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A lot has been said about depression and anxiety.  There are many methods of treating or caring for people dealing with these types of conditions.  Some of the most common methods are medications or mind altering drugs that give the user a euphoric response and/or increase in the symptoms of nervousness, meditation, or relaxation depending on the medication.  Many individuals have tried the "ignore it and maybe it will correct itself and go away" method which usually doesn't work.  "Natural" or "alternative" methods like acupuncture, cranio-sacral therapy, chiropractic, Bach flower remedies as well as other specific homeopathic remedies, and specific nutritional supplementation have proven helpful in many cases.

I do not propose that there is a best method for everybody to heal and deal with depression, anxiety, or nervousness.  Actually what I propose is that it should be a customized approach for the individual.  I would like to discuss some of the major, as well as some of the minor contributing factors to these conditions.

Let's look at who is most commonly expected to suffer from these conditions.  The stereotype is females at three different times in life: the young woman in her late stage teen-age years, the mother with a few children who feels as though she can't keep up and life is falling apart, and the middle aged woman who begins to realize that life is not what she expected or who has had an accumulation of traumatic events throughout life.  Is it possible for someone outside these basic parameters to be dealing with anxiety, depression, or nervousness?  Yes.  Actually most all of us will deal with these conditions in one way or another throughout our lives.  Do males get depressed?  Yes, they just tend to hide or ignore it as long as possible whereas women tend to seek help more quickly.

There are a few organs that are commonly involved with these conditions: the pituitary gland, pineal gland, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, and gonads (ovaries, uterus, testicles).  There are many other organs that may also have an impact like the liver, gall bladder, pancreas, and central nervous system.  Emotional stressors have a very real impact on the body's organs and systems.  The following may help explain:

One of the components necessary to produce these peptides and neurotransmitters is proper nutrition, which consists of amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.  This is why it is so critical when working to recover from anxiety and depression that the complete or total health of the person is taken into account.  This includes dietary intake of nutrients as well as proper functioning of the digestive system where absorption of these nutrients occurs.

Hormones are a very real and critical factor with these conditions also.  Hormones are comprised of basically the same types of nutrients as neuropeptides with a little more emphasis towards the essential fatty acids (omega 3,6, and 9 -- some of the best sources are flax oil and cold water fish oil).  Hormones have a relationship with all of the glands mentioned earlier.  There has been a lot of research lately pointing to the benefits of progesterone therapy in balancing the hormone systems of both males and females.  Progesterone acts to balance the dominant sex hormones, which are estrogen in females and testosterone in males.  Dr John R. Lee's books on natural progesterone replacement are great resources for this information.

There are many impacts on the body due to structural misalignments that can interfere with the body's ability to be healthy.  These misalignments can involve the internal organs, the spine, and the cranium, which in turn can affect the neurological function of any part of the body leading to dysfunction and disease.

The emotional impact and components of all the factors mentioned above are very in depth and extensive.  There are many methods of dealing with these issues within the natural health care model.  A wonderful book we recommend is "Feelings Buried Alive Never Die" by Karol Truman.  There are many other wonderful books that can help.  Becoming informed and educated is a critical step in healing.  A few of the physical technique4s that allow us to assist patients in healing include cranio-sacral therapy, ocular lock, ocular release tech., Neuro-Emotional Tech. (N.E.T.). and neuro-repatterning to name a few.  As the names of these techniques indicate, they all work with the body's nervous system to release the body's memory of emotionally traumatic events.  At The Institute of Chiropractic & Acupuncture Therapy, we recommend that each patient be evaluated and that the most applicable techniques be used for the individual at the appropriate time.  One exercise that has been helpful universally is the repetition of positive affirmation statements.  However, each person's affirmation should to be specific to his or her needs.

Although there have been many techniques used over the years, it is our endeavor at the Institute of Chiropractic & Acupuncture Therapy to encourage individuals not to just deal with the symptoms of life's events but to truly heal and overcome the negative effects of their health.  Our goal is to treat the cause and not just chase the symptoms, supporting the person throughout the healing process.