Having suffered in the past with depression myself, I understand how disabling it can be and how it can make even the simplest of daily activities a massive struggle.
If you've never suffered from depression it can be hard to empathize with friends or loved ones who happen to be experiencing it.
The best way I can describe it is, it's like a giant vacuum sucks the life right out you and it becomes increasingly difficult to find joy or meaning in anything.
To sum it up... life becomes pointless.
Like the increasing numbers of people in the study above, I went to the doctor seeking answers out of desperation with the hopes that he knew something I didn't.
Unfortunately, the only thing he offered me was 3 minutes of his time and a prescription for an SSRI to be, "...filled out at the pharmacy downstairs."
At the time I was pretty ignorant when it came to my health, but I still left his office wondering why he only asked me how I felt and nothing about who I was.
Not once did he ask me about my diet, or what I did for a living; nor did he ask me if I drank, smoke or did drugs and he never once inquired as to the levels of stress in my life or how healthy my relationships were with others.
And yet somehow, the good doctor felt that he had gathered enough information in that 3 minutes to justify putting me on a powerful psychoactive drug, that often comes with side effects worse than the disease it's suppose to treat!
Needless to say, I decided not to fill the prescription and instead began a journey to seek out answers to my dilemma elsewhere.
Today I'm happy to report that I'm happily reporting and the mental fog and life sucking vacuum have been banished for good. It wasn't easy and it didn't happen over night, but it did eventually get better when I followed this one simple rule...
Take Responsibility for Your Own Health
Depression usually isn't caused by just one thing and it most likely won't be cured by one thing either (that holds true for drugs and natural remedies). You have to take a multi-factor approach that starts with the basics for achieving lasting health and happiness.
Through my own personal trial and error, I found the following remedies helped to lift my mood and get me back into the game of life:
1. Nutrition
Despite the over abundance of food in modern society, many people are nutritionally depleted. This is due to the consumption of processed foods, depleted soil from factory farming methods, transportation and storage issues and over cooking which serves to degrade already low levels of nutrients in all foods.
The solution is to eat more organic whole foods, naturally raised animal products (such as grass-fed beef and free range eggs) and purchase your food from local farmer's markets.
Still, this does not guarantee that you'll get all of the vitamins and minerals you need, so it's also a good idea to make organic whole-food supplements a part of your daily routine.
2. Sleep
Getting enough sleep is crucial for good health, as this is the time when your body repairs and rejuvenates it's trillions of cells.
Lack of sleep will lead to weakened immunity, unstable emotions, mental fog, fatigue and accelerated aging leaving you more susceptible to diseases that diminish your quality of life and hasten your demise.
Get a least 8 hours of sleep a night in a room that is completely dark, slightly cooler than body temperature, free of all electronic gadgets and if noise is a factor try using foam ear plugs.
Before going to bed try taking a hot bath with Epsom salts, read something calming, listen to relaxing music, meditate or trying a taking a natural sleep aid.
3. Movement
Getting the right amount of exercise daily can help to increase blood, oxygen and nutrient flow to every part of your body, including your brain. Feel good chemicals such as serotonin are released when exercising and this will help lift your spirits and calm your mind.
Proper exercise will also help to clear out toxins and metabolic waste through your lymphatic system, that can contribute to mental sluggishness and loss of energy.
If you don't know where to start when it comes to exercise, try to find a trainer who will give you a thorough lifestyle evaluation to determine what level of activity you require.
It is important that your plan is designed specifically for your unique situation, because exercise is like a drug in that if you give the wrong prescription, you'll get the wrong response.
For example, if you happen to suffer from a condition like fibromyalgia or you have a lot of stress in your life, then it would be best that you start with something gentle such as Hatha yoga, Tai Chi or Qigong.
4. Hydration
Most people are chronically dehydrated not only from a lack of drinking fresh water daily, but more so from an over consumption of caffeinated beverages. From coffee, tea, pop and now the increasingly popular energy drinks.
These trick people into thinking that they are getting enough water by drinking these beverages, when in fact the caffeine contained in them act as a diuretic.
It's been said that for every cup of coffee you drink, you need to drink two glasses of water to replace what you lose and in fact your brain will actually shrink when you become dehydrated.
Cutting down on caffeinated beverages is a good start and drinking 2-3 litres of fresh water daily will help to replenish water lost through sweat and urine, as well as aid in clearing out metabolic wastes that impede proper functioning of your body.
5. Digestion
While anti-depressant medications tend to focus solely on manipulating brain chemicals, not many people realize that 90% of serotonin (the feel good chemical) in the body is produce in the gut.
Often called the second brain by some forward thinking physicians, there is a definite connection between a healthy intestinal tract and happy thoughts.
Without proper digestion, the right nutrients in the right amounts will not be absorbed into your body's cells and without timely elimination of waste, the colon becomes a toxic breeding ground for all manner of pathogens.
Over time, this backed up waste can inflame the intestinal wall leading to a condition known as leaky gut, whereby toxins and undigested food particles pass through the intestinal wall and into the blood stream where they can cause an autoimmune reactions, such as inflammation of the brain.
To achieve healthy digestion, eat more raw whole foods, drink plenty of water to hydrate the colon and encourage peristalsis, consume more fiber, make sure to add abdominal strengthening exercises to your workout routine and never suppress the urge to have a bowel movement.
When necessary use digestive enzymes, eat more fermented foods like sauerkraut and cultured foods like yogurt or kefir and/or take a high quality probiotic daily.
6. Healthy Fats
The human brain evolved on high levels of essential fatty acids known as omega fatty acids found in sea foods and the brains of land based herbivores.
Of the two families of essential fatty acids (omega 3 and omega 6), the most important for brain health are the omega 3 fats. In the past, humans had a healthier balance of omega 3 to omega 6 fats in a 1:2 or 1:1 ration when it came to their diets.
This not only fueled the growth of larger brains, but also helped to optimize hormones for fertility and healthy offspring.
Today because of greed and misinformation by the vegetable oil industry, the ratio of omega fats is alarmingly imbalanced at an average of 1:20 omega 3 to omega 6.
The result of this imbalance is increased inflammation in the body which is now being recognized as a causal factor in diseases such as arthritis, heart disease and Alzheimer's.
Eliminating the use of vegetables oils by replacing them with healthier fats like extra virgin olive oil and organic grass fed butter, as well as adding more omega 3 fats in your diet by eating more fish such as wild salmon or taking fish oil supplements, will give your brain and body the right mix of fats it needs to maintain excellent health and operate at an optimum level for life.
7. Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters are chemicals produce by the brain that relay and modulate signals between brain cells. They have a great influence over your thoughts and emotions and when they become imbalanced the effects can include fatigue, mental fog, depression, anxiety, insomnia, sexual dysfunction and emotional instability.
There are a number of causes for neurotransmitters to become imbalanced and this may include the following:
Pharmaceutical and/or recreational drugs.
Sugar and caffeine.
Stress.
Environmental toxins.
Lack of sleep.
Heavy metal exposure.
Monosodium glutamate.
Artificial sweeteners - e.g. Aspartame. To find out if this may be a contributing factor to your depression, you can find a qualified health care provider who is knowledgeable in neurotransmitter testing and re-balancing through the use of targeted amino acid therapy.
8. Balanced Hormones
Many individuals who suffer from depression often have hormonal imbalances that go undiagnosed by conventional medicine because blood tests are often interpreted incorrectly or the physician doesn't think it necessary to explore this area.
Issues with the thyroid (both states of hypo and hyper), the adrenals (low or high cortisol and DHEA), low testosterone and imbalanced estrogen levels all can contribute to mood and emotional disorders.
Since all of your hormones are interconnected like a spider web, if one is out of whack it will in turn effect the others to a lesser or sometimes greater degree.
Many things can effect hormone levels such as stress, poor nutrition, drugs and alcohol, heavy metals, environmental toxins and general aging; all of which need to be addressed before embarking on bio-identical hormone replacement therapy through a competent health care practitioner.
9. Heavy Metals
Many people today are being exposed to high concentrations of heavy metals whether they realize it or not. This is due to the fact that thousands of food products, household cleaning products, personal care products and industrial products contain significant amounts of metals such as aluminum and mercury.
Heavy metals settle into the body's vital organs and tissues (such as your brain) where they disrupt their ability to function normally. They also can also block essential minerals (e.g., calcium, magnesium, zinc) that are needed for maintaining health.
Precautions must be taken to minimize your exposure to these metals and measures taken to remove them from your body if you've already been exposed (e.g. chelation therapy).
Make certain that when consuming seafood that you only source and purchase high quality selections and even then you may want to reduce your over all seafood intake weekly.
If you do wish to consume seafood, taking chlorella supplements before your meal can help to absorb and eliminate deadly mercury through your bowels, instead of into your bloodstream.
You may also want to consider having your amalgam fillings replaced by a holistic dentist knowledgeable in proper filling removal procedures.
10. Sunlight
People who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) will tell you that the dark days of winter can be crippling for them when it comes to depression.
Therapies such as the use of light lamps and light boxes can help to raise serotonin levels which elevates mood, decreases pain and helps to control your appetite.
In summer time it's a good idea to get moderate sun exposure during the afternoon for 15-30 minutes and it's important to not wear sunglasses all of the time when outdoors in order to maximize the full effect on the release of the feel good chemicals in your brain.
11. Detoxification
There are currently ten of thousands of chemicals that have been introduced to our environment since the 1950's and that number is growing yearly.
Our bodies are not designed to be able to cope with these newly created foreign substances and the consequences are being seen in the rising rates of cancers, most notably breast, prostate and colon cancer.
The main organ of detoxification in the body is the liver and in today's polluted world it is definitely working over time. In traditional Chinese medicine the liver is known as "the seat of anger" and even Shakespeare wrote of black bile causing one to be of a melancholy disposition.
This shows that there can be a profound connection between the health of one's liver and the state of their thoughts and emotions.
You can reduce the toxic load on your liver by choosing non-toxic home cleaning products, chemical free personal care products, eating organic and naturally raised foods and cleansing your liver for one week per month using the herbs milk thistle and dandelion root.
12. Get in Touch
Physical contact is essential for the proper growth and immune stimulation in infants and adults.
A study done with monkeys showed that infants separated from their Mothers early on after birth were not only lower in body weight, but when given the choice between food and being with an artificial surrogate doll, the infant choose to forgo eating and clung tightly to the doll.
Start by giving more people you know and love hugs instead of hand shakes or go to a massage therapist for a relaxing full body massage.
Getting a pet such as a dog or cat can also make you feel good when you pet them and they snuggle up to you on the couch.
Another great form of touch is making love, which can not only boost your mood but can also improve your cardiovascular health if done correctly! : )
Depression is not a deficiency of drugs and does not have to be a life sentence. By implementing the above recommendations into your daily lifestyle slowly over time, you just might find that what seems like the end of your world, is really an exciting new beginning!
