Subject: Dr. Lad's view of depression

[Guest guest]

>

> _____________________

> _

> _____________________

> _

>

> Message: 1

> Thu, 30 Oct 2003 00:14:17 -0000

> "dwellsohm" <dwellsohm

> Dr. Lad's view of depression

>

> According to Dr. Lad depression is not a disease "it is just a

> symptom of underlying doshic imbalance." Vata type relates

> to fear,anxiety, loneliness, nervousness which comes and

> goes. Pitta is anger, resentment, competitiveness and

> violence , self judgemental and possibly suicidal over it's

> failures, and potentialy dangerous to others. Kapha is slow,

> sluggish,detached, and uses food as a substute. The

> treatment involves identifing the underlying imbalance and

> restoring balance thru diet and herbs etc...

>

 

Hi David

 

with all due respect to Dr. Lad, saying that depression is a symptom of

a doshic imbalance isn't really saying much because all negative

changes in the body are intrinsically made manifest through their

increase, decrease and vitiation: but the doshas themselves are never

the cause for anything - they are catalysts of change, and

signs/symptoms of disease

 

it seems to me that depression very often is not a clinical entity or a

doshic imbalance per se, but a normal emotional expression that arises

from the arising and passing of all phenomena, the changing Reality of

Now that becomes juxtaposed to our self-conditioned reality, in which

our preconceived hopes and fears creates a painful friction between

what we crave and desire and what we actually experience, causing us to

engage in unskilful thoughts, words and actions that lead to a

perpetual cycle of pain and sorrow

i.e. the squeeky wheel of samsara

 

but the choice is ours, and avoiding negative thoughts is one such

admonition among the several others mentioned in "prajnaparadha"

(crimes against wisdom), one the five causes of disease

 

it was depression that essentially called every great sage to realize

there is something beyond our ego-attachment, and thus depression is an

existential reality (although in some cases is a neurological

condition), but its important that for all depressed people to

recognize the reality of being responsible for their feelings and

thoughts. I think that one reason why we see so much depression now is

a function of society and culture, increasing social and economic

pressures, especially in an environment that is increasingly

dehumanized. In a traditional society like India, if one was feeling

depressed there would be lots of people around, including family and

friends that would help to get you out of your funk, as well as special

mantras and pujas that are essentially a kind of shamanic healing.

There are also popular fragrances like sandalwood, champa and jasmine

that have an uplifting quality, and even ragas like Bhrindabani sarang

(good for Kaphaja depression) or bhajans like Govinda Jaya Jaya (better

for Vata). Note here that Bhrindabani sarang is also a pentatonic

scale like the Blues, the definitive modern musical form of sadness and

loss.... Here in the West people live increasingly separate lives, in

separate families, in which the modern mediums like TV are replacing

normal and organic social interactions. Why is it that magazines like

People draw so much interest: our concern and interest for the welfare

of the people around us, people we love, has been co-opted for the

trifles of the lives of the rich and famous - and this intrinsically

saddens us. Thus depression can also be a socially induced

"disatisfaction" with all that we've created, the hectic lives, the

obligations and endless responsibilities, all with an increasingly

longer work week and less time to do things like rest, sleep and hang

out with the people that love us

 

one further note, I wouldn't think that pitta type emotional

disturbances, e.g. anger, rage, fanaticism, and hallucination would not

be part of the diagnostic classification of an affective disorder,

which is either Kapha or Vata. Unipolar depression is usually a

Kaphaja condition, whereas bipolar tends to be Vataja, but individual

variances exists that strain easy comparisons with DSMV criteria.

Caldecott

phyto

http://www.wrc.net/phyto