Fighting Depression

Jess's picture
Posted August 21st, 2007 by Jess
in

This is hard for me to say.  I feel pretty depressed about little things in my life.  These are truly little things that shouldn't make me feel so upset, but somehow knowing this doesn't help.  I don't want to say that I'm depressed because I've always been one to believe in the philosophy that you can make yourself feel however you want to (mind over matter) but I'm wondering if maybe this is something real? Is there actually such a thing as chemical imbalance?

 

 

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HealthWarrior's picture
On August 22nd, 2007 HealthWarrior said:

Jess,

Depression is very real and very common.  It affects around 20 million people per year in the US.  It can be due to chemical imbalance, hormonal imbalance, or dietary deficiencies among other factors.  There are many things you can do about it.  Here are some suggestions:

1- Make sure you get plenty of vitamin B9, lack of which is shown to cause depression
2- Make sure you get your dietary omega 6/omega 3 ratio balanced.  Too high a ratio is proven to cause inflammation and depression.
3- Exercise. Get good exercise at least 4 times a week.  This is very important.  You your mood will improve almost instantly.
4- Stay away from white sugar, white flour, and alcohol.
5- Do yoga or tai chi.  They are both shown to help depression
6- Meditate.  Meditation has been shown to activate the left prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is the 'happiness' side.
7- You may want to try St. John's Worth formula, which is the most widely used herb in Europe for depression.  It has significant drug interaction so make sure you talk to your doctor before taking it.

Hope these help

Jess's picture
On August 25th, 2007 Jess said:

Thank you very much for your input.  It seems to come and go, which is why I felt that it's not true depression (whatever that may be).  I'll keep an eye out on the points you mentioned.

iemba_11_chick's picture
On August 26th, 2007 iemba_11_chick said:

Depression is very tricky. I think there are many manifestations of it. The two I know of are:
1. situational - meaning it comes and goes in your life or based on certain events that happen.
2. clinical - meaning there is a chemical imbalance that causes you to be depressed regardless of life events.

One of my sisters is clinically depressed, and has also been battling a schizophrenia-like mental disorder for 25 years. The only answer for her has been therapy and mood-altering prescription drugs. Unfortunately, without them she hallucinates and cannot function.

This is perhaps an extreme example, but I think it's important to note that brain chemicals can be out of balance and mental illness is very real indeed. Just my two cents...

Carly's picture
On August 27th, 2007 Carly said:

I know it is easy to get depressed over things in your life, no matter how small. I think having people to talk your problems out with makes a big difference. If you dont have anyone you feel you can talk to, have you thought about seeing a therapist? Sometimes just a few sessions giving you the chance to vent to someone objective can really help. Otherwise, perhaps you can talk it out with us here on the site? Does anyone know if we can setup private groups or forums where not everyone can see what you write?

eileenie111's picture
On March 26th, 2008 eileenie111 said:

Yes, there is such a thing and I suggest a trip to your Drs. office to get yourself checked out. Have a candid conversation and relay feelings about being medicated without checking for imbalances.

Please go to this website and see if it helps you with questions

http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com/insight_answers/chemical...

Eileen