When I thought about writing about all I've learned about depression, I thought it would be easy. Tell my story and leave a few resources. But as I started to write, it got longer and longer as there are so many other aspects to the causes, so many types of treatments and so many other variables, that then the subject became very daunting. Greg and I have both suffered with it, but our paths of healing were different because our causes were different, and leave lots of links so you can look into each thing more yourself, since your story is going to be very different from mine (or my husbands). If you just don't want the story and just the resources, skip down to the end. Any links for more information are in turquoise so you can just click on them.
All through my 20s, I felt great. I always had lots of energy, exercised frequently, was easily motivated and almost always in a good mood. The only thing that was a negative was that I needed a lot of sleep each night, more than everyone else. Even after we got married and throughout my first pregnancy, I still worked full-time 12 hour days as an ER tech and did fine. I did start having chronic neck pain during this time which was unresolved through chiropractors (plural), massage, and all kinds of other treatments. By this time we had moved to WA where I tried another couple of chiropractors, to no avail. I remember just going in to the one of them crying and telling him that I couldn't even hold my baby because my neck hurt so bad. He had me taking some herbal muscle relaxants (which took the edge off) and said, "well, at least you're taking these and not wrecking your liver with Tylenol. Look on the bright side." Ugh!
Soon I became pregnant with James and we went through 5 different mattresses during that pregnancy trying different things to get me comfortable enough to be able to sleep at night (even just a little). I also found out about our now-chiropractors Dr. Darin and Dr. Anik when I was 7 months pregnant who were able to give me the best relief I'd found so far. But still, my neck always hurt and I spent most of my time with new baby James in the LaZBoy because I hurt so bad to hold him without support. He was a very fussy baby with a body full of eczema, so needed a lot of holding.
When he was 18 months old, we were up in Canada and my Mom suggested that I take James to the Master Herbalist that she and my Dad go to and see if we could find some answers for his health (he was still very fussy, very itchy and struggling). We went to see her and then I decided at the last minute to see her myself to see if there was something missing in my diet/nutrition that was causing his health issues (so that if we had more children, we could prevent all this chaos). She uses a technique called Live Blood Analysis which basically is just taking a drop of blood and looking at it under the microscope and is able to tell an insane amount of things about your health. She found out that James was not digesting his proteins and carbs, and that I had parasites very badly. She said they were definitely from living on the farm and that I'd had them for at least 20 years . She then said, "you must eat pretty healthy, because with these as bad as they are, you shouldn't even be able to get out of bed each day". She also was able to pinpoint my neck pain and said that after a parasite cleanse, my neck pain would clear up in 6 weeks (the length of time it takes the body to get rid of them after a cleanse). She said that the parasites settle in your weakest area and when flushed out, the pain will go away. And it did. In 6 weeks, just like she said. I was frazzled and tired at this point (mostly due to James' sleeplessness) but still in good spirits. No depression yet.
I was then optimistic that we were on the healing journey. The Herbalist had gotten James feeling better (her treatment plan for him worked as well (digestive enzymes and probiotics 3x day) to give his liver a chance to heal and get back on track. I was expecting Elise by now and felt pretty good throughout her pregnancy. My neck pain was gone and I could sleep again. But then when she was born, she cried and cried and cried. She didn't sleep worth a hoot (I often would spend 8 hours of my day getting her to sleep- she'd sleep for 5-10 minutes, wake up and cry until I got her to sleep again and again). Nights weren't any better. I tended to hers (and the other kids) needs, but my mental state was pretty poor. As time went by, the lack of sleep from 2 fussy kids drug me down. I had no idea where to turn, didn't have the energy to try anything new and plunged downward mentally. The vast amount of crying she did frazzled my nerves even further. By the time she was 18 months old, she was still not sleeping much in the day nor at night and I was pretty low. Greg was in no better shape due to his stressful job and having to get to bed so early for it that we both were just kind of in a stupor most of the time. I'd been depressed for at least a year by now.
We had been praying about what to do with her, with us, and with our health when I remembered about Sonja (the vitamin lady) out in Clatskanie. I made an appointment to see her and Greg came along. She does muscle testing (applied kinesiology) and I tested low in my thyroid, my adrenals and essential fatty acids. She gave (sold!) me some vitamins and in 4 days I was back to my old self again. I had had lab work done on my thyroid and it had tested out fine, but obviously it was not. I've since learned that lab tests are only sort of reliable (more about that later). Since then, I've either been on supplements to boost my thyroid or my adrenals or both and have felt back to what I should. I've also had 2 healthy babies now that my own health is back to where it should be. I've since also since discovered that both James and Elise's health issues/allergies were due to the stress in my body from all the lack of nutrients (that the parasites stole) and also hormone levels out of control. (A mom will even rob from the adrenals of her unborn baby once theirs are developed, which is probably what I did to Elise, and why her coping skills then were shot when she was born).
Greg took a different route and went to our local Naturopathic Doctor Dr. Briggs (in Clatskanie) and followed his adrenal fatigue protocol. It took about 2 years of healing with random saliva cortisol levels. When he started, his cortisol was flat lined on the bottom of the graph and when he was finished it had peaks where it should have. He also had to change jobs due to the stress at his old one became too much. It's good to see him laughing again...I missed my good-natured husband, although his now-boss likes to pile on the stress heavily too. Still working on that one.
Greg took a different route and went to our local Naturopathic Doctor Dr. Briggs (in Clatskanie) and followed his adrenal fatigue protocol. It took about 2 years of healing with random saliva cortisol levels. When he started, his cortisol was flat lined on the bottom of the graph and when he was finished it had peaks where it should have. He also had to change jobs due to the stress at his old one became too much. It's good to see him laughing again...I missed my good-natured husband, although his now-boss likes to pile on the stress heavily too. Still working on that one.
So, after that lengthy saga, here's a few ideas of what to do for yourself if you (or your loved ones) are struggling with depression. There are many root causes, so I'll try to list the ones that come to mind so that you can delve into them more yourself. This list is certainly not even the tip of the iceberg! And you'll have to take your health into your own hands. A medical Dr. will be no help to you in these areas, except to order some lab tests (which you'll likely test fine for).
1) Parasites/Yeast overgrowth- Do you have bugs in your belly? Parasites steal your nutrients and excrete ammonia and clog up your liver. Who wants that? A cleanse is easy, non-invasive and no trouble at all. Most people de-worm their pets, but don't consider doing one themselves, although through the ages, people have always fasted seasonally which does the same thing. If you've ever have/had animals/pets, garden, have been to a third world country, have ever eaten slightly raw meat, eaten sushi or live on a farm you likely have parasites. If you can find someone who muscle tests or does live blood analysis to find out for sure, do so. If not, just do a cleanse. Here's a few reputable companies as well as more info. Renew Life, Mountain Meadow Herbs, Humaworm (symptom list also), Standard Process. If pregnant or nursing, you can use olive leaf extract (Mountain Meadow Herbs). Candida yeast overgrowth goes hand in hand with parasites, and often if you have one, you have both. The symptoms can be similar too. Tackling candida can be more challenging, but feeling better is worth it! **Make sure your spouse does a cleanse too, or you'll just keep getting reinfected.
2) Low Magnesium- because of our high stress, poor soil (nutrients), and bombardment with things that deplete magnesium, low magnesium is almost endemic. It's such an easy fix too. All of these things will help ease depression. Because...Magnesium regulates cortisol. Magnesium lowers blood sugar. Magnesium supports thyroid. Magnesium aids sleep. Magnesium fuels cellular energy. Magnesium makes hormones. Magnesium activates vitamin D. Magnesium is anti-aging. (source) A product like Natural Calm is easy to start with. Start out on a low dose and gradually work up to more. Epsom salts baths will help too.
3) Poor Nutrition (even with excellent diet)- There are many reasons our bodies aren't getting the nutrients we need for a healthy mind and body. Sometimes it's diet (not enough vegetables, too many grains/carbs and sugar, poor soil quality or long shipping times so the nutrients aren't even in the food by the time we get them, etc.), but often it's that our digestion is poor and we aren't digesting or absorbing the food we're eating. This may be due to stress, allergies/food sensitivities (diagnosed or not), eating too fast (we moms don't do that do we?), low stomach acid (from low mineral levels), poor gut flora (bad bacteria outnumber the good), or poor liver function (below). If you didn't read my recent post on improving your digestion, here it is. Poor nutrition also equals low serotonin, which is your feel good neurotransmitter. Serotonin is produced in the gut, so poor gut health results in low serotonin. Beets are great for increasing serotonin in the gut, cleansing the liver, as well as probiotics. Focusing on B vitamins, probiotics and essential fatty acids will help your nutrition dramatically, as well as taking digestive enzymes to help digest what you do eat. The gut-brain connection goes both ways. Poor gut function=poor brain function and vice versa.
4) Poor Liver Function- Your liver is your big huge filter and if it gets clogged, everything downstream will suffer. And that would be your heart, your brain and your hormones. Think of a car's oil filter. If it gets clogged up, how well does it work? Your body is the same way. Environmental toxins, prescription meds, smoking or alcohol intake, ammonia (from parasites), hormones (especially birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy), and poor nutrition can all clog up your liver. Read my post here about liver health and start taking steps to clean your clogged filter! Here's a list of symptoms to see how healthy your liver is or isn't. Here's foods to help clean it. There are also several kinds of gall bladder flushes to help get rid of any gall stones that may be impeding liver function. Here's one kind and here's another. This is a long geeky article on the long reaching effects of a good vs. bad liver if you want to read more. Look for liver supplements with milk thistle and dandelion in them as they will do wonders for a sluggish, over-worked liver. If you have any hormone imbalances, you likely have liver congestion. Although your liver doesn't produce most of these hormones; it is what regulates the sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, etc.), aldosterone (fluid balance hormone), insulin/glucagon/glucose (blood sugar), testosterone, and cortisol (stress/fight & flight) and the liver are closely entwined as well.
5) Adrenal Fatigue- your adrenals are what help you deal with stress. They get taxed and don't work effectively if stress isn't eliminated or dealt with. Many of us have high levels of stress in our lives and aren't able to eliminate them (jobs, caregiving, family problems/worries, etc.), so our adrenals take the toll. My blog posts about it tells a lot more, but Dr. Wilson is one of the most well-respected experts on the subject. The medical doctors dismiss such a thing as adrenal fatigue and it is not even a medically diagnosible disease, even though it afflicts so many thousands of people. The saliva cortisol test is the best test possible for seeing if your adrenals are doing what they're supposed to be, but you'll likely have to find a Naturopath to get it ordered.
3) Poor Nutrition (even with excellent diet)- There are many reasons our bodies aren't getting the nutrients we need for a healthy mind and body. Sometimes it's diet (not enough vegetables, too many grains/carbs and sugar, poor soil quality or long shipping times so the nutrients aren't even in the food by the time we get them, etc.), but often it's that our digestion is poor and we aren't digesting or absorbing the food we're eating. This may be due to stress, allergies/food sensitivities (diagnosed or not), eating too fast (we moms don't do that do we?), low stomach acid (from low mineral levels), poor gut flora (bad bacteria outnumber the good), or poor liver function (below). If you didn't read my recent post on improving your digestion, here it is. Poor nutrition also equals low serotonin, which is your feel good neurotransmitter. Serotonin is produced in the gut, so poor gut health results in low serotonin. Beets are great for increasing serotonin in the gut, cleansing the liver, as well as probiotics. Focusing on B vitamins, probiotics and essential fatty acids will help your nutrition dramatically, as well as taking digestive enzymes to help digest what you do eat. The gut-brain connection goes both ways. Poor gut function=poor brain function and vice versa.
4) Poor Liver Function- Your liver is your big huge filter and if it gets clogged, everything downstream will suffer. And that would be your heart, your brain and your hormones. Think of a car's oil filter. If it gets clogged up, how well does it work? Your body is the same way. Environmental toxins, prescription meds, smoking or alcohol intake, ammonia (from parasites), hormones (especially birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy), and poor nutrition can all clog up your liver. Read my post here about liver health and start taking steps to clean your clogged filter! Here's a list of symptoms to see how healthy your liver is or isn't. Here's foods to help clean it. There are also several kinds of gall bladder flushes to help get rid of any gall stones that may be impeding liver function. Here's one kind and here's another. This is a long geeky article on the long reaching effects of a good vs. bad liver if you want to read more. Look for liver supplements with milk thistle and dandelion in them as they will do wonders for a sluggish, over-worked liver. If you have any hormone imbalances, you likely have liver congestion. Although your liver doesn't produce most of these hormones; it is what regulates the sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, etc.), aldosterone (fluid balance hormone), insulin/glucagon/glucose (blood sugar), testosterone, and cortisol (stress/fight & flight) and the liver are closely entwined as well.
5) Adrenal Fatigue- your adrenals are what help you deal with stress. They get taxed and don't work effectively if stress isn't eliminated or dealt with. Many of us have high levels of stress in our lives and aren't able to eliminate them (jobs, caregiving, family problems/worries, etc.), so our adrenals take the toll. My blog posts about it tells a lot more, but Dr. Wilson is one of the most well-respected experts on the subject. The medical doctors dismiss such a thing as adrenal fatigue and it is not even a medically diagnosible disease, even though it afflicts so many thousands of people. The saliva cortisol test is the best test possible for seeing if your adrenals are doing what they're supposed to be, but you'll likely have to find a Naturopath to get it ordered.
6) Over or Underactive Thyroid- The thyroid and adrenals go hand in hand. They help each other. If one is stressed, the other will be also. If your thyroid is low, you'll feel sluggish and dreary. The problem is that ordinary lab results rarely diagnose thyroid problems, because the range of what is "normal" is so huge. The doctor sees the numbers and dismisses it right away if they are within range. If you feel your thyroid isn't doing what it's supposed to be, find a new doctor. A Naturopath or Integrative/Functional Doctor will look deeper into the root of your problem more than a medical one will. They just will. Dr. Sara Gottfried has lots of good information too.
8) Emotional/Spiritual/Physical stressors (finances, health, etc.)/Grief not dealt with. I won't go into these one as I don't have a lot of resources for it. But they're very real. And they need to be addressed and dealt with just like physical symptoms, even if it happened decades ago. And there's always hope and healing through Jesus Christ, as well as forgiveness and redemption. There are many forms of counselling and avenues to help you if this has been your root cause of depression.
Medications should only be used on a short term basis WHILE the root cause is being investigated. They are not helpful in the long run, as they do not solve the root problem, but just mask it. If you end up with a heart attack or stroke in the future because your liver congestion was never addressed, that's a huge problem. But nobody will tell you there is a correlation, when there really is. When your heart can't get good, clean, healthy blood because your liver (filter) is clogged up, no amount of antidepressants will solve that problem. Here's some herbs and supplements we've used with good results for mood as an alternative to medication. Do not stop medications quickly though! And find out what is compatible and what are not. Some medications cannot be mixed with these herbs/supplements.
Medications should only be used on a short term basis WHILE the root cause is being investigated. They are not helpful in the long run, as they do not solve the root problem, but just mask it. If you end up with a heart attack or stroke in the future because your liver congestion was never addressed, that's a huge problem. But nobody will tell you there is a correlation, when there really is. When your heart can't get good, clean, healthy blood because your liver (filter) is clogged up, no amount of antidepressants will solve that problem. Here's some herbs and supplements we've used with good results for mood as an alternative to medication. Do not stop medications quickly though! And find out what is compatible and what are not. Some medications cannot be mixed with these herbs/supplements.
~NutriCalm Lots of B vitamins and calming herbs for your nerves. Makes you feel better right away. Safe for pregnancy/nursing.
~Suma This is what I started with from Sonja and felt better right away. Not safe for pregnancy or nursing though so I've had to find other things.
~Green Vibrance This was my next go-to and is still what I take each day. It has digestive enzymes, liver support, adaptogens (adrenal support), thyroid support, probiotics and more in it. Tastes best mixed in a bit of orange juice, but still is very "green". You can even buy single dose packs just to try a few if you don't want a big jug.
~5-HTP This is going to be your cheapest supplement. I've taken it to help with sleep, but it also helps calm your nerves throughout the day. If your serotonin is low, this is the one you want.
~St. John's Wort- This is what Greg took for the longest time, although he took Nevaton (listed below) which has it in it. Get a good quality one, as the cheaper ones don't work as well.
~SAM-e This is what my midwife recommends for post-partum depression. Greg took this as well and had good results with it, but it is more expensive. You want at least 400mg. for depression (it's also great for joint pain, so lower doses are available for that).
~Nevaton This is what our Naturopath had Greg on for a long time as well. It works very well at keeping moods balanced.
~GABA This is great for calming and anxiety. We haven't used it a lot, but occasionally and it works well. It's an amino acid.
~True Hope vitamins. This company was started back in the 90s when a father lost 2 of his children to suicide from Bipolar Disease. They are a vitamin company based in Alberta, Canada but are also available in the U.S. I've had several family members have profound results from using these vitamins. They have counselors to help work with your doctor to reduce your meds so that you can only take the vitamins and get rid of the meds. If you aren't on meds, they can help tailor your dose to fit your needs. Awesome resource and amazing results. We take these still as a multivitamin. The vitamins are mostly Bs and amino acids and trace minerals but there are other products available too, depending on your symptoms.
~Suma This is what I started with from Sonja and felt better right away. Not safe for pregnancy or nursing though so I've had to find other things.
~Green Vibrance This was my next go-to and is still what I take each day. It has digestive enzymes, liver support, adaptogens (adrenal support), thyroid support, probiotics and more in it. Tastes best mixed in a bit of orange juice, but still is very "green". You can even buy single dose packs just to try a few if you don't want a big jug.
~5-HTP This is going to be your cheapest supplement. I've taken it to help with sleep, but it also helps calm your nerves throughout the day. If your serotonin is low, this is the one you want.
~St. John's Wort- This is what Greg took for the longest time, although he took Nevaton (listed below) which has it in it. Get a good quality one, as the cheaper ones don't work as well.
~SAM-e This is what my midwife recommends for post-partum depression. Greg took this as well and had good results with it, but it is more expensive. You want at least 400mg. for depression (it's also great for joint pain, so lower doses are available for that).
~Nevaton This is what our Naturopath had Greg on for a long time as well. It works very well at keeping moods balanced.
~GABA This is great for calming and anxiety. We haven't used it a lot, but occasionally and it works well. It's an amino acid.
~True Hope vitamins. This company was started back in the 90s when a father lost 2 of his children to suicide from Bipolar Disease. They are a vitamin company based in Alberta, Canada but are also available in the U.S. I've had several family members have profound results from using these vitamins. They have counselors to help work with your doctor to reduce your meds so that you can only take the vitamins and get rid of the meds. If you aren't on meds, they can help tailor your dose to fit your needs. Awesome resource and amazing results. We take these still as a multivitamin. The vitamins are mostly Bs and amino acids and trace minerals but there are other products available too, depending on your symptoms.
Kelly Brogan M.D., Holistic Psychiatrist is my go-to for anything to do with depression. She has a great website full of information and lots of articles that are helpful. Here's one of her articles:
3 Dietary Changes to Make Before Starting an Antidepressant
Most of all, I would encourage you to seek your own answers. Don't be satisfied with a prescription for meds for the rest of your life or a diagnosis that your illness is "genetic". That's just an excuse for not caring enough to find the true cause and a true solution. Try all sorts of treatments until you find one that works. Yes, it will likely cost you money out of pocket (you can claim any Naturopathic visits, treatments or supplements on your taxes though). Yes, you'll find some things don't work at all. But yes, you can be healed also. Not just a Band-Aid fix, but healed! Not too many medical doctors can offer you that.
Recommended Books to Read:
A Mind of Your Own - Dr. Kelly Brogan (healing depression and getting off meds)
The Mood Cure -talks about amino acids, self tests and lots of good information
The Hormone Cure -all about female hormones
Stop the Thyroid Madness -all about the thyroid
Potatoes Not Prozac -alternatives to medications
Adrenal Fatigue-21st Century Stress Syndrome -all about adrenal fatigue
The Liver and Gall Bladder Miracle Cleanse -explains how the liver/gall bladder and heart are closely intertwined and how to improve their health
Physical Nutrition and Degeneration -how nutrition impacts a society for better or worse
Nourishing Traditions -getting back to eating like generations past for improved nutrition, health and happiness
Magnificent Magnesium- the benefits of getting enough magnesium. All the things magnesium does in the body (there's over 300!)
The Magnesium Miracle- even more about magnesium- the miracle mineral
The Calcium Lie II- more on minerals
The Post-Natal Depletion Cure- how being pregnant with our precious babies drains our bodies of nutrients, causes health issues and how to replace them. For some women 1 baby will totally deplete, with others it may be more babies.
