Depression

Depression

What is Depression?

Depression is a medical illness that involves the mind and body. Also called major depression, major depressive disorder and clinical depression, it affects how a person feels, thinks and behaves. Depression can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.

Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods, but depression is a chronic illness characterized by long periods of sadness, loss, anger or frustration that interfere with everyday life.

Common symptoms include:

• Depressed mood most of the day; feeling sad, empty and/or tearful
• Significant loss of interest or pleasure in activities that used to be enjoyable
• Significant weight loss (when not dieting) or weight gain; decrease or increase in appetite
• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
• Agitation
• Slowing down of thoughts and reduction of physical movements
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
• Poor concentration or having difficulty making decisions
• Thinking about death or suicide

Who is Affected?

Depression often runs in families. This may be due to inherited genes or learned behaviors, or both.

Other factors that cause depression include:

• Medical conditions and treatments, such as:
  • Certain types of cancer
  • Long-term pain
  • Sleeping problems
  • Steroid medications
  • Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
  • Deficiencies of trace minerals, including B-12
• Stressful life events, such as:
  • Abuse or neglect
  • Breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend
  • Certain types of cancer
  • Death of a relative or friend
  • Divorce, including a parent’s divorce
  • Failing a class
  • Illness in the family
  • Job loss
  • Long-term pain

What are Options for Treatment?

At the Magaziner Center for Wellness, we thoroughly assess each patient’s physical state and treat any triggers of depression without the use of medication. To begin, we look at food sensitivities and allergies – as reactions to wheat, for example, and other elements have been linked to depression. If such sensitivities are detected, we work with the patient to modify his/her diet and environment to eliminate the element’s negative impact. We also look at their exposure to mold and other environmental irritants, such as building materials and household chemicals, which often harm the nervous system and impact mood.

Depression has been linked to problems or imbalances in the brain with regard to the neurotransmitters serotonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, GABA and dopamine. We analyze the urine to test the levels of these neurotransmitters, and use blood tests to look at levels of key amino acids. We also review the levels of fatty acids, namely Omega-3 fatty acids, and test for deficiencies in trace minerals such as intracellular magnesium and zinc, and vitamins including B-12, as low levels of any of these have been linked to depression. This comprehensive analysis enables us to treat the disorder using nutritional supplementation.

We rule out that the patient is not suffering from excessive tissue levels of heavy metals or chemicals such as pesticides or solvents.  These substances can have an adverse impact on the nervous system and contribute to depression.

We also use Ondamed – an advanced biofeedback technology – to help identify and repair areas of cellular imbalance and tissue inflammation. Ondamed uses pulsed electromagnetic frequency to help put the body back in energetic balance and restore a sense of relaxed calm and clearer thinking.

Lastly, we encourage our patients to seek out – and stick with – stress reduction techniques to help manage, and in most cases, drastically reduce, their depression and related symptoms. Consistent exercise should be included to help stimulate mood-elevating endorphins.