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Depression

Teri Karjala • Feb 21, 2014

There are many ways our mood can be affected from the inside, and from the outside world. Mood is a product of balanced hormones, thyroid, neurotransmitters as well as a healthy spiritual outlook and attitude towards life.

At times, simple measures have been shown to be surprisingly effective; studies show that exercise has been found to be a great antidepressant if done for at least 30 minutes, 5 times per week. Exercise increases your bodies own endorphins which make you fee better.

Following, are a couple of common examples of how your mood can be affected by what happens inside your body:

Your brain needs to be fed right, just like any other organ; so nutrition plays a crucial role in how you feel and function.  For example Omega 3’s are essential building blocks of healthy brain cell walls. What “fuel” you are running on, matters in your overall health and in turn also affects your thyroid, hormones, and your body’s production of neurotransmitters.

Your thyroid is a major player in determining your mood. If your thyroid under-functions, it can cause depression, sluggishness and low motivation. Bringing your thyroid back to optimal functioning levels can bring your mood back to a more optimal level also.

Unbalanced, waning, or a total lack of hormones, may also be responsible for mood changes.  Some women experience this going through their monthly cycles, while later in life your hormones may take you on a ride called peri-menopause and then later menopause. Hormones, thyroid, adrenals and neurotransmitters are all connected in the way they interact and function. For example estrogen activates the serotonin receptors. Therefore many women find themselves depressed when their estrogen levels go down as they enter menopause.

Men can also experience a similar loss of hormones – though more insidiously – as their main hormone, testosterone, and declines by about 15% per decade. An active, happy, energetic man can “suddenly” find himself a sluggish, depressed couch potato, without any motivation.  This is dismissed and accepted as just a “normal” sign of getting old, which prevents many men from getting the help they could receive to make their quality of life much better.

Your brain functions by using messengers called neurotransmitters, which connect your brains cells with each other for communication. They can be out of balance, some too high and some too low, causing depression, anxiety, mood swings and insomnia. For example, low levels of serotonin, a common neurotransmitter, is linked to depression. Certain amino acids from our foods are the building blocks or precursors of neurotransmitters; intestinal mal-absorption can therefore cause low neurotransmitters.

Testing is a simple way of finding out if your levels are optimal, or if there is room for improvement. Improvement can be achieved through natural supplements, enhancing certain function

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Teri Karjala is a Licensed Professional Counselor & Marriage and Family Therapist. She is the founder and Executive Director of Creative Counseling Center, LLC. Working in the field since 1999, Teri and her team of therapists specializes in counseling for those who have experienced trauma. They work with children as young as age 2, as well as teens and adolescents, adults, seniors, families, and couples.

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