While we all experience periodic "mood swings," the symptoms of true depression are outlined by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). According to the DSM-IV, at least 5 of the following 8 symptoms must be present for at least one month in order to diagnose clinical depression:
- Weight loss due to a poor appetite, or overeating accompanied by weight gain
- Frequent insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping too much)
- A lack of interest in regular activities and/or a decrease in sex drive
- Overall feeling of fatigue
- Excessive activity or inactivity
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- Difficulty concentrating
- Suicidal thoughts
Anti-depressant drugs are an all-too-frequent course of treatment for depression, but are not necessarily the best. For one thing, there is a high rate of relapse and dependency associated with these drugs. One alternative gaining in popularity is cognitive therapy which serves to manipulate brain chemistry by empowering the patient with new "tools" for daily living. In effect, cognitive therapy teaches the depressed person to replace automatic negative thoughts with more appropriate ones. This restructuring of thought processes not only relieves the feeling of helplessness or loss of control in the patient, but actually results in stabilizing brain chemistry.
Depression has a variety of causes, of both physiological and organic origin. Some of the most recognized include: food allergies, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, diabetes, heart disease, environmental toxins (heavy metals), poor adrenal functioning, nutritional deficiencies and even certain medications. Since this list is so lengthy, it is important to seek help from a qualified health care practitioner to rule out the presence of any of these conditions. Severe or major depression (especially when thoughts of death or suicide are apparent) involves a range of therapies and should only be addressed by a qualified professional. However, mild to moderate depression may show improvement by employing certain botanicals and nutritional considerations. But, you should discuss these therapies with your physician first. It is also imperative that you never combine herbal medications with other anti-depressant prescription drugs.
Uncle Sam Meets SAM
SAM (S-Adenosyl-Methionine) is involved in the functioning of monoamines (such as serotonin, dopamine and gamma-amino-butyric acid or GABA), neurotransmitters and certain serum lipids. In "normal" brain chemistry, sufficient amounts of SAM are produced by the amino acid methionine, but this synthesis is impaired in depressed individuals. Numerous double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have found SAM to be one of the most effective natural anti-depressants and is better tolerated and works faster than many tricylic anti-depressant drugs. While SAM has been widely used in Europe for at least 20 years, it has only arrived in the U.S. within the last few months.
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