredity.¹  Genes are the set of instructions for the characteristics of an organism, which are passed on from parents to the child. 

Genes contain DNA which make up the code that contains these instructions.

If you need a detailed refresher in genetics, please see this link explaining the Basics of genetics.


What is heredity? 

To acquire a set of traits from your parents is known as heredity. 

Even though a child receives the same genetic material from paternal and maternal genes, only some traits of each parent are seen in the child; that is when we say that a child looks more like the father or the mother. When a child looks more like the mother, it is because her set of genes is expressed in the child's genetic code.


What is genetic expression?^2,3,4

Genes are like switches in our body. They can be turned on or off. Some genes always remain 'on', but some genes can be turned on or off. This alteration in gene activity is called gene expression.

For example, take the case of the genes that control hair color. As a man or woman ages, their hair will turn grey and then turn white. This happens because with aging, the gene for dark hair turns off and the gene for white hair is turned on. Further, premature greying of hair is also possible because of factors like stress. Now, how is that possible when all genes are coded to produce the trait of dark hair in young age? It is possible because of epigenetic changes. Normal changes of aging are also understood to be caused by epigenetics, which may explain why some people age faster than others.

 

Diagram 1 - Epigenetic mechanisms

What is epigenetics?^5,6,7

It is defined as the study of changes in gene expression that do not involve alteration of the genetic code but can be passed on to the successive generation(s) through heredity. If genes are switches, epigenetic causes are the tape over that switch that can keep them turned on or off. These epigenetic causes are environmental - diet, chemicals and toxins, nature - sun rays, exercise, stress, behavior, pollution - all of these are able to alter the way our genes act.

Diagram2 - Epigenetic causes of cancer

How can epigenetic changes affect our health during our lifetime?

We now know that environmental factors⁸ can change our genetic activity, but exactly how that happens is still not clear. Science has always believed that genes cannot be altered, but the study of epigenetic changes has brought about a completely different outlook to the Darwinian theory of evolution and natural selection. 

With the discovery of epigenetic changes, scientists are on the way to explaining how cancer^9,10 develops, the causes of developmental disorders^11,12,13 in children, Alzheimer's disease, autoimmune disorders like systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, and also depression. If you think about the many diagnoses that are attributed to 'genetic' or 'unknown' causes today, you will be able to comprehend the importance of understanding epigenetics.


What can we do to prevent epigenetic changes?

Epigenetic changes can start at the developmental stages of a fetus, and accumulate throughout one's lifetime. This has been studied by examining the changes in monozygotic twins¹⁴, who are genetically identical. 

To prevent negative epigenetic changes, do what you have always been told to do for good health. Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eat wholesome and nutritious food, drink chemical-free water, reduce your body's exposure to toxins in every way possible (think unnecessary medical drugs and treatments, GMOs), exercise, and stay stress free.

Can epigenetic changes be reversed?

Yes. Epigenetic changes are reversible because they do not alter the DNA.

How can we reverse epigenetic changes?¹⁵

There is a lot of research going on around this subject and we will know the definite answer to this question in the near future. However, since we know that environmental changes like stress, improper nutrition,  toxins and chemicals are all responsible for causing negative epigenetic effects on our cells at the level of the DNA, it is extremely important that we avoid these causes and practice a healthy lifestyle.

The most important lesson to learn from epigenetics is that our genes are not our destiny. Your genes can change during your lifetime, and you have the power to change them - both positively and negatively - as well as pass on these changes to your children¹⁶, so choose wisely!

I have attempted a very concise explanation of how an age-old thought is now being scientifically explained. For better understanding, please read all the information provided in the references and watch the short video (link in number 7).
 

References

1. What is a gene?

2. Gene Expression and Regulation - An explanation at Nature.com

3. The Mechanism of Gene Expression - The Human Genome by Wellcome Trust 

4. Environmental Influences on Gene Expression - Nature.com

5. Epigenetic - Definition at National Institutes of Health

6. What is the Epigenome? - The National Institutes of Health

7. A 13:25 minute PBS video on Epigenetics - Watch it!

8. Epigenetics and Environmental Diseases - An explanation of epigenetic mechanisms and environmental factors that cause epigenetic changes 

9. Epigenetics and Cancer - A study summarizing epigenetic mechanisms involved in the development of cancer, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2010. The study concludes:

"The importance of epigenetics in cancer has been recognized and interest in the field has grown dramatically over the last few years...An understanding of the link between epigenetic deregulation and cancer will help in designing better treatment strategies. Additionally, the intrinsic reversibility of epigenetic alterations represents an exciting opportunity for the development of novel strategies for cancer prevention."

10. Epigenetic Factors in Understanding Cancer - National Cancer Institute

11. Modern Views on the Genetics of Autism - Johns Hopkins McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine  

"Genes, by themselves, probably don’t cause autism, Goldstein says, and wouldn’t make good targets for therapy. Most likely, it’s a combination of genetic variants—deletions, duplications and/or insertions—spread across the genome that makes an individual susceptible to some provocateur: an epigenetic, environmental or immunological factor that tips the balance and causes a disorder on the very wide spectrum defined as autism."

12. Autism Researchers Discover Epigenetic Changes - Autism Speaks

13. Autism Spectrum Disorders and Epigenetics - A study summarizing epigenetic modifications to genes possibly involved in the causation of ASD, published in 2010 in the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The study concludes: 

"Data reviewed in this article highlight a variety of situations in which epigenetic dysregulation is associated with the development of ASD, thereby supporting a role for epigenetics in the multifactorial etiologies of ASD."

14. The Epigenetic Profiles of Monozygotic (Identical) Twins - From Epigenome.eu, supporting the communication of high calibre science in the rapidly expanding field of epigenetics across Europe

15. Nutritional changes can reverse epigenetic effects - A study published in 2010 in an international review journal - Advances in Nutrition

16. Epigenetics now explains Attachment Parenting - The ground-breaking results of a study by Dr. Michael Meaney at McGill University, Montreal.

17. An excellent article explaining genotype, phenotype, mutations, and trans-generational epigenetic influences on inherited mutations:

Burga, A. and Lehner, B. (2012), Beyond genotype to phenotype: why the phenotype of an individual cannot always be predicted from their genome sequence and the environment that they experience. FEBS Journal, 279: 3765–3775. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2012.08810.x

News articles on epigenetics:


18. Epigenetics - An article on Nature.com

19. Epigenetics - 100 reasons to change the way we think about genetics - An article on Sciencedaily.com

20. DNA is not destiny - A Nov. 2006 article in Discover Magazine

21. Why your DNA is not your destiny - The Times article that introduced me to epigenetics

22. You can change your DNA - Institute of HeartMath




DNA double helix image by ghutchis/Flickr CC

Diagram1 By National Institutes of Health (http://commonfund.nih.gov/epigenomics/figure.aspx) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Diagram2 By Bernstein0275 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0  (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 )], via Wikimedia Commons

The ABC's of Autism

April is Autism Awareness Month. A recent study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the rate of prevalence of autism to be 1 in 50 children in the USA, with the rate of incidence for boys at 1 in 31. In India, no studies have been done to provide such data for the Indian population.
 

More people today are aware about autism than they were before, and awareness is spreading due to the constant media coverage this disorder receives. It is viewed as an epidemic by some, while others feel that higher incidence is reported due to increased awareness. From personal experience, I can say that autism needs to be considered an epidemic because it is not only highly reported, but also highly prevalent.

Primary health care providers and pediatricians often miss the signs of developmental delays. In 2006, a study conducted by Johns Hopkins Children's Center and John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health showed that only 8% of pediatricians in Maryland and Delaware screened for Autism Spectrum Disorders because they were not aware of the screening methods. Since then, the American Association of Pediatrics has recommended a systematic developmental screening in primary care for children at 9, 18, 24, and/or 30 months. However, primary care physicians may not screen all children or may miss some signs since they do not spend as much time with the child as the parent does. If a parent feels the need for intervention, then they must follow up with trusted healthcare providers for the help their child needs. 

Some children are said to be born with autism but some children regress into it. Regressive autism symptoms may be noticed as a stark change in a child's development where he is normal on the developmental timeline and then slowly falls behind. This change is usually gradual and may be triggered by several environmental factors. Autism is mostly diagnosed within the first 3 years of a child's life.

Autism is considered to be irreversible. In the conventional sense, that is true, because orthodox medicine does not have a cure for autism in the form of prescription drugs. However, many different methods have helped children overcome their diagnosis of autism and function in the 'normal' world. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, art therapy, nutritional changes and detoxes, individualized homeopathic therapy, have all helped in one way or other. 

Early intervention is important in the management and reversal of developmental disorders. Because autism is a broad phrase that includes different signs and symptoms observed in children with developmental difficulties, the occurrence of symptoms and their intensity is individualistic. Therefore diagnosis and management also need to be exclusive to the individual. 
 
Individualized homeopathic therapy can help by matching the symptoms of the child with the characteristics of a remedy. Belladonna, Calcarea carbonica, Baryta carbonica, Hyoscyamus, Medorrhinum, Veratrum album are just some remedies that are useful in homeopathic management of autism spectrum disorder. There are many more remedies that can be used based on the symptoms of the child.

A Dutch homeopath, Dr. Tinus Smits, developed a homeopathic protocol for autism, called CEASE (Complete Elimination of Autistic Spectrum Expression). This highly effective therapy constitutes homeopathic detoxification, dietary changes and supplementation, and constitutional homeopathic management for long term health. 

The birth of a healthy child is a miracle; keeping a child healthy is an art. - Dr. Tinus Smits, M.D.

Additional reading

1. CEASE Therapy website

2. Resources for early diagnosis of autism for parents and professionals
Help Autism Now Society

3. An article by Dr. Martha Herbert, Neurologist and Neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School - Autism is bigger than genes

4. Autism can be reversed, says Elizabeth Mumper, M. D.

5. Amy Lansky, PhD, a homeopath who cured her son's autism, wrote a book about her experience called Impossible Cure 

6. Is it autism? - A resource for autism screening tools for parents and professionals

7. Action For Autism - A non-profit organization providing support and services to persons with autism in India. This website has a wealth of information for anyone in India.

8. Dr. Jerry Kartzinel, pediatrician, explains the reversal of autism
"Let’s consider autism to be a collection of mismanaged incoming information and stimuli. The more mismanaged the information and stimuli, the more severe we consider the individual with Autism. Let me illustrate this point with a word picture. Imagine someone with too many alcoholic beverages “on board.”  We can easily recognize by how he responds to incoming information (stimuli) such as his language, how he walks (or how he drives) that he has had way too much of alcohol. Of course, the more alcohol on board, the more distorted his response to the environment and the more “severe” or “toxic” we consider the individual. If we remove the source of the alcohol, we can expect some degree of recovery. Similarly, with autistic children, if we remove the sources of the mismanagement of incoming stimuli and information, we can expect a certain amount of improvement."