By Mark Hyman MD on January 27, 2012
Here’s some depressing recent medical news: Antidepressants don’t work. What’s even more depressing is that the pharmaceutical industry and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have deliberately deceived us into believing that they do work. As a physician, this is frightening to me. Depression is among the most common problems seen in primary-care medicine and soon will be the second leading cause of disability in this country.
A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine provides the evidence. It found that drug companies selectively publish studies on antidepressants. They have published nearly all the studies that show benefit, but almost none of the studies that show these drugs are ineffective.1
That warps our view of antidepressants, leading us to think that they do work. And it has fueled the tremendous growth in the use of psychiatric medications, which are now the second leading class of drugs sold, after cholesterol-lowering drugs.
The problem is even worse than it sounds, because the positive studies hardly showed benefit in the first place. For example, 40 percent of people taking a placebo (sugar pill) got better, while only 60 percent taking the actual drug had improvement in their symptoms. Looking at it another way, 80 percent of people get better with just a placebo.
That leaves us with a big problem: millions of depressed people with no effective treatments being offered by most conventional practitioners. However, there are treatments available. Functional medicine provides a unique and effective way to treat depression and other psychological problems. Today I will review seven steps you can take to work through your depression without drugs. But before we get to that, let’s take a closer look at depression.
What’s in a Name?
“Depression” is simply a label we give to people who have a depressed mood most of the time, have lost interest or pleasure in most activities, are fatigued, can’t sleep, have no interest in sex, feel hopeless and helpless, can’t think clearly or can’t make decisions.
But that label tells us nothing about the cause of those symptoms. In fact, there are dozens of causes of depression, each one needing a different approach to treatment. Depression is not one-size-fits-all, but it is very common.
Women have a 10-25 percent risk and men a 5-12 percent risk of developing severe major depression in their lifetime.2 One in ten Americans takes an antidepressant. The use of these drugs has tripled in the last decade, according to a report by the federal government. In 2006, spending on antidepressants soared by 130 percent.
But just because antidepressants are popular doesn’t mean they’re helpful. Unfortunately, as we now see from this report in The New England Journal of Medicine, they don’t work and have significant side effects. Most patients taking antidepressants either don’t respond or have only partial response. In fact, success is considered just a 50 percent improvement in half of depressive symptoms. And this minimal result is achieved in less than half the patients taking antidepressants.
That’s a pretty dismal record. It’s only made worse by the fact that 86 percent of people taking antidepressants have one or more side effects, including sexual dysfunction, fatigue, insomnia, loss of mental abilities, nausea and weight gain.
No wonder half the people who try antidepressants quit after four months.
Despite what we have been brainwashed to believe, depression is not a Prozac deficiency!
How We Have Been Deceived by the Antidepressant Hoax
Despite what we have been brainwashed to believe, depression is not a Prozac deficiency!
Drug companies are not forced to publish all the results of their studies. They only publish those they want to. The team of researchers that reported their findings in The New England Journal of Medicine took a critical look at all the studies done on antidepressants, both published and unpublished. They dug up some serious dirt …
The unpublished studies were not easy to find. The researchers had to search the FDA databases, call researchers and hunt down hidden data under the Freedom of Information Act. What they found was stunning.
After looking at 74 studies involving 12 drugs and over 12,000 people, they discovered that 37 of 38 trials with positive results were published, while only 14 of 36 negative studies were published. Those that showed negative results were, in the words of the researchers, “published in a way that conveyed a positive outcome.”
That means the results were twisted to imply the drugs worked when they didn’t.
This isn’t just a problem with antidepressants. It’s a problem with scientific research. Some drug companies even pay or threaten scientists to not publish negative results on their drugs. So much for “evidence-based” medicine! I recently had dinner with a step-uncle who runs a company that designs research for drug companies. He designs the study, hires the researcher from an esteemed institution, directs the study and writes up the study, and the scientist just signs his or her name after reviewing it.
Most of the time, we only have the evidence that the drug companies want us to have. Both doctors and patients are deceived into putting billions of dollars into drug companies’ pockets, while leaving millions with the same health problems but less money.
The scientific trust is broken. What can we do? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. But I do think functional medicine, on which my approach of UltraWellness is based, provides a more intelligent way of understanding the research. Rather than using drugs to suppress symptoms, functional medicine helps us find the true causes of problems, including depression.
I see this in so many of the patients I have treated over the years. Just as the same things that make us sick also make us fat, the same things that make us sick also make us depressed. Fix the causes of sickness and the depression takes care of itself.
Here are a few things you can do to start treating your depression today.
Seven Steps to Treat Depression without Drugs
1. Try an anti-inflammatory elimination diet that gets rid of common food allergens. As I mentioned above, food allergies and the resultant inflammation have been connected with depression and other mood disorders.
2. Check for hypothyroidism. This unrecognized epidemic is a leading cause of depression. Make sure to have thorough thyroid exam if you are depressed.
3. Take vitamin D. Deficiency in this essential vitamin can lead to depression. Supplement with at least 2,000 to 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day.
4. Take omega-3 fats. Your brain is made of up this fat, and deficiency can lead to a host of problems. Supplement with 1,000 to 2,000 mg of purified fish oil a day. Consider a vegan source of omega-3 (such as this one).
5. Take adequate B12 (1,000 micrograms, or mcg, a day), B6 (25 mg) and folic acid (800 mcg). These vitamins are critical for metabolizing homocysteine, which can play a part in depression.
6. Get checked for mercury. Heavy metal toxicity has been correlated with depression and other mood and neurological problems.
7. Exercise vigorously five times a week for 30 minutes. This increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a natural antidepressant in your brain.
Overcoming depression is an important step toward lifelong vibrant health. These are just of few of the easiest and most effective things you can do to treat depression. For more information on how to optimize your health, see http://drhyman.com/.
Now I’d like to hear from you … Have you been diagnosed with depression? How have antidepressants worked for you? Do you plan to try any of the approaches mentioned here? Please let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
References
1. Turner EH et al. 2007. Selective publication of antidepressant trials and its influence on apparent efficacy. N Engl J Med. 358: 252-260.
2.Eaton WW, Kalaydjian A, Scharfstein DO, Mezuk B, Ding Y. 2007. Prevalence and incidence of depressive disorder: the Baltimore ECA follow-up, 1981-2004. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 116(3):182-188.
Photo credit: walknboston
Disclaimer: The opinions presented in this article are those of Dr. Hyman based on his years of training and experience as a medical doctor. This information is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. All material in this article is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health program.
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By Guest Blogger on January 16, 2012
So you’re a “wellness warrior,” but for some reason you are still not always practicing what you preach with self-care, and everything you’ve been “meaning to get back into for a while now” still keeps getting put on the back burner.
What gives?
I am not here today to mother you. Lordy … I don’t want that job. But I am here to take a stand for what I know is possible when you commit to having the life you always dreamed of. And guess what sister … to attain that, your self-care has GOT to be numero uno!
Darn it … the vicious circle of a catch-22
The great thing about you already being pretty health savvy is that it won’t take much for you to get back up in the saddle. All you probably need is to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and do some tweaking here and there to get back on track.
Keep it simple sister, just like you tell everyone else to do.
Remind yourself that living a holistic lifestyle is a natural, fun, explorative, individualized-to-you kind of approach. And it is a choice. Bring yourself back to those day-to-day habits that you already know support you in a way that feels really good. Is it incorporating natural foods that tempt your taste buds? Finding a rockin’ new song that makes you wanna pull out your rebounder and jump your little heart out? All the while you are taking into consideration that these habits are sustainable for that life you are deliberately designing.
Plus … you already know that healthy is super sexy.
You have been there before and understand from personal experience that when you are glowing on the inside you are naturally radiant on the outside. It is like you are shooting off pheromones as you walk into a room and all heads turn. You love being comfortable in your own skin. You dig how the fabric of that sexy little camisole feels on your bod. And that is most certainly the healthy you with a bit more swing in your hips… you bet I saw that, mamma (wink wink).
I get that life can be overwhelming sometimes and your health seems to take the back burner. So, I’m gonna knock out seven easy steps that will help you get it back on track.
Seven Easy Steps to Get Your Health Sexified:
1. Take Off the Blinders: First things first and that means you need to get really honest about where your health is today. No more sweeping little secrets under the rug. If you are not proud of any habits you are doing today, meaning you wouldn’t feel comfy doing them in front of another person, then it is time to transition out of that habit.
2. Tune In to You: Yep, you got it. You were born intuitively knowing health and, through this whole crazy thing called life, you may have gotten a bit confused. That’s cool … no worries. Heavens child, certainly don’t sweat it. But now let’s start reconnecting with you, so you can remember what feeling naturally good really feels like.
3. Create Your Daily Rituals: Design a.m. and p.m. rituals that nurture you. Do you feel great when you meditate every morning, dry brush, then have a cup of your fav herbal tea? In the evening, do you turn off your cell and spend time in a nice bubble bath with candles? Create healthy rituals that you miss when you don’t do them.
4. Love a Farmer: In today’s society there sure is an abundance of dead food available at all times. I know that sounds weird and maybe you haven’t thought of it that way, but let’s do so now. How much life is really in Doritos? I don’t know, but I am thinking not much. Start going to the farmers markets and fill your fridge with organic produce, becoming a really good friend to all those little cells taking residence in your body.
5. Bottoms Up!: Drinking plenty of water is one of the cheapest, easiest and nicest gifts that you can give your body. As I am sure you know, you can live days without food, but water … well that is something that you must have no matter what. Sexy your water up with a slice of citrus or make it feel special by drinking it from your favorite wine glass. Bottom line is you do need to get about eight glasses down the chute a day.
6. Know What Floats Your Boat: OK, I am going to debunk some pretty major myths that are floating around our universe about exercise. You do not need to exercise two hours a day or eliminate an entire food group from your diet to maintain your weight. Not the general public at least. What you do need to do is create a lifestyle that is sustainable and enjoyable for you … oh yeah, and you really should move your bod at least 30 minutes a day. No groaning! I am not talking about 30 minutes of hard-core spinning, unless that’s what floats your boat. I am talking at least 30 minutes of an activity that you really enjoy, whether that is brisk walking, hip-hop dancing or surfing. Just do it.
7. Sleep Like You Mean It: I mean… reaaaallly mean it! Not a measly two hours here or four hours there. Your body, mind and spirit all deserve a full night’s rest, all the time. Sleep is the time when your body is able to fully rejuvenate. You know that p.m. ritual we talked about earlier? Well including a decent bedtime is a part of that.
You getting the picture, mamma? Getting/being/staying healthy can be enjoyable if you let it be. So much of it is your attitude and the approach that you choose to take. Developing a lifestyle that is healthy and has your inner you grinning from ear-to-ear is at your fingertips.
Kerry Tepedino is an internationally trained holistic health practitioner and creator of You-Defining-You Coaching, as well as the Healthology Method, a holistic approach to total wellness.
Photo credit: Werner Moser
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By Guest Blogger on August 3, 2011
The role of the patient has changed dramatically over the last several centuries. The Industrial Revolution created labor specialization and division in all spheres including healthcare. Suddenly, there was not one doctor but many subcategories responsible for different parts of the body. The structure of healthcare also changed significantly: hospitals became more accessible and seeing a doctor doesn’t require traveling long distance.
Living in the wilderness without access to immediate medical help, our ancestors once had a deep awareness of their bodies, which allowed them to notice the slightest shifts of their health and take appropriate steps to stay healthy. Now there is no survival requirement to develop such awareness. Over time we got used to relying on external cues about our health and courageously handed over the responsibility for our health to the doctors. Everything is “diagnosed” and treated by a third party. First it was another human and now it is often a computer. Our internal awareness – the most efficient diagnostician – is put to sleep. The only part that we are doing actively now is “popping pills.” Unfortunately, this approach rarely brings back our innate health.
Why our current approach to health is failing
- Doctors don’t have time to treat every human according to his/her unique conditions and point out all disease causes. As a result, we get a general diagnosis and a general prescription.
- Specialists have a limited understanding of how internal body systems can influence each other. Connecting the dots can take months or years. As a result, a dermatologist will prescribe a steroid treatment for acne instead of finding a root cause and maybe offering dietary advice.
- Most treatments used by modern medicine are symptoms-oriented. They rarely get to the root cause of the ailment because that is more time-consuming and labor-intensive.
- Our own passivity encourages us to wait for someone to make us better. The “pop a pill” approach encourages this. No matter how long it took us to make our body sick, we impatiently demand doctors to make it better immediately. We rarely ask ourselves about our own role in the healing process.
Fortunately, more people are choosing natural ways of treatment and healing with acupuncture, herbs and diet. However, natural medicine requires a different stance from a patient to be successful. A passive “I am here, treat me” won’t get you far.
What does it mean to be a good patient? These five tips will help you get the best results from working with an integrative medicine practitioner.
Be a student of your body. No one has more incentive or resources to understand your body than you. Ayurveda says that we are all unique and need to be treated with this idea in mind. To function at the most efficient level, discover your unique diet and lifestyle routine through trial and observation. For example, while some people thrive on 100 percent raw food, some feel better if they eat cooked food. Reading about other people’s experiences and doing research can point to a new direction, but nothing should be accepted as the final truth unless your body agrees with it. All you need is an attentive, curious mind and an independent variable such as a diet. Proceed with every experiment mindfully. If you are juicing for the first time, pay attention to your body’s reaction. Have your juice room temperature one day and cold the next. Take note of how it affects your energy and digestion.
Be open to new concepts and ideas. Integrative methods of healing often rely on different philosophies about the world than the ones we were brought up with. Most of them are ancient but nevertheless logical and reliable. During my “treatment” year I learned that our body can heal itself if we create a good environment for it. This idea might seem simple but it is fundamentally different from the way most western doctors think. Integrative practitioners believe in our innate body intelligence. For me it meant shifting my focus from a search for the right magic herb that would solve all my problems to focusing on creating a nurturing space, a positive outlook and trust in my body.
Be ready to actively change. If you are sick, your current lifestyle, diet and/or exercise regimens don’t suit you. Something has to change to create a healthy you. You might have to give up something that you liked or think that you like and adopt new ways. You are the only one responsible for your choices. Start experimenting. Remember that you are unique and your body knows best. You just need to learn its language!
Be patient. Herbs and dietary changes might take longer to alleviate symptoms than traditional pills. They eradicate the cause, not just the symptoms. For example, if you experience allergies, integrative medicine will focus on cleaning your body and improving liver and spleen functions, not just stopping the itch and sneezing. Don’t expect overnight changes. The ailment will be less likely to come back. It took me over a year of incremental changes in my body to get back to normal.
Be willing to overcome discomfort. Integrative medicine often uses methods that might seem unpleasant. Whether it comes to fasting, enemas or acupuncture needles, it takes getting used to. Chinese and ayurvedic medicine believe that herbs taken in a tea, brew, jam or wine form are more effective than when packed in a pill. Some herbs do not taste like nectar but the taste has its own medicinal effects. Fortunately, our taste buds adjust quickly. Initially, I couldn’t stand the taste of Triphala, a bowel tonic and a strong detoxifying herb, but after slowly sipping it many nights in a row it grew on me. Give yourself enough time and space to adjust.
If you made a shifted from a Western medicine approach and are working with an alternative medicine practitioner, take a new approach to being a patient also. Stay healthy and share your experiences!
Nadya Andreeva is a yoga instructor and ayurveda enthusiast who creates a wholesome path to wellness through yoga and nutrition workshops. Her articles are featured on MindBodyGreen, Modern Hippie Mag, and YogaCity NYC. Nadya holds an MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from NYU and hopes to bring holistic approach to wellness into the corporate world.
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By Guest Blogger on June 7, 2011
By Tisha Morris
Although I don’t have any linguistic rules to back me up, I feel like it’s not coincidental that the word “home” begins with the same letters as the word “holistic” (not to mention includes the word “om”).
Holistic living is being more and more embraced with conscious eating, preventive and alternative medicine, and simplicity. Holistic implies being “whole” or taking into account the “whole” picture – our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Historically, in the West, we have put a priority on physical health; while in the East, there has been a focus on spiritual health. Both are now being embraced and united with a holistic lifestyle.
And now our home is coming to the forefront as another component of holistic living. More people are realizing that their home can be a source of healing – a place of essential change.
Our home is second to our body as our physical dwelling on Earth. It is so closely related to our mind and body that the two have oftentimes throughout history been used interchangeably in religions, architecture and dream analysis.
And this I know is not coincidental. For the last four years, I have gone to people’s homes to help them with energy flow, clutter clearing and even color selecting. And what I’ve discovered is that our home is a mirror of ourselves. And as we make changes to our home, we are making changes to ourselves.
The energy patterns within you – physically, mentally and emotionally – are also present within your home. Have you ever had a great massage or bodywork where you left feeling great? And upon returning home, you fell right back into your old patterns – maybe your shoulders started to slump forward again or your breathing returned to being labored.
If the energy flow in your home is “off” then the energy flow in your body will be as well. Energy flow in your home can be affected by furniture, accessories, clutter and the quality of energy.
Here are a few things to consider in making your home part of your holistic lifestyle.
1. Remove furniture blocks. For the best feng shui, you want the energy to “meander” through a space. So imagine yourself as energy (because you are) coming through your space. Do you bump into any furniture? Do you hit corners sticking out? Are there tight places that feel constraining? Too much furniture can be major blocks of energy. And if they’re in your house, then those blocks are also in your life.
2. Clear emotional clutter. Clutter is stagnant energy. So if you feel stagnant in any area of your life, then there’s probably clutter lurking somewhere in your life that has taken form. If it’s your love life that’s stagnant, then clear out stuff from past relationships. If it’s your career that’s stagnant, clear out your office. If it’s your body that’s cluttered, then clean out your cupboards, fridge and clothing closet.
3. Inventory your accessories. Like a great outfit, accessories are essential. They can make an outfit. But if overdone, they can ruin an outfit. Such is the case with accessories in your home. Take inventory of the accessories in your home. You should love every one of them. Don’t use accessories to distract. I find that people who use too many accessories with an outfit are subconsciously trying to distract attention away from them personally and to their clothing instead. Don’t let your accessories distract you. Love everything in your home, including yourself.
4. Clear the energy. No one likes to sit at a table in the restaurant before it’s been cleared of the dishes left by the people who sat there before. And no one certainly wants to live among the energy of the previous owners of their home. You don’t want to be subjected to the energy patterns of those before you. If you have never cleared the energy in your home, now is the time! It’s quite simple and effective. Sage smudging is the most common method by which you light the end of a sage bundle and waft it around your house. Add your intention to the mix as well.
So as you become more conscious of your diet, exercise, spirituality and so forth, become conscious of your home as well. As you love your home, you will love yourself.
Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor and author of “27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home” (Turner Publishing).
Photo credit: Janelle Beh
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By Guest Blogger on August 10, 2010
Many people are surprised to hear that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are keys to improving health and quality of life for cancer patients. Acupuncture is great for treating and preventing pain, and it will help put an end to daily doses of ibuprofen and other pain medications. An added bonus is that there are no negative side effects.
Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, acupuncture, and proper nutrition can help other cancer-related symptoms, as well as side effects of Western treatments, including nausea/vomiting, fatigue, weakened immunity, stress, anxiety, pain, bruising, post-operative swelling, hair loss, anemia, skin issues, hot flashes, digestive disorders, loss of appetite, and detoxification/elevated liver enzymes.
A lot of people ask me how acupuncture works in general and how it reduces pain. Acupuncture reduces inflammation, stimulates nerve conduction, increases blood circulation, releases endorphins, and relaxes muscle tightness and spasm.
Quite often, pain gets overlooked or undertreated because the focus is on treating the cancer. Many of my patients also frequently ask why so many cancer patients experience pain to varying degrees while others don’t experience any pain at all. The level of discomfort depends on many factors, such as the type of cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient’s tolerance. Pain in cancer patients can result from the following:
-Tumor putting pressure on a nerve
-Blocked blood vessels causing poor circulation
-Bone fracture due to metastasis
-Infection
-Inflammation
-Psychological or emotional distress
-Anemia leading to lack of nourishment to muscles and tissues
-Side effects from Western cancer treatments
Thirty percent of cancer patients experience pain, and up to 90 percent of patients with advanced cancer experience severe pain. As many as 50 percent of patients may be undertreated for cancer pain, yet not all cancer patients feel pain, and pain is rarely a sign of early cancer. No matter what the cause of discomfort, if you are experiencing pain, muscle tightness and spasms, numbness, and loss of muscle strength, acupuncture will help.
Cancers that are more typically painful include tumors of the bone and the organs of the abdomen. Cancers of the blood, such as leukemia or lymphoma, rarely cause any pain.
Pain can also increase due to the emotional stressors related to cancer or any chronic illness—fear, financial worries, or feelings of isolation. How a patient emotionally handles their illness and gets support does affect pain levels and threshold.
Studies at the National Institutes of Health on the benefits of acupuncture on the immune system of cancer patients showed that it improved immune system response and reduced pain levels. In one study, a majority of patients were able to stop taking drugs for pain relief or reduce their dosages. Several clinical trials have shown that acupuncture reduces nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, surgery, anesthesia, and morning sickness.
Another added benefit is that nutritional and herbal support boosts immune response in cancer patients, along with minimizing the immune and white blood cell suppression that occurs with most chemotherapeutic agents.
For those of you seeking support in pain management, cancer prevention or the prevention of a reoccurrence, please find a qualified acupuncturist or herbalist. Being free from illness is how we’re meant to live. Being proactive in regard to your health will naturally make you feel better too.
Live natural. Live well.
Heather Lounsbury, L.Ac., an animal rights activist for 25 years, has been in private practice for over 15 years as an acupuncturist, herbalist, nutritionist, and Reiki master. At her clinic in Santa Monica she treats a variety of ailments, specializing in pain management, gynecology, mental health and addiction, & digestive disorders. Her patients range from newborns to the elderly, celebrities to college students. Her weekly radio show “Live Natural Live Well” covers a wide variety of health topics, as well as how you can get more involved in your community and saving the planet. As a well-respected physician, Heather’s unique holistic approach to healing encompasses all aspects of her patients’ needs, allowing for the best possible results.
Photo Credit: SqueakyMarmot
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