Depression; Why is it so complicated? Part I

                                             

   

I recently read news that you most likely won’t hear about, and that is that Robin Williams suicide may have been precipitated by the medications he was taking for both Depression and Parkinsons. The news reports are sketchy, and I don’t know if we’ll ever know what happened, or learn what Mr. Williams was taking, but it is true that for some, antidepressants can cause suicidal thoughts.

Depression is complicated, and the treatment can be too. Beyond complicated it can also be scary to the individual and to the people around them. We receive so many mixed messages about mental illness that some are still too ashamed to admit they need help, while friends and family members may be unsure as to how to help, or simply what to say. Who or what can we trust if even the medications don’t always work, or worse yet sometimes increase the symptoms?

Many times Depression can be traced to what many would simply refer to as lifes ups and downs. Have you ever gone through a lot of changes in your life? Have you lost a spouse, a friend, or had a cat or dog die? Have you ever had trouble finding a job? These and other situations can cause what is often referred to as Situational Depression. Most people would feel depressed having experienced these or other events, but for many the feelings are transient. What causes some people to become so depressed that they feel no hope whatsoever, or feel the only answer is to be take their own life? I believe that it’s often a combination of factors.

There are many causes of Depression, and therefore the diagnosis and screening is crucial. In some cases a thorough medical exam with blood work and other testing may be necessary. These are some factors that can lead to Depression.
1. Trauma, whether from a car accident, rape, sexual or emotional abuse as a child, spousal abuse, war, etc.
2. Hypothyroidism, which can be caused by Hashimoto’s Disease, Thyroiditis, tumors, a lack of iodine in ones diet, a car accident causing whiplash, etc.
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

http://thyroid.about.com/cs/depression/a/quiz.htm

3. Poor diet, or more specifically a deficiency in Essential Fatty Acids, Vit D, iodine and selenium can lead to symptoms of Depression. Though a poor diet can also lead to overall poor health, which too can cause Depression.
4. Drug use and alcohol abuse can exacerbate or lead to symptoms of Depression.
5. Mold Exposure and Chemical Toxicity can lead to brain, immune and nervous system dysregulation that can lead to symptoms of Depression.
http://chronicfatigueandnutrition.com/mold-toxicity/mold-depression/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2072855/

 6. Stress, genetics and other situational factors like those discussed above can also contribute to the condition of Depression or depressive symptoms.

So if Depression is so complicated where do you go for help? There are some basic treatment options that will be helpful regardless of the cause, so I would start with these. Core treatments for Depression include finding a Counselor that you feel comfortable with and that will challenge you. A good diet and exercise program are an essential part of treating Depression and a healthy lifestyle. Next I would look for a complementary Doctor or a Nurse Practitioner who can do a general check up, and help you rule out thyroid issues, vit D deficiency, etc. Maybe this same practitioner or someone else can help you determine if mold/chemical exposures are a factor in your case. Finally I would suggest cleaning up your life/environment, and general detox. These two will be included in Part II.
#depression #thyroid #antidepressants #diet

What's wrong with the world and us?

Well according to director Tom Shadyac, I AM. or at least that's the the premise in his  documentary of the same name. He has another one out called “Happy”. You could say that ones about the search for, well happiness.

First off, who is Tom Shadyac? Well have you ever heard of Ace Ventura, The Nutty Professor, Liar Liar? Well he directed those movies among others. I'm not going to go into his story here, and why he's making serious documentaries about life and the pursuit of happiness. You'll just have to see for yourself.  I just wanted to bring a little discussion to the issue.

Tom puts forth the hypothesis that accumulating wealth beyond one's basic needs is a mental illness. That may seem pretty drastic, and yet the fact is that once we've reached a comfortable level of income that meets our basic needs, anything over that does not make us any happier. It's kind of like that with drinking if you’ll forgive the analogy. Where one drink may feel good, having another, and another does not increase ones feeling of “good”!

I believe we have a dissociative disorder, but before I get into that we can easily come up with a few simple explanations for our obsession with wealth and power.  It feels good, though that feeling is temporary, and again like that analogy of a drug leaves us wanting more, and another fix.  Wealth and power in themselves can be self intoxicating, and can lead to almost an  obsessive tendency.  One develops a need to have more, as if life would be empty without it.  This extends beyond the mental to the physical level, and I can only liken it to an adrenaline junky.  It’s a game, and it’s fun.  That one is self explanatory.  It provides a purpose.  If that’s all I know, and I’m good at it, well then as with many people and careers, it can provide an identity.  

So let’s look at this picture from a different perspective.  My experience through my own chronic health issues and work as a Counselor has shown me that most or all of us are uncomfortable with not only negative feelings but positive ones too if they are too strong.  We also seem to be uncomfortable or disconnected with our bodies, and look at them as foreign entities, that we inhabit and fear may fail us at anytime.  We either avoid our health symptoms or run to the doctor in hopes of a pill to make them all go away.  How can we feel safe, connected and supported if we even feel disconnected from ourselves?

We have over the past hundreds of years become disconnected from nature and the earth.  Rather than feeling ourselves a part of this planet and the other natural inhabitants, many of us feel disconnected and threatened by it.  How have we gone from feeling supported and safe by our natural surroundings to feeling like we need to control them?  

We have become disconnected with others.  I sit on my computer typing this blog rather than being surrounded by family because I can.  Travel has allowed us to move away from our birthplace, and technology has allowed us to “communicate” without being all messy and stuff, by actually having to be with someone.  How can I feel connected while being “alone”?

So...now what?  First off, I would suggest watching Tom’s documentaries, “I Am”, and “Happy”. They’re well done, and insightful.  I also have a few simple suggestions.  Spend time making time for friends and family, even if it’s through facebook.  Spend a little time each and every day connecting with nature...get a CD with nature sounds...bye a bird feeder...plant a small garden of herbs or vegetables...go for a walk without headphones on, so you hear the sounds of the earth.  Spend time each and every day in quiet contemplation/meditation/mindfulness.  Finally if you like Tom’s films there are a host of others you can find at your library, on Netflix, through GIAIM, Oprah’s OWN Network, etc.

Enjoy, and enjoy the journey back home.

A link to the documentary, I Am

I Love You, I Love Me Part II

It's a challenge for all of us at times to be around others and still be true to ourselves. This can be in personal relationships, with family, and definitely at work.

How do you stay true to yourself around others?

How do you not?

What does all this mean? To me, it's simply about accepting ourselves, being true to ourselves...period.

If you are like most people you have times that people bring up certain issues for you. I call these triggers or buttons. How do you deal with these opportunities?

Wait, what opportunities? 

Yes, the opportunity to do something different, to respond differently, since we know we can't control others. The opportunity to process the response/reaction we had to the individual. The opportunity to explore our thoughts.

Every day we have thoughts that surface to any given situation or encounter. Those thoughts are often connected with feelings. We often accept these thoughts/feelings as truth without even exploring or questioning them. It's as if we are brainwashed.

I think of questioning our thoughts like pulling apart a tangle of yarn. Gently we begin pulling on each thread until they start to become untangled and less restricted. This is how we can feel when when we are clearer about what is true, and what is not true.