How to Treat Depression Without Taking Antidepressants

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Article Title:

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How to Treat Depression Without Taking Antidepressants

Article Description:

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There's an alarming chance that I could develop depression in my

lifetime (women have a 10 to 25 percent risk and men a 5 to 12

percent risk), and now I find out most antidepressants don't

actually work! Luckily, there are other ways to treat depression.

In Dr. Hyman's UltraWellness blog this week he talks about how

treating the causes of depression actually works better than

using antidepressants.

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Distribution Date and Time: 2008-03-18 10:48:00

Written By: Mark Hyman, MD

Copyright: 2008

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How to Treat Depression Without Taking Antidepressants

Copyright © 2008 Mark Hyman, MD

The UltraWellness Blog

http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog

We now have proof of what I've long suspected: Antidepressants

don't work.

That's bad news for the millions of Americans who suffer from

depression.

This condition can cause a depressed mood; loss of interest or

pleasure in most activities, including sex; fatigue; sleep

problems; feelings of hopelessness and helplessness; and

difficulty thinking and making decisions.

Women have a 10 to 25 percent risk and men a 5 to 12 percent risk

of developing severe major depression in their lifetime.

Depression has different causes. And each cause needs a different

approach to treatment.

Yet many people believe that antidepressants drugs are the

answer. Today, one in ten Americans takes an antidepressant.

Unfortunately, new research shows that they don't work and have

significant side effects.

In fact, most patients taking antidepressants either don't

respond or have only partial response.

And 86 percent of people who take these drugs have one or more

side effects, including sexual dysfunction, fatigue, insomnia,

loss of mental abilities, nausea, and weight gain.

No wonder half the people who try antidepressants discontinue

them after just 4 months.

Now let's talk more about this new research.

A report published in a recent issue of " The New England Journal

of Medicine " looked at 74 studies involving 12 drugs and over

12,000 people. Some of these studies were published -- and some

weren't.

You see, drug companies don't have to publish all the results of

their studies. They only publish those they want to.

The report's researchers really had to dig to find these

unpublished studies. When they did, they found that 37 of 38

trials with positive results were published, while only 14 of 36

negative studies were published.

And the negative published studies were twisted to imply the

drugs worked when they didn't.

Now that really is depressing news -- and there's no easy fix.

However, Functional Medicine, on which my approach of

UltraWellness is based, can help.

Functional Medicine doesn't rely on drugs to suppress symptoms,

but uncovers the root causes of depression.

Let me tell you about a few of my patients.

A 23-year-old woman had been on various antidepressants

throughout her childhood and adolescence. We discovered that she

had food allergies, which cause inflammation. And recent studies

suggest that inflammation may be related to depression.

The patient eliminated her food allergies and her depression

disappeared. She was able to stop taking her medication -- and

she lost 30 pounds to boot.

A 37-year-old had depression that didn't respond to drugs, plus

fatigue and a 40-pound weight gain.

When we got the very high levels of mercury out of her body, she

soon became happy, thin, and full of energy.

And a 49-year-old man had taken antidepressants for years but was

still severely depressed.

We treated his severe deficiencies of vitamin B12, B6, and

folate. Now he's free of depression.

As you can see, antidepressants are not the answer.

We need different solutions.

Try the following measures to help alleviate depression. They are

based on Functional Medicine which is the foundation of my

practice and the core of UltraWellness.

1. Try an anti-inflammatory elimination diet that gets rid of

common food allergens.

2. Check for hypothyroidism.

3. Treat vitamin D deficiency with at least 2,000 to 5,000 U a

day of vitamin D3.

4. Take omega-3 fats in the form of 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams

(mg) a day of purified fish oil. Your brain is made of up this

fat.

5. Take adequate B12 (1,000 micrograms, or mcg, a day), B6 (25

mg) and folic acid (800 mcg).

6. Get checked for mercury.

7. Exercise vigorously five times a week for 30 minutes. This

increases levels of BDNF, a natural antidepressant in your

brain.

These are just of few of the easiest and most effective things

you can do to treat depression. But there are even more, which

you can address by simply working through the 7 Keys to

UltraWellness.

References

(1) EH et al. 2007. Selective publication of

antidepressant trials and its influence on apparent efficacy. New

England Journal of Medicine. 358: 252-260.

(2) Eaton WW, Kalaydjian A, Scharfstein DO, Mezuk B, Ding Y.

2007. Prevalence and incidence of depressive disorder: the

Baltimore ECA follow-up, 1981-2004. Acta Psychiatr

Scand.116(3):182-188.

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Mark Hyman, MD is a pioneer in functional medicine, practicing

physician and best-selling author. A sneak preview of his book

" The UltraSimple Diet " is available. See The UltraWellness Blog

for more on Depression: http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/