Having depression:( can't think of why, but I'm having it:(

NWCountryGal

Now that I'm doing all the things I think I'm supposed to be doing, I am having some pretty, major depression. I don't really know where else to talk about this, but talking with you guys may help. The reason I say that is because if I am not doing anything, just sitting around, no wonder I might be depressed, right? Well in this case, I feel I have no reason to be having depression.

I think depression is a normal feeling at times in our lives, but then I hear there are "clinical" types of depression, maybe from lack of something in our diets, or hormones (lack thereof). I don't know, not a doctor. All I do know is they put me on something called Lexapro last year. For the first time in my life, I stuck with an anti-depressant. The others I had taken gave me really noticeable side-effects. No tests were ever run for deficiencies, they'd just send me home with another sample. After I got insurance, doctors would just give me scripts to try, but I didn't take them more than a months or so.

Ok fast forward, on the Lexapro I noticed a difference, real balance, and no, icky side effects. But after taking it for about 6 months, I did notice I always felt I had a slight, bug. Just didn't feel good, went about my biz, but never feeling myself physically. So I stopped the meds. Now, about another 6 months later, I am getting hit with depression again. I hate meds, and worse, no one ever seems to really want to get to the bottom of it, just send her home with another med.

Does anyone relate, or maybe suggest something that has worked for you? I am eating good (my diary is open) sleeping good, and going out to work-out every other day now, sometimes 2 days in a row. I am alone, not even a dog, but I am glad because I have anger, short-tempered (little things bother me too much, like a key sticking on my laptop, spilling coffee, little things ya know??), don't throw things, just hit the table, then I cry for a bit. Denise

alasin1derland

There is a link between good gut bacteria and depression.
http://happyzine.co.nz/2012/10/31/top-10-happy-foods-number-4-kefir/

How does Kefir elevate our mood?

For this article I’m going to focus on how Kefir improves our overall health by enhancing our intestinal health, therefore strengthening our immune system and keeping us healthy and happy. However within milk, there’s quite a high level of tryptophan, magnesium and B vitamins, which if you’ve read any of my other articles on my Top 10 Happy Foods do directly effect our mood. Tryptophan is used by the brain to make serotonin – the feel good hormone we all love. Magnesium and B vitamins both have been found in respected research to help elevate the mood. Plus, the fermentation process the milk goes through when making Kefir predigests these nutrients for us making them easier for our bodies to digest and assimilate.

The real reason though that so many cultures have adopted Kefir as their own, is what it can do for our all-round health. When you introduce Kefir grains (which resemble miniature cauliflowers) to fresh milk and leave it at room temperature for 24hrs, it changes the milk into an alive immune supportive elixir. The fermentation process changes the lactose into lactic acid making it digestible to even those that have trouble digesting lactose.

What is this?

The microorganisms that make the Kefir alive are beneficial to our digestive tract. Introducing different kinds of beneficial bacteria improves both nutrient absorption and immune function. It helps immunity because having balanced flora in your gut aids the lymphatic cells present in your intestines to kill any pathogens we might have ingested with our food. If the acid in our stomach hasn’t killed them then we need the helpful microorganisms in our intestines to do it, otherwise they go further into the body or begin to grow in our gut.

There has been some interesting research lately on the effects that a healthy intestine directly affects your mood, helping you feel less stressed and anxious. This would explain why some people claim to feel happier when they are including Kefir in their diets. Without getting too technical most of the feel good chemical serotonin travels to the lining of the intestine and stomach and is released there. If we having a well functioning gut then serotonin levels are ample, if not then we have too little or too much both causing negative side effects for the digestive and nervous system.

NWCountryGal

alasin1derland wrote: »

There is a link between good gut bacteria and depression.
http://happyzine.co.nz/2012/10/31/top-10-happy-foods-number-4-kefir/

How does Kefir elevate our mood?

For this article I’m going to focus on how Kefir improves our overall health by enhancing our intestinal health, therefore strengthening our immune system and keeping us healthy and happy. However within milk, there’s quite a high level of tryptophan, magnesium and B vitamins, which if you’ve read any of my other articles on my Top 10 Happy Foods do directly effect our mood. Tryptophan is used by the brain to make serotonin – the feel good hormone we all love. Magnesium and B vitamins both have been found in respected research to help elevate the mood. Plus, the fermentation process the milk goes through when making Kefir predigests these nutrients for us making them easier for our bodies to digest and assimilate.

The real reason though that so many cultures have adopted Kefir as their own, is what it can do for our all-round health. When you introduce Kefir grains (which resemble miniature cauliflowers) to fresh milk and leave it at room temperature for 24hrs, it changes the milk into an alive immune supportive elixir. The fermentation process changes the lactose into lactic acid making it digestible to even those that have trouble digesting lactose.

What is this?

The microorganisms that make the Kefir alive are beneficial to our digestive tract. Introducing different kinds of beneficial bacteria improves both nutrient absorption and immune function. It helps immunity because having balanced flora in your gut aids the lymphatic cells present in your intestines to kill any pathogens we might have ingested with our food. If the acid in our stomach hasn’t killed them then we need the helpful microorganisms in our intestines to do it, otherwise they go further into the body or begin to grow in our gut.

There has been some interesting research lately on the effects that a healthy intestine directly affects your mood, helping you feel less stressed and anxious. This would explain why some people claim to feel happier when they are including Kefir in their diets. Without getting too technical most of the feel good chemical serotonin travels to the lining of the intestine and stomach and is released there. If we having a well functioning gut then serotonin levels are ample, if not then we have too little or too much both causing negative side effects for the digestive and nervous system.

Well at least this is something I haven't heard of yet. I think I'll wait a bit and see if there is more input. I am interested in this, and will read the link you put in. I do know about serotonin, and believe it is a "feel good" thing, and if we are lacking it, depression can happen. I have never heard of Kefir, but if I would want to try it, I would have to find another way to consume it than milk. even non-fat milk gives me sinus problems.

Thank you for your time. Have you been consuming this stuff, and had good results? Have you been depressed to begin with, or just read about this? Denise

justsayinisall

Big hugs. I think you are right when you say that depression is normal at times in peoples lives. In some people (both my brothers) the chemicals in the brain are just not doing what they should and there is actual clinical depression. I would think that if you had the clinical depression it would have showed itself earlier on in your life. I know for my brothers, they are totally different people when they are on medication and when they are off. When my older brother goes off his medication he's an *kitten*! Not fun to be around, mean and angry. When he's on his meds, he's such a nice guy. So I think if you were clinically depressed you would notice a bigger difference with your personality (on meds vs off meds).

Do you think maybe it's "hormonal"? God I hate using that but it is true. We are women and hormones can get all screwy. That can totally mess with everything!

As far as being short tempered? Well hello sister from another mother! I'm not sure that would be depression, I think that is just personality

Heck, I don't know. I do know that working out will help. Those endorphins are fabulous! Is there something to diet? Probably, I just don't know what that would be. Maybe do a little Dr. Google and see what it suggests. Wish I were more help.

NWCountryGal

Thanks for your helpful reply:) You are a good buddy girlfriend;) I am so much better today, but it is an up-and-down, comes and goes thing. I've had it all my life, but the temper thing seems to get worse now that I am more post-menopause (although it started when I was 50, the mood-swings in menopause). It's hellish some days, but yesterday, I had a great workout and ate really good (check me on my diaries for food and exercise and let me know what you think, if you have the chance;)

I'm not a mom honey, never had children. But I enjoy younger folks that would be either the age of children or grand-children. I don't regret not having kids, but I wonder a lot what it would have been like. Kind of scarey, that's probably why I didn't have them in the first place, LOL!!

I am really balanced when I took the lexapro for about 6 months. But I just can't take it, I felt balanced mood-wise, but felt kind of ill all the time. I don't know how to describe it, but I missed feeling healthy, not like I had a bug all the time. If there was some sort of anti-depressant that didn't have the side-effects, I would sure take them. The lexapro came closest, but I hate going through the trials periods:(

Well, I do feel way better today, lets see if it holds out for me since I am doing my work-out plan. I am at 1700 cals instead of the calculations that I got in the Starter Guide, the free one? Anyway, I couldn't hit the mark so I went back to my 1700, and although I am lifting, I'm not doing extreme because of my shoulder. I am "building" though, I can definitely feel it. The dancing just burns off some calories, 246 yesterday, but I know that is more for fun, like my walking. Also warms me up good before I go in and do the machines;)

Thanks again sista!! denise;)

retirehappy

Glad you are having a better day. Eating well and exercising will help with the moods. I agree that we all can get depressed. I know I have struggled with it over the course of my life, never taken meds for it. I usually find that my life organized around yoga, meditation, and eating well could restore my balance. Others in my family do require meds for it. Dancing also makes me feel better. I once had a workshop with Blanche Evans, the mother of dance therapy, and she believed many people could control anger and depression with dancing.

I also chose to not have kids. Not too many of us around here.

NWCountryGal

retirehappy wrote: »

Glad you are having a better day. Eating well and exercising will help with the moods. I agree that we all can get depressed. I know I have struggled with it over the course of my life, never taken meds for it. I usually find that my life organized around yoga, meditation, and eating well could restore my balance. Others in my family do require meds for it. Dancing also makes me feel better. I once had a workshop with Blanche Evans, the mother of dance therapy, and she believed many people could control anger and depression with dancing.

I also chose to not have kids. Not too many of us around here.

Blanche Evans, that's my last name, wonder if we are related, LOL!! I do love dancing, and I either didn't know, or forgot that you dance as well!! I don't know, just an ongoing battle:) Started getting those negative feelings just as I've been up this a.m. talk to you later;) denise

heybales

The brain as a physical structure can have chemical differences that have nothing as the cause of those changed states.
So the meds and testing of them is to try to find what helps put them right. Sadly other changes in the body, some even unrelated, can make that a very dynamic study in change.

So just as if you had a leg that was shorter than the other, and if you did enough walking that messed up your hip, and twisted your back, and hurt your arch, ect - you'd do what needed to be done to correct the effect, even if you didn't want the surgery to lengthen a leg.
You'd put in a lift. And might fiddle with the height until you find the correct one.

Only difference is you can analyze that leg difference, and others could too objectively.

But actually using the body part (brain) to analyze if there is an issue with itself, and if the prescribed meds are working or not against it - can be a difficult thing.
Usually only when it's working can you be aware of a more objective ability to analyze the difference.

Indeed do some reading up on it - you might not like meds, but if needed to compensate for something that isn't going to get corrected so you don't need them ever again - good to get to accepting stage.

NWCountryGal

You're saying some meds can be used that aren't necessarily something I would always have to take? I think I heard that before, or someone just said that they took something for awhile, and then they didn't need them anymore.

I am still doing ok, but not as well as I wish. I do have a good doctor, actually, a psychologist. I think she is very good anyway. Time will tell, or my opinion may change. I am working out again, and meeting my caloric needs, but not hitting the protein mark I'm shooting for. But as people have said, if I feel good, I should be getting enough protein (strong, energy, not weak & hungry all the time). Thanks for your reply Heybales, I do need to read more on it. If you know of any articles/books that might truly be of help, I'm all ears;) denise

heybales

Good diet and exercise can help deal with the chemical differences too, or actually can help change them somewhat so the degree of effect isn't so bad.

Like people with ADD or ADHD can many times get a good workout in - and then their brain can focus for a hour or two perhaps block of time.
But then the imbalance comes back and that's about impossible to do.

Some may take enough meds in that case they always can focus - but other negative side effects to that level perhaps.
Others may take enough to knock the edge off most of the time, and then rely on exercise when they need to focus.

So with good diet (meaning what you eat) and exercise you could perhaps need less meds compared to if you did neither.
But depends on what chemicals are off kilter - for some it doesn't help, or not enough.

Shoot, for some, once the chemicals are corrected for long enough, then the body can maintain it and meds not needed. For others, that may never be reached. Just depends.
And for those that can stop - sometimes they can put themselves right back into trouble again if not careful.

And then we've probably all known ones that feel good, and stop meds when they shouldn't have.

It's difficult process to get to good point, and almost just as difficult maintaining it as life and stresses change.

This is through observing family and friends and research.