When a friend contacted me; asking me to investigate Cyclothymia, I had no idea what to expect. I’d vaguely heard of the condition and knew it related to a mood disorder; comprising highs and lows, but I never appreciated the severity of its symptoms, nor that it could lead to suicide. Least of all did I appreciate that it can be a hereditary condition.
We live and learn. So, I’m here today with a new report about the condition called Cyclothymia for those who, like me, vaguely know about it, yet don’t know enough about it.
Cyclothymia apparently affects 0,4 to 1% of the population. It can affect men and women in equal proportions, and it generally starts in the teen years or the early twenties. There is evidence to suggest that genetics play a role in Cyclothymia. In fact, people with a family history of the bipolar condition, suicide, depression, alcohol or drug dependency are prime Cyclothymia candidates.
Just as with the bipolar condition, Cyclothymia sufferers have mood swings that go from hypomania to manic depression. These extremes in mood changes disrupt a person’s life, relationships, eating habits, sleeping patterns and put their safety at risk.
While a cyclothymic person is in a hypo-maniac mood they may be very cheerful and loving towards their partner, spouse, family etc. However, they can be very thoughtless because their actions become aggressive and rapid. They seem to move at a faster pace than the rest of the world. Hence, they get impatient and inconsiderate. They will barely sleep. They lose the ability to concentrate for too long and they become easily distracted.
At the opposite spectrum, while they’re in a manic depressive mood, they will reject all emotions and push away all loved ones. Most of the time they will even have a job to pull themselves out of bed in the morning. They will constantly feel sad, hopeless, helpless, apathetic and be irritable. They may even withdraw socially and have suicidal tendencies.
The problem for most sufferers is that even they don’t quite know what mood to expect on which day. I should say here that this condition isn’t diagnosed lightly.
To determine whether a person is cyclothymic or not, they have to have suffered definite mood swings, adhering to a specific set of guidelines, for two years with a symptom free period no greater than two months in between.
If a person didn’t meet the criteria outlined for determining Cyclothymia sufferers, they would just be considered bipolar in nature, and of course that’s a whole new discussion because there is bipolar I and bipolar II; depending on symptoms.
Apparently but probably not surprisingly, there is little research about treatments available for cyclothymic sufferers. I found general recommendations for mood stabilizers, (lithium based,) which I wouldn’t give my worst enemy; since lithium is toxic to the human body; antidepressants used for treating the bipolar I condition.
Personally, I would recommend psychotherapy, psychology, behavioural modification therapy, lifestyle and diet modification therapy. I would recommend giving up immediately any kind of alcohol or drug intake as these already cause alterations in moods and personality changes. Of course, these courses of action require more effort on the sufferer's part, but in the long run they educate the person, with the condition, to better manage it and catch each mood on the on-start. Antidepressants only suppress the symptoms. They don’t get to the root causes and anything that contains lithium or any abstract thereof is a poison in the human body, which causes more harm than the condition itself; if managed properly.
The other plus side to psychotherapy and suchlike is that it offers family and loved ones counselling sessions. Therefore, it provides a support system for and around the sufferer.
As a qualified Holistic Health Therapist, I would also suggest burning a few drops of lavender oil mixed with water in a burner, around the home; during times of hypomania - to soothe the sufferer’s senses. Lavender is very balancing and calming.
Similarly, during a time of manic depression, a few drops of essential lemon or tangerine or a similar citrus oil burnt in the same way, scenting the home, would be uplifting to the senses.
I would also be inclined to recommend a lighter dietary consumption during times of depression so that food metabolism requires less energy and all surplus energy can be redirected to the rest of the body.
Similarly, during times of hypomania, it is recommendable to eat slightly more to slow the rest of the body’s processes down by redirecting most of the energy to the digestive processes.
I hope this helps.
Further Reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclothymia
http://www.mcmanweb.com/cyclothymia.html
http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-md03.html
Showing posts with label lavender oil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lavender oil. Show all posts
Sunday 8 August 2010
Monday 1 February 2010
Naturopathic and Homeopathic alternatives for the H1N1 Virus and Vaccine
Since I investigated and posted my research report with reference to the H1N1 vaccine and its effects, I felt it my responsibility to also research and post a report about Homeopathic and Natural remedies and their effects.
Firstly, to understand how any medication can be effective in the treatment of any condition, we have to understand the condition itself, how it operates within the body and where it strikes the most. The tendency of any Influenza virus is to affect the respiratory areas, which is why most of us, when we have the flu, suffer with coughing, bronchitis, sneezing etc.
The H1N1 virus (Influenza A, Gripe A or Swine flu) is no different. It behaves pretty much like a normal flu. It enters through the nose and mouth. It affects the upper respiratory areas; causing bronchial syndromes and is spread by coughing and sneezing. However, it does not go deep enough into the lungs to cause anything that could potentially kill us like pneumonia - unlike the H5N1 (Avian flu virus) that does and could. You can find a comparative report on the following site. - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8028371.stm
As I stated in my last report, the only time any human is in imminent danger of death, with any Influenza, would appear to be if the body has what is known as a Cytokine response. Please refer to my H1N1 vaccine report if you need clarification of what the Cytokine response is.
There seems to be a general lack of scientific data regarding the swine flu behaviour in humans, which leads me to two conclusions: a) there is an insufficiency of medical studies being carried out at this time and/or b) it was never considered dangerous enough to conduct such detailed studies in the first place. Of course, there is also the hypothesis that research is being conducted as I type this, and has not yet become public property.
Working with what we know:
Firstly: we need to (obviously) avoid further contaminations. You all know what to do. Publicity is everywhere. Respect it. Be informed in order to protect yourselves, your loved ones and other people around you.
Secondly: we need to protect our lungs. We can do this in a number of relatively inexpensive and easy ways.
Prevention:
Just a simple few things will help: avoid direct contact with cold air, wear a scarf and all the usual things you would do in winter time to avoid catching a cold. Plus you can add a couple of drops of lavender oil to your pillow at night. Not only will it help you breathe more easily, it will also help you sleep more restfully. The better the body rests, the better the immune system repairs any damage from outside influences.
Remedy - Mild symptoms:
(Naturopathy, Aromatherapy, Optimum Nutrition, Ayurveda, Homeopathy)
If you feel a little bit of cold, or a chill, coming on you can add 5 drops of eucalyptus oil, 5 drops of lavender oil and 5 drops of peppermint oil to a full bath of hot water (as hot as you can stand it without burning yourself.) Stay in the bath 20 minutes; a) because that’s sufficient enough time for the oils to be absorbed through the skin and b) inhalation of the vapours, produced by the oils in the water, will help to clear the lungs.
Eucalytus oil - is cleansing and balancing. It kills off germs and bacteria and soothes aching muscular pains. It helps with coughs and has long been used in throat lozenges, oils and balms such as Vicks and Olbas because of its soothing properties. You can even burn a few drops in some water in an oil burner to cleanse a room.
Lavender oil - is marketed primarily as a soothing and calming oil. However, what many people don’t know is that this oil is also a very potent anti-viral and anti-bacterial agent. It’s also the oil that is least responsible for causing allergies in people. However, you should still do an allergy test before using it.
Peppermint oil - Peppermint is commonly known to be a great aid in digestion. Yet, what many people don’t know is that peppermint oil is an excellent natural expectorant. It clears the respiratory tract and therefore helps with bronchial infections, coughs, colds and breathing problems in general.
Please note: - Before you use any type of Aromatherapy oils, you should check your tolerance and whether (or not) you have any allergies to them. You can check with your local health shop (or supplier) if you are unsure how to do this. Or, you can consult a Holistic Health therapist in your area.
Take a Vitamin C supplement or, if you are already taking one, increase the dosage to between 1000 - 1500 mgs per day. Take an anti-oxidant supplement. Drink plenty of fluids.
If you have the beginning of a slight fever as well, remember the saying: “feed a cold, starve a fever”
Remedy - Full Influenza symptoms:
(Naturopathy, Aromatherapy, Optimum Nutrition, Ayurveda)
Aside from being able to still use the above, you can also do the following:
During the virally contaminated period, avoid eating dairy products, soya, eggs and any other products that cause an excess production of mucus. This will help the lungs to dry out quicker. Drink plenty of water to help flush all the toxins out of the body.
You can also take Echinea drops - about 10 drops 3 to 4 times a day. Take a zinc supplement. In elevated quantities it can be toxic. So, you don’t want to exceed about 20mg per day. This mineral has also been studied as an anti-carcinogenesis.
In Ayurvedic remedies, it is believed that drinking hot ginger with honey is very effective for bronchial disorders. It’s even more effective when it’s combined with pepper and cloves. Another very effective herb is turmeric. You can add it to your cooking or you can add one teaspoon to half a glass of milk and drink that 2 or 3 times a day. Eat plenty of onions and drink plenty of orange juice. Increase the amount of dark green leaf vegetables you consume. The lighter you eat, the more energy you free up for the body to focus on fighting the disease.
Homeopathy
I did some research to investigate the H1N1 virus (Swine flu, Influenza A, Gripe A) from a Homeopathic point of view and found that a group of Doctors in Mexico have had very successful results with both preventative measures and remedies. I quote: - http://www.naturalnews.com/026839_homeopathy_homeopathic_doctors.html
PROPHYLAXIS (meaning preventive)1. Homeopathic remediesa. BAPTISIA TINCTOREAb. INFLUENZINUMc. ARSENICUM ALBUMFrom the Mexico City Doctors Report"In homeopathy there are no specific medicines for a particular nosological picture (for which the most common symptoms are taken into account). But in epidemics, due to the common causative agent, susceptibility of the population in this particular moment, and the repetition of symptoms, a group of the most useful remedies can be deduced. The remedies determined in this way are called the Genius Epidemicus. They consist of a group of medicines with symptoms most similar to those presented by most patients suffering this flu.""For homeopathic treatment is it necessary to take into account the degree of reaction of the patient and the symptoms with which the disease manifests itself. We considered this and the symptoms observed during the last epidemic (1918) to find the similar remedy."Homepathic Remedies Listed by the Mexican Doctors and Directly Copied Here Which They Successfully Employed Against the 2009 Mexican FluAconitum napellus, Actea racemosa, Allium cepa, Ammonium phosphoricum, Antimonium tartaricum, Arnica montana, Arsenicum album, Baptisia tinctoria, Belladonna atropa, Bryonia alba, Camphora, Carbo vegetabilis, Carbolic acid, Causticum, Chamomilla, China officinalis, Drosera rotundifolia, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Euphrasia, Ferrum phosphoricum, Gelsemium sempervirens, Glonoinum, Hepatica triloba, Hyosciamus niger, Influenzinum (corresponding to the epidemic), Ipecauanha, Lachesis trigonocephalus, Lycopodium clavatum, Mercurius vivus, Natrum sulphuricum, Nux vomica, Opium, Phosphorus, Phytolacca decandra, Pulsatilla, Pyrogenium, Rhus toxicodendron, Sticta pulmonaria, Sepia officinalis, Sulphur.
End quote -
My suggestion is, if anyone is interested in Homeopathic remedies, go and speak to your local Homeopath. As a certified Homeopath, I can tell you that Homeopathic remedies are not toxic to the body within the prescribed guidelines. Even if you have had the H1N1 virus and you have concerns, you can discuss them with a Homeopath.
Tibetan Medicine
I quote: - http://chinatibet.people.com.cn/6658462.html
The Beijing Tibetan Medicine Hospital has developed an upgraded medicament of "nine-flavored murrain-prevention powder," and donated to staff at the A/H1N1 influenza prevention frontline in Beijing and the quake-hit areas in Sichuan and Gansu provinces. The smell of the medicament made of aconite and musk can arouse human's immunity and adjustment systems, thus preventing respiratory infectious diseases. Developed in 2003, the medicine played an important role in fighting against SARS.
End quote -
I have not been able to determine the effectiveness of this particular medicament, since I could not find any medical reports pertaining to it. However, I have seen the effectiveness of Tibetan Medicine in other fields.
I hope this information proves useful to someone out there somewhere.
God Bless and be safe.
Firstly, to understand how any medication can be effective in the treatment of any condition, we have to understand the condition itself, how it operates within the body and where it strikes the most. The tendency of any Influenza virus is to affect the respiratory areas, which is why most of us, when we have the flu, suffer with coughing, bronchitis, sneezing etc.
The H1N1 virus (Influenza A, Gripe A or Swine flu) is no different. It behaves pretty much like a normal flu. It enters through the nose and mouth. It affects the upper respiratory areas; causing bronchial syndromes and is spread by coughing and sneezing. However, it does not go deep enough into the lungs to cause anything that could potentially kill us like pneumonia - unlike the H5N1 (Avian flu virus) that does and could. You can find a comparative report on the following site. - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8028371.stm
As I stated in my last report, the only time any human is in imminent danger of death, with any Influenza, would appear to be if the body has what is known as a Cytokine response. Please refer to my H1N1 vaccine report if you need clarification of what the Cytokine response is.
There seems to be a general lack of scientific data regarding the swine flu behaviour in humans, which leads me to two conclusions: a) there is an insufficiency of medical studies being carried out at this time and/or b) it was never considered dangerous enough to conduct such detailed studies in the first place. Of course, there is also the hypothesis that research is being conducted as I type this, and has not yet become public property.
Working with what we know:
Firstly: we need to (obviously) avoid further contaminations. You all know what to do. Publicity is everywhere. Respect it. Be informed in order to protect yourselves, your loved ones and other people around you.
Secondly: we need to protect our lungs. We can do this in a number of relatively inexpensive and easy ways.
Prevention:
Just a simple few things will help: avoid direct contact with cold air, wear a scarf and all the usual things you would do in winter time to avoid catching a cold. Plus you can add a couple of drops of lavender oil to your pillow at night. Not only will it help you breathe more easily, it will also help you sleep more restfully. The better the body rests, the better the immune system repairs any damage from outside influences.
Remedy - Mild symptoms:
(Naturopathy, Aromatherapy, Optimum Nutrition, Ayurveda, Homeopathy)
If you feel a little bit of cold, or a chill, coming on you can add 5 drops of eucalyptus oil, 5 drops of lavender oil and 5 drops of peppermint oil to a full bath of hot water (as hot as you can stand it without burning yourself.) Stay in the bath 20 minutes; a) because that’s sufficient enough time for the oils to be absorbed through the skin and b) inhalation of the vapours, produced by the oils in the water, will help to clear the lungs.
Eucalytus oil - is cleansing and balancing. It kills off germs and bacteria and soothes aching muscular pains. It helps with coughs and has long been used in throat lozenges, oils and balms such as Vicks and Olbas because of its soothing properties. You can even burn a few drops in some water in an oil burner to cleanse a room.
Lavender oil - is marketed primarily as a soothing and calming oil. However, what many people don’t know is that this oil is also a very potent anti-viral and anti-bacterial agent. It’s also the oil that is least responsible for causing allergies in people. However, you should still do an allergy test before using it.
Peppermint oil - Peppermint is commonly known to be a great aid in digestion. Yet, what many people don’t know is that peppermint oil is an excellent natural expectorant. It clears the respiratory tract and therefore helps with bronchial infections, coughs, colds and breathing problems in general.
Please note: - Before you use any type of Aromatherapy oils, you should check your tolerance and whether (or not) you have any allergies to them. You can check with your local health shop (or supplier) if you are unsure how to do this. Or, you can consult a Holistic Health therapist in your area.
Take a Vitamin C supplement or, if you are already taking one, increase the dosage to between 1000 - 1500 mgs per day. Take an anti-oxidant supplement. Drink plenty of fluids.
If you have the beginning of a slight fever as well, remember the saying: “feed a cold, starve a fever”
Remedy - Full Influenza symptoms:
(Naturopathy, Aromatherapy, Optimum Nutrition, Ayurveda)
Aside from being able to still use the above, you can also do the following:
During the virally contaminated period, avoid eating dairy products, soya, eggs and any other products that cause an excess production of mucus. This will help the lungs to dry out quicker. Drink plenty of water to help flush all the toxins out of the body.
You can also take Echinea drops - about 10 drops 3 to 4 times a day. Take a zinc supplement. In elevated quantities it can be toxic. So, you don’t want to exceed about 20mg per day. This mineral has also been studied as an anti-carcinogenesis.
In Ayurvedic remedies, it is believed that drinking hot ginger with honey is very effective for bronchial disorders. It’s even more effective when it’s combined with pepper and cloves. Another very effective herb is turmeric. You can add it to your cooking or you can add one teaspoon to half a glass of milk and drink that 2 or 3 times a day. Eat plenty of onions and drink plenty of orange juice. Increase the amount of dark green leaf vegetables you consume. The lighter you eat, the more energy you free up for the body to focus on fighting the disease.
Homeopathy
I did some research to investigate the H1N1 virus (Swine flu, Influenza A, Gripe A) from a Homeopathic point of view and found that a group of Doctors in Mexico have had very successful results with both preventative measures and remedies. I quote: - http://www.naturalnews.com/026839_homeopathy_homeopathic_doctors.html
PROPHYLAXIS (meaning preventive)1. Homeopathic remediesa. BAPTISIA TINCTOREAb. INFLUENZINUMc. ARSENICUM ALBUMFrom the Mexico City Doctors Report"In homeopathy there are no specific medicines for a particular nosological picture (for which the most common symptoms are taken into account). But in epidemics, due to the common causative agent, susceptibility of the population in this particular moment, and the repetition of symptoms, a group of the most useful remedies can be deduced. The remedies determined in this way are called the Genius Epidemicus. They consist of a group of medicines with symptoms most similar to those presented by most patients suffering this flu.""For homeopathic treatment is it necessary to take into account the degree of reaction of the patient and the symptoms with which the disease manifests itself. We considered this and the symptoms observed during the last epidemic (1918) to find the similar remedy."Homepathic Remedies Listed by the Mexican Doctors and Directly Copied Here Which They Successfully Employed Against the 2009 Mexican FluAconitum napellus, Actea racemosa, Allium cepa, Ammonium phosphoricum, Antimonium tartaricum, Arnica montana, Arsenicum album, Baptisia tinctoria, Belladonna atropa, Bryonia alba, Camphora, Carbo vegetabilis, Carbolic acid, Causticum, Chamomilla, China officinalis, Drosera rotundifolia, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Euphrasia, Ferrum phosphoricum, Gelsemium sempervirens, Glonoinum, Hepatica triloba, Hyosciamus niger, Influenzinum (corresponding to the epidemic), Ipecauanha, Lachesis trigonocephalus, Lycopodium clavatum, Mercurius vivus, Natrum sulphuricum, Nux vomica, Opium, Phosphorus, Phytolacca decandra, Pulsatilla, Pyrogenium, Rhus toxicodendron, Sticta pulmonaria, Sepia officinalis, Sulphur.
End quote -
My suggestion is, if anyone is interested in Homeopathic remedies, go and speak to your local Homeopath. As a certified Homeopath, I can tell you that Homeopathic remedies are not toxic to the body within the prescribed guidelines. Even if you have had the H1N1 virus and you have concerns, you can discuss them with a Homeopath.
Tibetan Medicine
I quote: - http://chinatibet.people.com.cn/6658462.html
The Beijing Tibetan Medicine Hospital has developed an upgraded medicament of "nine-flavored murrain-prevention powder," and donated to staff at the A/H1N1 influenza prevention frontline in Beijing and the quake-hit areas in Sichuan and Gansu provinces. The smell of the medicament made of aconite and musk can arouse human's immunity and adjustment systems, thus preventing respiratory infectious diseases. Developed in 2003, the medicine played an important role in fighting against SARS.
End quote -
I have not been able to determine the effectiveness of this particular medicament, since I could not find any medical reports pertaining to it. However, I have seen the effectiveness of Tibetan Medicine in other fields.
I hope this information proves useful to someone out there somewhere.
God Bless and be safe.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)