DISORDERS

Disorder: DEPRESSION

Description: Depression is an illness characterized by a state of sadness and hopelessness so severe that it makes normal activities seem impossible.

Depression involves the whole body, nervous system, moods, thoughts, and behavior.

There are many types of depression, with variations in the number of symptoms, their severity, and persistence. The two major classifications are unipolar and bipolar. Unipolar disorders are characterized by depressive episodes that most often recur at least several times in a person’s life. Bipolar disorders usually begin as depression, but as they progress,, they involve alternating episodes of depression and mania. As a result, bipolar depression is commonly known as manic depression. This article focuses primarily on the various types of unipolar depression, one of the most common of which is a chronic low-grade depression called dysthymia. This condition involves long-term and/or recurring depressive symptoms that are not necessarily disabling but keep a person from functioning normally and enjoying life. Double depression is a variation of dysthymia in which a person with chronic, low-grade depression periodically experiences major depressive episodes, then returns to his or her "normal," mildly depressed state. Another disorder , known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), affects people during the winter months, when days are shorter and darker, and skies are often cloudy and overcast.

Symptoms: People with depression typically withdraw and hide from society. They may be chronically angry and irritable, sad and despairing, or display little or no emotion at all. Some try to "sleep off" depression and do nothing but sit or lie around. Symptoms may include chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, headaches, backaches, digestive disorders, irritability, quickness to anger, loss of interest in hobbies, feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy. Many think of death and consider suicide.

Incidence: Depression affects an estimated 11 million Americans every year and is on the rise. It is estimated that about 15 percent of us will have at least one bout of depression in our lifetimes severe enough to require medical attention. Depression often surfaces during times of transition, such as the teenage years, midlife and retirement. It is estimated that people over age 60 are four times as likely to be depressed as are younger people, and depression is twice as common in women as in men.

Causes: The causes of depression are not fully understood , and are probably varied and many Heredity appears to be a factor. In as high as 50 percent of people suffering from depression, one or both parents also experienced it. Depression may be triggered by tension, stress, a traumatic life event, chemical imbalance in the brain, thyroid disorders, upset stomach, headaches, nutritional deficiencies, poor diet, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), mononucleosis, lack of exercise, any serious physical disorder, or from allergies, including food allergies. Whatever the factors that trigger it, depression begins with a disturbance in the part of the brain that governs moods.

Treatments: Nutritional deficiencies are common in depressed people. A poor diet, especially consisting of junk food, is believed to be a common cause of depression. The levels of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, which regulate our behavior, are controlled by what we eat, and neurotransmitters are closely linked to mood. The neurotransmitters most commonly associated with mood are dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. The substance that processes the neurotransmitter serotonin is the amino acid tryptophan. Thus, eating complex carbohydrates which raise the level of tryptophan in the brain, increases serotonin production and causes a calming effect. High protein foods, on the other hand, promote the production of dopamine and norepinephrine, which promote alertness. The following nutrients are helpful for those suffering from depression.

Supplement Dosage Comments

Herbs:

Recommendations:

For increased alertness, eat protein meals containing essential fatty acids, such as salmon and white fish. To lift your spirits, eat foods like turkey and salmon, which are high in tryptophan and protein.

Eliminate from your diet:

Considerations:

1. Tricyclics. These drugs work by inhibiting the uptake of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, making more of the mood-enhancing chemical messengers available to nerve cells. These drugs include: amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep), desipramine (Norpramin, Pertofrane), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), and nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor). Possible side effects include blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth, irregular heartbeat, urine retention and orthostatic hypotension, a severe drop in blood pressure upon sitting up or standing, which can lead to dizziness, falls, and fractures.
2. Tetracyclics. These drugs are similar to the tricyclics, but have a slightly different chemical structure and appear to cause fewer side effects. Maprotiline (Ludiomil) is in this category.
3. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors These drugs increase the amounts of mood-monoamine oxidase, which normally break's them down. Examples include isocaroboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), and tranylcypromine (Parnate). Possible side effects include agitation, elevated blood pressure, changes in heart rate and rhythm. MAO inhibitors also have a high potential for dangerous interactions with other drugs and foods. Over-the-counter cold and allergy remedies should be avoided. Persons taking these drugs must adhere strictly to a diet that includes no foods containing the chemical tyramine, such as almonds, avocados, bananas, beef or chicken liver, beer, cheese, cottage cheese, chocolate, coffee, herring, meat tenderizer, peanuts, pickles, pineapples, pumpkin seeds, raisins, sausage, sesame seeds, sour cream, soy sauce, wine, yeast extracts, yogurt, and other foods. In general, any high-protein food that has undergone aging, pickling, fermentation, or similar processing should also be avoided.
4. Other Drugs: Several antidepressants have become available in the past several years. These newer drugs have not been shown to be more effective than the others, but the tend to have fewer serious side effects. They include amoxapine (Asendin); fluoxetine (Prozac); and sertraline (Zoloft), which block the uptake of the neurotransmiter serotinin but not that of norepinephrine or dopamine; buproprion (Wellbutrin), which is believed to act by inhibiting the uptake of dopamine but not serotonin or norepinephrine; and trazodone (Desyrel), an antidepressant with stimulant properties that also inhibits the uptake of dopamine.

Vitamin For Life Recommended Regimen and cost:

Sources:

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 2^nd Edition

By James F. Balch, M.D. & Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.

Prevention’s Healing with Vitamins, by the Editors of

Prevention Magazine Health Books