Well there’s an interesting, not to mention controversial, question! Prozac, also called Fluoxetine, is what’s termed a serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor. In many cases it does lift mood and gives relief to many people. However, that is often at the expense of sexual drive. Most patients on Prozac report loss of interest in sex. In a sense Prozac acts as an emotional anaesthetic, so that one doesn't experience the low moods but also not the highs either.
And in some patients it can cause serious side effects including indigestion, trouble sleeping, sexual dysfunction, loss of appetite, dry mouth, and rash. Serious side effects include serotonin syndrome, mania, seizures, an increased risk of suicidal behavior in people under 25 years old, and an increased risk of bleeding.
Don't get me wrong, for some people it's a lifesaver at a critical juncture in life.
But are there perhaps better alternatives? St John's Wort taken as a herbal medicine has been studied extensively and is reported to be at least as good as Prozac.
With homeopathy we are interested in identifying the root cause and prescribing a remedy on the totality of the patient's symptoms, both physical and mental. Depression is just one aspect of the patient's state and homeopaths believe that it must be seen in the context of the patient's whole presenting picture. This may include traumas around important life changes (puberty, pregnancy, childbirth, bereavement etc) or a history of a troublesome upbringing and even abuse. As homeopaths we like to see the film of a person's life not just a current snapshot. That way we can getter a deeper healing rather than just suppression of the outward signs of the illness.
So, homeopathy can give remarkable results. When I see a patient with depression I like to see not just acute relief but a blossoming of all aspects of the patient's life; an ability to better deal with problems in relationships, work and a healing of past life traumas.
In homeopathy, sometimes treating depression is like peeling away layers of an onion, but as each layer is removed we see an increased ability for joy and dealing with life's ups and downs.
