I have been dealing with depression (possibly bipolar) for years. Is there anything you can recommend?

Rob M.

Hi Rob,

First, let me be clear that since I am not your physician, I cannot legally – nor ethically – give you specific recommendations without seeing you as a patient first. However, here are some general guidelines that may help point you in the right direction. Before self-prescribing anything, I would always recommend a consultation with your Naturopathic Doctor.

St. John’s wort has been extensively studied in Europe over the last two decades, with more recent research in the United States. Short-term studies (one to three months) suggest that St. John’s wort is more effective than placebo (sugar pill), and equally effective as tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) in the treatment of mild-to-moderate depressive disorder. Comparisons to the more commonly prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, such as fluoxetine (Prozac) or sertraline (Zoloft), are more limited. However, other data suggest that St. John’s wort may be just as effective as SSRIs with fewer side effects. Since numerous adverse drug interactions are possible, caution is advised, when taking St. John’s wort.

Another one is 5-HTP, which may help balance serotonin in the body. Serotonin is the brain chemical associated with sleep, mood, movement, eating and nervousness. While cells outside the brain, such as platelets in the blood and some cells in the intestine, produce and utilize serotonin, all serotonin used by brain cells must be made within the neurons themselves. When serotonin is not properly constructed within the brain, the result can be irritability, aggression, impatience, anxiety and depression. The results of numerous studies in humans suggest that 5-HTP may aid in the treatment of depression. Again, numerous drug interations are possible, so exercise caution.

Music has been referred to as an ancient tool of healing. Many different forms of music intervention have been used to reduce depression and anxiety in a variety of medical conditions and medical procedures. There is evidence that music therapy may increase responsiveness to antidepressant medication. In elderly adults with depression, a home-based program of music therapy may have long-lasting effects for mood enhancement. In depressed adult women, music therapy may lead to reductions in heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and depressed mood. Music therapy is generally known to be safe.

While the above are geared to the depressive phase, for the manic phase, you can try things like GABA, which can be found alone or in products like Inno-Beauty Sleep. GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, and while it hasn’t been extensively studied for the manic phase of bipolar disorder, theoretically, it makes a lot of sense. It’s great for calming the mind without being a sedative, and therefore, used in cases of insomnia, stress, and even to assist in meditation.

Dr. Lee Know

Who is more open to the workings of spirit than young children?  They live their lives weaving between the real world and their world of make believe, often finding it hard to differentiate between one and the other. Because of this, we often dispel the stories they share, or tune out their garbled chatter with special friends unseen by our human eyes.

They say that children are especially receptive in the years prior to school age.  This is because they haven’t had too much outside influence to plant seeds of doubt, seeds that will take root and spread through their consciousness for years to come.

Our daughter, her spouse and their two children were renting a particular home for over two years.  When they decided to move closer into town our Grandson Owen was understandably upset, after all, he was just three and a half years old, so he had spent the major part of his life there.

On a daily basis Owen asked to go back to his other home, and whenever they drove past the place he would cry and cry, begging them to pull into the driveway. One particular day as they drove by his eyes welled up with tears, “I miss my other mommy”, he said.  When his mother asked him what he was talking about, Owen went on to tell her about his “other mommy”.  He said that she lived in their old home and she was there all the time.

Owens’ “other mommy” would sit on the edge of his bed, and she frequently told him stories about her two boys.  This was confirmed by Owens’ sister, who said that she had seen the woman as well.  Owen went on to say that he missed talking with his “other mommy”, and that she was nice to him, but she was sad too.

We could have sloughed this off as Owen having an imaginary friend, but what a loss that would have been. For an investigation has provided us with some interesting information.  Before our daughter moved into the home, a couple and their two boys had lived there. The mother had died about a year or so prior of an aneurism, it happened quickly and unexpectedly.

So who was this special friend of Owens’?  Was she imaginary, or was she spirit? There is no doubt in my mind.  Now my focus is to ensure the door stays open, so our grandchildren can continue to be receptors for spirit and other phenomena.  I can only imagine the wonders they’ll share.

Children and Spirit column is a forum for sharing our children’s experiences, to learn and grow from them, and yank out a few roots of doubt along the way.  To share your child’s story please e-mail publisher@truebluespirit.ca

I started to take a keen interest in spiritualism 16 years ago. I read every book I could find and took several courses. After taking these courses which were from very qualified people, during a period of three years, I just could not make the connection and was ready to give up.

Then I met a person who was giving a trance demonstration on healing. The spirit that was talking through this person told me how I could go out and heal. Ever since that time I have been able to heal people under any conditions and in any place.

The type of healing I do is referred to as spiritual healing. I work with those in spirit to channel energy to those being healed.

To help explain this, consider the ignition system of a car. There is the battery which leads to the distributor which has electrical wires that lead to the spark plugs. The spirit energy is the battery and I am the electrical wires or the conduit that connects to the spark plug.

I do healing on people, animals, and plants.  Basically I work on anything that needs healing.

Rather than use my own energy which can be very depleting I channel energy from the source. Not necessarily a divine source, but from an alternate source.

Alternative healing uses a channel and most often there is one person in spirit that works through them. I have several spirit workers, and I never know which person in spirit is going to work through me at any given time.

This type of work allows me to do distant healing for people around the world. One example of such healing was for a woman in Idaho who had brain cancer and was given less then a week to live.  Working with another healer we did spiritual healing for about 30 minutes.

We felt ourselves traveling all the way to Idaho and we could even see the hospital and the woman in her bed. We had never met this woman in person.

About a month or so later, I received a call from the woman.  After the fact, she was told about our healing, and decided to contact me with the good news. The day after the healing, they had done a brain scan and there was no more cancer. This is a wonderful feeling knowing that through spirit you have helped someone.

There are many ways to conduct healing. Just to name a few there are trance state, magnetic healing, distant or absent healing, crystal healing, native healing using smudging, drumming and a healing wand to pass energy, and of course prayer.

The principles of alternative healing are basically the same throughout the world and with all peoples. The one common thread throughout the various cultures is that they all know the power of healing comes from the creator.

James Henry Spencer

Wave Walker

Greetings Wavewalker, thanx very much for your reply to my question. I’d very much like to partake in the ceremony you speak of, to allow one of my power animals to make visual contact with me. Please let me know when you’re available to perform this ceremony.

Michael S.

Hello Michael,

I have no immediate plans to do a power animal ceremony. However, Dorothy Jeanne Engst suggests the opportunity for one during the retreat this summer in July. This does sound like a possibility. You can find information about the retreat on the True Blue Spirit website.

The Wave Walker

I have been a successful poet in the past. lately it seems my poetry is all not only rejected but somehow erased. I wonder if this is a sign to stop writing or just a sort of fallow time in my writing life.

Tanya K.

True  poetry is 90% inspiration and 10% perspiration. Relax and request direction from those in the realm of spirit that you were in touch with when your writing was at its’ best.
Ask that only the highest and the best qualified be your mentors.
Then, relax and pay attention as you tune in to the infinite poetry of the universe. Strive not to solve the great mysteries, just accept the fact that you play your role accordingly. With both dignity and humility. Always set a time that is convenient for you to spend with your mentors in spirit.
Then allow your soul to fly with the angels, unshackled by human critics.

The Wave Walker

Dorothy – you are an inspiration!

Thank you for your Spirit-driven publication,
and for the opportunity to be part of your writing team.
To you the True Blue Spirit readers….
you are the raison d’être behind this magazine so thank you!
Here’s to joy, pain and everything in between!
It’s the stuff of life. Let’s enjoy the journey!

Light and love to all,
Janet Laidlaw

To our readers,

we at True Blue Spirit Magazine are truly interested in what you think and want from our magazine. Any comments, critiques or wishes will be gratefully received and pondered in the coming year.
May the new year be a great one for you and everyone who pursues intuitive living.

Your intrepid editor, Tom