Depression

Many people are depressed and each depression is unique. Having worked with many depressed people, and having been there myself, here’s some information to help you help yourself or someone else.

First of all, if you are depressed, know that there are people out there who want to help. It may seem that people around you may not care, but usually they are dealing with their own issues, which is a part of being human. But I guarantee that somewhere there is someone who really does care. Sometimes it takes time to find the right support group, the right counselor, or the right doctor. But if you are persistent and keep looking, you will find someone to help.

If you know someone who is depressed, I encourage you to do everything you can to help show this person how much they are loved and wanted. Interventions can be helpful with friends and family, or just talking with them to show how they have made a difference in your life, and others.

Once you have found the support you need here are some ideas to help you overcome your depression.

Causes

Finding the cause of your depression can take some investigative work, but typically depression is caused because of emotional issues, nutritional deficiencies, organisms, nerve damage and/or toxins. In addition, some medications can cause depression. Beta Blockers, for example, can cause depression to the point of suicide. Work with your health professional to determine the origin of your depression. There are many options out there - you don't have to suffer anymore.

Emotions

Emotionally people can fall into depression because of many reasons. There are stress tests available that allow you to rate all of the events that may contribute. For example, many transitions in one year can be a factor. If we do not take the time to do the work emotional work that accompanies these changes, we can become depressed emotionally and then our body may take over by slowing us down so that we will pay attention to what is going on. Once you recognize the issues and start to address them, the depression can often get much better. I know this is true for many people who have been sexually or emotionally abused. Once you can uncover these feelings and process them in a positive manner, you often feel much better. One of my customers has breast cancer. She has a little cry session or "pity party" every morning. She gets the emotions out, and then she gets on with her day. This is a very healthy way of processing information so she doesn't bury it, causing other issues in the future. She said her day goes much better, and she feels less stress and much happier throughout the rest of the day.

One thing that helped me when I was depressed was to read the book Man's Search For Meaning by Victor Frankel, who had been in Hitler's concentration camps. Reading this book helped me look at my issues from a different perspective. This book has helped many people and is available at your local library.

Fuel

It requires a lot of energy for our bodies to process information. What type of fuel are you putting in your body? While comfort food does feed us emotionally when we are feeling down, it often does not feed the cells in your body optimally that are crying out for proper nutrition. Eliminate poor nutrition foods, such as sugar, wheat flour, and processed foods. Also eliminate dairy, which can feed organisms and affect our emotions. Eat raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains - such as spelt, quinoa, millet, brown rice, and sprouted grain products. Organic grass fed meats are also beneficial because they are high in essential fatty acids which feed our brains. Eat more raw living food and decrease cooked dead food.

Cleansing

How clean is the inside of your body? Many people’s bodies are incredibly toxic from poor food choices, bad air, and harmful energies from lights, computers, and negative people. Most people don't know that 95% of our serotonin receptors are in our colon. (Page 92 of Natural Remedies for Common Ailments by Dr. Hugo Rodier; from “The Second Brain,” Michael Gershorn; American J. Medicine, 1999, 107:71s). That’s right, not in our heads, but in our colon. I have had many customers do simple colon cleanses for a few weeks, and then go off of their depression medication. This is just common sense. If your colon is working to feed your brain, and it is toxic, it makes sense that if you clean it – it can do its job much better.

Breathe

Our largest elimination system is our respiratory system. Are you getting fresh air to your body to help you oxygenate your brain? Try sleeping with your window open, or just work on breathing more - take 3-5 large breaths each morning and night. You will be amazed at how this can change your day and your outlook. Fresh air can make a huge difference in people’s health and mental attitude.

Dehydration

Dehydration has been linked to many health disorders including depression. Not drinking good quality water prevents your body from cleansing out the harmful toxins. Think of your body as a river. When water is flowing in the river, the whole ecosystem is healthy. But when the water dries up, it holds toxins and creates environments for organisms to thrive. If you have a problem with drinking water, try adding lemon and a sweetener or chlorophyll.

Drugs

I am not a big fan of drugs, but I do believe that drugs can sometimes be considered an option if they are used as a tool to get to a point, and eliminated once a certain status is met. Be aware that ALL depression drugs now carry suicide warnings on them - read the paperwork that comes with your prescription or talk to your pharmacist. Drugs don’t fix the problem. But as long as you are working towards a goal, and doing other positive things to help your body - I think they can be used effectively.

People are not drug deficient. I do think that people are too toxic and nutrient deficient. The drug companies tell you that these antidepressants are NOT addictive but ARE habit forming. Because antidepressants are such serious drugs I don't think anyone should cold-turkey them. If the doctor won't provide a schedule to wean off of them, use common sense.

Recently there was suicide documentary on HBO that confirmed what many health professionals have said for a long time. This "chemical imbalance" thing that the drug companies market is just that, a marketing gimmick to make money. In the documentary they slice up brains to study the serotonin, and compared a normal death to a suicide’s death. In the brain of a suicidal person, serotonin was 3 times more abundant then the normal brain, which means that too much serotonin is the problem and these drugs flood the brain with even more serotonin, making the problems worse.

So what is serotonin? And what do they mean when they say serotonin uptake? The answer involves some very complicated biochemistry but here’s a basic summary.

Serotonin is a “feel good/satisfied/full” neurotransmitter. One nerve cell produces it to activate receptors on a nearby nerve cell. Typically, the producing nerve will take the serotonin back (uptake or reuptake) to use it again. Chemicals in some herbs and drugs such as Prozac inhibit the reuptake of serotonin. This leaves more of the serotonin floating around to activate receptors again and again. This increases the effect of serotonin.

Health Products

There are many different herbs, essential oils and nutrients that people often find useful for depression. I encourage you to work with your health professional to find which of these products will work best for. If the first product doesn't, please keep trying. I have many customers who kept looking until they found something that works well. Everyone's body is different, and what works for one person, may not work the same for the next. Here is a list of items that many people have found useful and why:

Probiotics or beneficial bacteria - to help repopulate these helpful organisms in our bodies to kill the bad organisms, and build vitamins, especially B vitamins.

B Vitamins - these are water soluble vitamins that are used up in high demand when we are stressed - taking these during stressful or depressed times can often help dramatically.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) - these are the good fats that are in our brains. They are also very important for our nervous and circulatory systems, act as an anti-inflammatory, and help the colon. EFA's.

Ginko Biloba - helps to increase circulation to the brain, carrying more oxygen which often helps clarity, memory, and focus.

Gota kola, also a circulation herb, works best for some people in combination with Ginko

5-HTP - This product we find is best for those with O type blood. It works on mood, helps sleeping issues, and many also find it effective for weight loss as well.

Sam-E - We find this nutrient effective on people with B type blood, and for people who respond well to pharmaceutical drugs. SAM-e seems to work like the drugs without the side effects.

St. John’s Wort - this herb is best used in formulas, and is often over rated. It can be useful for some people with mild or moderate depression. I think it is best used when there is nerve damage. You can take both SAM-e and St. John’s Wort; in fact, they work well together. We also recommend St. John's Wort with Prozac in small doses.

Essential oils - many people find essential oils are also helpful for depression. Grapefruit is used often in 'happy' sprays, as are lemon, tangerine and bergamot.

We have many combinations for depression and anxiety: Mood Elevator, Nervous Fatigue Formula, Suma and Gaba are a few other products that may be beneficial.

Unlike other illnesses, rotating products is not usually the best option. Stick to what is working for you, or try products every few days to several weeks until something does work.

There are many options to help pull you out of your depression. Sometimes, like for me, getting depressed helps you to pay attention to yourself, and to see what is really going on in your life - to self evaluate - so that you can make changes and make your life what you really want. I encourage you to investigate the many options out there. You will be happy you did!