Is Your Depression Coming From Inside or Outside Your Body?


By Ayelet Connell-Giammatteo, PhD


million adult Americans experienced at least one major depressive episode in the prior year. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 9% of American adults suffer from depression. In fact, according to the CDC, depression is the major cause of disability in our country in people between the ages of 15 and 44. And the rate of depression, in our country and globally, is rising, according to the World Health Organization. There are many reasons for depression. Some relate to exter-


D


nal factors such as emotional, mental or physical trauma, while others may relate to weather or stress. In addition, a person may feel depressed because of an internal body issue. A helpful way to understand depression is to consider whether the origin of the de- pression is exogenous (from outside the body) or endogenous (from within the body). Exogenous depression is triggered by traumatic life events. Endogenous depression is commonly referred to as chemical in origin or associated with some imbalance in the body.


Endogenous versus Exogenous Depression


Psychotherapy is commonly recommended as a tool for healing for people with exogenous depression. The patient spends time with a psychotherapist or counselor on a regular basis, discussing past and current traumas and stressors in his/her life. The value of this type of therapy is extensive. We have all felt alone at times in our life; having someone to talk to at these difficult times can be incred- ibly supportive and helpful.


Endogenous depression typically refers to people who have


chemical imbalances or imbalances of other body systems. A person may suffer from endogenous depression because of reduced levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter (chemical in the brain) that modulates how we feel. Many of the ever-popular anti-depressant drugs such as Prozac are called SSRIs or selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, which means that they help to in- crease levels of serotonin in the body. Another cause of endogenous


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epression is an unfortunate common denominator that affects many people worldwide. In 2012, the National Institute of Mental Health reported that approximately 16


depression could be physical trauma to the head such as a concus- sion. Concussion injuries can injure certain parts of the brain that are involved in how we behave and how we express our emotions and thoughts. These types of injuries can contribute to depression as well as to other types of behavioral disorders.


The Body-Mind Connection


When we think of depression, particularly endogenous depres- sion, the concept of the body-mind connection can be considered. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, a vast body of knowledge stem- ming from thousands of years of wisdom and learning, there is knowingness that our emotions and our body’s vital organs are intimately related. For example, when we experience anger, there is a connection to our liver. When we experience fear, there is a connection to our kidneys. When we experience grief, there is a relationship with our lungs. When emotions remain unresolved or repressed, the energy of these emotions can create disharmony or imbalance in that organ and can lead to impairment of these vital organs.


In “Body Wisdom”, a book written by Sharon Giammatteo,


PhD, the body-mind connection is illustrated through a series of hand connections that can be incorporated into a self-care program to facilitate emotional healing. By incorporating a visualization process and meditation, these hands-on exercises can be helpful in reducing body symptoms associated with repressed emotions that can contribute to depression.


Nutritional Wellness and the ‘Brain in the Gut’ At first glance, the ‘brain in the gut’ may sound like a bad sci-fi


movie title—the attack of the mini-brains that feed off the gut! Well, in fact, the concept of the ‘brain in the gut’ is quite real and vital to our learning of the body and how we can attain optimal mental and physical health. What is it? As we noted earlier in this article, serotonin is an important neurotransmitter in the modulation of


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