Depression
In uncertain times like these, depression has become one of the fastest-growing public health crisis to plague the world. It is often said that depression results from a chemical imbalance, but that figure of speech doesn't capture how complex the disease could be. Depression, is a mood disorder characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in participating in social and personal activities. It is also called a major depressive disorder or clinical depression. Those suffering from depression often have trouble doing normal, day-to-day activities and sometimes feel as if life isn’t worth living.
Being depressed and anxious makes the brain and body feel like they are always under attack both internally and externally, which forces the body to release large amounts of two stress hormones called adrenaline and cortisol. A little stress is good for us and keeps us healthy. However, if this is prolonged it becomes pathological stress, causing serious hormone imbalances which can lead to mood disorders, anxiety, burnout & depression in individuals.
This hormonal imbalance is a major contributor to mood disorders. Talking about hormonal fluctuation, we go through many of these in our everyday lives, especially during puberty, pregnancy, the postnatal period, menopause in females and andropause in men. This leads to feeling of Sadness and Depression.
When the cause of depression is such hormonal imbalance, there can be no better solution than BHRT. What is BHRT? It is Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, designed to create exact replicas of hormones innately produced by the body. These natural bioidentical hormones match the body’s naturally produced hormones or mother hormones also called “molecular mimicry”.
Hence, to treat someone suffering from depression, this integrative approach starts with finding the missing pieces to the body’s puzzle. It puts the mind, body and brain back together in alignment. Along with this estrogen, progesterone and even bio identical testosterone are necessary for making neurotransmitters (brain chemicals). With the use of natural bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, we look at a wholesome picture of individuals health which includes appropriate advanced comprehensive tests, detailed medical and lifestyle to discover whether a hormone imbalance could indeed be the root cause of a patient’s depression.
Talking about hormones, estrogen & progesterone in women and testosterone in men play a significant role in mood behaviour. Estrogen in women can improve mood by supporting serotonin levels in the brain. Hence with the use of bio-identical estradiol created by BHRT, there is a boost in hormones produced by the body in menopausal women thereby uplifting their mood. Similarly, bioidentical progesterone can alleviate mood swings, irritability, and depression, having an overall calming effect. Women between 20- 40 years of age commonly suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) just before the menstrual cycle can be treated with bioidentical natural hormones.
Testosterone, also known as the gentleman's hormone, is an uplifting hormone and helps with a person’s sense of well-being, energy and confidence. BHRT helps bring it back to normal levels and have an effect like it did on Deepak. Deepak in his mid 40’s complained about feeling anxious, sad and depressed and also that he was losing his lean muscle mass. He got tired easily and felt a complete sense of burnout. This case was a classic example of someone going through ‘androgen deficiency’ leading to abnormal functioning of the body in males. To solve for this, an integrative approach of mind and body was used. We used a combination of comprehensive laboratory testing, purest high-quality form of supplements (which is a natural and effective tool for managing symptoms of depression), herbal adaptogens, a nutrient-dense and well-balanced diet, restorative exercise releasing endorphins (also known as happy hormones), adequate amount of sunlight exposure, lifestyle modifications and re-establishing a sense of purpose via psychotherapy was crucial. But the absolute game-changer was the use of natural bio-identical testosterone replacement therapy.
Deepak regained his energy levels with improved strength and endurance, with improved muscle mass, more confidence and was more joyful with an overall sense of well-being, basically he felt like himself again!
When diagnosed a bespoke treatment plan of bioidentical hormones can be prescribed along with appropriate support and participation from the patient.
