Depression Treatments
Everyone occasionally feels sad or blue. But normally, these feelings are short-lived and pass within a few days. When you have depression, it interferes with daily life and causes pain for both you and those who care about you. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and they way you think about things. It’s not a sign of weakness or a condition that can be wished away. A holistic approach to depression, focusing on your whole being – body and mind – is the best course of action.
Do I have depression?
There’s a big difference between having clinical depression and just a bad mood and feeling down. Depression is a name given to a chronic functional problem where you find yourself suffering from lack of motivation, sense of worthlessness, and the blues for no apparent reason. If you have symptoms for depression you may experience severe and intense negative thoughts and feelings. If you have symptoms for depression you may feel like you are living under a black cloud that takes over all parts of your life. It’s a persistent feeling of sadness, dread and emptiness. Things you used to enjoy no longer bring you pleasure. Even the slightest thing makes you cry, and you may snap at people around you.
What other symptoms are associated with depression?
Symptoms for depression often accompany other symptoms as well. These symptoms may include fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms like constipation, diarrhea and heartburn, symptoms of hormonal imbalance like hot flashes, PMS or diminished libido and sleep disturbances like excessive sleepiness or insomnia. Depression is often a multi-factorial disorder. Some of the contributing causes may be poor bowel health, hormonal imbalances including subclinical hypothyroidism, high estrogen and low progesterone, metabolic imbalances and poor glycemic control. This is why a holistic approach to depression is so important – it considers your body’s functioning as a whole.
Holistic treatment for depression
Symptomatic treatment for depression is almost always unsuccessful. Only finding and treating the root cause of your depression will lead to a successful outcome. This is what holistic treatment for depression is all about.
If you’re suffering from chronic depression or the symptoms for depression, you must take a holistic approach to depression by paying very close attention to your diet. There’s a good chance you suffer from fluctuating blood sugar, which can affect your brain chemistry, as glucose is the major fuel for the brain. Both low and high blood sugar can have adverse effects on your brain chemistry and negatively affect your mood. If you suffer from depression and rely on stimulants like caffeine to raise your mood, this may help temporarily. However, caffeine and other stimulants will, in the long run, deplete your vital reserves of minerals like magnesium and make your depression much worse.
At Michael Rothman MD, we take a holistic approach to depression to uncover and treat underlying abnormalities that are the true source of your depression.
Dietary Recommendations
