Depression

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Depression

Written By: Denice Moffat, Dr.
7-23-2007
Categorized in: Depression

This is the handout I use in my practice to determine the core cause of depression. The causes for depression are numerous and many times there are multiple causes. After finding the core causes, I then test out which techniques or modalities would best suit the body to heal the depression.

Sometimes we need a combination of natural treatments and allopathic medicine ("real drugs".) Like any disease process, we eliminate what we can, and minimize those things we can't get around. Health is a journey and a choice. The patient has the hardest task. . . to do what will work for them and keep at it until they accomplish their goal of health.

Statistics and Facts about depression:

*Women experience depression twice as often as men
*The age group 25-44 has the highest incidence of depression, but
*Pre-school children are the fastest growing market for antidepressants (Unbelievable isn't it?!)
*Statistics show that 15% of all Americans will have at least one bout of depression during their lifetime that will be serious enough to warrant medical attention
*Depression affects our health. Studies show heart disease increases with depression
*80% of depressed people are not currently getting any form of treatment
*18.8 million American adults are considered depressed (That's 9.5% of the population at any one time.)

Everyone will at some time in their lives be affected by depression either by experiencing it themselves or knowing someone who has it.

Note: When taking doctor-prescribed antidepressants, you will want to slowly eliminate prescription drugs over a period of several months after developing healthier habits and fixing those things in your body that are initiating the depression. Going "cold turkey" off your medications for this particular syndrome is a dangerous thing to do. Work with your doctor on your withdrawal program of prescription drugs.

Signs of Depression:

(Signs should be rated on a scale of mild, moderate or severe.)

Anxiety	Mood changes
Change in sleep patterns	Physical illness
Decreased energy	Poor concentration
Decreased interest in activities	Sadness
Dejection	Shrinking inward
Disconnected w/ God Path	Significant weight loss/gain
Eating disorders	Social isolation
Feeling like a "Low Achiever"	The Blues
Feelings of guilt, shame, hopelessness, anger	Thoughts of suicide
Grief	Withdrawal from society
Indecisiveness	Other:

Note: Depression is not the same as being sad or discouraged. These feelings are a normal part of life and generally pass on. True depression is severe sadness and hopelessness that does not go away over time that makes normal activities impossible.

Teenagers often show some of these symptoms of depression as well:

*Alcohol or substance abuse
*Boredom, sulking
*Changes in routine
*Difficulty with relationships
*Extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure
*Frequent absences from school
*Frequent headaches
*Increase irritability, anger, hostility or crying
*Muscle aches
*Neglect of clothing and appearance
*Poor performance in school
*Reckless behavior
*Stomach aches
*Talk of running away from home, or doing it
*Tiredness

Core Causes of Depression

Depression may involve one or many factors. Each person is different. The goal is to find the core causes so we can do something about as many of them as possible.

Alcohol	Phosphatidyl inositol decrease
Birth Control Pills	Phosphatidyl serine imbalance
Caffeine	Physical problems
Chemical imbalances	Poor circulation
Chemical sensitivities	Poor eating habits
Cholecystokinin deficiency	Post Partum hormones
Choline deficiency	Progesterone imbalance
Choline can't come out	Recent emotional trauma
Death	Separation
Disease
Disruptive life events	Widowed
Divorce	S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM-e) deficiency
Dopamine imbalance	Serotonin imbalances:
Drug addiction	-Not enough serotonin
Emotional	-Too much broken down
Estrogen imbalance	-Re-uptake mechanism prob.
Fat intake imbalance	Side effects of medication
Food intake imbalance	Spiritual lesson to learn
Genetics	Structural imbalances
High Cortisol	Substance abuse
Hormone Replacement Therapy	Sugar
Homocysteine increase	Testosterone decrease
Hormonal imbalance	Too many saturated fats
Inositol deficiency	Thyroid disorders

Interleukin-6 excess	Trying to be super human
Isolation	Tryptophan deficiency
Lack of exercise	Tryptophan uptake probs.
Lack of raw enzymes	Tryptophan availability
Lack of sleep	Tyrosine deficiency
Malnutrition	Vanishing Twin Syndrome
Mental challenges	Vitamin B Deficiency:
Mineral deficiencies	Folic Acid
Mold allergies	Riboflavin (B 2)
Near Death Experience	Pyridoxine (B 6)
Negative self-talk	Thiamine (B 1)
Not enough down time	Cobalamine (B 12)
Norepinephrine decrease	Vitamin C deficiency
No earthly cause (alien)	Other:

Chronic or life-long (endogenous) depression is caused by trauma in the childhood years:

Abuse, emotional/physical	Inappropriate or unclear expectations
Abuse, sexual	Neglect (even like when both parents are working)
Conflict in the family	Poverty
Criticism	Racism
Divorce	Violence in the family, on TV or in the neighborhood
Family addictions	Yelling or threats of abuse

Treatments for Depression:

Treatments are organized into several lists including alternative treatments, foods, herbs, vitamins/supplements, homeopathics, aromatherapy, gem elixirs, flower essences and "real drugs".

I muscle-test each list to find therapies that will work for each patient/client. It is up to the client to determine which treatments, modalities and therapies will best fit into their lifestyle. Of course, the more of the suggestions utilized, the faster the healing process occurs.

Sometimes the body just has an imbalance and being on something to balance it for the rest of the body's life is what it takes. Other times, depression is seasonal, and attending to those seasons will do the trick. And sometimes, depression is just a one-time thing.

My job as an intuitive working with your guides and angels is to create a plan for you that you can fall back on for one-time and recurring depression challenges.

Alternative treatments used for depression:

Counseling	"Sun Box" therapy
Determine Life Purpose	Positive Mental Attitude
EMDR	Prayer
Emotional Release work	Reroute Negative Patterns
Exercise (30min 5X/wk)	Stress management/avoid
Get a pet	Sunlight, full-spectrum light
Massage	Volunteer for something

Foods used in treating depression:

Chocolate, Dark (for Phenyl Ethyl Alanine--PEA)

Sesame seeds or products of: Halvah/Tahini

Lemons

Turkey

Raw Fruits/Vegetables

White fish

Salmon

Other:

Note: Sesame seeds/halvah or tahini, about one tablespoon per day, is an awesome way to overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Sesame seeds are high in tyrosine and balance out the serotonin/dopamine in the brain. I'd have to say that all of my clients who suffer from this are really pleased with this natural treatment.

Herbs used in treating depression:

California Poppy	Licorice root
Ginkgo biloba	Rosemary
Hawthorne berry	Salvia miltiorrhiza
Jujube seed (Zizyphus spinosa)	St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
Kava Kava	Valerian
Lavender	Other:

Vitamins/Supplements used for depression:

Antioxidants:	Inositol
Vitamin C	Iron
Vitamin E	L-Tryptophan (see 5-HTP)
Selenium	L-Tyrosine
Grape Seed Extract	Lithium
5-HTP	Phosphatidylserine
Choline	Vitamin B 6
DHEA (Dehydroepiandosterone)	Vitamin B Complex
DLPA (DL-Phenylalanine)	Vitamin B 12
GABA	Vitamin C

Homeopathics used in treating depression:

Arum metallicum	Medicago sativa
Brain Liquescence	Musa sapienturn
Cadmium metallicum	Natrum muriaticum
Caulaphyllum thalicroides	Oleander
Cholecystokinin (CKK)	Passiflora incarnate
Choline	Petroleum
Cimicifuga racemosa	Phosphatidyl serine
CoQ 10	Pineal liquescence
Dopamine	Pituitary liquescence
Ferula asafoetida	Pulsatilla
Ignatia amara	Scutellaria lateriflora
Inositol	Sepia
Lachesis mutus	Serotonin
Lithium carbonicum	Sulfur
Magnesia phosphorica	Valeriana officinalis

Aromatherapies used in treating depression:

Basil	Lemon
Bergamot	Marjoram
Chamomile, Roman	Orange Blossom (Neroli)
Clary Sage	Orange
Coriander	Patchouli
Frankincense	Pettigrain
Geranium	Rose Otto
Grapefruit	Rosemary
Juniper	Sandalwood
Lavender	Ylang-Ylang

Gem Elixirs used in treating depression:

Agate, Botswana	Jasper, Royal Plume
Agate, Mexican Lace	Jet
Agate, Regency Rose	Lapis Lazuli
Ammonite	Manganosite
Beudantite	Mordenite
Coral, Red	Opal, Black
Cuproadamite	Quartz, Harlequin
Genthelvite	Staurolite
Gold	Tephroite
Idocrase	Thoreaulite

Flower essences used in treating depression:

Ashoka tree	Orange
Bisbee Beehive cactus	Periwinkle
Black Cohosh	Pine
Blackberry	Plemomele fragrans
Borage	Primrose
Copper Beech	Rainbow Cactus
Cucumber	Red Beak Orchid
Daffodil	Red Rose
Grape hyacinth	Scotch Broom
Immortal	Skullcap
Larch	Sugar Beet
Moss Agate	Sycamore
Mustard	Yerba Santa
Olive	Zinnia

"Real Drugs" used in treating depression:

*Amitriptyline (Elavil)
*Amitriptyline w/ Perphenazine (Triavil)
*Aventyl (Pamelor)
*Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
*Celexa (Citalopram)
*Citalopram (Celexa)
*Cymbalta
*Desipramine (Norpramin)
*Desyrel (Trazodone)
*Doxepin (Sinequan)
*Effexor (Venlafoxine)
*Elavil (Amitriptaline)
*Fluoxetine (Prozac)
*Gabritrol
*Imipramine (Tofranil)
*Lamictal
*Lithium
*Mirtazapine (Remeron)
*Nardil (Phenelzine)
*Nefazodone (Serzone)
*Norpramin (Desipramine)
*Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
*Pamelor (Nortriptyline)
*Paroxetine (Paxil)
*Paxil (Paroxetine)
*Phenelzine (Nardil)
*Prozac (Fluoxetine)
*Remeron (Mirtazapine)
*Sertraline (Zoloft)
*Serzone (Nefazodone)
*Sinequan (Doxepin)
*Surmontil (Trimipramine)
*Tofranil (Imipramine)
*Trazodone (Desyrel)
*Triavil (Amitriptyline w/ Perphenazine)
*Trimipramine (Surmontil)
*Valdoxan
*Venlafaxine (Efferor)
*Wellbutrin (Bupropion)
*Zoloft (Sertraline)

References:
http://www.prozactruth.com/index.html

© 2006 by Dr. Denice M. Moffat

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