Handling stress & depression naturally.
" The Blues", the term has a rather melancholy romance to it, and in the sense that we can sing, dance or just listen them away, is a very healing response to when we're feeling down or the world seems to be routinely kicking us in the teeth. We've all had the Blues and we cope one way or another. But if we are down, depressed, strung out, stressed, kinda paranoid (however we want to put it) for too much of the time - it's worth wondering why and what we can do about it.
The Black Hole
Medical textbooks define depression as a mood disorder, lasting at least 2 weeks, that produces exaggerated, inappropriate feelings of sadness, worthlessness, emptiness and dejection. Exaggerated and inappropriate are the key words here. To feel upset because you've just been fired, your marriage is breaking up, you're broke, or you have lost a loved one is a perfectly normal reaction to an unhappy event. Generally speaking our feelings of upset are proportionate to our loss, and this "reactive depression" goes away with time. But endogenous or major depression often strikes for no apparent reason. It doesn't seem to be caused by outward events. Instead a black mood grows and grips from within. The crippling darkness can last for weeks, months even years, and can make it impossible for us to carry on our normal lives. It's cause is bio-chemical, most often the result of low levels of the key neurotransmitters (norepinephrine and seratonin mostly), which help regulate our moods and keep us happy. This is a clinical condition and requires the attention of a doctor and probably medication. It is more common than one might suppose, more than 10 million Americans are hit by depression every year.
Anxiety disorders are illnesses that make us feel frightened and apprehensive for no apparent reason. These conditions are usually biological or psychological and can inhibit a person's ability to function in daily life. They can be described as panic attack, obsessive compulsion, post-traumatic stress, phobias and general anxiety. Not me, I'm just a wee Stressed Stress is insidious, endemic and a major cause of serious illness. It is insidious because we can get used to it and not notice when the levels have crept up the extent that it is actually harmful to us. Stress is a psychological and physical response to the demands of daily life that exceed our ability to cope successfully. Stress is often characterised by fatigue, sleep disorders, irritability and constant worrying. Depression often accompanies stress. The accumulation of stress leads to more serious medical problems, including chronic fatigue, headaches, hypertension, ulcers, and heart disease. The real reason stress is so damaging to us is because of the high levels of the adrenal hormone cortisol, which suppresses the immune system, kills of our brain cells, damages our arteries, causing heart disease and premature aging. There are a lot of stressed folks out there. In the USA 19 million people are treated for stress annually and in Britain 1 in 7 adults suffer from it. I've noticed, if not experienced, that Bali is by no means immune and has a particular variety of stress all of it's own. What can we do about it?
As I've said, if you think you are clinically depressed you should consult a doctor and may have to take medication, but do consider other nutritional means also, which can often be just as effective. The anti-depressive drugs are not good news and unless there is a compelling reason, stay clear of them. If you could use some mood elevation and a enhanced feelings of wellbeing, there are better ways of achieving it without doing drugs (and I mean the ethical ones here, not just the other kind). So if you're not that badly depressed, but are feeling or doing any of the following a bit more than you would like: sadness, crying, hopelessness, pessimism, lack of self-esteem, helplessness, persistent irritability, unreasonable anger, feelings of guilt, emptiness, lack of energy, dwelling on mistakes, blaming & vindictive, restlessness, inability to concentrate, loss of libido, changes in sleeping patterns, changes of eating patterns, a slow-down in physical movement, weight gain or loss, problems with memory, and so on.....
it's almost certainly due to your bio-chemistry and there's quite a lot of things you can do to brighten up your life allowing you to cope more effectively.
What You Eat, Drink & Do.....
Avoid alcohol. Whatever it does for you at first, in the long run it is a depressant, which is the last thing you need. Two drinks a day max. Quit caffeine. Although it promises energy, its'a lie. It will leave you mentally and physically drained. Limit caffeine in coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate and cocoa as well as hidden caffeine in Excedrin and other medicines. Shun sugar. It jolts us with a sudden burst of energy, which makes us feel ready to take on the world. But it leads to blood sugar swings leaving us tired and depressed. For some people, all they need to do is control their sugar intake and their feelings of depression are gone. Take fish oil or eat salmon or cod.
Fish oil or Omega fatty acids (canola, flaxseed oils) can alleviate symptoms of depression, as well as prevent and treat heart disease and arthritis. It boosts levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. Moderate exercise. Regular exercise like running, walking and strength training 3 times a week is a surefire means of lifting your mood. Exercise releases the brain chemical endorphins, which have a calming and soothing effect. Meditation and visualisation also have the same soothing and calming effect. Stay reasonably connected and engaged, don't give in to a mouldy old grunge, at least not for too long. Now I know, when your feeling lousy the last thing you want to do is deny yourself, meditate or go to the gym. No, you'd much rather feed your face, lose yourself in a book or video, or go get pissed with your mates or whatever the female equivalent may be, wouldn't you? Well that's exactly when you've got to haul ass. You'll feel a lot better that you did. It's the law of diminishing or increasing returns and you all knew that already so I'll not belabour the point. Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs etc......
Just as they help the body heal and prevent disease, so they assist us with our emotional wellbeing also. Here are the most important. Vitamin B is major. You want a really good B Complex in effective therapeutic doses. Folic Acid and Choline, both members of the B family, have powerful antidepressant mood elevating effects. Maintain a good intake of Vitamin C. Lack of potassium has been associated with many of the symptoms of depression. Ginkgo Biloba assists enhance mood and elevates mood. The hormones DHEA, Pregnenolone and Melatonin enhance brain function and promote wellbeing, also encouraging the free testosterone levels needed by both men and women. Other things to consider are: NADH; DMAE; the amino acids Tyrosine and L-Carnitine; Ginseng, many people find drinking a ginseng tea gives them a lift. St John's Wort, has been overhyped I feel. It works well for some but not everyone and it takes 3 months to kick in. Also, you must NOT go out in the sun if you're on SJW, it causes skin sensitivity and you could get badly burned. Likewise, I think Kava is overrated. It works for some but for many it has a dozy, sedative effect that is not altogether pleasant. Sammy Who & Adapt What?
Now for the real secret. What to do if you're feeling down longer and more often than you feel you should be, but wouldn't go as far as to say you are clinically depressed? That's most of us at some time or another. What'll get you going again? There are two natural and harmless substances and research has shown them to be more effective than anti-depressant drugs. SAMe (S-adenoysyl-methionine, pronounced Sammy) is an amino acid derivative widely used in Europe. It is the safest and most effective antidepressant there is. SAMe also produces other significant and desirable side effects. It enhances cognitive function; it is a major means of protecting and regenerating liver function, particular after liver disease, and it has been shown to slow down the aging process. Many people take it for these functions alone. Do not use SAMe with other antidepressant medicines however and be sure to take a vitamin B complex containing folic acid, B6 and B12 with it.
Take 200mg 2 x p/day on an empty stomach. Adapton is widely used in Europe and Japan, and increasingly by physicians in the US, for the treatment of stress, anxiety and depression. An extract of a deep sea fish, the garum, Adapton is a naturally occurring substance, which functions at the cellular level to increase energy efficiency, resulting in improved concentration, mood and sleep while promoting a general sense of wellbeing. The recommended dosage of Adapton is 4 caps taken in the morning on an empty stomach for 15 days. Thereafter the dose can be reduced to 2. When symptoms have disappeared use can be discontinued and started again when and if necessary. Adapton is thus a cheap and effective alternative to the normal prescribed antidepressants. Now let's boil it all down......
The trouble with writing about these things is that I've barely touched on the subject and there are many things I've omitted which can help. And yet I know for many I've lost you long ago or all this is just lending to a vague sense of anxiety because it's all too much. Well we certainly don't want that, so I'll boil it right down:
- forego the habits which give you temporary comfort, but you beat up on yourself for later.
- don't veg out. Make yourself be active, exercise, socialise, meditate, whatever. You'll be glad you did after and it's easier to continue that way.
- get the best multi you can find and you've got the basic vitamins and minerals covered. Must include the full B spectrum. If you've chosen right you'll notice the difference.
- over and above that, Ginkgo, fatty acids and the hormones DHEA and Melatonin.
- and lastly, if you want something to get you over "the hump", which is all it usually takes to get us truckin' again, take a look at a course of SAMe or Adapton. There you have it. Smile y'all. Now if I can just follow my own good advise...... When you're feeling down, the last thing you want to do is deny yourself, meditate or go to the gym. No, you'd much rather feed your face or veg out. But that's exactly when you need to haul ass.....
