Depression - Addressing it Naturally

This is a topic I've wanted to talk about for quite some time, especially considering the fact that I've dealt with it first-hand and have interacted with people dealing with it themselves.  It's not a pleasant thing to deal with, and it gets overlooked or not taken seriously enough way too often, in my opinion.  It's complex, too, making it even more difficult to try to address for the person dealing with it.

Supposedly one in 20 Americans are depressed, and about 230 million prescriptions for antidepressants are filled each year.  The depression rates don't seem to be changing though - every year, about 750,000 people attempt suicide, and sadly, about 30,000 of them are successful.

Are these drugs working?  Apparently not, in fact, it seems as though the placebos - the sugar pill - in research seem to work better than the drug itself - both drugs work because of the placebo effect, but the drug itself has adverse reactions.  Ever notice at the end of antidepressant drug commercials that the spokesperson mentions the drug may increase thoughts of suicide?  Why take a drug that could possibly increase your risk of something you're trying to prevent in the first place?

Interestingly enough, psychiatric drugs claim the lives of 42,000 people each year.  Do the math - that's 12,000 more than those who successfully commit suicide because of depression!  That is definitely a problem.

There are a lot of theories out there about what might cause depression, including environmental factors, genetic factors, and physical factors.  Here's an interesting list of  physical causes of depression:

• Nutritional deficiencies
• Lack of exercise
• Lack of sunshine
• Hypothyroidism
• Hyperthyroidism
• Fibromyalgia
• Candida (yeast infection)
• Poor adrenal function
• Other hormonal disorders including:
• Cushing’s Disease (excessive pituitary hormone production)
• Addison’s disease (low adrenal function)
• High levels of parathyroid hormone
• Low levels of pituitary hormones
• Hypoglycemia
• Food Allergies
• Heavy metals (such as mercury, lead, aluminum, cadmium, and thallium)
• Selenium toxicity
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Sleep disturbances
• Dental problems
• TMJ (Temporo Mandibular Joint) Problems
• Infections including:
• AIDS
• Influenza
• Mononucleosis
• Syphilis (late stage)
• Tuberculosis
• Viral hepatitis
• Viral pneumonia
• Medical conditions including:
• Heart problems
• Lung disease
• Diabetes
• Multiple sclerosis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Chronic pain
• Chronic inflammation
• Cancer
• Brain tumors
• Head injury
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Stroke
• Temporal lope epilepsy
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Liver disease

• Drugs including:
• Tranquilizers and sedatives
• Antipsychotic drugs
• Amphetamines (withdrawal from)
• Antihistamines
• Beta-blockers
• High blood pressure medications
• Birth control pills
• Anti-inflammatory agents
• Corticosteroids (adrenal hormone agents
• Cimetidine
• Cycloserine (an antibiotic)
• Indomethacin
• Reserpine
• Vinblastine
• Vincristine

That's a lot to take into consideration!  Another interesting factor is genetics, which is still being researched but supposedly genes have been found linking to hereditary depression, but only in the sense that these genes need to be "turned on" or "activated" for the person to actually become depressed.  Meaning, the person may have inherited the gene, but depression will only set in if he or she experiences a trauma or major illness or loss - something to "switch on" the gene.

I've shared my story, or pieces of it, throughout different blog posts here, but to recap, depression hit me after the birth of my first son, Harlee.  It does run in my family, by the way, ranging from chronic sadness and pessimism/defeatist attitudes, to emotional abuse towards loved ones, to successful suicidal attempts, so I take the genetic theory seriously.  In my case I had a lot of physical factors influencing me as well, including poor diet, lack of exercise, hormonal imbalances, candida, adrenal issues, etc.  I was emotionally unstable anyway from the pregnancy, considering I got pregnant way before I was ready to embark on that journey in life, and ended up letting myself get swallowed into my desires to have a natural, out-of-hospital birth experience.  Well, things went the exact opposite of how I had hoped, resulting in an emergency c-section, followed by an extended hospital stay due to a fever that wouldn't leave me alone, followed by taking home a colicky baby that prevented us from ever getting any kind of decent sleep again, and down I was driven into my dark hole of postpartum depression.  I felt like a failure after the birth, I was hormonally compromised from it anyway, I was sleep deprived, I was overweight and not eating right, and I'd say from all that my depression gene got switched "on".  I cried a lot, I had violent thoughts toward myself and my loved ones, I resented and eventually began to feel a level of hatred towards my husband, I had intruding visions of gruesome situations throughout the day, sometimes involuntary and sometimes brought on by simple tasks like using a knife in the kitchen, and it was everything I could do to get through the day.  Luckily I had enough shreds of strength left in me to recognize that I didn't want to be like this, and that I needed help, so I sought out a counselor specializing in postpartum depression and began seeing her on a weekly basis for a few months.  It helped to talk about it, but wasn't really getting me where I thought I needed to be.  I brought Justin in for some couple's therapy, since we were having major issues at home brought on by my crazy hormonal imbalance and his inability to really know what to do with me or how to handle it, and she successfully helped us patch up our problems, making life at home much easier and thus pointing me in the right direction for healing.  Unfortunately the intruding visions weren't leaving me, and when I told her this she suggested maybe I try Zoloft (I think that's the drug she suggested...), which really caught my attention.  Turning to psychiatric drugs was the LAST thing I wanted to do, and if she thought I was bad enough to need them, then I needed to do something quick.  Thank goodness I didn't take her up on the suggestion, now that I've researched how ineffective and potentially harmful they are.  I stopped seeing her and instead started changing different elements of my life.  I took up running with Harlee in the jogging stroller.  I experimented with eating low-carb and in turn discovered Paleo, which led to weight loss and better health overall.  I turned to supplements and remedies to help me along, as well.

Natural Treatments for Depression:

One great supplement is St. John's Wort, which studies have shown may be equally effective as TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants) and SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants for mild to moderate depression.  Well, it's definitely worked for me!  It takes a couple of weeks before seeing significant changes, but once it kicked in I began referring to it as my "happy pills", and so did Justin!  Be aware, though, that St. John's Wort can end up having negative effects if taken while on pharmaceutical antidepressants, so be careful if you're already taking drugs for depression.  Also, this is not safe to take while pregnant.  If you are pregnant and want to support your mental/emotional health, try oat straw tea - I brewed it and red raspberry leaf tea (for uterine support) by the gallon and drank a glass every day.  It made a big difference, as I was feeling thrown off balance in my first trimester with Elliot - feeling nauseous was preventing me from sticking with exercise and cravings/aversions were preventing me from eating right, and that combo was having some negative affects on my moods.  A few days after starting the oat straw tea, I was already feeling much better emotionally!

I've heard great things about another supplement called 5-HTP, which is the precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin.  I tried it and unfortunately didn't have a good experience, but do your own research regardless - I've heard people swear by it the way I swear by St. John's Wort, so it seems as though it works or doesn't work depending on the individual.

I also took the homeopathic remedy Sepia, which, in a nutshell, can aid in just letting go - a good treatment for depression or anxiety.  I took it postpartum after Harlee's birth, and I also took it around 7-8 months pregnant with Elliot as I drew nearer to the due date and the scary, great unknown of birth.  It helped, which was very welcome while at the same time very surprising at how effective it was!  I had very little anxiety, and what fears I did have about the upcoming birth weren't bad enough to interfere with my daily life.  I found it easier to be present, to feel good about myself for all the work I had done to ensure a positive birth outcome, and to just trust that no matter what, everything was going to be okay.  Instead of feeling sick or shaky when I found myself getting caught in conversation about birth amongst other women like I used to, I was able to listen passively, without any fears or ill feelings surfacing.  That was huge for me.

Homeopathic Chamomilla was also helpful postpartum with Harlee, and it also helped him with his colic, too.  It gave me a sense of peace and well-being as I worked toward recovery of postpartum depression.

Supplementing with DHA/Omega-3 fatty acids is also beneficial.  It is found primarily in fish and krill oil, and your brain greatly depends on it.  Low DHA levels have been linked to depression, memory loss, Schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease.

Of course I love essential oils and have to share some suggestions in that category to support mental and emotional health.   Coriander, ylang ylang, bergamot, jasmine, geranium, chamomile, lavender, frankincense, clary sage, and citrus oils like lemon, grapefruit, orange, lime, and tangerine are great.  Since Elliot's birth I've made a sitz bath (filled the tub with warm water enough to just cover my hips) at least every other night with lavender, frankincense, and clary sage essential oils and it's helped with healing and swelling and has definitely lifted my spirits too.  Highly recommend for the postpartum momma!

Exercise is very important.  I've found it to be a key factor in managing my stress levels and overcoming depression.  Here's a list of awesome benefits of exercise from an article by Dr. Mercola:

It reverses the detrimental effects of stress. Exercise boosts levels of soothing brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Exercise may actually work on a cellular level to reverse stress's toll on your aging process.

It lifts depression. Sustained, sweat-inducing activity can reduce symptoms of depression about as effectively as antidepressants.

It improves learning. Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals called growth factors that help make new brain cells.

It builds self-esteem and improves body image. Even simply seeing fitness improvements, like running a faster mile or lifting more weight, can improve your self-esteem and body image.

It leaves you feeling euphoric. High-intensity exercise can leave you with a feeling of euphoria. Try running, biking, or swimming as fast as you can for 30 to 40 seconds and then reduce your speed to a gentle pace for five minutes before sprinting again.

As I mentioned before, Diet is another big factor in managing or preventing depression.  Turning to a more Paleo lifestyle has helped me the most, as avoiding sugar and grains helps balance insulin and leptin levels.  Sugar causes chronic inflammation, which can really mess up your immune system and in turn be very harmful to your brain.  And, if you read my post about the Science of Healthy Eating, you'll know that all carbs convert to sugar in the body, which is why avoiding grains, not just those containing gluten, is beneficial to cleaning up any inflammation in your body and supports overall health, including mental.

Sunlight - getting sufficient vitamin D, is also very helpful..  Studies have shown that people with low levels of vitamin D are more likely to become depressed than those who don't get enough.  So either supplement with a good vitamin D3, or go outside and play!

Don't underestimate the effectiveness of talk therapy, either.  The above suggestions should help tremendously, but sometimes the feeling of releasing your problems verbally can make all the difference.  I took a hiatus from counseling after my first therapist suggested I get on Zoloft, thinking talk therapy wasn't very effective and probably more or less just a gimmick.  But, thankfully, I gave it one more shot by going to see a gal that really meshed well with my personality, and that made a huge difference in my healing.  She helped me see things in a different light, helped me learn to let go, helped me learn to problem solve on my own, and overall just helped me grow as a person.  Because of her I began keeping journals, which I was skeptical of at first and was something I pretty much had to force myself to do, but it eventually became hugely cathartic as I wrote out all my thoughts and feelings and was able to overcome any issues I was having and quickly come to healthy conclusions for them the more I wrote.

Journaling, meditating, yoga, or talking with a good friend are all very helpful on your journey out of depression. Journaling was my "drug" of choice, but everyone is different and can benefit just as well from the other suggestions.

The important thing is to just start somewhere.  Pick something and go with it.  No time for exercise?  Start changing things about your diet.  Don't know where to begin with diet?  Start out with some of the supplements I mentioned until your mind feels stable enough to address diet and exercise.  Force yourself to write out your thoughts before going to sleep, or to take five minutes or so to do some guided meditation (there are plenty of tracks you can listen to on YouTube!).

In conclusion, I'd like to share the end of the Dr. Mercola article I read about depression:

As Davis suggests in his article, "Think twice, be skeptical, and question a simplistic diagnosis you might receive after discussing your condition for a short time with a rushed practitioner."

This is sound advice indeed. 

It is easy to become seduced into thinking a pill might relieve your pain, especially when it comes with the endorsement of your physician. Feeling depressed is never pleasant, and you naturally want to escape it as quickly as possible. 

But drugs should always be your last choice, and antidepressants are no exception. 

There is a better way! You wouldn't want to expose yourself to the enormous risks these drugs present, especially for so little gain. Hang in there, and if you implement the healthy strategies above, I bet you'll soon find yourself feeling better.

I am happy to say that today I am a far better person than I ever thought I could be, having made a greater recovery than I ever imagined I would.  I am SO eternally grateful I never gave in to the suggestion of trying a psychiatric drug years ago, and that I tried the suggestions I shared with you instead, and with great success.  I am determined to help anyone dealing with depression to find healthier ways to overcome it, after having experienced it first-hand.  I hope this article helps.



http://www.suicide.org/suicide-faqs.html
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/07/reversing-depression-without-antidepressants.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/06/frightening-story-behind-the-drug-companies-creation-of-medical-lobotomies.aspx
http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/depression.htm
http://jonbarron.org/article/genes-and-depression-again#.U_zBc2O8A5c
http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/st-johns-wort/background/hrb-20060053
http://naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2011-10/many-uses-5-htp
http://abchomeopathy.com/r.php/Sep
http://abchomeopathy.com/r.php/Cham
http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2010/07/24/5-mindblowing-benefits-of-exercise.aspx

Food Sensitivities and Vegan Mayonnaise

No, I am not going vegan.  I am still very much as omnivorous as before, as it's my personal belief that humans were designed that way (and you can read my post about eating meat here), but when there's a possibility of an egg intolerance for my little breastfeeding baby, seems as though the vegan recipes are coming to my rescue.  "Vegan" is more or less the next step beyond vegetarian.  Not only does one not eat meat, but also does not consume animal by-products as well like eggs, milk, cheese, etc.  And since eggs, milk, and cheese are now on my do-not-eat list, I've been searching vegan options as far as things like condiments, baked goods, and snacks go.

Since my last post, I took little Elliot to his pediatrician to discuss his digestive system a little further.  After reviewing my diet as of the past few days, she said it might be a good idea to not only eliminate dairy and eggs, but also gluten, grains, and soy as well.  Thank goodness I've been following a more or less paleo lifestyle for the past couple years (here's when I started, and here's some more information about it), or I'd be LOST.  Probably even devastated... For most people, this would require a MAJOR overhaul of life as they knew it.  A lot of moms would probably toss in the towel and find an allergen-free formula instead.  Having to give up everything you're used to with your normal diet cold-turkey would be a huge shock... But I already gave this stuff up over two years ago (well, except eggs) and have worked on this lifestyle ever since then, finding tons of great alternatives to common foods that contain grains and gluten.  Really, cutting out eggs is the only hard thing about this.

There's a great article on the La Leche League website titled Allergies and the Breastfeeding Family that reviews allergies and explains how our bodies are allergic or sensitive to certain substances and the chemistry behind it, as well as detecting sensitivities and what to do about it (getting into the topic of an elimination diet).  If you're a breastfeeding mom with an especially fussy or colicky baby, I HIGHLY recommend looking into this.  I shouldn't say just breastfeeding moms - formulas definitely contain allergens too that are worth checking into if your formula-fed baby is fussy or colicky. I wish I had this information more available to me when Harlee was a baby - I feel almost certain his colic was due to a food sensitivity and all those sleepless nights could have easily been avoided.  I've cleaned up my diet considerably since he was born, but I'll admit I haven't been eating the cleanest since Elliot was born.  As I shared in my last post, it's like all my will power went out the window and I've just been eating whatever I feel like eating, no matter how unhealthy it might be.  Not good!  Luckily we don't keep our cabinets stocked with junk at our house, so I've only been "bad" when we go out to eat, but still... I definitely had a lot of room for improvement.

So here I am, eliminating quite a bit of common allergens from my diet, which would make the average person feel like they can't eat anything at all, whereas I'm actually pretty excited about the forced change of diet.  I'm feeling better already, and I think Elliot is, too, considering how much better he's sleeping and getting along throughout the day.

It was time to start exploring options for egg substitutes, though.  I figured I'd start with mayonnaise, since I enjoy it as a condiment and it's pretty versatile, like using it for salad dressings and chicken or tuna salad.  I had already experimented with flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tbsp hot water), so I felt confident in trying a recipe I found on TheClothesMakeTheGirl.com for egg-less mayo that involved using the flax egg.

It worked beautifully.  She said to use light olive oil rather than extra virgin, but I only had EVOO on hand so I used it instead, and it still tasted great.  It's super easy, too.  I honestly like it better than conventional mayonnaise, and I definitely like it better than the homemade egg version.  It's thicker, creamier, and just plain yummier.  To the point where I was licking the spoon when I was done.

Here's the recipe:

Mix your flax egg by whisking 1 tbsp ground flax seeds with 3 tbsp hot water.  Let it come to room temperature.

1 flax egg
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup light olive oil

Place all ingredients in a container that a stick blender can fit into (I definitely feel a stick blender is a kitchen staple!!), place the blender in the container, and blend away until all the oil is incorporated.  It doesn't take long, and you can watch the ingredients turn into mayonnaise as you tilt the container to make sure it all blends together.  Once you've turned it all into mayonnaise, stop blending (don't want to overdo it!).  Store in a mason jar in the fridge and enjoy!

I made a BLT wrap with it shortly after making it.  Yum!!

Postpartum Adventures and Vegan PB&J Cookies

I'm finally writing another post!  I'm at three weeks postpartum, which seems almost impossible and totally acceptable at the same time.  I'm certainly enjoying life with a newborn much better this time around than I did three years ago.  Harlee was terribly colicky and kept us up all. night. every. night.  And it wasn't just crying, it was screaming his head off.  And not just at night - all day as well.  It was maddening.  Coupled with some pretty strong postpartum depression and I'm surprised I didn't get admitted to an asylum.  It was pretty rough.  Elliot, however, sleeps all the time.  Naturally not ALL night long, since his tiny tummy can't and shouldn't allow for adult spans of time sleeping through the night, but I'm not feeling sleep-deprived so the amount of times he does wake certainly aren't affecting me!  It's wonderful!

No postpartum depression this time, either.  Not even baby blues.  Okay so at three days postpartum I did start randomly crying in the shower... not really sure where that came from or why, but other than that I've been feeling great.  Recovery has been smooth, too.  Frustrating, since there IS recovery to be done - I can't just bounce back into working out like I did before, and my hips are still a little unhappy about the birthing adventure they went through (but thankfully chiropractic care is helping out with that), and I really. really. miss working out.  But still, I can't complain, because all in all recovery has been smooth.  Plus I have a comparison - recovery after having Harlee wasn't NEARLY as pleasant whatsoever.  Oh, and let me just say, using lavender essential oil and frankincense essential oil in a sitz bath has helped tremendously with the healing process (and general comfort during that process too).

Life hasn't been entirely perfect, though.  Unfortunately, little Elliot started getting tummy aches shortly after a week old.  At a week and a half, he wound up constipated - no poop all day.  Then, we discovered a fissure during a diaper change.  Something was definitely going on with our little man's digestive system!

For the record, Young Living's DiGize essential oil blend has worked wonders in getting his belly calmed down and his elimination process moving again.  I'd mix one drop with some coconut oil and rub it clockwise on his belly, then rub the excess on the soles of his feet and massage the reflexology points for the stomach and intestines, along the arch of the foot.  He'd go from crying pretty hard and tensing up to relaxing and lying calmly shortly after applying the oil.  I kept this up twice a day until we were able to get him in to see the chiropractor, and she adjusted his low back and sacrum and got things moving again.  But because of the fissure and the tummy aches, she informed me that he may have a food intolerance, and beings that I breastfeed I'm going to have to consider an elimination diet, starting with dairy and eggs as those are the most common allergens in situations like this.  I quit drinking milk a long time ago, but I do enjoy cheese... and eggs are a staple in my life, plus not only do I enjoy them plain, they're in all of my paleo baked goods as well as my homemade salad dressings and all kinds of other things.  Dairy would be easy to part with... Eggs, however?

Well, anything to help the little guy out.  So I stopped eating anything that contained dairy or eggs (which was no fun when we went out to eat at the local Mexican restaurant one evening!) and within days he had fewer and fewer tummy aches.  Thank goodness!  Still, from my end of the struggle it wasn't nearly as difficult as dealing with a colicky baby - he still slept a LOT both day and night and his crying wasn't completely inconsolable like Harlee's was, but, regardless, you don't want to see your kiddo struggling no matter what level of discomfort they're in.  I wish I had my essential oil knowledge as well as the resources to know more about cause and effect of diet back when Harlee was a baby, that's for sure...  But at least I've got it now!  Harlee is a happy 3-year-old and anytime he hurts himself or has any kind of issue worth complaining about he comes to me, tells me about it, and immediately says, "Put oil on it, Mom!"

So, back to this dairy and egg-free lifestyle I've entered into.  I guess it's a blessing in disguise - I haven't been very paleo at ALL since Elliot was born.  It's like all my willpower went out the window.  Fortunately I think breastfeeding has kept my metabolism in good shape so I haven't gained anything, but the last 10lbs I needed to lose to get back to my pre-baby weight wasn't going anywhere, either.  Well, I have no choice but to go back to paleo now!  Of course my sweet tooth attacked me shortly after learning I need to do an elimination diet, and unfortunately a lot of my healthy paleo baked goods contain eggs.  So off I went to search for an egg-free recipe that looked like it would satisfy my sweet tooth.

And so I found vegan peanut butter cookies on Elana's Pantry.  Which would work perfectly with an idea I had - turning them into peanut butter and jelly cookies!  I had a jar of strawberry jalepeno jam from a friend of mine, and another jar of blackberry jalepeno jam from our local farmer's market, so I made a double batch of the peanut butter cookie recipe and baked half with the strawberry and half with the blackberry.  They were delicious!  However, I didn't have palm shortening on hand and used coconut oil instead, which made them spread out a little too much.  The intent was to make thumbprint cookies, but they weren't quite that style in the end.  Still delicious, though!

Here's the recipe:

2 cups almond flour
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup creamy natural peanut butter (I actually used almond butter, which has pretty much the same flavor)
1/2 cup honey
4 tbsp palm shortening (I used coconut oil but probably shouldn't have)
2 tsp vanilla extract
jam of choice - 1/2 tsp per cookie

Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Mix in the wet ingredients.  Scoop the dough 1 tbsp at a time onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes to establish a firm base.  Remove from oven and press a well into each cookie with your finger or with the back of the measuring spoon.  Scoop 1/2 tsp of jam into each well and return cookies to the oven.  Bake for 10 more minutes.  Let cool and enjoy!