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A Cure For Depression?

I'm skeptical as always but I sincerely hope that a cure is on the way, there are just too many people suffering.
 
Interesting article Peace, thanks for finding and sharing it. Curcumin, found in tumeric, also occurs in cinnamon and ginger, so to simply add these to my food and see what happens is definitely worth a go. :)
I've been practicing various forms of self-help, CBT, DBT, NLP, meditation and excercise, assuming that my depression is caused by emotional/cognitive factors (I believe anxiety and chronic loneliness in my case), which cause chemical imbalances in the brain (low serotonin/dopamine levels), so it should be possible to cure, or at least alleviate, depression by adjusting the chemical balance.. SSRI's don't work for me, I just get the fun side effect of suicidal tendencies, however cannabis does work for me and, interestingly, has been shown to increase serotonin production and act as an anti-inflamatory agent.
In conjunction with my cognitive and physical therapies, I do notice a drastic improvement.. it's not going away as the root causes still exist (and they're the rock and a hard place for an Aspie), but I have felt a lot worse :)
 
Hmm, I already eat healthy and take fish oil supplements and everything. Haven't tried curcumin yet...just ordered some and will give it a try. They do say "many cases", not all cases, so surely there are situations where outside factors still play a big part. I hope they do figure out something, maybe even that doesn't require a "drug" in order to fix it! :)
 
I do feel somewhat better in eliminating Aspertame altogether. I still struggle in drastically reducing my sugar intake though. Just not sure how to qualify it in terms of experiencing a tangible reduction in depression. Especially if other important things in my life are presently on a rebound of sorts. But hey...I'll take any reduction I can get!
 
There are a few studies out that show a relationship of digestive system chemistry that can pass thru the blood brain barrier and impact functions of the brain,so it was actually not that surprising to me to see this study.
 
I've been trying a very strict anti-inflammation diet, and it had great effects on anxiety. I lost 35 pounds and kept it off. I even stopped grinding my teeth at night.

I did this for three months, then started expanding it. I think that the most important things are to avoid any kind of refined carbohydrates (sugar, white flour) and added chemicals (preservatives, sugar substitutes, fillers) in food.

I also pay attention to microbes to make sure I get enough: sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, etc. (I added dairy back after three months, but only small amounts of minimally processed, fermented dairy - no milk.) The human body is not an individual organism, it is more like a farm.
 
It sounds like 113 and I are on the same diet as well as a couple others I know and the results sound similar. I went to see someone who specializes in nutritional healing. She is in Wisconsin in the United States but she does web consultations also. She interviewed me about lifestyle and diet, then we talked about what she recommended and why. Everything she said made good sense and it has helped me greatly. If at some point I stray from the diet, I immediately notice decline.
Her name is Karen Hurd.
 
113 said:
I've been trying a very strict anti-inflammation diet, and it had great effects on anxiety. I lost 35 pounds and kept it off. I even stopped grinding my teeth at night.

I did this for three months, then started expanding it. I think that the most important things are to avoid any kind of refined carbohydrates (sugar, white flour) and added chemicals (preservatives, sugar substitutes, fillers) in food.

I also pay attention to microbes to make sure I get enough: sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, etc. (I added dairy back after three months, but only small amounts of minimally processed, fermented dairy - no milk.) The human body is not an individual organism, it is more like a farm.
Click to expand...

This looks an interesting idea to try and the food looks good to, but any idea why no milk? I personally find that milk makes me happier, possibly due to the triptophan content which, I understand, is the main building block for serotonin..
 
I don't think that plain cow milk is especially healthy, though I don't know for sure. I only eat it after it is fermented: yogurt, kefir, and maybe some kinds of cheese in the future. The kefir is made with whole goat milk.

I have 3/4 cup each of plain, whole, organic yogurt and kefir per day, each mixed with 50% water. This provides microbes and calcium.

It's just a suspicion I have that letting it ferment is better.

I added back wheat and rye too, but only in the form of whole grain sourdough bread (with sprouted wheat berries) that I make myself. I'm really into microbes at the moment. :)

Edit: yogurt also has tryptophan.
 
113 said:
I don't think that plain cow milk is especially healthy, though I don't know for sure. I only eat it after it is fermented: yogurt, kefir, and maybe some kinds of cheese in the future. The kefir is made with whole goat milk.

I have 3/4 cup each of plain, whole, organic yogurt and kefir per day, each mixed with 50% water. This provides microbes and calcium.

It's just a suspicion I have that letting it ferment is better.

I added back wheat and rye too, but only in the form of whole grain sourdough bread (with sprouted wheat berries) that I make myself. I'm really into microbes at the moment. :)

Edit: yogurt also has tryptophan.
Click to expand...

I have yogurt on occasion as I quite like it when I'm in the mood, but milk is a craving that even wakes me up in the night.. if I try to avoid it I feel like I'm dying of thirst, no matter what else and however much I drink!
I even talked to my doctor about it, but just got a blank look back :confused: ..actually, my GP often communicates with me with blank looks..
I talked to a friend yesterday who recently developed the same craving and also suffers with depression.. it's a rather small sample of two, but I wonder if there is a link..
I'll try goat's milk though, see if it has the same effect, thanks 113 :)
 
Spiller - i wonder if you have a lack of vitamin D or calcium? Low levels of Vit D can also contribute to depression. My doc tested me and said i had the lowest reading she'd ever seen.

i do not like milk except in coffee or tea. But i crave cheese like crazy!

Spiller said:
I even talked to my doctor about it, but just got a blank look back :confused: ..actually, my GP often communicates with me with blank looks.
Click to expand...
This cracked me up :D
 
Spiller said:
milk is a craving that even wakes me up in the night
Click to expand...

Everyone is different, and it's likely that milk is good for some people. I don't claim to be an expert, so don't take my opinions as recommendation. I generally think of the things that I say as a sharing of research and experiences, not recommendations. :)

If you are craving milk, maybe it's a sign that you need it. I don't know...
 
I strongly believe that depression has no "cure," that it is a chronic condition. However, I also strongly believe that it can be abetted by taking good care of yourself, which of course includes a healthy diet. As always I will wait for further confirmation of the outcome of any one study, but if that turns out to be the case, then chalk up another one for healthy living! Naturally there's still that paradox of it being hard to do the things that will help your depression when you are depressed (maintaining a routine, self care, exercise, eating well), I know suffering from clinical depression myself, but I always hope and encourage that people can find some improvement if they are willing to seek out the help they need and do the things that need to be done.
 
This is an interesting and to me a sensible theory. Inspires me to be even more disciplined. Thanks for the link.

113, do you have a recipe for that sourdough bread you could share? I miss bread. But I do not like the bread from the grocery store, at all.
 
wyverary said:
I strongly believe that depression has no "cure," that it is a chronic condition. However, I also strongly believe that it can be abetted by taking good care of yourself, which of course includes a healthy diet. As always I will wait for further confirmation of the outcome of any one study, but if that turns out to be the case, then chalk up another one for healthy living! Naturally there's still that paradox of it being hard to do the things that will help your depression when you are depressed (maintaining a routine, self care, exercise, eating well), I know suffering from clinical depression myself, but I always hope and encourage that people can find some improvement if they are willing to seek out the help they need and do the things that need to be done.
Click to expand...

After years of introspection as to what was wrong with me and my own research, as I've never been able to get help from GP's, therapists.. anyone, I've realised that depression has a cause, in my case (and, I suspect, many here will agree) isolation and loneliness. I've found, in the two briefly enjoyable relationships I have had in my life, that my depression seems to disappear along with my loneliness, however, when those relationships became unpleasant, it returned in full force.
This indicates two things to me; first that it may be possible to drastically reduce it (only further relationship experience might do that and that possibility seems unlikely to me now) beyond the beneficial effect of diet and self-help strategies; second that, either due to a genetic/psychological predisposition or, in a sense, 'catching' it through unpleasant experiences, the damage it causes to the psyche has left me permanently weakened/damaged and therefore forever vulnerable to its effects, requiring constant vigilance and self monitoring.
Regularly experiencing the difficulty in finding the energy to drag myself out of deep depression, I often fear that I won't survive, especially as the cycle of low-to-recovery-to-low (co-morbid cyclothemia?) seems to me to have a downward trend over the years.. I am hopeful, though, that I will always find the strength and motive to rise again.. :)
 
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