Depression Archives – Page 2 of 6

Take a Staycation Instead of Having ECT Treatments

05.02.2016 by Molly McHugh // 3 Comments

Update: This post ‘Take a Staycation Instead of Having ECT Treatments’ offended someone suffering with severe mood issues and actually came out a bit more intense than I had intended. It was meant to just give some thought to how you can do other things than potentially damaging medical treatments, not upset anyone. Followed up with (and will write more): Medical Alternatives to ECT. Peace.

And make that an extra special staycation, suited for your particular needs in healing whatever trauma or physical distress you are suffering from that is forcing you to consider getting brain damaging ECT Treatments. Please consider it at least.

I say ‘force’ as I know how horrible severe depression is or other extreme mood state such as mania and that when in a very ill state of bipolar illness you do not have proper control of your thinking or thoughts or – of course – next to nil control over how you are feeling.

Consider doing anything other than brain damaging ECT Treatments that may change the way you feel and give you a perception different than what you are suffering – or a temporary physical change that may make you feel like you are better – but you need to understand clearly it will NOT give you long-term relief most likely or a cure to your mental illness.

If a doctor or therapist is telling you that or giving you that impression they are being deceitful. If they say it is ‘safe and effective’ and won’t cause harm they are lying. Chances are high you will suffer long-term adverse affects, possibly debillitating ones.

You can educate yourself about the risk to your health you are considering taking by reading what an honest, ethical psychiatrist has to say – that is the factual truth about this brain damaging unecessary medical procedure – by clicking here: The Dangers of Electroconvulsive Therapy.

[bctt tweet=”ECT Never Solves or Treats the Underlying Medical or Psychological Problem”]

If you are feeling suicidal or having thoughts of hurting yourself it is a symptom of the distress you are feeling and not your fault. Tell someone who you trust or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline free 24 hour help number: 1-800-273-8255.

Desperation is What Forces Sufferers to Consider Getting ECT

And what brought you to this point? ECT is not the first line of treatment so what is going on is that you have most likely been on psychotropic medications and had a worsening of symptoms (but your doctor won’t share that information with you even though they most likely know that is what unfortunately happened).

Previous post: Are Your Psych Meds Making You Sick?

So brain damaging drugs didn’t help now they want to damage your brain more directly and severely with ECT – and profit grandly in the process, get many forms of payback for participating in the administration of the procedure or for recommending it to their patients. Don’t be naive to think otherwise.

Tell your unethical physician to go f’ themselves and do ANYTHING you can to get alternative forms of care. Nicely of course, while walking out the door with your brain and physical health still under your control.

If Have to Pay for ECT Treatments You Can Afford It Most Likely

But I can’t afford it is probably your first thought.

Most persons suffering from a severe state of mental distress who are also probably at the point where they have had a job loss or other losses and of course are at the end of what they feel they can humanly tolerate.

I understand. I’ve been in those exact same shoes on more than one occasion.

And when in that state of unwellness just thinking of having to manage a task such as making a temporary change to travel to a new location to experience something different that may help you to feel better can seem unsurmountable.

In most cases ECT Treatments are not free either, so use those funds on other desperate measures. ECT is a desperate measure – that should be banned so the medical community is forced to come up with safer and more effective treatments.

Have someone help you. Rent your house out for a few months and escape that dreadful weather that has increased your physical state of unwellness to where it is unbearable. There are always alternate solutions.

Related post: Medical Alternatives to ECT

You Can Do It – Refuse Electroconvulsive Therapy

You can do it. If you are capable of agreeing to ECT you are capable of making other choices.

And thank god for that, and that you are not institutionalized and being forced or coerced into having the massive profit-generating treatment of ECT and your brain potentially irreversibly damaged for life.

Inexpensive Healing Places in the U.S.

These are a few suggestions as mental distress always has physical origins of some type. You know loud and clear what you were doing did not work – so try something new.

Many who are suffering severe depression have co-existing medical conditions or are reacting to things in their environment. I’m not talking about your overly-demanding toddler or teenager or unhealthy relationship but physical things that may be causing physical distress leading to a serious depressive episode that is obviously not responding to treatment.

Previous post: Drug Resistant Bipolar Disorder

Try something new. What do you need? How about de-stressing (and detoxing) in a peaceful natural environment? Why not try it?

I recently spent a day immersed in the natural hot springs at Tecopa Hot Springs in California. It was nice – and cheap. It is only $7 for 24 hour use of tubs and you can camp for $220 for a month – add $60 to that price to have electricity at your site. Go with a partner or friend and the cost is half.

There is free WiFi on the premises, or you can pay for high-speed Internet at your campsite for an additional $100 for the month. Now during winter is typical desert weather (very cold at night, sunny during the day) and scenery – lots of solitude if you need that and is safe for women.

The town of Pahrump, Nevada with a Walmart to stock up on supplies, many restaurants and cheap gas ($1.97 per gallon for regular unleaded) is just a 45 minute drive away. And a nice, peaceful scenic drive at that.

Here is an article to get you motivated: Best Hot Springs in America

There are many places you can go. Fly to Mexico and get a dose of culture shock plus some great food and time at the beach or visiting Mayan ruins. It will be more fun even if you get sick (flu, food poisoning) and hate it – than inducing seizures in your brain and suffering the effects of the treatments.

If you are considering ECT and not currently hospitalized you are capable of making alternate choices for your self, soul and viable future. Email me and I will help you think of options if you need some ideas or need some support and encouragement.

Photograph is from this Wikipedia page and is of an electroconvulsive therapy machine on display at Glenside Museum in Bristol, England.

Take Probiotics to Treat Bipolar Illness?

05.01.2016 by Molly McHugh // 2 Comments

Take probiotics to treat bipolar illness? Using natural supplements to treat mental illness is not a new concept. Yet it can, unfortunately, end with a bunch of cash being spent and the sufferer not feeling much better.

I could pay for the awesome teen’s college tuition with all the cash I spent many years ago – for many years – on a multitude of natural ‘cures’ for my CFS/ME and Manic Depressive illness.

Supplements did help in many ways, too many to mention here and they were bought and consumed for various reasons that of course changed over time as well.

Stuff for depression when feeling very depressed… start to feel better, hold off on that… a manic switch may be on the way. Things to heal gut when was having constant vaginal yeast infections.

[bctt tweet=”Inflammation is Now Thought to be an Underlying Cause of Depression.”]

That got better, don’t need that expensive acidophilus product anymore. Got pregnant and so of course took prenatal vitamins. Felt well and did well (no complications with pregnancy or childbirth), so stayed on them for a year or so after my son was born. Then went back to a regular multivitamin.

Should I buy the one with iron or without?

There are so many things you can purchase to try and self-medicate with – that usually do not have the awful side effects regular medications often do. But is it worth the cost and do they work? Will probiotics help your bipolar illness states?

Thankfully there are many physicians (regular docs, not just naturopaths) and medical researchers who are continuing to try and find the answers for all of us out there who want better treatment options for our mental illness than brain damaging, addictive and harmful psychotropic medications.

Why Take Probiotics to Treat Bipolar Illness?

What have they come up with that may indicate probiotics will help your bipolar illness? Check this out:

U.C.L.A.’s Mayer is doing work on how the trillions of bacteria in the gut “communicate” with enteric nervous system cells (which they greatly outnumber).

His work with the gut’s nervous system has led him to think that in coming years psychiatry will need to expand to treat the second brain in addition to the one atop the shoulders.

Source: Think Twice: How the Gut’s “Second Brain” Influences Mood and Well-Being

The depressive phases of Bipolar 1 Disorder/Manic Depression can be severe. The medications needed to treat the depression without flipping you into mania can be worse than or as bad as the actual mental state they are trying to treat. Depressing, no?

That is why we need more proven natural-based treatments that have less side effects and less of a potential stimulant effect. How about yogurt with a capsule of high-quality probiotic sprinkled on top?

If that would help, it would be an amazing improvement in treatment modalities and in current ways of thinking by shrinky dinks, yes? Hells bells yes!

According to Ted Dinan, a professor of psychiatry at University College Cork, in Ireland, and one of the world’s leading researchers on the subject, there are three basic mechanisms underlying the astonishing connection between these lowly microorganisms and our very personalities:

(1) Bacteria that live in the gut (or travel through it aboard some yogurt) are necessary building blocks in the production of neurochemicals there, like serotonin and dopamine.

(2) That impact on neurochemicals in turn has an effect on the secretion of stress hormones like cortisol.

(3) Gut bugs also play a vital role in regulating the immune system and the inflammatory response it can launch when things go haywire. Inflammation is now widely considered to be one underlying cause of depression.

To learn more about this exciting discovery, read this article: Your New Antidepressant Goes Remarkably Well With Blueberries.

Image is a free use from Wikimedia Commons by Schwäbin

Will Turmeric Help Your Depression?

04.30.2016 by Molly McHugh // Leave a Comment

Will turmeric help your depression? I read so much good stuff this past summer about Turmeric that I decided to give it a try.

A huge bonus is that it is very inexpensive to purchase in pill or powder form (or else would not have done a trial, I don’t have cash to throw away on guessing game remedies). I bought mine at IHerb.com.

How Can Turmeric Help Depression?

I decided to try it because I have a form of ME/CFS and also the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia in addition to BP-1. Anything that may help me feel better, be more productive and prevent worsening of symptoms I give a try. Why not?

[bctt tweet=”Try Turmeric Instead of an Antidepressant to Effect Levels of Neurotransmitters in the Brain.”]

I’ve had some progression of symptoms the past few years so have gotten back into ‘treatment’ mode and put some focus on my health issues. For many years illness issues stayed in the background and I got to have a bunch of fun being Mom to the awesome teen, travel the world and have some success as a freelance writer/editor/blogger.

Life was good for a while. Let’s get back to that good state was my general train of thought.

When I learned that this natural herb has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties along with many other medicinal actions such as antiviral properties, it really piqued my interest.

The below is from the article “Turmeric and the Flu” on Turmeric for Health website.

“Inexpensive antiviral agents like turmeric are being widely studied – especially their ability to contain an infection. Among the many agents studied is curcumin, which has cell signaling effects which could prove beneficial. Laboratory studies found that curcumin reduced viral replication of 90% and more of cells infected by influenza virus.”

“It also displayed an ability to protect infection from spreading to other cells. This ability to halt replication of microbes and viruses means that turmeric could offer therapeutic benefits in treating flu.”

Source: Turmeric and the Flu.

Some of my health issues (ME/CFS and Fibro) have medical research supporting possible infectious viral or bacterial agents as a primary cause. And inflammation from infections or tissue injury a possible cause for many debillitating symptoms.

A cheap herb that can help reduce inflammation and fight viruses in the body? Sign me up.

Active Ingredient Curcurmin May Increase Serotonin Levels

Anyone who has suffered from severe depression and researched this mental health disorder or entered into treatment has heard of the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Serotonin this, serotonin that and take some Prozac as it will increase the levels of serotonin in your brain and you will feel good. Be happy. Sigh. They don’t usually tell you they aren’t really sure if that is the cause of your ill health and feelings of despair nor that Prozac – or any other antidepressant on the market – has some pretty icky side effects, including the possibility of causing suicidal ideation and attempts.

And don’t forget, most of the serotonin produced in your body (90%) comes from your gut, not your brain. Source: Microbes Help Produce Serotonin in Gut.

Here is an abstract from an article about the antidepressant effects of curcumin that is on the U.S. National Library of Medicine website.

“Curcumin also modulates various neurotransmitter levels in the brain. The present review attempts to discuss some of the potential protective role of curcumin in animal models of major depression, tardive dyskinesia and diabetic neuropathy. These studies call for well planned clinical studies on curcumin for its potential use in neurological disorders.”

Source: An Overview of Curcumin in Neurological Disorders.

Incredibly exciting news for anyone struggling with depression in any form, especially those who may have co-existing neurological conditions or debilitating symptoms such as unrelenting fatigue.

Personally, I’ve had positive results from taking curcumin capsules such as reduction in viral symptoms when had a recent flare and a calming sensation after taking it for a few weeks.

If you try it, I hope you have positive results as well.