Depression & Insomnia

“I’m so depressed I can’t sleep”

Given the galaxy of symptoms associated with depression, a diagnosis can mean little. Some people sleep constantly while others don’t sleep. Some feel light-headed, others describe a feeling of being under water. One person is cold, has diarrhea, and vivid dreams; another is constipated and lies awake all night. When viewed through the Eastern lens of symptom-based treatment, the common failure of a one-size-fits-all drug strategy doesn’t surprise even a little. This is not to pretend that the treatment of depression is a cakewalk under any circumstances. It’s not. But by treating the mind via the body (acupressure and NLP exercises) and the body’s symptoms via the mind, changes can occur without drugs which, at best, offer all the value of a placebo.

In Rewired for Sleep we have the case of Helene, a former art director, who goes from experiencing crippling depression in order to regain control of her life. In the process she gets a handle on her IBS and panic attacks, and slowly weans herself off of Seroquil. And as Helene takes control of her health, her depression starts to ease. The entire process becomes a sort of positive loop that replaces the other, more negative one to which she had prescribed.