Anonymous asked this question on 4/19/2000:

I am intrigued...you counsel and most do not need medications to deal with their depression. I worked in psych wards for years, and have a solid spiritual life, and have given my all to therapy for a few years (which helped tremendously)...but I honestly believe medication is indicated for many of us, whether we want to be medication dependent or not. Do you recommend talk therapy only or do you add on spirituality, exercise, nutrition, herbal supplements? I tried all of these, at various times, and still came running back to zoloft, which is not what I'd hope to be doing, but I think I genetically inherited the tendency towards major depression. Do you think people who wrestle with major depressive episodes can function without daily medication? And if so, what do you recommend they do when tackling the depression? Thank you for your time.

karunap gave this response on 4/20/2000:

The people that you deal with in psych wards have more serious mental disorders than most of my clients. I have many depressed clients but very few ever need hospitalization.

I find talk therapy very limiting. We get people in our therapy that have been in talk therapy for 12 years and aren't much better than when they started.

I do primarily group therapy that incorporates many different forms of therapy. We do a lot of bioenergetic release of feelings (which is a major help to depressed clients... I come from the belief that stored anger is the major cause of depression), a modified psychodrama process, regression work, trance, gestalt, contracting, accountability work for broken contracts, and a variety of other processes. The clients have contact with each other inside and outside of group so they have the opportunity to have a ready made support system... as well as the opportunity to learn how to create and keep friendships. I do consider spiritual work an important part of therapy. Also nutrition and exercise. Many clients make contracts around these areas.

I am only aware of one person in my practice (in 13 years of practice) that has seemed physiologically unable to do without the antidepressent after they have completed their therapy. There are more that need it during their therapy in order to make it possible to do the therapy.... but the numbers are not particularly high.

The average rating for this answer is 5.

Anonymous rated this answer a 5.

Thank you...your insights have been most helpful!