Depression is a fact of life. So the first thing to
recognize is that while it is natural to feel shame
when experiencing depression, World Health
Organization statistics show that 15% of people
living in high-income countries report having a
depressive episode over their lifetime.
One common misconception about depression is
that it is caused by low serotonin—the
neurotransmitter associated with mood regulation.
While it's true that depressive disorders are often
correlated with low serotonin levels, this does not
prove causation.


Unfortunately, the medical industry reaches for
easy solutions to try and help people coping with
depressive/mood disorders, which has resulted in
epidemic overprescription of SSRIs and other anti-
depressant medications.

While antidepressant prescription still dominates
treatment, recent independent meta-analyses show,
however, that the placebo effect is as high as 80%
when it comes to pharmaceutical intervention.
That tells us that the belief that taking something
is going to have a beneficial effect is 80% effective
as the actual ingestion of a drug!
In other words, the physiological effect medication
may have to alter mood/anxiety neurotransmitters
can be actuated without them being present, as the
body can kick in its own natural production of
these neuro-hormones.


So you can see how the negative thoughts,
feelings and low energy associated with depression
can be turned around. This is not as simple as
saying just think positive—it requires a holistic
approach involving mind, body and life changes.
Here are some simple, powerful, daily actions to
take that can stimulate and engage your mind/
body process to restore balanced mood, self-
esteem and well being:


1. Call a friend or help someone.
Reaching out has some powerful effects. First of
all, it counteracts the downward spiral of shame
and self-loathing that goes with isolation. Part of
what triggers and feeds depression is a childhood
deficit of bonding experiences, which can make us
prone to being low in levels of serotonin (mood),
dopamine (safety, well-being) and oxytocin
(bonding/attachment).
Connecting with someone who knows you can
break through that bubble, lift your spirits, and give
you warm validation. Acts of kindness and service
also stimulate areas of the frontal cortex
associated with empathy and compassion, and
help stabilize mood!


2. Go for a walk.
Research shows that walking actually releases
oxytocin, the hormone released during childbirth,
bonding and lovemaking. The mild exercise will
also clear your head, increase oxygen flow to your
brain, and boost your serotonin. Add #1 to this
and you double the effect!


3. Make a list.
Negative thoughts can escalate into a completely
irrational pervasive state of shame and low self-
esteem, much like lingering pain in the body after
an injury has been treated. One way to cut through
this negative feedback loop is to make two lists:

(1) Write down five things that other people love
about you. This makes it impossible to self-
sabotage, since it's based on other people. If you
get stuck, ask them!
(2) Make a list, and be
honest, of things/people/situations in your life that
no longer work for you, and imagine what it would
feel like if they were no longer present in your life
—kind of like spring cleaning!


4. Deep breathing/meditation.
A few minutes daily of breathing deeply from your
belly, holding in and out for 8 seconds, is a
powerful agent. When your body is not getting
steady oxygen, noxious gases build up in your
blood, triggering anxiety and fight-or-flight reflexes
in your nervous system.
Secondly, without proper oxygenation, your brain
is starved of circulating blood and is prone to poor
function. Deep breathing slows down your heart
rate, restores blood flow to the brain, and calms
your nervous system. Notice how the anxiety/
depression eases!


5. Stabilize your blood sugar/take your EFAs (fish,
flax oil).
Depression can drive down your serotonin levels
making your body seek to replenish, which can
lead to emotional/stress eating patterns (simple
carbs, sugar, alcohol) and addictive behaviours,
oversleeping, etc.

Make sure you eat small amounts every three
hours and to stay hydrated to counteract that fight/
flight state or bottoming out of blood sugar levels.
Taking 3 to 4g of EFAs (Omega 3, 6, 9) has been
clinically proven to treat depression as, like deep
breathing, it restores normative function to your
brain, particularly in the areas where irrational
thoughts/feelings can overwhelm you.
It may take a little while to feel these effects, but
like exercise, step by step you begin to feel better,
and we get better by doing more of the positive
things versus trying to avoid the negative!

Stay excited