March 2003
http://www.rossbishop.com/Articles/Monthly0303_Depression1.htm
Depression is the most prominent psychological disorder in the western world. It is a socially driven condition, which is growing in all age groups, especially amongst teenagers. People born since 1945 are 10 times more likely to suffer from depression than their parents, and women run nearly twice the risk of depression as men.
By 2020, depression will be the second most disabling condition on the planet, ranking just behind heart disease. In the U.S. alone, about 10 million people suffer from significant depression each year, and we annually lose about $50 billion in human productivity as a direct result of it. In addition, a significantly high number of depressed people (15%), commit suicide. The losses through these secondary effects, especially teen suicide, are difficult to calculate, but they are considerable.
Living with depression is like living at the bottom of a sea of mud. The environment pushes against you from every direction and getting out is almost impossible. Even the simplest of life functions can be difficult. It is a living hell. Complicating the problem is that depression is a secondary condition - it overlays an originating set of troubling negative beliefs.
Let's look at the way depression develops. The initial emotional challenge facing the person is difficult, and so the inner child starts out facing a painful circumstance. Adding significantly to this condition, and essential to the creation of depression, is the rejection of the inner child by the adult. In 25 years of private practice, every case of depression I have ever seen has hinged upon a reluctance by the adult to accept and address the pain that his or her inner child carried.
Other conditions like family history or exposure to certain chemicals or heavy metals (mercury in dental filings, for example) or the long-term use of certain drugs can create a predisposition to depression, but the direct cause comes, in my belief, from a failure between the adult and the inner child. Having been rebuffed by the world, and now by the adult, the defeated inner child retreats into a cave of isolation for protection. The despair and desperation that result from a seemingly impossible situation creates the condition that we know as depression.
Depression is a socially driven condition, unknown in many tribal societies. The theory is that the integrated nature of these communities brings personal concerns to the surface and does not allow them to get lost in the private hell of individual isolation. It is commonly believed that this is why the Amish in our own society do not suffer from depression. Unfortunately, modern Western culture puts up significant barriers to personal interaction and in many other ways creates a perfect environment for the creation of individual depression.
From the psychological perspective, dealing with depression is not all that different from dealing with a host of other psychological issues. It means going into the personal pain that a person has avoided all of their life. No sane person wants to hang out in his or her inner pain. It's messy, it's disruptive and it can hurt like the devil. With depression, the pain was totally overwhelming to the child and he or she will hold strong prohibitions against going back there. The unexpressed fear is, "If I go there I will die," because that is how it once felt. So there is substantial negative pressure on the adult to not address the inner core of hurt and anguish that he or she carries. Because of this separation, the inner child is also often angry, frustrated and untrusting, adding further obstacles to addressing depression. Another complicating factor is that most depressed people are so accustomed to living under the dark cloak of depression that they have no idea what it feels like to be happy. They have no standard against which to judge the pain that has accompanied them their entire lives.
In this impersonal, stressful, non-spiritual culture of ours, I think most people suffer from some form of depression. And, there are a thousand shades of grey ranging from simply feeling blue to being hunched over in the corner of a darkened room, unable to move. So, one question to ask yourself is, "Am I depressed?" Take this test: During the past month, have you often been bothered by feeling, down, depressed, or hopeless? During the past month, have you often been bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things? Everyone exhibits some of these symptoms from time to time. The question is how strong and persistent are these symptoms in your life? The rule of thumb used by the psychological community is that if you have five or more of the following symptoms, lasting most of the day for at least two weeks, you can be said to be experiencing a major depressive disorder:
Whether or not your disorder can be categorized as "major" is of less importance than whether or not you are suffering from depression. Here is a similar list of depressive symptoms developed by Joan Larson that may be more helpful:
One problem with any list of psychological symptoms is that you can always see yourself reflected in it. But if you fit into a significant number of the symptoms listed above, it is something you want to pay serious attention to. Depression can wreak havoc on your psyche and your physical body. Men with heart conditions who are depressed are almost 5 times more likely to have heart attacks.
Further complicating many psychological problems, not just depression, is that the adult is often caught between the pain of their struggle and the benefit they derive from their inner wounding. Their hurt gets used as an excuse to not fully engage in life. These people withhold from partners and friends, pull back from life and do not fully engage with their own children. The false sense of security created through emotional distance is very unsatisfying, but some people live their whole lives that way. However, when their relationships fail or become stressful as they must, the failure reinforces the person's existing feelings of unworthiness. They then spiral further downward, moving towards or into depression. Adding depression to the situation is like throwing a heavy, wet wool blanket over everything. If the depression is substantial, it can be almost impossible to get to the underlying causes. In that regard, (unfortunately) the depression is doing exactly what it was designed to do.
If depression were like other emotional conditions, I would suggest ways for you to work out your problems. And I will address those in Part III of this series, but depression is one of several emotional difficulties that have a substantial bio-chemical component. Although I am generally opposed to the use of treatment drugs, I have found that the neurochemical barrier presented by depression is so formidable that it is necessary to address the chemical imbalance directly in order to then get to the depressive structure and then eventually address the underlying, originating condition that is driving the person's difficulties. Fortunately there are ways to do this without resorting to the severe drugs known as antidepressants, so heavily relied on by the psychological community. In Part II, I will present a safe program that uses dietary supplements to address the biochemical aspects of depression. If you struggle with depression, assuming that you will have begun a program to rebalance your neural chemistry from Part II, we will then address the emotional aspects of depression in Part III. You can begin with Part III if you wish, but I must tell you that in my experience it's a difficult uphill fight if you do not deal with the neurochemistry first. In this first installment, I will address some basic issues regarding depression and a bit about neural chemistry so that you can understand what is happening in the depressive state.
OK, so let's talk about neural physiology. The body's nerve communication process is complex, utilizing a number of amino acids, enzymes, cofactors and other substances to achieve optimum function. Although your neural system runs all throughout your body, the chemical aspects of depression primarily take place in the brain.
Nerve cells do not link directly with one another. Chemicals must carry impulses from one cell to another across the "synaptic gap" between them. The chemicals that carry these messages are a group of monoamines known as neurotransmitters or biogenic amines. The neurotransmitters primarily associated with the depressive process are serotonin, noradrenalin, and dopamine. People who suffer from depression have diminished levels of these chemicals in their brains. We know that the more negative or condemning self-messages a person creates and the fewer pleasure-giving activities they participate in, the lower their brain levels of neurotransmitters become. This would indicate that the brain is responsive to emotion, but there is much debate regarding causality. There are clear connections between hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, Candida and depression, and these raise many questions about brain chemistry theories.
Each nerve cell has specific receptor sites that will accept only a particular neurotransmitter. When a neurotransmitter is received at a receptor site, information is passed, whether it's a feeling of well-being (serotonin or nor epinephrine, for example), euphoria (opiates), pain (acetaldehydes such as the chemical from alcohol that creates a hangover), excitement (epinephrine, also known as adrenaline), or other chemical information. Once a message has been passed over the synaptic gap, the neurotransmitter and its by-products are then removed by a group of enzymes. Monoamine oxidase is one of these enzymes. Think of these enzymes as brain and nerve cell clean-up crews.
Since depression is associated with reduced levels of neurotransmitters, it would seem logical to address the problem by simply boosting neurotransmitter levels in the brain. Unfortunately, this is not such a simple thing to do. The brain is separated from the rest of the body by a protective membrane called the "blood-brain barrier." The barrier allows small "building block" molecules like amino acids to pass, but obstructs larger, more complex molecules.
The brain synthesizes the more complex chemicals that it needs from the component parts that come through the barrier. For example, the body produces large amounts of the neurotransmitter serotonin, but serotonin cannot get through the blood-brain barrier. Only its precursor, the amino acid Tryptophan, will pass. Once the Tryptophan reaches the brain, it is then converted into serotonin. Some people have more "permeable" blood-brain barriers than others, making them more susceptible to food related mood changes (amino acids come from food, primarily from proteins).
Since the blood brain barrier prohibits simply introducing brain chemicals into the body, neurochemists have had to find other, more creative, ways to influence brain chemistry. One solution has been to slow down the body's re-absorption process, leaving more neurotransmitters in the system. The drugs that do this are known as anti-depressants. The most well-known of these is Prozac. Prozac is one of a family of what are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Prozac doesn't create serotonin, it slows down its re-absorption, inhibiting the body's natural clean-up process.
Today we have a new family of antidepressants called serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), which block re-absorption and also affect the balance between these two key monoamines. In contrast, many of the older antidepressants (SSRIs) work just as well as the newer drugs and are cheaper, but pose significantly greater risks. Some of the older drugs can have disastrous effects for example, if taken in combination with certain common foods. On the other hand, SSRIs are also safer when taken in overdose, which is important when treating depression since suicide is always a lurking concern.
In an interesting twist, and I think highlighting how little we understand about the process, studies have confirmed that serotonin neurotransmitter levels in humans can be linked to both inward and outward directed violence. One study consisted of three groups of men: men convicted of homicide, men who attempted suicide, and healthy males. The lowest levels of serotonin were found in both those who had either killed someone else or attempted suicide themselves, a seeming contradiction. Another study of "self-mutilators" found that not only did these people have lower serotonin levels, they also had more severe character pathology and had a greater lifetime of aggression, as well as being more antisocial, with greater impulsivity, chronic anger and anxiety. We have, I think, a long way to go in understanding what is happening in depression.
Antidepressants are the nuclear weapons of pharmacology in the war on depression. They are very powerful drugs with powerful side effects. It's like trying to crack a walnut with a sledgehammer. You must do it very carefully for risk of damaging the nut along with the shell. Neuron receptor sites exist throughout the body, and when you take antidepressants you impact the entire body system, not just the brain. People can experience a host of serious side effects like serious weight gain, urinary retention, sleep disturbance, blurred vision, constipation, nausea, sexual dysfunction and as I mentioned, one of the most disturbing side affects of all, suicide. Some antidepressants can also create significant withdrawal issues, so even when you quit, you must be monitored carefully.
You may have read recently about the high incidence of teen suicide and SSRIs. After a good deal of political wrangling, the FDA, a long-standing ally of the pharmaceutical industry, is finally making drug makers put strong warnings on pill packaging against giving young people antidepressants.
The really unfortunate thing about antidepressants is that in addition to the risks they pose, antidepressants have a very high failure rate. They simply do not work in 30-40% of the cases. The high failure rate adds fuel to the argument that we are not addressing the cause of depression but simply its effects. Since antidepressants must be used and prescribed so carefully, I hate to see clients use them. Fortunately there is a good alternative with few side effects that is readily available, and as I said, I will address that in Part II.
We have been talking primarily about neurotransmitters, but the balance between essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6, also plays an important role in depression. A lack of essential omega-3 fatty acids (found in cold-water fish such as tuna and salmon) and/or an excess of omega-6 saturated fats (found in certain vegetable oils, such as corn and soybean oils) and animal fatty acids, leads to the formation of cell membranes that are much less fluid than normal. This is especially important in the brain because it affects the function of serotonin and dopamine, leading to serious impacts on behavior, mood and mental function.
A study in London demonstrated that giving schizophrenic patients omega-3 fatty acids corrected membrane abnormalities and had a powerful impact on patients' mental states. The balance between the two omegas is important, and the typical American diet is disproportionately high in omega-6's, primarily from processed foods. Regularly eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and reducing the saturated fat (meat) and hydrogenated oil content in our diets is a wise precaution.
Another cause for depression in a far smaller number of cases, is a genetic inability to manufacture enough prostaglandin, an important brain chemical that is derived from essential fatty acids. The problem is the result of a genetic deficiency. Alcohol stimulates the temporary production of prostaglandin and lifts the depression, which is why some researchers believe that there is a strong genetic component to some types of alcoholism. So, if your ancestry is more than one-quarter Celtic, Irish, Scandinavian, Native American, Welsh, or Scottish and you have a family history of alcoholism, depression, suicide, schizophrenia, or other mental illness, you are at an elevated level of risk for prostaglandin deficiency. Fortunately, a substance called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA--not to be confused with linoleic acid--LA) is easily converted to prostaglandin, and there have been remarkable recoveries from this form of depression within several weeks of treatment. Look for a dietary supplement called Efamol, which is usually made from evening primrose oil and vitamin E (and sometimes omega-3 and 6).
The last condition I will discuss is one that I would not have recognized if I had not diagnosed it within myself (fortunately a friend sent me an article about it). Some natural practitioners are beginning to pay serious attention to clients who are fighting an internal war with an overgrowth of a common intestinal yeast called Candida Albicans. This condition is rampant in our society, largely because of our diet, but also I believe, because of mercury dental filings and our historical heavy reliance on antibiotics. This condition is just beginning to get the attention by professionals that it deserves.
People suffering from what is called Candida-related complex or CRC, are depressed, exhausted and anxious. They crave sugar and sometimes alcohol. Their mental retention is often impaired. Their immune systems are seriously compromised so that most foods cause them to bloat and produce allergic/addictive responses. These people can put on significant amounts of weight, or can be seriously underweight. The depression that results from CRC will not lift until the colonies of yeast are brought under control. I have had great success treating clients using caprylic acid, and a probiotic formula called "Primal Defense," along with a tincture made from black walnut hulls in addition to dietary changes. Information about Candida-related complex can be found on the internet.
After several years of struggling with clients to find the right drugs and dosages and deal with the side effects of antidepressants, I began a search for alternatives. My search took me to investigate amino acids, which are the fundamental "building blocks" of the hundreds of proteins and other chemicals in the body. What I found is that when properly supplemented, aminos have a powerful impact on all but the most severe depressions, with remarkably few side effects. Plus, they are considerably cheaper than prescription pharmaceuticals. Prozac now costs about $130 a month, other antidepressants can be much more expensive. I will present a program for working with amino acids and other supplements in Part II of this series
©2003 Blue Lotus Press.
Reproduction is permitted with attribution.
(Depression Part 2A)
by Ross Bishop
After several years of struggling with clients to find the right drugs and dosages and deal with the brain numbing and detrimental side effects of antidepressants, I began a search for alternatives. Since our central nervous systems are almost completely regulated by amino acids, I thought I might find some help there, and I did. Amino acids can have a powerful impact on depression, with minimal side effects. Plus, they are considerably cheaper than prescription pharmaceuticals. Aminos cost about $20 a month, where Prozac now costs about $130 a month, plus doctor visits.
Amino acids are derived from proteins and are largely responsible for building cells, cell function and cell repair. They are the fundamental "building blocks" of the 50,000 different proteins that our bodies make. Our daily protein requirement is really a daily need for amino acids. Amino acids are vital to the formation of antibodies to combat bacteria and viruses and are part of the enzyme & hormonal system. They create RNA and DNA, carry oxygen to the cells, are vital to muscle function and many, many other things, in addition to being vital to the creation of neurotransmitters.
When the body is functioning normally, it makes most of the 22 amino acids it needs from protein-rich foods like meat and dairy or in selected combinations of plant proteins (like beans and corn or tofu and rice). These synthesized materials are called "non-essential" amino acids. The remaining 8 or 9 amino acids the body cannot synthesize, called "essential" amino acids, must be absorbed directly from food protein. Aminos do not last long in the body as such. The body digests out what it needs and passes out the rest. If a necessary amino is not found in food, the body will break down its own tissue to get it.
Only a few amino acids are central to the creation of neurotransmitters. However, a number of others play smaller, but very important functions in healthy neurochemistry. Since each person is different, finding the (usually) two or three amino acids that a depressed person needs from amongst the 22 aminos, and adjusting the mix and dosage, can take a little time and effort, but it is well worth the trouble. Especially when you start to feel better without the side effects of prescription drugs. I encourage people to learn about the aminos they need to supplement. It teaches them about their physiology and encourages them to make dietary and lifestyle changes to naturally correct the identified deficiency.
The western diet is very high in protein, so an amino acid deficiency should not be an intake issue. In fact, most of us take in too much protein, causing our bodies to turn acidic instead of their natural alkaline state. An acidic body can lead to a host of physical problems such as, cancer (cancer cells flourish in an acid environment and do not do well in an alkaline one), calcium deficiency (how are your teeth?) and Candida. As just an aside, if you don't have some pH testing paper at home, get some (from your health food store), and check your urine and/or saliva. You will probably be surprised.
But back to amino acids: Since we should have ample amino acids in our diet, supplementation does not make sense to many conventionally trained experts. And, in theory they are correct. However, there is a large body of empirical evidence to support the premise that amino supplementation can have a profound effect on depression, so clearly something is amiss in our understanding of the process.
This is far from a complete explanation, but contrary to what you may have been lead to believe, the nutrition in our diets, even a good diet, is awful. The food choices we make are sometimes poor, but adding to that, and what is generally not told to us, is how nutritionally devoid even the "good stuff" is. The reason is that the nutritional content of our grains, vegetables and produce has been dropping precipitously since WWII, while the use of industrial chemicals in processed food has skyrocketed.
The produce you buy in the supermarket today has very little nutritional value. By very little, I mean that you would have to eat eight oranges today to get the same amount of vitamin A your grandparents got from a single orange. Want to try six tomatoes? A pound of green beans? The average calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables have declined 27%; iron levels have dropped 37%; vitamin A levels have fallen 21%; and vitamin C levels, 30% . . . all since we began the widespread use of chemical fertilizers.
When I go to Mexico I can almost live on their tortillas because the grains are so full of life energy. The same is true of pasta in Europe. Either product in America simply feels dead. This may be a stretch, but if you remember from the opening paragraph of Part I of this series, people born after 1945 are 10 times more likely to experience depression than those born before that time. Our mass production agricultural system began the widespread use of chemical fertilizers, etc. after WWII. A connection? Perhaps.
Experts tell us that our farm soil is dead. After three decades of the overuse of artificial fertilizers and chemicals, "modern" farming has destroyed our soil's fertility, causing it to age the equivalent of 5,000 years in 30. There is almost nothing left in the soil of nutritional value that it can pass on to our grains, fruits and vegetables. The simple truth is that the most nutritious vegetable in your world these days is not something you get at the supermarket, but the lowly dandelion growing in your back yard! If people realized how much money they were wasting on dead supermarket fruit, vegetables and grain products, they'd buy organic in a heartbeat, even though it does cost more.
But dead fruit, vegetables and grains are only the beginning. Adding to this are the preservatives and chemicals we get from processed food and the steroids, antibiotics and growth hormones used in our meat and dairy products, and you have to wonder how our poor bodies survive the onslaught! And the truth is many of them are not doing very well at all. By the way, most of this comes to you compliments of the factory-farm dominated, U.S. Department of Agriculture whose employees are in a revolving door relationship with chemical companies like Monsanto.
Our levels of emotional stress are also off the charts and that certainly must also be considered a significant factor. Maybe it's preservatives, processed food, pollution, stress, hydrogenated oils, or the lousy nutrition of our produce, but many people today are lacking in one or more vital amino acids, and depressed people significantly more so.
The process of breaking dietary proteins down into component amino acids (digestion) and then reassembling them to create the many substances that the body needs is extremely complex. I will try and simplify the description of each amino's function as best I can, but please understand that I am simplifying massive complexity into a few pages. Aminos transform from one to the other, each having very different properties. Sometimes the process goes one direction, sometimes it goes backwards. Some aminos can be made in many different ways from a number of different substances, depending upon the raw materials at hand. When you see the name of an amino acid you will see a prefix, usually "L" and rarely "D" like L-Glutamine or DL-Phenylalanine. This is because amino acids come in two forms. "L" is the naturally occurring molecule, which the body needs in order to form proteins. The "D" forms are generally a synthesized molecule and with a few exceptions, are not used by animals. Don't be thrown by their scientific sounding names, aminos are basically highly concentrated foodstuff.
I encourage people to test themselves for what they need, buy their amino acids, vitamins and other supplements in bulk and then custom formulate their supplements and vitamins. There is nothing wrong with buying prepackaged supplements off the shelf. It's quick, easy and convenient. This may be just quirky on my part, but I prefer the freedom setting my own dosages and combinations and choosing the ingredients that are best for me. I enjoy doing it and I learn a lot about my body in the process. It takes a little time, but you save money doing it, so I figure it's a fair trade.
Supplementing with amino acids does not require the precise accuracy demanded by prescription drugs. With most aminos you could consume many times your normal dosage and probably not even notice it. It's simply wasteful, not generally harmful. I weigh out my supplements on a small food scale that I use in the kitchen for baking. You can get a capsule-making gadget at most health food stores ($10-14) along with empty gel caps ($5).
In working with aminos it would be good for you to change your point of reference from drugs. Amino acids are concentrated food and the body sloughs off what it does not need. Experts have been unable to identify lethal doses of amino acids, which is rare in toxicology studies. If you grossly overdo most drugs they will kill you. If you overdo an amino, about all that you will feel is some agitation and maybe a headache. It's like drinking too much coffee. But I do not meant to infer that there is no risk. You can have a bad reaction to too much caffeine, too!
Surprisingly little is known about the side effects of amino acids, mostly because they are so few and so rare. They do occur, and you should become familiar with any drug or supplement you take in order to assess potential problems. The most typical long-term side effect to excessive amino acid consumption is the loss of appetite and its resulting weight loss.
I suggest that people mix small batches and small doses. If you make small batches you can adjust the mix as your body changes. The small doses are because aminos move through the body rather quickly, usually in hours. I find that small doses taken several times a day works best. You can usually feel the effects of amino acids an hour after taking them. Conversely, they leave quickly too. Forget them for a day and you will notice the difference.
There are many companies making amino acid supplements and quality can vary from one to the other, so you'll want to buy from a very reputable supplier. I like a firm called Beyond-A-Century (www.beyond-a-century.com) for my supplements and vitamins because they are particular about quality and they sell the most commonly used amino acids and vitamins in bulk.
A few other firms that I know to be good are Solaray (www.affordablesolaray.com), Pure Encapsulations (www.purecaps.com), Thorne (www.thorne.com), Standard Process, Solgar, Jarrow (www.jarrow.com), Bluebonnet and Country Life (www.country-life.com/index). A few of my clients have used Whole Foods private label aminos, but I have not worked with them myself.
Some body builders and professional athletes, either banned from steroids or frightened by their many side effects, have turned to using mega-doses of aminos to both stimulate growth hormones and help with tissue repair. So when you go to company web sites you'll probably see an orientation toward the body builders.
It is essential to increase your intake of B vitamins and vitamin C when you supplement aminos. Notice that I said essential. You must have B vitamins to assimilate aminos and if they are not there, you will stress your liver and kidneys. Find a good source with B3 (Niacin), B6 and B12, or even better, make your own! (I'll provide some recommended dosages at the end of the aminos section). Don't buy drug store or grocery store vitamins! They are made from coal tar derivatives and are really awful to your body.
You'll get the most from your aminos if you take them on an empty stomach. I suggest first thing in the morning with juice, then mid-morning and mid-afternoon. The B vitamins are better taken with food, so, I suggest that people take their aminos when they get up in the morning and their B's with breakfast. I mix some vitamin C into my amino capsules and then make my B capsules separately so I can take them with food.
If you supplement with aminos, your body will get used to this more available source and begin to depend on it. Therefore it is not a good idea to supplement aminos for long periods. After supplementing aminos for 4-6 weeks, I encourage people to take a break for a week. If the depression starts to snarl back at you, then you will have to respond accordingly. The point is that as you begin to heal, start to wean yourself by taking breaks from your supplementation to encourage your body into a more normal state.
When you eat, the body controls the amount of aminos it draws out of food. When you supplement with aminos, you artificially increase what the body normally produces. If there is any risk to taking amino acids it is because as the aminos are digested, ammonia is produced. Ammonia is normally processed out in the urea cycle. If your body's processing (that's why the B and C vitamins are important) and clean-up systems are not working as they should, increasing your amino acid intake can overload the clean-up system, create stress, and increase your body's toxicity. You'll get headachy, feel like you have a hangover and be agitated and edgy.
That is why, if you have liver or kidney problems for example, you should not take any substance, amino acids included, which is not directly related to your treatment. That is also why I do not recommend the extremely high-dose approaches used by some body builders. At those intake levels, the body must be very efficient in cleaning out by-products, and it can easily become toxic if it's not. When you are a peak-performance athlete, your body is working very efficiently and you can get away with some things that the rest of us should not try.
As a general precaution, no supplement should ever be taken in combination with other medication until you have checked with your physician [or ask the pharmacist!-bfg]. Pregnant women should always check any treatment with their doctor. And if you are being treated for any serious illness, especially liver or kidney disease, consult your doctor before taking any supplement. Having said that, I know that few Doctors know much at all about amino acid supplementation. But maybe you can help them to learn something.
Never take amino acids if you are taking prescription antidepressants, and remember that pharmaceutical antidepressants can take weeks to clear out of your system. Do not take amino acids if you are suffering from schizophrenia, phenylketonuria (pKU), hepatic cirrhosis, diabetes, overactive thyroid, malignant melanoma or anxiety attacks.
Please understand that the information I am providing here is solely for educational purposes. I do not intend this information to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or the care of any medical condition.
Knowing exactly which aminos to take may require a little trial and error on your part. There are blood or urine tests that can measure the amino levels in your system, but I have found that muscle testing works pretty well as a substitute. I would suggest that you first read through the list of aminos that follows and see if it gives you some clues as to what you might need. We will muscle test using the list as a first step, but the most reliable testing is done with the aminos themselves. We'll do both and use an additional test for insurance. Muscle testing has its advocates and its detractors, so be advised.
If you don't want to fool around with testing, and want to simply get on with it, a perfectly viable option is to try taking one or two of the key amino acids generally involved in neurotransmitter production. It's a shotgun approach, but it will provide some help for most people. In our convenience-minded society, some people would prefer this approach.
There is one thing I would ask you to consider first: Do you feel anxious as well as depressed? If you do, don't shotgun. Test yourself. Some aminos excite and others act to soothe the system. It is important that you take the right combination for your situation. There are some issues regarding side effects, but mostly if you take the wrong amino you'll just make yourself more uncomfortable. That is why I encourage people to test for what they need. But if you do not feel particularly anxious with the depression, and want to try this approach, fine.
If you want to try the shotgun approach, try 5-HTP first at 50-100 mg per day for a few days to see if it begins to lift the fog. Raise the dosage to see if your depression lifts. If that doesn't work, then switch to DL-Phenylalanine and try it by itself for a few days to see how it makes you feel. If you get some help from both, but not enough, then try both together. If you haven't hit a home run yet, then try Theanine or Acetyl-Carnitine. It's not an ideal way to do things, but you will probably hit part of what you need to take.
The ultimate shotgun approach is a supplement called Total Balance from a New Zeeland based company called Xtend-Life. This stuff has just about everything in it but the kitchen sink! Your body is sure to find at least some of the things it needs in this mix! Whether it's worth the $35 (or more) a month to probably get some of what you need has to be your decision. One of the things I like about Total Balance is that New Zeeland has one of the strictest regulatory environments in the world for the manufacture of dietary supplements, far exceeding U.S. FDA standards, so that that the quality what you get will be impeccable. (http://www.xtend-life.com/main/products.asp?product=tb&page=main).
If you decide to test, I would suggest that you look for someone who has an established track record as a muscle tester. Many healers have learned the skill and would probably help you at a nominal cost. If you cannot find someone, I'll do the best I can to guide you here.
One of the keys to muscle testing is to have a fairly clear mind. Skeptical scientists have tried muscle testing and when it didn't work, they have called it quackery. A skeptical mind destroys the whole premise of muscle testing. Also, when testing for aminos, an empty stomach is the best way to test, but it's not essential.
Muscle testing is not a contest of strength. If your arm remains strong, you have a yes. If it goes weak, you have a no. It's that simple. We are not looking for subtlety; we need either a yes or a no. You'll need a friend to help you test.
Stand or sit in a comfortable position. Do not cross your legs. Get relaxed, have both you and your friend take a few deep breaths. Hold your arm out to the side and then bring it a little bit forward. Be sure your arm is straight and not bent. To test, ask yourself a question that you know to be true. Then have your friend apply light, gentle pressure with her hand just above your wrist. Your arm should remain strong. Repeat with a question that you know to be false. You should have little arm strength. Don't try and resist. This isn't a fight, you should either be weak or strong so don't fight it, besides you'll just tire your arm out.
Start out with the list of amino acids that follows. Go through each amino and ask, "Should I take the supplement _________?" and have your friend test your arm. Note the results. If you get a questionable response, retest at another time, but be conservative, let it go if you do not get a clear response. If your body needs something, there will be little question. If your arm does get "mushy," look for other explanations. Many aminos are made from other aminos, and perhaps you could use this material but a related one might suit your needs better. You can get a lot of information asking yes or no questions and muscle testing the answers.
Using the printed list for testing is the least reliable method, but it will give you a base reference. If you are going to touch the name on the list as you test, be sure to first check your reaction to both the paper (acids) and the ink on the page (chemicals) to be sure that they won't throw your responses off. If you know how to use a pendulum, this is also a good place to use it.
I would then take my list and my friend to the health food store and test at least your positive responses from the list against the real thing. Throw in a few aminos that you tested as not needing, just as a check. You are probably only going to find the most commonly used aminos in the store, but it will give your initial testing some validation.
Have your friend pick out the amino so you do not know which one you are testing. Stand in the aisle and hold the bottle of the amino in one hand and test the opposite arm. You don't have to ask a question, your body will simply respond to the amino. By the way, glass bottles test more accurately than plastic ones. You may feel a little out of place, but today most people have done muscle testing and they'll understand what you are doing. If not, it's a hell of a way to start a conversation.
As a backup, there is another test that seems like more of a parlor trick, but it really works for most people. I like this test because you can also do it by yourself. Stand still with your legs less than shoulder width apart, and if your friend is with you, have them observe you from the side towards your front. Clear your mind of thoughts. Take a bottle of the supplement (don't look at what it is!) and place it just above your belly button. (OK, I know it sounds weird, but try it!)
Direct contact with the skin is best, but if you are in a public place, the test will work through a thin shirt or T-shirt, it's just not quite as reliable. Hold the bottle on your abdomen for 10 - 15 seconds and watch and feel if your body moves forward or backward. Take time with this test, and give your body an opportunity to respond. You will have a noticeable physical response. If your body moves forward, you are getting a yes, and if it moves backward or away, it is saying no.
Using both the muscle and abdominal tests should give you a good picture of what aminos you need to supplement. Go back over the list and look for related aminos. Some aminos are made from others and you may not need to take them both.
If you have access to the actual amino, this is the best way to test. You can simply hold a capsule in your hand and test your free arm. The abdomen test works well with capsules too. If the amino is in bulk form, put a little in your palm and make a fist around it, then test your free arm.
When you feel as though you have a good starting list, then purchase your aminos. When you get them home, then muscle test each one for dosage. Remember to ask yes or no questions. "Should I take ___ mg of this a day?" etc.
If you are going to make your own capsules, the small "O" capsules hold between 400-500 mg, and the larger "OO" capsules hold between 700-900 mg. If your dosage is large and the capsules are just too small, you can simply take your amino dissolved in juice. Some aminos have a rather bitter taste, however. Come reasonably close to the recommended dosages. For those aminos whose dosages need to be handled more precisely, I have indicated maximum dosages. Don't forget to mix some vitamin C with your aminos (or your B's.)
If you decide to make your own B vitamins, here are some recommended dosages:
©2004 Blue Lotus Press.
Reproduction is permitted with attribution.
(Depression Part 2B)
by Ross Bishop
The list that follows is a compilation of the basic amino acids and some indication of the role that each plays in the body, in addition to the creation of neurotransmitters. I note the Essential Aminos, designated as such because they are not manufactured in the body.
When we identify a particular amino for a person, they will frequently note other related physical issues resulting from their particular deficiency, so this list may give you some clues. In addition, when people begin taking supplementing with aminos, they started to work through some of their other physical issues as their amino acid balance becomes normal.
ALANINE (Non-Essential) L-Alanine is an important source of energy for muscle tissue, the brain and central nervous system. It strengthens the immune system by producing antibodies and supports the metabolism of sugars and organic acids.
ARGININE (Non-Essential) L-Arginine is essential in muscle metabolism and tissue generation and regeneration. In the body it creates nitric oxide, which is an important catalyst for healthy dilation of blood vessels, circulation and blood flow. Studies have shown that Arginine improves immune responses to bacteria, viruses and tumor cells, promotes wound healing and regeneration of the liver and the release of growth hormones. Arginine is highly concentrated in the skin and connective tissue and helps keep blood-vessel tissue elastic. Arginine also helps to remove ammonia from the body as part of the urea cycle.
Arginine is gaining popularity as a treatment for high cholesterol. Studies with animals and humans suggest that it may improve coronary blood flow and lower cholesterol levels through its antioxidant properties. Arginine Pyroglutamate moves easily across the blood/brain barrier where it releases Arginine, acts as a slow release Glutamine, and increases acetylcholine. Food sources of Arginine are whole-wheat, nuts, seeds, peanuts, brown rice, popcorn, soy, raisins, chocolate, and carob.
L-Asparagine was the first amino acid to be isolated from a natural source, asparagus juice. It is widely available in plant protein. Asparagine is important to the metabolism of ammonia. It balances the central nervous system and prevents excess nervousness. Asparagine is required for aminos to transfer from one form to another.
L-Aspartic acid is another amino acid that helps in the expulsion of ammonia from the body. It increases resistance to fatigue and enhances endurance. It is found in dairy, beef, poultry and sprouted seeds.
Neither L-Carnitine or Acetyl-L-Carnitine (see below) are technically amino acids, but they bear many resemblances to them, so they are usually treated as such. L-Carnitine is a dipeptide ö it is made up of two other essential aminos, Methionine and Lysine.
L-Carnitine is involved mostly in muscle performance and cardio-vascular health. It is necessary for the transport of fat into cells where it is used for energy. You consume lots of it when you exercise. L-Carnitine deficiencies can appear as mental confusion or cloudiness, angina (heart pain) and weight gain. L-Carnitine supplementation can help prevent fatty build-ups in the heart and liver (especially likely if you are a regular consumer of alcoholic beverages). Typical dosage is 500 mg, taken twice a day.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a form of L-Carnitine. Both Acetyl-L-Carnitine and L-Carnitine are used by the body to transport fatty acids to the cells, where they are burned for energy. Acetyl-L-Carnitine is also responsible for the production of acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter.
At high doses (1,000-3,000 mg daily), it acts as an agent to reduce blood triglycerides. Studies have shown that Acetyl-L-Carnitine can either slow the onset and progression of Alzheimer's Disease or it may alleviate some of the symptoms associated with it. The tartrate form is very absorbable and does not draw moisture they way pure Carnitine tends to. Normal dosage ranges from 500ö1500 mg twice a day.
L-Carnosine is composed of the amino acids Histidine and Alanine. It possesses strong antioxidant properties, and it appears to mediate the interaction between proteins and sugars. It protects against radiation damage, improves the function of the heart, and promotes wound healing. Carnosine is viewed as a neurotransmitter, modulator of enzyme activities and chelator of heavy metals. It has been claimed to lower blood pressure, improve the functioning of the immune system, promote wound healing, and exert anticancer effects. Carnosine has been shown to help peptic ulcers.
These amino acids are structured very closely and convert into each other as needed. L-Cysteine is a powerful free radical scavenger and immune system stimulant. It is an important aid to the body in protecting against the effects of radiation and pollution. L-Cysteine strengthens the protective lining of the stomach and intestines, which may help prevent damage caused by aspirin and similar drugs. It is useful to help protect the brain and liver from damage from alcohol, drugs etc. It is a secret weapon against a hangover. It can help slow down the aging process, deactivate free radicals and neutralize toxins. It aids in protein synthesis and helps control cellular change. It is necessary for the formation of the skin, which aids in the recovery from burns and surgical operations. Hair and skin are comprised of between 10-14% Cystine.
L-Cysteine may play an important role in the communication between immune system cells. It is required in the manufacture of the amino acid Taurine and is a component of the antioxidant gluthione. The body can make Cysteine from Methionine and a few other things. Straight Cysteine is rarely used as a dietary supplement, N-Acety-l-Cysteine (NAC) is what you will mostly find. Normal dosage is between 200-300 mg, 2-3 times a day.
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is usually classified as an amino acid, although it actually serves as a neurotransmitter. There are more GABA sites in the brain than for other neurotransmitters. GABA basically acts as an inhibitory transmitter, occupying the nerve receptor sites for anxiety or stress-related messages so that they are restrained from reaching the brain, keeping the brain and body from going into "overdrive." GABA and Glutamate serve to regulate the excitability of virtually all neurons in the brain. Therefore GABA is very effective for anxiety disorders as well as insomnia (especially the type of insomnia where racing thoughts keep the individual from falling asleep).
At least 2 grams of GABA should be taken daily for it to be effective. A dosage of 5g has been shown to be more effective, with an upper limit of about 18 grams. There are few if any side effects to GABA. Some users have experienced mild tingling sensations around the face and neck, and others also notice a brief and mild change in heart rate or breathing patterns, but these side effects quickly disappear and have not been shown to be harmful.
L-Glutamic acid is involved in the metabolism of sugars and fats. It is considered to be nature's "brain food." It improves mental capacity, and is involved in the synthesis of DNA, Glutathione and other amino acids. It is one of the few nutrients that crosses the blood-brain barrier easily and is the only means by which ammonia in the brain can be detoxified, forming Glutamine. Glutamic acid helps speed the healing of ulcers, gives a "lift" from fatigue, and can help control alcoholism, schizophrenia and the craving for sugar. Glutamic acid can be biosynthesized from a number of other amino acids including Ornithine and Arginine.
The Glutamic acid in our bodies is found in proteins where it is connected to (or bound to) other amino acids in long chains. The infamous MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) of Chinese restaurant infamy is the monosodium salt of Glutamic acid, which in its artificially produced state is unbound and can cause allergic reactions in some people.
L-Glutamine is primarily produced in the muscles and plays a vital part in keeping the muscles functioning normally. It has become an important muscle-building aid for body builders. Glutamine passes freely across the blood-brain barrier. Once in the brain, it's converted to glutamic acid and increases the concentration of GABA. Although Glutamine is the precursor of GABA and Theanine, it is an excitatory neurotransmitter, so it has a somewhat opposite affect from the other two.
It seems that every cell in the body uses Glutamine. Glutamine is utilized as a source of energy and for nucleotide synthesis by all rapidly dividing cells, such as the cells of the intestinal lining and certain immune cells. It supports the cells that line the digestive system. Insufficient Glutamine plus an acidic bowel and an overgrowth of candida albicans is a recipe for intestinal atrophy which can lead to "Leaky Gut Syndrome." In Leaky Gut, the protective function of the calls lining the small intestine is compromised, allowing undesirable pathogens into the bloodstream, creating toxicity, bloating, allergies and in some cases, arthritis. For this same reason, supplements of Glutamine also protect against aspirin-induced gastric lesions and enhance the healing of painful peptic ulcers.
If the pH of the blood is too acidic, Glutamine is sent to the kidneys, where a certain type of Glutamine results in the release of bicarbonate ions to correct acidosis. If the pH is too alkaline, Glutamine is directed to the liver, where a different kind of metabolism takes place to correct alkalosis. Glutamine dosages usually run around 1/4 teaspoon (750 mg), 3 times a day. It can be taken sublingually. People with kidney or liver problems should not take Glutamine.
L-Glutathione is formed in the liver from the linking of three amino acids: Glutamic Acid, Cysteine and Lysine. It is a powerful antioxidant and detoxifies harmful compounds in the liver, where it is then excreted through the bile. It is also used to prevent oxidative stress in most cells, especially red and white blood cells. Glutathione helps to trap free radicals that can damage DNA and RNA. It is also used in the lungs and intestinal tract to assist in metabolism. Glutathione resists the effects of aging on the body. Some experts question the use of Glutathione as a supplement. Their view is that it is best to take Cysteine, Glutamic Acid and Lysine and let the body manufacture the Glutathione it needs. There are two forms of Glutathione, reduced and oxidized. The reduced form is most commonly sold as a supplement.
Glycine helps trigger the release of oxygen for the cell-making process. It is important in the manufacture of hormones for the immune system and with Methionine and Arginine for the production of creatine, one of the ways the muscles receive energy. It also helps with the absorption of calcium. Glycine is used by the nervous system as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, making it helpful in helping prevent epileptic seizures. Under some circumstances it can also serve an excitatory function also (it gets complicated to explain). Glycine is used in the treatment of manic depression and hyperactivity. It is also found in fairly large amounts in the prostate fluid and may be important for prostate health.
Glycine can be made from Serine and Threonine. A proper level of cellular Glycine produces more energy, but too much of it can cause fatigue. Typical Glycine dosages are wide ranging, from 2 g to 60 g daily. Glycine has a sweet taste, and is sometimes recommended as a sugar substitute for people with diabetes. Glycine is contraindicated for persons immediately recovering from stroke or for those taking the antipsychotic drug clozapine.
DMG or Dimethylglycine is actually closer to the structure of vitamin B, but is not technically considered a vitamin. Its main role is to promote healthy neurotransmitter function. It has been used in Europe and Russia for years to support healthy mental function in children.
L-Histidine is needed for growth and for the repair of tissue, as well as the maintenance of the myelin sheaths that act as a protector for the nerve cells. It is required for the manufacture of both red and white blood cells. Histidine is helpful in producing gastric juices. It also helps to protect the body from damage caused by radiation and in removing (chelating) heavy metals from the tissues. It increases sexual arousal. It has been used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, allergic diseases, ulcers and anemia. A deficiency can cause poor hearing. Histidine levels that are very high may lead to stress and psychological disorders like anxiety and schizophrenia. Individuals with manic (bipolar) depression should not take Histidine.
These two aminos provide ingredients for the manufacture of other essential biochemical components in the body, some of which are utilized for the production of energy, stimulants to the upper brain and helping alertness. They help regulate insulin. Supplemental Leucine should always be combined with Isoleucine and Valine at a ratio of 2:1:2.
L-Lysine insures the adequate absorption of calcium, helps form collagen (which makes up bone cartilage and connective tissues) and aids in the production of antibodies, hormones and enzymes. It is very important to the immune system and in the formation of gum and lip tissue. It modulates the production of Arginine. Studies show that Lysine may be effective against herpes and cold sores by improving the balance of nutrients that reduce viral growth. It is a precursor of Carnitine. A Lysine deficiency may result in tiredness, inability to concentrate, irritability, bloodshot eyes, retarded growth, hair loss, anemia and reproductive problems.
L-Methionine has antioxidant properties. It prevents disorders of the hair, skin and nails, helps lower cholesterol levels by increasing the liver's production of lecithin, reduces liver fat and protects the kidneys. Methionine is a natural chelating agent for heavy metals. It regulates the formation of ammonia and creates ammonia-free urine, which reduces bladder irritation. It influences hair follicles and promotes hair growth.
Methionine is one of the three amino acids needed by the body to manufacture Creatine, an amino acid essential for energy production and muscle building. Methionine is used in the liver as a detoxifying agent. It has also been used to treat depression, arthritis pain and chronic liver disease. It can reduce hot flashes in menopausal women. There is some risk of cardiovascular damage from long term Methionine use.
SAMe, made from the union of Methionine to a factor responsible for energy production, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), is marketed as a safe and effective natural antidepressant. SAMe increases the action of several neurotransmitters, and helps maintain cell energy. It has antioxidant properties and it increases the production of Glutathione. A material known as TMG is often taken with SAMe to increase its effectiveness.
SAMe can cause nausea and vomiting in some people, so it is recommended that it be started at a dosage of 200 mg twice daily for the first two days, increased to 400 mg twice daily on day three, then to 400 mg three times daily on day ten, and then to a maximum dosage of 400 mg four times daily after twenty days, if needed. Treatment for severe depression requires even higher doses. Unipolar patients are given 800 mg or 1600 mg per day. Do not take SAMe if you suffer from bipolar (manic) depression.
L-Ornithine is created when Arginine is metabolized during the production of urea. Ornithine facilitates the release of growth hormone. People hospitalized for surgery, generalized infections, cancer, trauma or burns have found that supplementation with Ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate (OKG) hastened their recovery. Ornithine prompts the metabolism of excess body fat. It improves liver function. Anyone with a history of schizophrenia should not take supplemental Ornithine.
DL-Phenylalanine is vital to the production of neurotransmitters. It is the precursor to Tyrosine, which is used to manufacture the neurotransmitters epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine. These naturally decline in production as we age, by the way. Both the L and D forms of Phenylalanine are used in the body. You will sometimes find DLPA, which is both forms, sold as a supplement. The D form is converted into phenylethylamine, which is also found in chocolate and marijuana and is created by the body in greater amounts when one is in love. Phenylalanine is more easily absorbed than Tyrosine. Phenylalanine keeps you awake and alert, reduces hunger pain and helps improve memory. Good food sources are: sunflower seeds, black beans, watercress and soybeans.
Typical dosages of DLPA are 500 mg once a day, gradually increased up to 3,000 mg per day if needed. Some sources do go as high as 4,500 mg per day in 3 doses. Dosages of Tyrosine can be considerably higher, but they typically run from 500ö1500 mg per day.
With both Phenylalanine and Tyrosine (described below) side effects if any, will surface as excessive stimulation of the nervous system. Typically as headache, insomnia, and irritability. If these occur, reduce the dosage. There have been reports that Phenylalanine can promote high blood pressure in those predisposed to hypertension. If your thoughts start to rush, switch to Tyrosine. Phenylalanine can promote the cell division of existing malignant melanoma cells, so, if you have melanoma, or any other form of cancer, avoid Phenylalanine
L-Proline is an extremely important component of collagen used in the creation and proper functioning of joints, connective tissue, cartilage and tendons. It also helps maintain and strengthen the heart muscles. Proline is important for preventing arterial plaque buildup. A deficiency of it causes skin to age.
Serine is important for the metabolism of fat and the growth of muscle. It is also important in the formation of cell membranes. Serine is an important precursor of Tryptophan and serotonin. Serine helps strengthen the immune system by aiding in the production of antibodies. It synthesizes the fatty acid sheath around nerve fibers. It is vital to maintaining proper blood sugar levels. It is used as a natural moisturizing agent in many cosmetics and skin care preparations. It can be synthesized in the body from Glycine.
Taurine is one of the most abundant amino acids in the body. It has a number of roles regarding normal functioning of the brain, heart, gallbladder, eyes and vascular system. It functions to facilitate the movement of mineral and salt ions in and out of the cells and to stabilize cell membranes. It is a key ingredient of bile, which is needed for fat digestion as well as the control of cholesterol. It helps detoxify harmful chemicals.
Taurine is thought to be useful in dealing with anxiety, hyperactivity, poor brain function and epilepsy as well as hydrating the brain. Taurine, together with zinc is required for proper eye health and vision. Taurine is essential for embryos and newborn infants because they cannot synthesize it themselves. Taurine is found in eggs, fish, meat, and milk, but not in vegetable proteins. It can be synthesized from Cysteine and Methionine as long as sufficient quantities of vitamin B6 are available.
L-Theanine is a derivative of Glutamic Acid. It is the active agent found in green tea. It readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, increasing levels of GABA and dopamine. It has been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce the effects of PMS. Theanine acts as a non-sedating relaxant to help increase the brain's production of alpha-waves (those associated with "relaxed alertness"). This makes Theanine extremely effective for combating tension, stress, and anxiety, sharpening mental focus, improving concentration and promoting creativity without inducing drowsiness.
L-Threonine is essential to protein balance and production in the body. Threonine is found in the heart, central nervous system, and skeletal muscle, and helps to prevent fatty buildup in the liver. Threonine is an important constituent of collagen, elastin, and enamel protein. It supports the digestive and intestinal tracts in functioning smoothly. It assists with metabolism and assimilation. It enhances the immune system by aiding in the production of antibodies. The Threonine content in grains is low, so vegetarians must be careful about deficiencies.
L-Tryptophan converts into serotonin, a vital neurotransmitter. It helps alleviate insomnia by inducing normal sleep and reduces anxiety and depression. Tryptophan can help in the treatment of migraine headaches. It supports the immune system; helps reduce the risk of artery and heart spasms and works with Lysine to reduce cholesterol levels. Tryptophan is helpful in controlling hyperactivity in children. In one notable study, a medical researcher in Holland demonstrated that a combination of Tryptophan (2 g nightly) and vitamin B6 (125 mg three times a day) could restore patients with anxiety type depression to normal in four weeks.
Men naturally produce 52% more Tryptophan than women, and some sources consider this to be a significant contributor to the greater frequency of depression and eating disorders among women. Tryptophan is found in chicken, turkey, fish, beef, and dairy products.
Tryptophan got an unfair rap in 1989 when one company, Showa Denko, tried to apply genetic engineering to the production of Tryptophan and then cut safety precautions in an attempt to reduce costs. The result was a toxic product that killed 37 people and made thousands ill. Although contamination occurred from only one manufacturer, the FDA pulled all Tryptophan off the market, interestingly enough, just 4 days before the announcement and release of Prozac. The FDA tried to keep L-Tryptophan off the market, but could not medically or legally sustain its position, so it reluctantly relented. Some people cried foul because of the FDA's long ties to the drug industry and its history of opposition to nutritional supplements. L-Tryptophan still may not be imported, however. Eli Lilly made almost $3 billion in profit (not income, but profit) from Prozac last year. In any event, the FDA's action seriously damaged the use of a potentially very helpful amino acid.
Tryptophan itself is only modestly effective in the treatment of depression. 5-HTP is a mid-product between Tryptophan and serotonin. It produces more serotonin (70%) than straight Tryptophan (5%), and thus this is the form you will most commonly find it in. Numerous double-blind studies have shown 5-HTP to be as effective as Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressant drugs like imipramine and desipramine in treating depression. It also has been effective in dealing with anxiety attacks. 5-HTP, when combined with a healthy diet and an exercise program can have dramatic effects on lowering blood pressure.
There is some concern that in the presence of B6, ingested 5-HTP may convert too quickly to serotonin and not be allowed across the blood-brain barrier, where it is needed. Some people suggest that 5-HTP, especially in larger doses, be used with the prescription drug carbidopa. The purpose of this drug is to prevent the 5-HTP from being converted to serotonin in the rest of the body. I suggest that people try 5-HTP first, and if it agitates them (too much serotonin in the blood) or doesn't help their mood, to try straight Tryptophan. But, remember that of all the amino acids, Tryptophan is least able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Tryptophan dosages usually range between 1,000-4,000 mg per day. Dosages for 5-HTP generally run 50ö100 mg per day with a 200 mg per day maximum. More is often not better with 5-HTP.
Side effects can include drowsiness the next morning and increased blood pressure in persons over age sixty who already have high blood pressure. Even more rare side effects are bizarre or strange dreams and aggressiveness (this can occur in the absence of sufficient supplies of the nutrients needed for normal conversion of Tryptophan to serotonin). Large doses (200 mg) can cause nausea.
Tryptophan and 5-HTP cannot change into serotonin without B6. Also, Tryptophan converts to Niacin before becoming serotonin, and if your body is deficient in Niacin, it will absorb that, reducing the amount of serotonin produced. I always suggest that a good B complex, instead of just straight B6, be taken 5-6 hours ahead of 5-HTP or Tryptophan for this reason. Do not supplement Tryptophan if you are taking MAO inhibitors. Do not use Tryptophan if you have liver damage, or you are restricted from taking Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, or Histidine.
L-Tyrosine is made from Phenylalanine and stimulates the production of the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. It often succeeds where pharmaceutical antidepressants fail. Tyrosine is can be used in the morning to enhance alertness and focus. It is an important component of the peptides, which serve as pain relievers. It is the precursor for hormones such as thyroid and promotes the healthy functioning of the thyroid, adrenal and pituitary glands. Tyrosine is essential for the creation of the pigment melanin. It is less likely to impact blood pressure than Phenylalanine. Too high a dose can cause over-stimulation and irritability.
N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine is more rapidly absorbed and more available to the body than straight Tyrosine. Less of a dose of Acetyl-Tyrosine is required to achieve the same effects as Tyrosine. Normal dosages of Acetyl-Tyrosine range around 1,000 mg per day, but as little as 150 mg can be effective. People suffering from Epstein Barr (also sometimes referred to as glandular fever) as well as chronic fatigue syndrome have been linked to excessively high levels of Alanine while having low levels of Tyrosine and Phenylalanine. Foods containing Tyrosine include aged natural cheese, eggs, green beans, lean meat, peas, seafood, seaweed, skim milk, tofu, whole wheat bread, and yogurt.
L-Valine promotes mental vigor, endurance, muscle coordination and calm emotions. It is needed for muscle metabolism, and it aids in muscle tissue recovery and repair and in maintaining the nitrogen balance in the body. It can be used as an energy source in the muscles, and in doing so preserves the use of glucose. It is closely related to Leucine and Isoleucine both in structure and function. It may also be beneficial in treating or reversing hepatic encephalopathy, or alcohol-related brain damage, as well as degenerative neurological conditions.
A comment on St. John's Wort:
St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a plant of legendary healing properties. It was used back in the Crusades for healing and disinfecting open wounds. Taken internally, St. John's Wort works like an SSRI in that it increases the availability of serotonin by blocking its reuptake. It also increases the availability of norepinephrine and dopamine. It is considered a natural SSRI.
In April 2001, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a large trial, which has been widely touted as proof that St. John's Wort didn't really work for depression. The study was widely publicized, but hidden in the fine print was that the study was for major depression. Dietary supplements are not concentrated enough to address exceptionally chronically and severely depressed patients ö you would have to consume buckets full of the stuff to match the potency of pharmaceutical drugs. Even so, although not publicized in the results, 15% of the patients taking St. John's Wort actually did recover. The AMA has refused to retest St. John's Wort on more normal cases of depression.
Do not take St. John's Wort with amino acid supplements (especially Phenylalanine and Tyrosine), and especially if you have high blood pressure. St. John's Wort speeds up the body's breakdown of several drugs, including the blood thinner Coumadin (warfarin), the heart drug digoxin, oral contraceptives, cyclospor, theophylline, and fenprocoumon.
©2004 Blue Lotus Press.
Reproduction is permitted with attribution.
by Ross Bishop
I am going to assume that you have in place a program to deal with the biochemical aspects of your depression. Without that, dealing with the depression is possible but as you probably know, it can be very difficult. Hopefully by now, the fog of depression has begun to lift for you.
Depression is a defensive system designed to isolate you from the world. And until your inner child knows differently, she will consider you to be part of that external world. Until she knows that you are there to love, care for and protect her, she isn't going to move. So when you go inside, if you encounter difficulties or if you find the work to be challenging and frustrating, try and understand the difficulties she faces. Don't let that stop you or worse, contribute to your depression. The methods I am going to offer you will work, but they must be applied earnestly and rigorously, and the process is not fun. The good news is that you will finally be able to leave your debilitating depression behind.
If you recall from Part I of this series, depression is a secondary condition: a response to the adult's unwillingness to address the pain carried by the inner child. You have not wanted to address this pain in the past, and it's not going to be high on your "list of things I really want to do right now" either. Let's look at what that is about.
First, the pain your inner child carries is substantial. It may be the result of significant trauma as from sexual abuse, or more typically, it would result from years and years of put-downs or rejections that ground down your ego. Whatever your situation was, for the purpose of treating your depression we are going to treat the end result in either case as similar. The pain, whatever it's origin, was substantial.
It is easy to understand how someone who has been traumatized could have powerful residual feelings and would not want to go back into them. Things can be more difficult to understand when we try to evaluate the damage that comes from years of chipping away at a child's fragile ego. By way of analogy, consider someone who is frightened of snakes or spiders. A person who is afraid of going back into childhood pain is afraid in the same way that another person will fear a spider or a snake. The "spider" or "snake" that this person fears will take the form of a certain kind of personal interaction (or lack of it) that caused them considerable childhood pain. The "snake" that they fear is as real as one that wiggles.
Whatever the combination of factors that created the feelings, what is inside is very painful and the inner child will be very reluctant to go back in and address it (even though she knows that she must if she is to heal). Without the adult's love and support, the child knows that change is almost impossible, so she wraps herself in isolating depression and disappears.
Unless you share a person's fear, it can be difficult to understand them. That is why only a fool will say to such a person, "There's nothing wrong with you, it's all in your head." The snake probably won't bite them either, but that totally misses the point and dismisses their feelings. Conventional psychological theory holds that something happened to this child to make her fear this creature. And of course, that does happen. But it is more likely that she holds a fear of entities that take the form of snakes or spiders. And in that way, the two fears (the fear of creatures and the fear of one's inner pain) are actually quite similar, but that's another discussion.
Let's look at this situation by way of an example: Assume that this child's mother was emotionally distancing. She wasn't there for the child and could not/did not give the child the love she needed. Repeated again and again over many years, the impact of this behavior would be devastating on the child's sense of self worth. It does not matter that the unloving message really had nothing to do with the child. It was mother's stuff, but a child is unable to discern that. All the child knows is that the love that she hoped to have was not there and she will then do as all children do ö blame herself. This child would become convinced that she was unlovable and defective. She would assume that her mother's behavior was because of some flaw or failing on the child's part. It would become her fault. She wouldn't know why, but she would be certain that there was something wrong with her.
If the girl's father were still in the picture, he would have rationalized not being loved by his wife long ago, and would not be in much of a position to help the child. So the child's feelings of unworthiness would be reinforced.
In addition, there would not be a process through which the child could deal with or resolve her feelings. The family environment would not have encouraged, in fact it would have actively discouraged, the resolution of emotional issues. She was powerless, not in control of her life and had few resources with which to address what was happening. All this would exert considerable pressure on her to repress what she was feeling.
She would then go out into the world (school) believing that this emotional burden that she carried was true. And, she would have acted accordingly. When others then reacted negatively to her, her feelings of defectiveness would have surfaced and been once again confirmed, reinforced and strengthened. She would feel terrible and would be forced, once again, to hide her feelings where no one could find them. She would most likely choose to avoid or act out (or both). These behaviors would become her defenses, and in time they would turn into a way of life. This would create additional feelings of shame and unworthiness. By some sort of "normal standard" we would judge her fear of being hurt to be excessive.
Situations like this are not uncommon in our society and by themselves do not create depression. But in this case, there was an additional dimension. Her feelings were so strong that they overwhelmed her. In fact, they were so overwhelming that to this day, she dares not touch them. This is her "spider" or "snake" and her fear of it can be quite powerful.
What happened to her was unfortunate, but the prohibitions against dealing with her feelings are what set this child (later adult) up to be depressed. Separating our example into two parts will help illustrate this important distinction. I will refer to the mother's lack of love as the "originating condition." Note that this is a relationship issue. The child's feelings of being overwhelmed and her fear to address those feelings is actually a different issue from the originating condition. The overwhelm reaction becomes intertwined with the originating condition and is easy to overlook. The feelings of overwhelm will create an avoidance barrier. The distinction between the originating condition and the overwhelm may seem subtle, but the difference is significant. Each presents its own set of issues, which need to be addressed.
Each person will eventually have to deal with their originating condition as their adult lives fail to give them the happiness they desire. It must be this way. The Universe cannot permit feelings of shame or unworthiness to exist without pushing on the people holding them to make changes. No one likes the process, but that's the way the Universe works.
However, for a significant subgroup of people, the situation is made more difficult because they must first face, and then overcome, the prohibitions raised by their feelings of overwhelm. It is only after they have addressed these feelings and the attendant fears that they will be able to address the originating cause. Often the challenge is simply too great, and they abandon the hope of ever going deeply inside. If this leads to long-term avoidance, these people virtually guarantee that they will spin down into depression.
The originating condition (the mother's lack of love) needs to be addressed, but we must get past the feelings of overwhelm before we can do that. So if you are prepared, the first thing that you need to do is to recognize and accept that you are carrying a fear of going back into an old and painful place. You have avoided this place your whole life. By the way, in a very important sense, your depression is a way for your inner child to get your attention regarding what you have (or have not) been doing.
Avoidance manifests in different ways. The most common thing we see is collapse: limited personal power, stifled passion, feelings of victimization and a fear-driven personality. Tight, rigid bodies, often overweight. Alcoholics, drug addicts and workaholics sitting on a mountain of frozen rage. Sometimes the rage is on or just below the surface. You can observe this in violent criminals, abusers, white-collar crooks or in people who fly off the handle at the slightest provocation.
If you belong to political or environmental organizations you will find
"firebrand" people in them who are trying to find socially acceptable ways to channel their inner rage. Dysfunctional behavior always exists in polar opposites and the flip side of the firebrand is a group of people who have a difficult time seeing their problems. It's everybody else's fault as they live in a cloud of denial. Their personal lives are a litany of pain and failure, but they cannot understand how they got there. Since their parents loved them, it's as though the problem must have descended from the sky. They confuse their parents' withheld conditional love with openly-given unconditional love. Most parents love their children, but whether that love is openly and freely given is an entirely different matter. However, this gives these people license to not have to look at their inner pain.
Notice that rage is an important aspect of the depressive condition. Your feelings were generated at a time when you had very limited coping skills, you were powerless and not in control of your life. You had few resources with which to address the situation, and the environment provided no support for doing that. You were angry and scared. Rage is a protective response. It is the cat caught in the corner, willing to scratch somebody to pieces in order to keep itself safe. It is a false front that can be composed of incredible sound and fury, whose purpose is to create psychological distance by an inner self that is convinced it can be easily crushed. Real anger brings us together, rage creates distance. It forces us apart. I have observed that most cases of arthritis, EI, MS and fibromyalgia also have a significant rage component.
So you have a child inside who is hurt and scared, and has few tools with which to deal with her pain. Allow me to ask you a question: What would you do if you came into a room and found a frightened and scared child? How would you respond? Hopefully you would get down on their level, open your arms and your heart, and invite them into your love and protection. This is exactly what your inner child needs, and I am going to urge you to do the same thing with her.
Your first step will simply be to get to know her. Find some quiet time where you will not be disturbed. The best and safest way to do this is through the Shamanic Journey Process. (The process is explained in detail in either my book, Healing The Shadow, or in The Shamanic Journey CD). Using the Journey Process gives you freedom from outside (entity) influences. If you feel confident that you can reach her without doing that, then just go inside and ask her to come and be with you.
When she comes, introduce yourself, tell her who you are and that you have come to be her friend. Do not be surprised if you are met by a certain amount of reluctance or even resistance. You have avoided her for years, and she doesn't know you. She also does not know whether she can trust you. She probably isn't terribly keen on adults in the first place since they are the ones who hurt her, and for the moment you are one of "them." She also doesn't know how sincere you are. If you only show up when you need something, this relationship isn't going to go very far.
Sometimes people cannot even find their inner children. If that happens, recognize this as a measure of how frightened the child was. It may also be an expression of a lack of trust in you. If you've been selling her needs down the river for years in order to please other people, expect to be greeted with skepticism, if not outright anger.
The most important thing you will do in this process is create a relationship of love and trust with her. If you remember the example of the frightened child in the room, your inner child needs to be held and protected. You can talk with her about issues, but don't rush things. Be satisfied on this first visit to simply make a connection with her. The bridge that you are building is going to have to carry some heavy emotional baggage, and we want it to be as strong as we can make it. We'll get into specifics in a bit.
I want to ask you to make the creation of this relationship the most important thing in your life. I am not kidding. I will guarantee you that this will be the single most important thing you will ever do. Contact her at a minimum 50 to 60 times a day. Do this when you have a pause between things or when you're walking down the hall, doing dishes, vacuuming, getting dressed, walking to the car, when you have a pause at work, just before you go to sleep or in the shower or tub, that sort of thing. Just take a moment and check in and see how she is doing, at least 50 times a day. Additionally, take a minimum of 10 minutes twice a day to be with her just to talk, be together and problem solve.
If she is doing OK, then that's great. But, if she is scared or upset, you need to deal with what she is feeling. Talk with her. Find out what she is afraid of or upset about. Feelings of powerlessness, fragility, fear and anger will constellate on the surface as you work with her because that is what she knows. Remember also that she may not know you. Nor does she appreciate that conditions are different than when she was a child. She also will not realize that you bring to her a great many resources that she did not possess. Explain these things to her.
If circumstances make it utterly impossible for you to deal with her in the moment, make a promise to get back to her as soon as you can, and honor that commitment. Remember, there is almost never a time that you cannot take a time-out to go to the bathroom. Don't make other people or other situations more important than her needs. That's the message she got from your parents, and you do not want to repeat that painful experience.
A good deal of what we want to accomplish is achieved simply by your being there for her. That's why it is so important for you to show up a lot. The feelings of overwhelm caused her to wall off because she had nowhere to turn with her pain. Encourage her to share with you what she is feeling. We are not dealing with the originating condition yet, but we are breaking down the barrier of isolation she had to create around it. By making her important and worthwhile, you give her an unmistakable message that the undesirable things she believes about herself are not true. When you tell her how wonderful and special she is, you challenge the conclusions she drew about herself from her early experiences. You give her a way out.
Be aware that this is an area fraught with emotional land mines and obstacles. If she is outwardly aggressive to you, and especially if her eyes flash, assume that she has allowed herself to be taken over by a negative entity. This is a measure of how threatened she felt and how desperate she was for some kind of protection. We'll talk about entities in a moment, but if you run into trouble, call me (505-473-9127) and schedule a private session so we can clear the obstacles and get you on your way.
In Healing The Shadow I wrote about The Hero/Heroine's Journey and an old Serbian fairy tale/folk tale called "The Prince and The Dragon" (p. 250). I urge you to go back and re-read that story, only this time; see the dragon as your repressed and depressed inner self. And watch what happens as the Prince, through his courage and love, creates a relationship with the dragon. This is the truth our ancestors understood that has largely been lost to us today.
I want to talk about the role that entities play in depression. When a child is frightened and feels emotionally abandoned by her adult protectors, she will accept the protection of one or more entities. An entity has no power of its own, but can persuasively influence the child's thinking. The entity's job is to keep the child from harm by encouraging her to feel badly about herself so that she will avoid life situations that seem threatening. Thus the child will stay in a self-defeating posture and will not stick her head above the trench and be wounded (again).
Entities are behind the withdrawing and distancing behaviors (shame, self-doubt, self-criticism, self-hatred, memory loss, etc.) that cause depressed people to pull away from other people, hide in isolation to avoid life, while crushing themselves with self-deprecation. Entities also drive the injurious behaviors that sometimes accompany depression.
Depressed people spend most of their time preoccupied with dismal thoughts about themselves, the world around them, and their future. They are filled with thoughts of being worthless, reprehensible, despicable, burdensome, and doomed. If something bad happens, it is automatically their fault, a sign of personal inadequacy, and proof that nothing will ever work out right. Alternatively, if something good happens, it is just a coincidence.
With depression we also see an incessant, destructive, condemning, self-chatter. And God forbid, that they should actually do something wrong! If they do make a mistake, the inner hounds from hell will tear them into indistinguishable little pieces of trash.
This is all entity influence. It is important for you to realize that even though these behaviors may seem counterproductive, from the perspective of the wounded, powerless, unworthy child, they are necessary. This is why your relationship with her is so important. With your love, she will no longer need to withdraw in order to survive.
It may take some talking and cajoling on your part, but she will come around. Keep in mind that she wants out of this situation as much as you do. She doesn't like the entities; she simply had no other choice. You must let her know that no matter what happens in the external world, you will be there to love her and care for her. If you have to tell her this a thousand times before she gets it, be willing to do so. I will say again, make nothing outside yourself more important than your relationship with her. We want her to understand that if the entire world went to hell in the next moment, you would still be there to love and support her. No matter what. No ifs, ands or buts.
Entities can only remain through her permission. And, if they do stay around it is because she has decided that she needs them. As long as she is keeping them here, she is making a statement that something is not complete in her relationship with you. Talk with her about what she needs and what she is not getting. Then take corrective action.
When she agrees to release the entity, then envision it as being lifted off and away from her. Send it back up to where it came from. Make sure that everything associated with it goes too. There are some other things that you can to do that will help your depression a great deal:
1) Do not be alone, either literally or psychologically. Do not isolate yourself. Depression feeds on isolation. If you have friends, spend time with them, regardless of how you feel. Tell them what you are going through and ask for their support. If you have a special friend who won't judge you, talk candidly with them about what you are feeling. Tell them what is going on for you. This can be a difficult step for depressed people, but it is a very important part of the healing process.
It is the telling and the willingness to tell, that is important. Speaking about the pain helps you to heal. I offer this next idea with some reservation, but try to really listen to what your friends have to say. It is very likely that their view of the truth may be clearer than yours is right now. Depressed people usually don't want to hear what others have to say because the truth conflicts with the unreal self-image that depression creates. It's one of the reasons that depressed people isolate themselves.
If you do not have friends, then reach out into the community. Ministers have dedicated their lives to helping people like you, and you don't have to belong to their church. Or, in the alternative, find a good therapist. Community organizations provide programs of all kinds and just getting involved or doing something can be very useful. Make quilts or join a book circle or do something political or environmental. Find a 12-step program. It matters less what you do than that you do something to get out of your isolation and get your energy moving.
2) Exercise. Exercise or movement of any kind is a great help for depression. Even if it is only to get out and walk around the block, do it. Get out in the air and the sun and get your energies moving. Do some yoga, put on a CD and move with the music, find a Tai Chi class.
3) Keep to a regular schedule, especially around sleep. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. When you do get up, shower or bathe and get dressed. A regular schedule of even simple things is important. If you are not sleeping well, hold to your regular sleep schedule and then nap during the day.
4) Watch out for the "all or nothing" thinking that can be so prevalent in depression. When you feel the dark voices start to rumble, sit with her. Find out what's going on with her. What is she afraid of? Something will have triggered her fear so that she felt a need to distract you. See what she needs. Work with her until you get a resolution. Do the same thing with the destructive or negative voices you hear.
5) Complete things, even small things. Completing small jobs around the house will help you to feel better. Doing mundane tasks, if they have a positive result, will actually increase your serotonin levels! Do something that you enjoy (or that you used to enjoy), even if you don't particularly feel like it today. Don't set yourself up for failure, but reconnecting with what you like to do can be very helpful.
There are a number of forms of depression such as manic, bipolar or borderline conditions that have unique qualities separating them from straight depression. These require different approaches than those presented here, but all forms of depression will benefit from the creation of a strong relationship with your inner child.
The steps we have taken thus far in dealing with depression have not taken us into the originating cause, although what we have done will help you a great deal when it comes time to do that. When you feel that the relationship with your inner child has deepened to the point that you can take on the originating condition, by all means do so. There is a good deal of material on how to do this in both Healing The Shadow, and The Shamanic Journey CD.
Without emotion, man would be nothing
but a biological computer. Love, joy,
sorrow, fear, apprehension, anger,
satisfaction, and discontent provide
the meaning of human existence.
Arnold M. Ludwig---1980
©2004 Blue Lotus Press.
Reproduction is permitted with attribution
http://www.rossbishop.com/Articles/Monthly0306_Depression2.htm