Depression is Not a Chemical Imbalance By Debra Gibson, ND
chronic, low-grade depression, or having had a major depressive episode. Depressive episodes are periods of two weeks or longer experiencing low mood, coupled with other symptoms such as poor self-image, sleep diffi culty, loss of appetite, poor concentration, and low energy. Among U.S. adolescents, a disturbingly high rate of 11.2 percent reported having experienced either major depression or low-grade depression lasting two years or more during their lives. Depression has severely impaired the ability of 1.9 million (7.7 percent) to function. According to the World Health Organization, about fi ve percent of the world’s population is depressed.
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These statistics do not distinguish between depression that arises for no obvious reason, and what may be referred to as “situ- ational” depression, which occurs in the face of a signifi cant loss or life event, such as the death of a loved one, chronic illness, or divorce. To an extent, depression is a normal and necessary adaptive response to the inevitable changes and phases of life. As diagnoses of depression have steadily increased over the past decades, some question whether this increase (and the ever-expanding range of conditions considered treatable by antidepressants) has been strate- gically fostered by “Big Pharma” to justify escalating antidepressant prescriptions. Simply spend an evening watching network or cable television, and this theory won’t seem so far-fetched.
However, in recent decades many of the nutritional, lifestyle,
social, and environmental factors that strongly infl uence our ability to maintain a healthy “brain ecology” and adapt to the stress of loss and life changes have become increasingly disturbed. These distur- bances contribute to a pervasive decline in mood.
For those who seek treatment, common strategies increasingly include pharmaceuticals, often more than one prescribed in com- bination. Pharmaceutical antidepressants work by indirect methods to improve the balance of stress hormones such as norepinephrine (a form of adrenaline) and neurotransmitters (brain messengers such as serotonin and dopamine that infl uence mood, energy, focus, and motivation).
Psychotherapy is another common treatment avenue for depres-
sion. The benefi ts of appropriate psychotherapy can be profoundly and positively transformative and are, without question, a part of any committed approach to the treatment of signifi cant depression.
22 Natural Nutmeg - December 2015
epression has become an epidemic in the United States. Ac- cording to the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) in 2013, 9.2 percent of adults in the U.S. reported either
Depression is Not a Chemical Imbalance The idea that “depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain” has come to be generally accepted as fact, a medical explanation for depression’s varied symptoms. If this statement is true, then it seems reasonable to apply a chemical (pharmaceutical) solution to the problem of chemical imbalance. However, this statement is inaccurate in that it sidesteps the more precise and clinically important distinction that we humans are biochemical, not chemi- cal beings. Moreover, the misperception that chemistry provides the best answer to biochemical imbalance denies the powerful therapeutic potential of non-drug approaches that have the ability to promote true healing of the mind’s biochemical imbalances. If this were merely a semantic distinction, the extensive fi eld of biochem- istry, distinct from that of chemistry, would not have come to exist as it does today.
There is certainly a place for pharmacologic treatment for mood disorders, including depression. However, it is important to note that while pharmaceutical antidepressants have the ability to modu- late levels of neurotransmitters and stress hormones, they do not support the brain’s innate ability to attain and maintain balance in this system. Even when pharmaceutical treatment is indicated, and in view of its associated risks and side effects, doesn’t it make sense to also address existing biochemical dysfunction?
Biochemical Treatment of Depression Given the proper support, the body and mind have an incred-
ible recuperative ability. Humans do not have defi ciencies of the chemical antidepressants Zoloft, Wellbutrin, or Elavil. However, we may have imbalances of biochemicals such as serotonin, norepi- nephrine, dopamine, cortisol, and the underlying mechanisms that naturally support healthy levels and interaction among them.
Elements of a biochemical, “functional” approach to depression
may include: • Nutritional evaluation and optimization, particularly focused on vitamin D, the Omega-3 fatty acids, the family of B-vitamins, amino acids as the raw materials for neurotransmitters, and other vitamin and mineral co-factors for healthy brain balance. • Functional laboratory evaluation of sex hormones, stress hor- mones, and neurotransmitters to identify and address imbal- ances.
• Attention to lifestyle: improving eating habits to stabilize blood sugar, identifying and minimizing exposure to food intolerances, exercising, integrating mind and body through practices such as mindfulness, yoga, Tai Chi, or spending time in contact with nature and the earth.
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