Combating the “The Noon-Day Demon”: A Study on How to Overcome Depression Naturaly
April 28, 2011 By Gary Null
Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Gustav Mahler. What did they have in common, other than their great talents? They all suffered from what author Andrew Solomon very appropriately call “The Noon-Day Demon” : Depression.
Dr. Jay Lombard, Board Certified Neurologist and former Chief of Neurology at Westchester Square Medical Center, author of “The Brain Wellness Plan,” puts depression at the top of the list of modern epidemics. According to Dr. Lombard, 20% of adults in the U.S. experience one or more depressive episodes, while 5% receive a diagnosis of clinical depression. Of the latter group 15% of the cases end in suicide.
An especially alarming trend is the increase of incidence of depression among teens and young adults, and even children. Statistics show that an average of 14 teens kill themselves every day. That’s 5,000 kids a year. It is estimated that 5% of American teenagers currently suffer from depression severe enough to warrant medical treatment, but these numbers may not reflect a much more alarming reality.
It is no surprise, given these statistics, that pharmaceutical companies are so eager to fund research aimed at finding effective relief for this life threatening condition. And yet, current drug treatment seems to fall short of expectations. It works sometimes, for some people, but for many it becomes a frustrating juggling act from one drug to another, waiting for as elusive relief that never seems to come, or never seems to stay.
And while the initial lessening of symptoms offered by antidepressants is desirable and necessary, it carries the potential for serious, long-term, undesirable side effects such as tardive diskenesia, paranoid and psychotic reactions, and liver malfunctions, among others.
Candace B. Pert, Ph.D., is mostly known for her discovery of endorphins, the opiate-like chemicals produced by the brain and nervous system. Her pioneering work has led the way into this quickly expanding field of research and has been one of the most important foundations for establishing the bio-molecular connection between brain chemistry and emotional states.
Experts may dissagree on how to treat depression, but there is almost unanimous consent that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the flow of the neurotransmitters that bathe our brains at any given moment,--too much of one or not enough of another. All it takes is a rebalancing act, research seems to promise. The task of the health care practitioner, according to this approach, lies in figuring out which chemical or chemicals are out of balance and to provide the patient with a drug that correct the problem. If it sounds too simple to be true, than it probably is. And it’s the best current psychiatry has to offer.
What we did in our study was to challenge the axiom that the patient’s brain chemistry is inherently faulty and therefore in need of permanent outside intervention. In other words, we changed the therapeutic stance from one that defines the patient as a passive, helpless victim of a fateful brain dysfunction to one that puts him/her in the driver seat of this delicate and possibly lifesaving “brain rescue” operation.
The results of our study, we are delighted to say, have opened a window of hope for those who suffer from this very painful, often devastating condition. Indeed, we believe that this remarkable study, unique in its parameters, offers a new foundation upon which to build the future of brain research.
What is different and unique about our study was that we didn’t try to forcibly re-direct brain chemistry by supplementing the participants’ diet with isolated nutrients and/or herbal supplements, nor did we require that participants stop taking their medications prescribed for their symptoms. Rather, our aim was to find out whether neurotransmitter imbalances leading to depression could be the consequence of lifestyle choices, and not an elusive brain abnormality that can only be affected by aggressive chemical interventions.
To establish whether or not this was true or not, we designed a parallel study where participants were given high doses of nutrients known to positively affect brain functioning, such as St. John’s Wort, PS and PC complexes, SAMe. DHA, and others. No other change was required—dietary or otherwise. The outcome of this study showed that single, isolated nutrients have little or no impact on mental outlook and overall health. Symptoms of anxiety/depression persisted. And no major positive change was noted in this group.
Participants in the first group ranged from 20 to 78 years old. In order to be accepted in to the study, all of the participants had to present a letter from their physician stating that they had been diagnosed with, and were in treatment for, anxiety and/or depression, primary or secondary. If they were taking nutritional supplements on their own, such as multi-vitamin or a B-complex for instance, we asked them to suspend supplementation for the duration of the study. However, we told them to continue taking their medications as prescribed by their doctor. All medical aspects of the study were closely monitored by Martin Feldman, M.D., Board Certified Neurologist.
The need for lifestyle modification was discussed and explained in detail to the participant, and attendance to weekly meetings was made mandatory, in order to effectively monitor the evolution of the study. All of them were asked to implement the following changes.
• Identify and eliminate all known allergens or toxins from the diet. Plus learn to purchase, prepare, and enjoy good, healthy and natural foods.
• Self-administer a simple test in order to evacuate thyroid activity.
• Establish, maintain, and gradually increase intake of beneficial phytochemicals from fresh vegetables and fruit juices, and/or from, food concentrates.
• Avoid watching television, except for movie classics and educational programs. We also asked that participants refrain from reading upsetting news for obvious reasons.
• Learn stress management tools, such as relaxation, meditation, prayer, positive affirmations and positive thinking techniques, and use them daily for the minimum of an hour.
• Engage in one hour of mild to moderate daily aerobic exercises, as well as learn basic Yoga and breathing techniques.
• Identify and correct hormonal imbalances, especially for men and women whose hormonal status may be one of the major underlying causes of brain imbalances (i.e., reduced testosterone, thyroid, etc.)
• And finally, perhaps most importantly, we encouraged participants to do whatever was necessary to boost and restore efficacious immunity. For many of them, one of the greatest discoveries was linking mercury amalgam fillings in their teeth with their mental anguish: once the mercury was removed many of the gloomy feelings seemed to disappear as well.
Once the relevance of the required change was understood, its implementation was facilitated and made possible by providing participants with simple, practical information and support at our weekly meetings. These meetings lasted two hours and offered an open forum for individuals to share their experience with one another, thereby creating an opportunity for positive reinforcement of their newly learned behaviors. We also provided individual counseling and support as needed. After three months on the program. And without heavy-duty nutritional or herbal intervention, 93% of participants reported markedly elevated energy level; relief of anxiety and depression symptoms; improved cognition; better sleep; improvement in digestion and elimination; better focusing ability; a sense of internal peace and confidence, as well as significant improvement in overall mental state. Many felt confident enough to ask their physician to lessen or discontinue their medication and thus were able to sustain a stable, drug free, comfortable lifestyle. What was especially remarkable was that, along with the subsiding of anxiety and depression symptoms, all participants across the board achieved a level of overall health they had not been able to achieve or sustain previously.
We hope that this study will serve as a template for future research, and we present it in this book as a prototype for what we consider a state of the art approach to the treatment of anxiety and depression.