Recap: Julie was morose, apathetic, irritable. She was not interested in anything, did not want anything. She had lost weight. She had insomnia, but at times she slept all day. Her movements were slow and listless. She was always tired, even though she did practically nothing at all. She was restless and anxious and could not concentrate on anything. She had feelings of guilt and began to think about suicide

Julie, like millions of other adults and adolescents, was suffering from depression. Fortunately, her parents recognized the need for professional help before the situation deteriorated further.

The usual treatment for depression is medication, with or without hospitalization, sometimes repeated hospitalizations. Hospitalization depends on the severity of the situation, and of course on the judgment of the attending psychologist or psychiatrist about the risk of suicide. The medication usually has to be taken for years, even for life. Unfortunately, neither hospitalization nor medication addresses the underlying causes of the problem. Therefore the outcome is much more favorable if psychotherapy of some sort is part of the mix. In fact, research has shown that appropriate psychotherapy, just by itself, is at least as effective as medication.

With Holistic Psychology, hospitalization and medication are not considered the front line of defense, but rather back-up measures to be called in as needed. When Julie came for help, we saw her not as a case of depression but as a person who was manifesting that syndrome. We already knew plenty about depression, but we were eager to learn about Julie. We wanted to know about her as a total person, with physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects, living in a particular family and community. Yes, the depression was an important piece of the picture, and needed to be fitted into the larger whole. But we needed to understand this larger whole. And for Julie to get well, she would have to understand it, too. So, with Julie’s help, we began to assemble a thorough inventory of how Julie functioned, how she lived, how she was in all her aspects.

Julie had always been the “baby” of the family, sheltered from the outside world, and in some ways from her own self. She had always been accommodating, willing to let others take charge. Now she had to learn to be in charge, responsible for her health and her life. We would give her the tools she needed, and she would use them to get well and achieve a fulfillment in all aspects of her life. The healing journey would be a joint process.

As we progressed in our exploration, we found that Julie had mixed feelings about growing up. On the one hand, as any teenager, she was excited and intrigued about the new world that was opening up to her. On the other hand, she was reluctant to leave behind the comfortable nest within the family, and her special, protected position. She had had an experience with a boy that went further than she had intended, after which she withdrew. She had felt scared, inadequate, ashamed, and guilty. But she had not been able to bring herself to talk about it with anyone.

We established a holistic treatment plan to address the causes, not just the symptoms of her depression, using methods that were natural, non-toxic and non- invasive.

First and foremost, Julie learned to experience, accept, and work through her feelings. Just being able to talk about her experiences and feelings with someone who was accepting and non-judgmental helped to lift the cloud of shame and guilt. She also learned to recognize the thoughts and thought patterns that accompanied her negative feelings, and then change the thought patterns that were detrimental.

To help her develop a healthy lifestyle, we provided consultations, tailored to her specific characteristics and special needs, on stress management, nutrition, and exercise.

To help normalize her eating patterns and deal with other specific symptoms, we recommended a Chinese herbal formula.

And we gave her a homeopathic remedy.

As our work progressed, Julia began to take charge of her life, to accept herself, and to face the world without dread. As she gained confidence, she returned to her goal to study medicine. She is now a fourth-year student in a well known university.