Depression….Natural Remedies
Depression and anxiety are at an all time high and continually on the rise in our modern society, and unfortunately the medical profession generally turns to medications that are dangerous with severe side-effects, often exacerbating the original problems. If you know someone who has been prescribed some of these ‘anti-depressant’ medications, please educate yourself and them so they know how to get off of these drugs safely.
Every year, 230 million prescriptions for antidepressants are filled, making them one of the most prescribed drugs in America. However, more than one in 20 Americans are depressed, according to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Of those depressed Americans, 80 percent say they have some level of functional impairment, and 27 percent say their condition makes it extremely difficult to do everyday tasks like work, activities of daily living, and getting along with others.
The use of antidepressant drugs—medicine’s answer for depression—doubled in just one decade, from 13.3 million in 1996 to 27 million in 2005. If these drugs are so extensively prescribed, then why are so many people feeling so low? Because they don’t work at addressing the cause.
Why Antidepressant Drugs Don’t Work
The majority of people who take antidepressants for depression never get relief. Why? Because the cause of depression has been oversimplified, and drugs designed to treat it aim at the wrong target, according to a new study that appears to topple some
strongly held beliefs about depression.
One is that stressful life events are a major cause of depression. The other is that an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain triggers depressive symptoms.
|
Book ExcerptsA study in the January 2010 issue of JAMA concludes that there is little evidence that
SSRIs (a popular group of antidepressants that includes Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft and others)
have any benefit to people with mild to moderate depression, and they work no better than a placebo.
That means that SSRIs are 33 percent effective as a placebo. And a study presented at the Neuroscience conference in 2009 tells a similar story.
Research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine shared two major findings:
New Antidepressant Target Discovered
Most existing antidepressants affect mood and emotions by increasing levels of neuro-transmitters called mono-amines, namely serotonin, dopamine and nor epinephrine. But the fact that these drugs are not effective for many patients suggests there are additional mechanisms underlying depression yet to be uncovered that could be targeted with new therapies.
Activating New Neurons Could Treat Depression
Boosting the activity of newly-created neurons mimicked the effect of antidepressant medication in animal models. “Activating these neurons was having an antidepressant effect,” Tunc-Ozcan said. “This was completely unexpected; nobody in our field had shown this before.”
If Antidepressants Don’t Work, What Will?
Most “depression” is curable. Find the causes, remove them, and then say goodbye to depression. Depression remedies need outstanding nutrition by avoiding processed foods, getting plenty of phytonutrients (from organic fruits and vegetables) in your body, as well as consuming high quality essential fatty acids (healthy oils) on a regular basis and getting plenty of sunshine absolution.
Simple Tips To Manage Depression Naturally
1. Eat a Healthy Diet
When we eat food that is not recognized by the human body, our bodies operate at full capacity.
When we eat poorly, our body does not have enough raw materials to work with. When we do not have enough minerals for building our bones or teeth, our body sends us a powerful message which we call “pain.” When our legs burn, or our back aches, or our teeth are highly sensitive and hurt us, these are all messages remiding us that we are notproviding the proper “fuel” required for our bodies to operate properly. Avoiding sugar and grains will help normalize your insulin and leptin levels, which is another powerful tool in addressing depression.
Essential raw materials and building blocks for life:
- Water – pure and clean (not chlorinated)
- Minerals and vitamins from whole foods
- Essential fatty acids from Omega 3 and 6 oils
- Enzymes from living plants
- Friendly bacteria (probiotics)
- Plant based proteins
2. Address Food Allergies
Everyone to some degree or another has food sensitivities. A person can eat a food, and inexplicably feel depressed an hour later. Or a person may get a reaction from a food he or she ate 4 days ago! Studies clearly show that food allergies cause depression. Allergy elimination diets, food allergy testing, and other digestive health measures such as digestive enzymes and leaky gut programs can dramatically change lives. There is debate regarding the best testing options, but perhaps a panel that combines both IgM and IgG antibodies can best reveal the foods that cause both immediate and delayed reactions.
3. Eliminate Yeast, Fungus and/or Mold Infestations
Candida/Yeast/Fungus: An overgrowth of intestinal Candida is one infectious condition that can often be addressed at home.
It can be the sole cause of many illnesses such as depression. A simple self-test that involves spitting in a cup can help determine if Candida is a problem.
Candida Albicans is found in two forms. The most common form is as a simple yeast which causes thrush in the mouth or the vagina. The second form is that of a dangerous fungus which can push its way through the digestive tract into the mucus membrane where it causes much damage. This damage allows undesirable toxins to enter the bloodstream (known as ‘leaky gut’ syndrome) which in turn leads to a mass of allergic reactions. This is often known as systemic candidiasis.
Mold Toxins: Mold toxins can irritate your brain and cause virtually any symptom ranging from depression all the way to violent behavior, seizures, and stroke. Studies have shown that mold could be a direct cause of depression since mold toxins can affect the nervous system or the immune system or impede the function of the frontal cortex, the part of the brain that plays a part in impulse control, memory, problem solving, sexual behavior, socialization and spontaneity.
If you are uncertain about mold, have your home tested for mold. Treatment involves removing the sources of mold and removing the toxins from the body. A common remedy for mold infestations in your home as well as your body is to use Thieves Products. Call me to learn the specifics and how to eliminate it from your home, office or even your internal body!
4. Address Chronic Infections
Lyme disease, mycoplasma, babesia, many viruses, Candida, and many other pathogenic organisms are at the root cause of many epidemic diseases, including depression. “Brain fog”, gastrointestinal symptoms, difficulty finding words, learning disorders, lack of energy, poor short term memory, feelings of confusion, and aches and pains are all tip offs that increase likelihood of an infectious disease process. Blood tests are the best way to track infections.
5. Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise works because it helps to normalize insulin resistance while boosting
“feel good” hormones in your brain. Exercising can also be completely free and without side effects.
Get out and take a walk. How simple is that? Activity should start mildly and increase as desired.
Physical exercise changes the level of serotonin in your brain.
6. Balance Hormones
Hormones are chemical messengers that tell our organs and cells what to do. A common presentation of depression
and hormonal imbalance is known as “adrenal fatigue”. Hormones are a tough subject to deal with, and getting
help from an integrative physician knowledgeable about natural hormone replacement therapy can be a huge help.
Get tested: ZRT Testing
See article on ZRT lab website: The Impact of Hormones on Serotonin in Depression
7. Meditation
Research shows that meditation can alleviate depression. Meditation requires a long-term commitment since it does not produce fast results. But persistent of self-acceptance and calming of mind and body can be a wonderful complementary remedies to get at the root of depression and help healing. The purpose of meditation is to gradually enter into higher state of consciousness and experience ineffable joy. If you reflect on your own life, you will certainly find that the most intense moments of happiness you have ever felt were when your mind was the most concentrated.
8. Quality Sleep
Sleep quality and quantity highly correlate with symptoms of depression. Sleep deprivation can elevate your mood even if you are not depressed. Getting at least 8-10 hours of sleep a night is essential. Start by going to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
9. Supplements
– Essential Fatty Acids:
Essential Fatty Acids(EFA) are especially concentrated in the brain and are believed to be used to make healthy cell membranes. Some studies show that Omega-3 fatty acids are more effective than Prozac, and can relieve about 50% of symptoms The best way to get EFA is directly from the source (foods such as salmon, halibut, and walnuts), but fish-oil and flaxseed-oil-based supplements are also available in both capsule and liquid form.
– Probiotics: Studies have shown that probiotics can reduce nervousness, anxiety, and depression.
Probiotics are “good” bacteria in your intestines. They help detoxify, digest food, and modulate the
immune, which in a sense is literally an extension of the brain.
– Sunshine and Vitamin D:
Get plenty of sunshine – Vitamin D deficiency is epidemic in the United States and may be a factor in depression.
One study even found people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who received healthy doses. It is not uncommon for some people to supplement with 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day.
Before starting a vitamin D regimen, it may be wise to test blood levels of both 25-hydroxy vitamin D and 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin D.
10. Eliminate Addictive Behaviors
Coffee, cigarettes, junk food, smoking, drinking, and drugs are all addictive. Studies show the brain responds to junk food in the same way it does to heroin. Real food and raw diets can help most of these problems.
Get Going!
Don’t believe that “you just have to live with it”. Sometimes it may take even a few years to really get to the bottom of the mystery, but it will happen. Most depression is curable. Remember, if left untreated depression can have a devastating impact on just about every aspect of your life. Please use the natural treatments I suggest above. It is best to contact a Nutritionist who can support you naturally on your wellness path to recovery.
DEPRESSION: can be caused by a calcium deficiency. Stay away from carbonated water, it takes calcium out of the body, blocks potassium, prevents protein absorption, and causes hormone deficiency.
When we eat heavy protein at night and do not digest our food during the night, the food ferments and takes oxygen out of the system.
MARCH 15, 2004: DR ANN BLAKE TRACY details the negative side effects to SSRI’s and warned that no person
should ever go “cold Turkey” to come off these dangerous drugs.
Dr. Ann Blake Tracy’s website: www.drugawareness.org
Order her book Prozac, Panacea or Pandora
or CD:
“Help, I can’t get off my antidepressants!”
Additional References:
- Mercola.com: New Findings About Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Depression
- NaturalNews.com: Forget the drugs, treat depression naturally