The Depression Loop and What To Do About It

I have written 2 books, countless articles, features in magazines, speeches and about a dozen others in between.
This may be the most important thing I have written. There is a strong feeling that it can be of great benefit to each of you. It certainly has improved the quality of my life and I wish the same for all.

In lieu of recent events, the topic of depression and suicide have certainly come to the forefront. Rates of suicide have increased over 30% in the past 6 years, per the NY Times. The greatest percentage of increase has come from those in the 30-45 range. Economic hardship is the #1 sited reason for the drastic action.

Depression Explained
From a Natural Health perspective, the cycle of depression is straightforward. And. . . the BEST news, . . is both preventable and treatable.
Let’s start with the understanding of how depression and its variations, arise.
The organ that starts the downslide is the Kidney (s).
The Kidneys, like every other organ, has an emotion associated with it. The one associated with the Kidneys is fear. Fear is a normal, natural reaction. You see a cobra and fear kicks in. Easy to understand why.

There is a subtle but very important difference between fear and anxiety. Fear is natural. Fear is a friend. Anxiety is not. Anxiety is one of the Major Negatives of modern times. It causes the release of cortisol, a hormone which is addictive in nature. In other words, the sequence of Anxiety-Cortisol release becomes “normal” and in a strange sense, desired. It beats the alternative of Boredom, our greatest enemy in life.

Anxiety in its truest form, is energy. We label it “negative” and attach it to specific events in our life such as unpaid bills or illnesses. It then starts a downward spiral, which further weakens the Kidneys. . .which creates more anxiety. . . which weakens the Kidneys. You begin to see the point here.

In addition, the Kidneys are associated with the Will. The Will to excel. The Will to explore. And yes, at its root, the Will to live. When the Kidneys are weak, the desire to experience life – the Will to live – gets weaker and weaker. Some people are able to correct the imbalance. Others unfortunately, are not.

One of the many functions of the Kidneys is to provide energy for the Liver. The Liver is responsible for purifying our body (at least one of its 300 plus functions). It is also, from an emotional standpoint, responsible for purifying our thoughts. When the Liver is weak, these physical toxins as well as emotional toxins become part of the aforementioned downward spiral. So now we have not only have weakening energy, it is weakening AND toxic.

As mentioned, the Liver has hundreds of functions. Among its function is to provide energy to the Heart. The Heart is the source of our Passion, our zest for life. When it does not have the Fire for life, everything appears shades of gray. When the Heart is weak, people settle for; that is, they take any old job, just to get a paycheck. They stay in abusive relationships because they see no alternatives. The drive to learn or explore or experience is gone.

The next step of the loop. . . . .
When the Heart is weak, it cannot do one of its major jobs which is providing energy to the Spleen. The Spleen is responsible for rational, logical thought. If impaired, decision making can also be impaired. Rash, ill-thought out, impulsive behaviors often result. Inspiration never has a voice.

Now The Good News
You now have at least a basic understanding of the loop. You can see how a person is at the mercy of their chemistry. You see how depression, anxiety and even suicide can result.
Now, let’s explore the corrections. Make NO MISTAKE, these situations are in fact, correctable.

The way to address the situation is at its core, and in this case, the core is the Kidney(s). When this area is strengthened, it will have a positive fallout effect on the entire body.

There are a number of pinpoint specific foods for the Kidney energy. They include:
watermelon
celery
brown and bosmati rice
black beans
blueberries
cranberries
grapes
eggplant
There are certainly many more, but note that most are dark in color and salty in flavor. These are characteristics of foods that strengthen the Kidneys.

Herbs
There are quite a number of herbs and herbal formulas that will aid the Kidney. The only way to determine which is for you (and your chemistry) is to have a formula tailor made.
This is where I excel. As a Master Herbalist, I have designed hundreds of formulas for patients over the years. They often featured powerful, healing herbs such as parsley, dandelion, horsetail, nettles and others.
On a personal level, I am extremely active and often train in the heat of Florida (95 degrees, feels like temperature of 107, 95% humidity). When I start to “slide,” I often use a modified version of a formula called Liu Wei Di. It is specific for my chemistry and needs. End result is a return to my highly energetic, highly motivated Self.

Final Words
If you are experiencing chronic issues — long term inability to lose weight, pains that won’t go away or continual inability to thrive, you can be certain that the Kidney energy is involved.

Make an appointment. Click HERE, and then go to HERBAL CONSULTATIONS. I will be most happy to design a formula just for your system. You deserve the health and wellness that is inherent in all people. You deserve to experience the happiness and joy that is innate.

Life is much better that way.

**Reprinted with permission from http://hghplus.net/most-important-post-i-ever-wrote-the-anatomy-of-depre...