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Depression Actually Affects Your Brain Structure: How You Can Change It Back!
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The World Health Organization, or WHO, states that about 400 million people, from all countries and all ages, suffer from depression. This would make depression the leading cause of disability globally.
Of course, this means there is a huge market for pharmaceutical companies who are looking to turn a quick and easy profit. Imagine what the CEO’s of such companies must think when they realize the amount of potential customers they have. There are huge profits to be made and drug companies are not wasting any time to make the most of this.
The British Medical Journal published a study recently which found that pharmaceutical companies were not disclosing all the information they had regarding the studies and clinical trials done on their drugs. Researchers involved in this study looked at the documentation from more than 70 different double blind studies of SSRI’s (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the most common type of antidepressant) as well as SNRI’s (norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) and found that the full extent of possible side effects, some of them serious, went unreported in the final study analysis.
This isn’t the first time either. Depression can take a toll on physical health as well and when it comes to your brain, an ongoing state of depression can literally reduce the size of the hippocampus. This is the area of the brain which is involved with the formation and regulation of emotions and memory. This is especially concerning when we are talking about youngsters and teenagers as their brains are still developing.
There are several studies which have shown that people who experience long periods of depression have a smaller hippocampus. In fact, the more episodes of depression that a person experiences, the smaller the hippocampus.
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Feelings of negativity or sadness can actually code different types of information into the electromagnetic field of the heart. The heart then sends back some of these signals to the brain. This creates havoc in the nervous system. We are not designed to feel depression for long periods of time.
We do have good news for you. Damage caused by depression can be reversed. There are ways to change the brain but YOU must make the decision to do so. You must decide that you are going to fix things yourself and then act on that decision.
Are you ready? We are going to tell you how.
1. Neuroplasticity
This word means that the brain is changeable and adaptable. This technique is being used more and more to treat everything from learning disabilities to chronic pain and much more. The idea here is that the way you think changes your brain. Although this isn’t a new idea, it has been proven recently through a number of experiments. The Baylor School of Medicine, for example, looked into surgery for patients who had extremely severe knee pain. These subjects were divided into three groups. Group one had surgeons shave the damaged cartilage of the knee. Group two had surgeons flush the knee joint removing unwanted inflammation. Both of these procedures have been used successfully with those who have severe pain due to arthritis. However, group three had “fake” surgery. They were sedated and incisions were made in the knee, then they splashed salt water on the knee. All three groups went through rehab. At the end of the study, the placebo group showed just as much improvement as the groups that had surgery! This study, which was published in 2002 in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows the power that the mind has on the body.
The American Psychological Association’s journal, Prevention and Treatment, also published a study in 2002 which found that 80 percent of all antidepressants could be attributed to the placebo effect. Researchers around the globe have found in many cases that the mind can heal just as well as any “real” surgery or drug.
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2. Practice Meditation
Meditation has a wide variety of health benefits, including neurological benefits. It can increase the size of the grey matter in the brain and reduces the activity in the “me” centers, which can improve mood. Studies show that meditation relieves stress, anxiety, and depression while improving concentration and attention levels. Meditation has also been shown to improve an overall psychological sense of well-being.
3. Diet
A diet high in refined sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup, GE foods, and pesticides used in most conventional foods, can change your gut microbiome. When you alter the balance of the gut flora, this interrupts the natural production of amino acids such as tryptophan, which is a serotonin precursor. Other foods, such as artificial colors, flavors, and artificial sweeteners, can also change your gut flora. Return to a natural diet and get plenty of probiotics to “restock” the healthy bacteria in your digestive system.
4. Moderate Exercise
There is no denying it: Exercise has consistently been proven to fight depression as well as rebuild the hippocampus. In fact, numerous studies show that exercise works better than any antidepressant. Exercise will also rid the body of stress hormones which can lead to depression.
READ ALSO: The Real Causes Behind Depression And Other Mood Disorders
Yes, doing these things will take work and you might not feel like you are capable of doing so, however, if you are truly interested in fixing your depression naturally, take these steps necessary to do so! Your brain will thank you for it!
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