Depression:
How to Turn it Around
No matter what you do it seems like you just can’t get out of the rut. Sometimes you don’t even care enough to try to get out of it. The deep sadness, apathy, no motivation, or general feeling of just “…blah…” can come and go or be a constant experience.
Is it all in your head?
Well… Yes and No. There are two main brain hormones (neurotransmitters) that control feelings of happiness and satisfaction called serotonin and dopamine. There is a delicate balance between the two and the rest of the body.
For instance, a serotonin deficiency may result in a “blah” type of depression. Meaning a decrease in interest in activities, difficulty sleeping, and oddly enough even abdominal migraines (due to the connections with the gut).
On the other hand, if your dopamine levels are low, you may feel more of an agitated depression. This can take the form of hopelessness, low motivation, low libido, addiction troubles, and easily losing your temper.
So Yes the issue can be seen as an imbalance in the brain’s chemistry, but No because the root cause for the imbalance isn’t usually in the brain itself.
Underlying Causes
About 95% of your serotonin and 50% of your dopamine is made in your gut. An unhealthy gut can lead to a reduction of these neurotransmitters and increase the likelihood for depression symptoms.
If you also experience other symptoms like bloating, belching after a meal, indigestion, gas, constipation, or diarrhea you might have a gut imbalance at the root of all your symptoms. One way to reduce gut inflammation is by dealing with any gut infections such as fungal overgrowth, viral, bacterial or parasitic infections.
Eating high inflammatory foods can also affect gut health. Not only do those foods cause inflammation but they can directly feed gut bugs!
As Hippocrates said “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. This statement couldn’t be more true. Eating real and whole foods are necessary in order to obtain the 20+ micro nutrients required to make serotonin and dopamine. Unfortunately, much of the food these days is laced with harmful chemicals, picked before it was ripe, or grown in over-farmed and nutrient depleted soil. Because of this, sometimes there is a need to supplement the diet with the essential nutrients.
Whether you have been diagnosed with depression or are experiencing a general feeling of “blah”, know that there is hope. Providing the body with what it needs and addressing the root cause of an issue can have incredible effects.
It can be difficult to manage symptoms and find the best approach on your own so if you need any guidance feel free to schedule an appointment or initial consultation below.