HowDepressionChangesYourBrain(AndWaystoReverseIt)

Itseemsthatmorepeopleintheworldlivewithdepressionthaneverbefore.Infact,accordingto
theWorldHealthOrganization(WHO),anestimated350millionpeopleofallagesworldwidesuffer
fromthismentallydebilitatingdisease.

Depressioncanliterallychangeyourbrain,alteringtheneuralpathwaysandsynapsesandshrinkingthe
sizeofyourhippocampus,anareaofthebrainthatregulatesemotionsandmemory.Mentally,you
probablyfeelfoggyandexhausted,asyourbrainmustworkhardertoprocessinformationandfeelings.
Ifyoudontfeelwellmentally,itcantakeatolloneveryotherareaofyourlife.
Depressioncanmakeyoufeeldisconnectedfromtheworldaroundyou,helplesstomakeanysort
ofchange,andparalyzedbythethoughtsinsideyourhead.Tocombatallofthesefeelings,many
peopleunfortunatelyturntoprescriptiondrugsasatemporaryanswer,butwestilldontknowthe
longtermeffectsofthesepowerfuldrugs.Insteadofmedicatingourselves,wecanturntomorenatural
remediesthatoftenworkbetterthanevenpillscan.
Today, well go over how exactly depression alters your brain, and ways to reverse
the damage naturally. It takes willpower and determination, but you CAN take
your life back with a few simple lifestyle changes and ways of thinking.

Previousstudieshavefoundevidenceofhippocampusshinkage,however,thisstudyaimedtofigure
outiftheshrinkagecausedthedepression,orviceversa.Theygottheiranswer:firstcomesthe
depression,thenthebraindamage.

AccordingtocoauthorProfessorIanHickie:
[The]moreepisodesofdepressionapersonhad,thegreaterthereductioninhippocampussize.So
recurrentorpersistentdepressiondoesmoreharmtothehippocampusthemoreyouleaveit
untreated.
Thislargelysettlesthequestionofwhatcomesfirst:thesmallerhippocampusorthedepression?The
damagetothebraincomesfromrecurrentillness
Otherstudieshavedemonstratedreversibility,andthehippocampusisoneoftheuniqueareasofthe
brainthatrapidlygeneratesnewconnectionsbetweencells,andwhatarelosthereareconnections
betweencellsratherthanthecellsthemselves.
Treatingdepressioneffectivelydoesnotjustmeanmedicines.Ifyouareunemployed,forexample,and
thensitinaroomdoingnothingasaresult,thiscanshrinkthehippocampus.Sosocialinterventions
arejustasimportant,andtreatmentssuchasfishoilsarealsothoughttobeneuroprotective.
Onthetopicofhippocampusshrinkage,wedalsoliketomentionothergroundbreakingresearchfrom
scientistsandtheInstituteofHeartMath,anorganizationthatstudiestheconnectionbetweentheheart
andbrain.Ourfeelingsbecomecodedintoourheartselectromagneticfield,andtheheartcan
actuallysendsignalstothebrainthattellithowtoreact.So,theresearchersfoundthatwhenyou
experiencenegativeemotions,thiscancreatechaosinthebrain.
Nowthatyouknowthatyouremotionsplayahugepartinhowyourbrainreactstostimuli,wethought
wedbringupanothercommonmisconceptionwhenitcomestodepression.Justlikemostpeopledont
realizethattheirfeelingsplayahugepartintheirmentalhealth,manyofthemlikelydontknowthat
thechemicalimbalancetheoryregardingdepressiondoesntaddupwhenitcomestoscience.
AccordingtoapaperbyJonathanLeo,anAssociateProfessorofNeuroanatomyatLincoln
MemorialUniversity:
thecauseofmentaldisorderssuchasdepressionremainsunknown.However,theideathat
neurotransmitterimbalancescausedepressionisvigorouslypromotedbypharmaceuticalcompanies
andthepsychiatricprofessionatlarge.
Furthermore,accordingtoDr.JoannaMoncrieff,anauthorandBritishpsychiatrist:
Ofcourse,therearebraineventsandbiochemicalreactionsoccurringwhensomeonefeels
depressed,asthereareallthetime,butnoresearchhaseverestablishedthataparticularbrainstate
causes,orevencorrelateswith,depression....Inallcasesstudiesyieldinconsistentresults,andnone
havebeenshowntobespecifictodepression,letalonecausal....Thefactthatmorethan50yearsof
intenseresearcheffortshavefailedtoidentifydepressioninthebrainmayindicatethatwesimplylack
therighttechnology,oritmaysuggestwehavebeenbarkingupthewrongtree!
Withmostdrugsthataimtotreatdepression,theyadvertisethatlowlevelsofserotonininones
brainactuallycausedepression.However,noresearchinthepastactuallycametothisconclusion.
Manypharmaceuticalcompaniesjustusethepeoplesmisconceptionsabouttheillnesstotheir
advantage.
Theserotonintheoryissimplynotascientificstatement.Itsabotchedtheoryahypothesisthatwas
provenincorrect.Dr.JosephMercola
So,thechemicalimbalancetheorydoesntreallyexplaindepression,butdothedrugsactually
workintreatingit?Well,areviewdonebytheUniversityofCaliforniain2009foundevenmore
damningevidenceagainstpharmaceuticalcompanies.Thestudyfoundthatonethirdofpeopletreated
withantidepressantsdonotimprove,andmanyofthemactuallystaydepressed.
Now,weknowthatmanypeoplereportfeelingbetterwithantidepressants,buttheresnowayof
tellingifthisisjustaplaceboeffectornot.Insummary,weknowthatdepressioncausesasmaller
hippocampusinthebrain,butwecanreversethisdamage.Ourthoughtsandemotionsplayahugerole
inourmentalhealth,butconventionalmedicinedoesntseemtoguaranteearecovery,orevenasmall
breakthrough,inmanycases.
So,ifnoscientificevidencetrulysupportsthechemicalimbalancetheory,thenwhydowecontinue
totakedrugsthatclaimtoalterourbrainchemistryinthefirstplace?Maybeweshouldputour
attentionelsewhere,onareaswherewecantakeactioninourlivesthatcanbringaboutrealchangesin
ourmentalandphysicalhealth,withoutdangeroussideeffects.

HOW TO REVERSE DEPRESSION

1. CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS.

Thebraincanchangeandadaptbasedonourthoughtsandemotions,andinturn,howwe
perceivestimuli.Highlymalleableandchangeable,thebraincanactuallyformnewsynapsesand
pathwaysbasedonnewknowledge,skills,orthoughtprocesses.Inotherwords,whatwethinkmatters
greatly,asthesethoughtsliterallycreateourbrainchemistry,andtherefore,ourreality.Themind
containsgreatpower,asdemonstratedbythefollowingstudy.
AstudyfromtheBaylorSchoolofMedicinepublishedin2002intheNewEnglandJournalof
Medicinetookpatientswithseverekneepainanddividedthemintothreegroups.Mostsurgeonsdont
believeinplaceboeffectsasasubstituteforsurgery,butthisstudyprovedthemwrong.Forthefirst
group,thesurgeonsshavedthedamagedcartilageintheirknees.Forthesecondgroup,thesurgeons
flushedoutthekneejoint,removinganythingthatmightcauseinflammation.Peoplewithsevere
arthritisintheirkneestypicallygothroughoneofthesetwoprocedureswhentheygotothedoctorfor
help.
hethirdgroup,however,receivedafakesurgery;thedoctorssedatedthepatients,made
incisions,andsplashedsaltwateronthekneesjustliketheywoulddoinarealsurgery.Then,
theyseweduptheincisionsjustlikenormal.Allthreegroupswentthrougharehabprogramtogether,
anduponcompletion,researchersfoundthattheplacebogrouphadimprovedjustasmuchastheothers
had.
So,ifthebraincanmakeusthinkwejusthadkneesurgerytocorrectthepaininourknees,whycant
weutilizethispowerintreatingdepression?Wecan,itjusttakeswillpoweranddedicationtochange
ourbrains.However,changingjustafewofyourthoughtsperdaybyfocusingyourattentiontoward
themwillgoalongwayinhelpingyoureversedepression.

2. EAT HEALTHY
Ingeneral,stayawayfromprocessed,GMO,orhighlyrefinedfoods.Sticktonatureinordertoget
themosthealthbenefitsfromyourfood;goforraw,organicfruitsandvegetables,andraw,unsalted
nutsandseeds,ifpossible.Eliminateorgreatlyreducesugary,processed,alteredfoodsinordertokeep
yourbrainhealthy.Also,trytolimitconsumptionofwhiteflours,sugars,breads,andothergrains.
Yourbrainandyourstomachhavemoretodowitheachotherthanyoudthink,soifyouwantaclean
mind,focusonadoptingacleandiet.

3. EXERCISE
Exerciseoneofthemosteffective,yetunderutilized,treatmentsfordepression.Studieshaveshown
howlackofexercisecanactuallycausedepression.Infact,accordingtoanarticlefromDr.Mercola,
Womenwhosatformorethansevenhoursadaywerefoundtohavea47percenthigherriskof
depressionthanwomenwhosatforfourhoursorlessperday.Thosewhodidntparticipateinany

physicalactivityatallhada99percenthigherriskofdevelopingdepressionthanwomenwho
exercised.Indeed,exerciseisperhapsoneofthemosteffectiveyetunderutilizedtreatmentsfor
depression.

4. ADOPT A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE

Finally,youhavetotakecareofyourmindifyouwantittoworkproperly.Countlessstudieshave
foundthelinkbetweenpositivementalhealthandmeditationorsomeothertypeofmindfulness
exercise.Byfocusingyourattentiononthepresentmomentandjustsinkingintotheblissthateach
uninterruptedsecondofmeditationallows,youcanactuallyrestructureyourbrainandeliminate
depression.
Infact,manystudieshavefoundmeditationtorivalmedicationintreatingdepression.

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