by Laurie Lynch, ND
"We are living in an
epidemic of depression", according to
psychotherapist Richard O'Conner (Undo Depression,
p.1), "Everyone, will at some time in
their life be affected by depression -- their own
or someone else's. An estimated 35-40 million
Americans living today will suffer from major
Depressive Illness during their lives. For each
person directly suffering, three or four times
that number of their relatives, employees,
associates, and friends will also be adversely
affected. Of those 35-40 million afflicted, a
substantial percentage will commit suicide"
(http://depression.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=).
- "Depression results in
more absenteeism than almost any other
physical disorder and costs employers more
than ,,,$51 billion per year in absenteeism
and lost productivity, not including high
medical and pharmaceutical bills.
- Pre-schoolers are the
fastest-growing market for antidepressants. At
least four percent of preschoolers -- over a
million -- are clinically depressed. The rate
of increase of depression among children is an
astounding 23% p.a.
- 15% of depressed people
will commit suicide.
"Depression will
be the next largest killer after cancer and heart
disease by 2020 -- and studies show depression is
a contributory factor to fatal coronary disease.
(Bob
Murray, PhD
and
Alicia Fortinberry,
MS
, 2005,
Depression Facts and
Stats)
What is depression?
According to Dr. Murray, 54% of people believe
depression is a personal weakness". "Everyone
experiences variations in mood -- transitory
blues, disappointments, the normal grief that
accompanies the loss of someone you love. But a
severe or prolonged depression that interferes
with the ability to function, feel pleasure, or
maintain interest is not a mere case of the blues.
It is an illness". (a physical illness)
"Depressive Illness is among the most common and
destructive of illnesses prevalent in the United
States today. In addition to major depression,
many people suffer from manic depressive illness
(bipolar disorder) which is characterized by
radical mood swings from severe depression to
exaggerated, inappropriate elation"
(About Depression.com)..
I. The first step in overcoming depression is
to recognize if you have it. "Some
people do not admit sadness or guilt, instead they
withdraw and hide from society"
(Balch, p151).
What are the symptoms of
depression?
Symptoms of depression include: despair, guilt,
fatigue, poor concentration, significant weight
loss or gain, loss of interest in life, "insomnia
or sleeping for excessive periods of time, (anger,
irritability), loss of appetite or a ravenous
appetite, headaches, backaches, colon disorders,
and feelings of worthlessness or
inadequacy....loss of interest in things around
them, ...incapable of pleasure,... time passes
slowly. ... Many think of death and consider
suicide" (Balch, p151)..
Most people think only of treating the symptoms of
depression while the underlying physical causes
continue to worsen. Since completely eliminating
causes takes a few months,
I will share with you some fun, helpful
ways to temporarily overcome the symptoms of
depression.
-
NLP techniques
– (1) look up whenever you feel sad, (2) hum
circus music in your mind, (3) make your perceived
source of fear, anger, or hurt appear ridiculous
and humorous in your mind.
-
Exercise
– Studies have shown that exercise works as well
as or better than antidepressants, if you eat the
right blood sugar-regulating foods before and
after exercise.
-
Humor –
watch comedy movies,
make jokes.
-
Laughter therapy –Force
yourself to laugh for as long as it takes
to feel the joy of laughter.
-
Hypnotherapy and Self hypnosis teach you
techniques to control your moods and help you
sleep at night.
However the best way
to eliminate depression is to eliminate the
underlying physical causes.
II. The second step in overcoming depression
is to understand the underlying causes of these
problems.
Most people think of the causes of depression as
circumstantial, such as bad relationships, an
unhappy childhood, abuse, or financial pressures.
Many tend to blame their parents, their spouse, or
their job for their depression. However, if our
physical coping mechanisms are working properly,
we may feel momentary sadness, but
not long term clinical depression. We can
learn to deal with intermittent problems and still
remain relatively happy.
What
are the underlying causes of depression?
-
Improper diet. - "Chronic
depression has been brought on by our modern
diets and lifestyles. Since we created it, we
can eliminate it" (Raymond
Francis,
THE DEPRESSION EPIDEMIC,
BEYOND HEALTH®
News)
-
Nutritional
deficiencies
-
Fungal,
viral and bacterial infections
-
Glandular
malfunctions such as hypoglycemia and thyroid
problems
-
Chemical food additives (MSG, food dyes,
preservatives, artificial sweeteners,
artificial flavors)
-
Allergies
-
Indigestion
-
Genetically
engineered foods
-
Clogged and
coated intestinal tract
.
-
Hormonal and
brain chemical imbalances –" Researchers
have demonstrated that it results from
biochemical imbalances in the brain" (About
Depression.com )..
-
Lack of
exercise
-
Serious
injury or illness
-
Prolonged
stress
In a Wellness
Consultation, I use iridology, which is a fun,
entertaining way of guiding my questioning to get
an idea of the specific underlying causes for each
unique individual, and
then I write a list of these causes with the foods
and herbs that help eliminate these causes and
nourish the body back to health.
What are the standard medical
treatments for depression?
Standard
treatments are inadequate,
according to Dr. Murray.
-
Antidepressants
(particularly
selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors {SSRIs})
work only as well (or less) than placebos.
Government (FDA) warnings highlight concerns
over the efficacy and use of antidepressants
in children. ...The BMJ (British Medical
Journal) recently reported they found no
scientific evidence whatsoever that SSRIs work
for preschoolers (or for anyone under
eighteen)"
(Murray).
SSRIs such as Prozac, Paxil (Aropax),
Luvox, and Zoloft, have recently been
revealed to have serious risks, and are linked
to suicide, violence, psychosis, abnormal
bleeding and brain tumors"
(Murray).
"Many
research and case studies demonstrate a link
between antidepressants and suicide and other
violent behavior" (PROZAC Panacea or
Pandora by Ann Blake Tracy PhD, page 280). In
Health and Nutrition Secrets, Dr.
Russell L. Blaylock writes, "It is also known
that these
medications increase brain levels
of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which, in
high concentrations, can also act as an
excitotoxin." When
antidepressant drugs raise
serotonin to an excitotoxin level,
the brain reacts in ways similar to
mental illness.
"Dr
Stuart Donovan and colleagues published a crucial
article in the British Journal of Psychiatry on
2,776 patients taking SSRIs who were treated over
two years. They found a "relationship between
taking SSRIs and all forms of deliberate self-harm
- including overdose, attempted overdose, hanging,
gassing, laceration, deliberate road traffic
accidents, head banging, swallowing non-medicines
- much higher for SSRIs than for the older
tricyclics"
(PROZAC Panacea or Pandora by Ann
Blake Tracy PhD, page 15.).
"In all the
cases of school shootings, the kids responsible
for the
violence were taking SSRI medications,
which are known to produce suicidal and homicidal
"side effects"
(Health And Nutrition Secrets
by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 79).
"Studies indicate that
serotonin, which is targeted by most
antidepressants (SSRIs), is not as much a factor
in depression as the long-term presence of stress
hormone cortisol" (Murray).
WELLBUTRIN XL (a different type of antidepressant)
may cause seizure. Taking more than 450 mg/day
increases the chance of serious side effects.
Wellbutrin XL is approved only for adults 18 years
and over. ...It could cause worsening depression,
thoughts of suicide, or sudden or severe changes
in mood or behavior, especially at the beginning
of treatment or after a change in dose.
Wellbutrin could also cause a variety of harmful
side effects such as cardiovascular problems,
gastrointestinal problems, dermatological
problems, genitourinary problems such as
impotence, arthritis, and neurological problems
(PDR,
p1308).
What
are the safe, natural remedies for depression?
"The fact that both our brain and our body
are made from foods suggest that our thoughts and
our actions should both respond to changes in
nutrition. Physical substances can affect
perceptions, moods, and thoughts, and the behavior
that flows from them. Drugs- both pharmaceutical
and street – prove that." (Dr. Udo Erasmus, p.
356). “Foods have chemical effects far
beyond supplying energy. Some act as strong
drugs, others have weaker effects; but taken
together in a diet, foods help shape entire
personalities. Some foods act as antidepressants,
some help induce sleep, some stimulate creativity,
some induce mystical states of consciousness." And
some cause fatigue, depression, anger, aggression,
and violence. “If a person takes a drug that
affects his mood and behavior, his personality
will eventually change. The drug effects of
foods… similarly modify the personality….A
consistent diet of a particular food with
relatively weak chemical action can have additive
effects” (Schwartz 2, 4).
III. The third step in overcoming depression
is learning how to eliminate these causes with
safe natural foods and nutrients by :
-
Substituting
healing foods for the harmful foods.
-
Correcting
nutritional deficiencies.
-
Nourishing
the damaged glands with the right nutrients so
they can heal themselves.
- Killing infection
with specific fresh herbs.
- Avoiding chemical
food additives and cleansing them from the
blood and tissues with the right safe, time
proven herbs.
- Eliminating
allergies by eliminating the underlying
causes.
- Improving
digestion.
- Cleansing the
bowels.
- Exercising – a
scientific study showed that exercise was more
effective at relieving depression than the
drug, Zoloft
- Practicing stress
and depression reduction techniques.
-
A
Wellness
Consultation gives an idea of the
underlying physical causes, instructions
on how to eliminate theses causes, and
information on the right foods and
nutritional supplements that help nourish
the mind/body back to health and
happiness.
Since both our brain and our body are made
from chemicals we ingest, inhale, or
touch, changes in these chemicals can
change our health, thoughts, attitudes,
moods, and behavior, as drug research has
shown. Our body and brain function best
when supplied with the right plant
chemicals in the right balance from
natural whole foods, while man-made
chemicals upset that delicate chemical
balance and adversely affect our health,
moods, perceptions, and behavior.
The chemical effects of foods shape entire
personalities. Some foods act as
antidepressants, some help induce sleep,
some stimulate creativity, some induce
mystical states of consciousness, and some
cause depression, fatigue, anger,
aggression, and violence. Foods that have
been shown to be helpful in relieving
depression include: whole grains (contains
B vitamins, protein, and complex
carbohydrates to help regulate blood
sugar); garlic (contains calcium and
fights infection); baked potato,
tofu, pineapple, pomegranates, and bananas
(contain L tryptophan); kelp (contains all
minerals and trace elements); mangos,
limes, olive oil, avocadoes; hemp seed
oil, flax seeds, sun flower seeds, sesame
seeds, and nuts (contain essential fatty
acids); green and cabbage family vegetables( high
in magnesium); legumes; celeriac (celery
root); and raw honey (aids serotonin
production in the brain).
Here's one of my
favorite recipes for a calming, comfort food.
POTATO SALAD
4 large POTATOES, baked, cooled, diced with
skins on 1
grated CARROT
4 stalks CELERY,
diced
1 LEEK or RED ONION, sliced
4 RADISHES,
sliced 1 Tbsp.
CELERY
SEED
1 cup CELERIC, grated
1 GREEN PEPPER, minced
½ cup fresh green
PEAS
Mix veggies with enough mayonnaise substitute
to taste.
MAYONNAISE
SUBSTITUTE
6 oz. drained, pressed
TOFU
1 & 1/2-2 Tbsp. LEMON
JUICE
2 T. cold pressed
Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. BRAGG'S AMINOS
Dash CAYENNE PEPPER (optional) 1 tsp.
RAW HONEY (optional)
Blend until smooth.
IV. The fourth step in overcoming depression is
to figure out how to implement these changes.
-
A Wellness Consultation
with Laurie Lynch, N.D. provides
information on the specific foods, nutritional
supplements, and herbs that are
most effective for each individual's unique
needs, a schedule that shows how to properly space
out meals to improve energy and moods,
and how to combine foods to aid digestion,
plus 30 pages of good health promoting recipes. A gradual change is usually more readily
accepted, and easier when dining with other people
who like the healthier foods and who offer
encouragement. Make healthy meals fun; be
creative!
-
Hypnotherapy and Laughter Therapy with Laurie
Lynch, N.D., CHt. is very helpful in quickly
relieving the symptoms of depression., as well
as finding and dealing with any underlying
emotional or circumstantial causes.
Start now on the path to health and
happiness!
Call Dr. Lynch at the Living Well Health &
Education Center, (910) 426-5159.
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