For most common experiences of depression, antidepressants are not often necessary.
Depression
Depression is a mood disorder that ranges from mild to severe. All of us have experienced a form of depression at some time in our lives. It can accompany loss, stress, unresolved anger, fear, shame, disappointment and other emotional dynamics that are a part of our life situation.
Depression is experienced by children, adults, and elderly regardless of economic status, gender, or culture. Depression affects physical health, relationships, awareness, weight, memory, decision making ability, energy level, interest, and sleep. In addition to emotional experience, depression can result from diet, nutrition, and other physical biochemical origins.
In severe, special cases of depression associated with extreme mental disorder, synthetic, chemical based drugs called antidepressants are required and necessary for relief of depression. However, most of us do not fall into this category and too often these synthetic antidepressants are prescribed for us who suffer from common daily disappointments in our lives. For most common experiences of depression, antidepressants are not often necessary. Synthetic Antidepressants have been known to have some harmful side effects, prompting the FDA to recommend that manufacturers add this warning label to their products: “Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in short-term studies in children and adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of {insert established name} or any other antidepressant in a child or adolescent must balance this risk with the clinical need. Patients who are started on therapy should be observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidalty, or unusual changes in behavior”.
This is not to suggest that ignoring the feelings of depression will make the feelings go away.
Since depression can have physical biochemical origin and depression from emotional stress can cause biochemical change in the body, it would follow that common, not severe, depression would respond to clinically proven all natural remedies as vitamins, herbs, supplements, minerals, amino acids, aromatherapy, and all natural formulas designed to relieve the pain of depression. Other treatments e.g. psychotherapy, exercise, acupuncture, yoga, meditation also aid in the natural relief of depression.
Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals can trigger depression as well as depression decreasing the availability of vitamins and minerals essential for the maintaining our body’s health. These vitamins and minerals include vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium and trace minerals. Supplementing our bodies with these vitamins and minerals can relieve and perhaps prevent depression as well as greatly improving our health generally.
Adding amino acids to our diets can go a long way in relieving depression and promoting general health. For example, SAMe (S-Adensoyl-L-Methionine) is an amino acid that can be found in all cells of our body. It is a natural antidepressant that has additional value of protecting the liver and cardiovascular system, synthesis of natural melatonin that assists sleeping well. Phenylalanine is another amino acid that makes the neurotransmitter, i.e. substance that conducts messages to and within the brain, norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is diminished in the brains of people who are depressed. The amino acid L-Theanine naturally reduces anxiety associated with depression and is not addictive or habit forming.Another amino acid that naturally relieves depression and stimulates alertness is L-Tyrosine.
5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophane) is a naturally occurs in our bodies and helps the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Adequate amounts of seotonin is vital for a feeling and sense of emotional well being. 5-HTP can cross the blood brain barrier which makes it unique in the facilitation of serotonin. 5-HTP has gained a great reputation in the natural treatment of insomnia, depression and obesity.
For many people who suffer common depression, a effectively created herbal formula is very beneficial for the natural relief of depression. St. John’s wort (hypericum perforaturn), commonly referred to as “Nature’s Prozac”, helps naturally relieve mild or moderate depression, stress, anxiety, and tension. Gingo biloba is used as an alternative treatment for moderate depression in elderly people because depression is an early sign of cognitive decline or cerebrovascular deficiency. Valerian root has a natural calming effect for anxiety and depression.
Passionflower is an efficient natural sedative for calming and sleeping well. Black Cohosh, used by early Native Americans, soothes the body and reduces spasm. These are just a few of the examples of herbs and herbal formula that treat moderate depression effectively and naturally.
Hormonal imbalance can lead to moderate depression. A common treatment is natural progesterone for women. Other natural substances help balance hormones e.g. flax oil, black cohosh, dimpro, promensil, essential fatty acids, red clover, virtex berry and many other naturally derived supplements.
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils and other natural aromatic compounds from plants to effect emotional and physical health The oils are referred to as “essential” because they are the “essence” of the plant. Olfactory sense has a powerful effect on our emotional and physical health. Aromatherapy can be used to alter mood, inspire confidence, ease moderate depression, and increase energetic feeling. In some nations essential oils are used for their antiseptic qualities to treat infection. In France, many aromatherapy essential oils are perceived in a similar way as prescription drugs are in the United States. Aromatherapy comes in many forms, e.g. essential oil, mists, sticks, candles, infusions, massage creams and oils, mineral bath formulas, and absolutes.
One on the most popular aromatherapy aromas is lavender. Lavender essential oil has a calming scent which makes it an excellent tonic for the nerves and helps in treating migraines, headaches, anxiety, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress. Its refreshing aroma removes nervous exhaustion and restlessness and increases mental activity. Lavender essential oil induces sleep and hence it is often recommended for insomnia. Lavender essential oil is also an excellent remedy for various types of pains including those caused by sore muscles, tense muscles, muscular aches, rheumatism, sprains, backache and lumbago
In summary, many of us suffer mild to moderate depression for a variety of reasons. Our experience of depression is not so severe or of long duration to justify the use of powerful synthetic prescription drugs or antidepressants with their potential of hazardous, harmful physical and behavioral side effects. We have available to us, a vast variety of effective, efficient, all natural vitamins, minerals, herbs, anino acids, aromatherapy, hormonal balancers, and other safe natural modalities for relieving mild to moderate depression.
Myth Of The Aging Brain
There seems to be a commonly held belief in the consensus reality of our culture, that as we age our mind, i.e. brain, begins to decline in it’s ability to function efficiently, quickly and accurately.
Maybe this becomes true if we accept and also share this belief and therefore do not attend to our overall health and the health of our bodies which includes our brain. Reality is that we can grow new brain cells as adults, and create new neuropathways, stimulate previously unused areas of our brain and experience new connection and coordination between the left and right hemispheres in order to utilize “whole brain” cognitive and auto functioning. The more neruons and connections we have in our brain, the more ability for memory, attention and performance we gain.
Often, for some reason, many of us do not perceive that our brain is a part of our body and needs as much attention as any other part of our body. In fact, our brain is vital to the functioning of our entire body. Our brain is responsible for breathing, heart beat, hearing, touch, sight, smell, balance, digestion, movement, perception, pain response, thought, emotion, etc. Our brain is the most vital organ in our body and requires specific nutrients to function efficiently. Good natural healthy nutrition for our brains is vital not only for cognitive and emotional functioning, but also for the regulation and functioning of our entire body.
Our brain cells structure is composed of healthy fats. In order for our brains to function properly, our brain needs an abundant supply of healthy fats especially the “omegas”. Supplying our brain and body with essential fatty acids e.g. omega 3, is vital for our brains to repair, grow new neurons and neuropathyways. The most efficient and abundant source of essential fatty acids, e.g. omega 3, can be found in flaxseed oil and fish oils which are available in natural supplement form, especially when they are lacking in our diet.
Vitamins and minerals e.g. vitamin B12, vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Iron, calcium, folic acid and others, are essential for our brains to function efficiently and effectively. The best way that we can be sure we are getting the kind and quantity of vitamins and minerals is by using natural multivitamin formulas. We can also use Vitamin C, B Complex and mineral formulas individually as well as using multivitimans. Various herbs such as ginkgo biloba, ginseng, and others can be used separately or in natural formulas and are very important contributors to our brain’s health and function. These herbs and others are often included in natural multivitamin formulas along with vitamins and minerals.
Antioxidants are vital for attaching to “free radicals” in our blood stream and neutralizing them.
Antioxidants e.g. CoQ 10, aangamic dmg, purple and red phytonutrients can be found in a variety of foods or, more conveniently and efficiently in natural supplements. Juices like mangosteen, gogi and pomergranate contain excellent antioxidants. Green foods like barley grass, wheat grass, spirolina, alfalfa and others contain powerful antioxidants and can be obtained in natural supplement form as well as in some multivitamin formulas. In addition to fighting “free radicals”, antioxidants help our brain gain and maintain oxygen supply that is vital for memory, clarity and other brain functions.
Natural substances called neurotransmitters are the messengers that move brain signals from one neuron to another. It is very important that we have a good supply of these neurotransmitters. Our bodies produce these neurotransmitters, but not without the proper nutrition with which to produce them. Neurotransmitters are produced through various proteins. Examples of these are l-tyrosine, l-tyrosine, acetyl l-carnitine, dlph-phehylalanine, which can be obtained in natural supplement form.
Also available for us to insure that we experience good healthy natural brain function, are various natural formulas containing many combinations of the nutrients specifically needed by our brains. These formulas are designed to help us with memory, attention, and performance.
We need not resign ourselves to the popular belief of consensus reality that our brains decline in function and efficiency as we age. We have available to us many natural supplements which we can add to our diet to insure that our brain is receiving the nutrition it needs to regulate and maintain healthy body functioning, cognitive and emotional function and general feeling of health and well being.
Natural Stress and Anxiety Relief.
All of us experience stress and anxiety in our lives. We are all familiar with the sources of stress and anxiety. They include financial concerns, work deadlines, providing for our children, countless tasks to do and errands to run, heavy traffic, relationships with co-workers, family relationships, and the list goes on. The irony is that the responses of our physical bodies that are designed to protect us can turn against us when stress and anxiety is without relief or prolonged.
Under stress, our heart rate and blood pressure increase to provide our brains with more blood flow for oxygen and nutrients. Our blood sugar increases to provide us with more energy as we would need in a crisis. Our blood is routed away from our intestines in order to provide energy for the large muscles in our arms and legs for fight or flight. If the source of our stress and anxiety subsides after a brief period of time, our bodies return these functions to their normal process. If the source of our stress and anxiety remains constant then our physical responses become harmful to our health. We begin to experience insomnia, joint and muscle inflammation and pain, fatigue, hypertension, perhaps heart constriction, indigestion, higher cholesterol levels, impotence, either lack of or excess appetite resulting in weight loss or weight gain, weakened immune system making us vulnerable to colds and flu, and so on. Emotionally we experience feelings of irritability, impatience, lack of sexual interest, lack of concentration, depression, restlessness, excessive alertness and reaction to normal external stimuli, or feelings of being constantly overwhelmed and helpless.
Our bodies need time to recover from being in crisis mode due to stress and anxiety in order to restore normal physical balance and functioning. We need a break from and relief from the stress and anxiety in order to maintain our health. Some of us have had experience with prescription, synthetic drugs to ease anxiety and stress, but have suffered the potentially harmful and discomforting side effects which, ironically added to our feelings of stress and anxiety. Fortunately, many of us have discovered substances provide by nature that our bodies readily absorb and utilize to deal with stress and anxiety without the possible harmful side effects of prescription, synthetic drugs.
When dealing with stress and anxiety, our bodies need a proper balance of vitamins and minerals that can be obtained in multivitamin formulas some of which are specially created to provide extra stress protection with calcium, potassium, magnesium, a full spectrum of B vitamins and pantothenic acid.
Essential fatty acids provide us with Omega 3 and Omega 6 which help balance blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and provide our neurotransmitters in our brain to function quickly and efficiently. Essential fatty acids help reduce joint and muscle inflammation and fatigue, and enhances the functions of our respiratory and intestinal digestive system providing our muscles organs, and brains with the oxygen and nutrients needed to deal with stress and anxiety. Flaxseed oil with lignans and fish oils which have been filtered to remove heavy metals can provide us with the essential fatty acids that we need for dealing with stress and anxiety.
GABA i.e. Gamma-aminobutyric Acid, which is an amino acid, effects the neuro-receptors in our brain. This helps us deal with stress and anxiety by lowering over-reaction to potentially stress causing stimuli and enables us to be detached in an emotionally healthy way providing us with the calmness and poise we need to deal efficiently and effectively with what we are presented.
Herbs e.g. skull cap and passion flower can help us relax and receive the rest and sleep that we need. L-tyrosine is an essential amino acid often used to treat insomnia, depression and anxiety as well as helping to control appetite and elevate our mood. Melatonin and herbal formulas are available to us to provide the restful, restoring sleep we need in order to deal with anxiety and stress.
Aromatherapy which is the use of aromas from plant essential oils can be added to our baths, used in massage oils, or released into our living space with aromatherapy candles. As we inhale these aromas, they quickly reach our brain and help provide us with feelings of calm and relaxation. The aromatherapy essential oils that are most effective in easing stress and anxiety are bergamot, cypress, geranium, jasmine neroli, rose, sandalwood and ylang-ylang. Lavender is the most popular essential oil used to provide us with a feeling of calm and well being.
These are just a few of the all natural substances and formulas available to us to help keep our bodies healthy as we experience the stress and anxiety that accompanies our too often hectic and prolonged stressful life experiences. Other all natural formulas that increase the functioning of our brains in the areas of attention, concentration and performance are also available to us. Our bodies need extra help in dealing with stress and anxiety. Cognitively and emotionally we need breaks and periods of rest and release from stress and anxiety. The safest, non-addictive way to obtain the help we need for dealing with stress and anxiety is with all natural health care products that do not present the possibility of harmful side effects that actually increase stress and anxiety.
Relieve Stress Naturally And Improve Health With Flaxseed Oil
We are well aware of how stressful our lives have become with financial, relationship, family and many other concerns. We have learned over and over how stress can take a harmful toll on our mental and physical health. This is a very serious health concern that we often underestimate. Stress affects digestion, heart function, blood pressure, weight gain and loss, blood sugar levels, sleep patterns, and lower our immune system leaving us open to viruses and infections.
Unfortunately, many of the prescription synthetic drugs people are given to help them reduce and cope with stress, e.g. prescription antidepressants, carry the high potential of unwanted, harmful physical and emotional side effects. Because of this, many of us have began to discover the benefit of natural compounds and substances which help to relieve stress and it’s harm to our health. These natural supplements from plants relieve stress without potential for harmful side effects and often have health benefits beyond natural stress relief for our overall health and well being.
Many studies have shown that those of us who have added flaxseed oil supplements to our diet are able to emotionally cope with stress with much more ease and with far less physical harm from stress. Flaxseed oil is a blue flowering plant that is grown on the Western Canadian Prairies for it’s seeds which are rich in health improving oil containing high levels of Omega 3. Most of us report a feeling of comfort and calmness when taking flaxseed oil with Omega 3. Omega 3 maintains optimal levels of serotonin in our brains. Serotonin is responsible for nerve connections and emotional response recognition. This helps us cope more easily with any stressful disturbance in our lives. Flaxseed oil also contains tryptophan which is an amino acid and a serotonin stabilizer. Tryptophan helps relieve anxiety and depression. Flaxseed oil helps us maintain a healthy blood sugar level to help us remain calm and stable. Flaxseed oil inhibits the body’s production of arachidonic acid and other stress causing chemicals. Flaxseed oil also contains B vitamins, potassium, and magnesium which have long been known to help with stress relief and health improvement. The Omega 3 in flaxseed oil is an essential fatty acid which are essential for the function and physiology of our brain. Omega 3 improves cognition, memory , emotional stability, mood, concentration and restful sleep which are essential for dealing with stress and it’s potential for harming emotional and physical health.
Flaxseed oil supplements are coming to be known as possibly the most beneficial health improving supplement next to a multivitamin. Flaxseed oil contains omega 6, omega 9, B vitamins, potassium, lecithin, magnesium, fiber, protein, zinc, and, most importantly, 50 % more Omega 3 than can be obtained from fish oil. Omega 3 helps reduce cholesterol, blood pressure, plaque, and cardiovascular arrhythmia. Omega 3 helps to lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides and prevent clots in arteries and is therefore of great benefit in prevention of strokes, heart attackes and thromboses.Flaxseed oil helps relieve arthritis and inflammation of joints. Omega 3 has been known to kill certain cancer cells without harming healthy cells. Omega 3 helps with skin problems like acne, eczema and psoriasis. Flaxseed oil contains soluble and insoluble fiber that cleans the colon of toxic material, metabolic waste, heavy metals and dried mucus and well as being an excellent food for healthy intestinal bacterial flora which fights disease. Flaxseed oil contains a complete amino acid spectrum. There is about 25 g of protein for every 100g of flaxseed oil. Flaxseed contains more lignans than vegetables and whole grains. Lignans have anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-bacterial benefits, as well as antioxidant properties.
Flaxseed oil has been shown to be of benefit for reducing high blood pressure, water retention, strengthening immune system, recovery for fatigued muscles, increased energy and stamina, healing of sprains and bruises, weight loss by increasing the metabolic rate that burns fat, improving the absorption of Calcium, strengthening finger and toe nails, improvement of eyesight and perception of colors, improved liver function, relief of some allergies and asthma as it improves respiratory function, relief of premenstrual syndrome in females, elimination of constipation and/or diarrhea and, of course, improved brain function.
If we are experiencing the normal stress of living or excess stress from conflict or crisis, we can help ourselves greatly by taking advantage of the properties of flaxseed oil supplements that reduce the harmful effects of stress on our emotional and physical health. In addition, we can experience the many, wide spectrum, health-promoting benefits that flaxseed oil can provide for us.
Tags: , Amino Acids, antidepressants, Aromatherapy, Depression, Major Depressive Disorder, mood disorder, suicidalty