Our bodies contain many chemicals, such as hormones, enzymes, and neurotransmitters. Chemical imbalances occur due to disease, injury, aging, chronic stress, and malnutrition. But when people talk about chemical imbalances-doctors and researchers in particular-they're referring to an imbalance of neurotransmitters or chemical messengers in the brain. There is a common medical theory that depression, schizophrenia, and many mood/behavioral disorders are caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Doctors generally recommend psychotropic medications to try to balance neurotransmitters and improve mood, although there are many natural methods for establishing and maintaining healthy brain chemistry that don't cause serious side effects.
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Part 1 of 2: Balancing Brain Chemistry Naturally
Step 1. Get plenty of exercise
When you're anxious or depressed, exercise may not have the highest priority, but research shows that exercise can have a big impact on your mood by stimulating and/or balancing the many chemical elements and neurotransmitters in the body. In theory, regular exercise helps relieve depression and anxiety in a number of ways, including releasing feel-good brain chemicals (neurotransmitters, endorphins, and endocannabinoids), reducing immune system chemicals linked to worsening depression, and increasing body temperature, which generally seems to have a positive effect. calming effect.
- Research published in 2005 found that brisk walking for approximately 35 minutes a day five times per week or 60 minutes daily three times per week had a significant impact on mild to moderate depression.
- Other types of cardiovascular exercise that may provide similar benefits include swimming, cycling, jogging, and dancing.
Step 2. Consume more omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are accepted as essential fats, meaning they are needed by the body (especially the brain) to function normally, but cannot be produced by the body. Therefore, you must get it from food or supplements. Omega-3 fats are concentrated in the brain and are important for cognition (memory and brain performance) and behavior. According to some studies, supplemental omega-3 fatty acids (between 1,000 and 2,000 mg daily) can help relieve symptoms of depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (GPPH).
- Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, halibut), seafood such as shrimp, algae, and some nuts and seeds (walnuts, flaxseed).
- For supplements, consider fish oil, krill oil, and/or flaxseed oil.
- Symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include poor memory, mood swings, and depression.
- According to studies, 10 grams of fish oil a day can help with the symptoms experienced by bipolar patients.
Step 3. Make sure you are not deficient in vitamin D
Vitamin D is important for a variety of body functions, including calcium absorption, immune response, and normal fluctuations in mood. In fact, vitamin D functions more like a hormone than any other vitamin and vitamin D deficiency is associated with depression and other mental disorders. Unfortunately, many people are vitamin D deficient, and this is the cause of nearly 15 million cases of depression among adults in America. Vitamin D is produced by the skin in response to sunlight and is found in several foods.
- This tendency to avoid the sun may explain why many people are vitamin D deficient. Ask your doctor for a blood test to see if you are deficient in vitamin D.
- Vitamin D is stored in the body, so for people in a four-season country, the sunshine they get during summer can last through the winter months.
- For supplements, take the form of vitamin D3 and take between 1,000 and 4,000 IU per day (this maximum dose of 4,000 has been shown to be safe).
- Foods that contain vitamin D include fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel), fish liver oil, beef liver, and egg yolks.
- Keep in mind that vitamin D is fat-soluble, meaning any excess will be stored in the body (unlike water-soluble vitamins that are excreted in the urine) and open the possibility of an overdose. The Institute of Medicine determines the upper limit of vitamin D intake is 100 mcg or 4,000 IU a day in healthy adults.
Step 4. Consider taking plant-based medications
If you're feeling depressed or anxious and notice that your thoughts and behaviors are unhealthy, consider plant-based therapies to help balance brain chemistry. It turns out that more than of Americans who suffer from panic attacks or severe depression use some type of herbal therapy. Valerian root, passionflower, kava kava, ashwagandha root, St. John's wort, L-theanine, 5-HTP, ginseng, and chamomile are used as natural sedatives or antidepressants because of their ability to affect the brain and reduce stress and anxiety.
- Valerian root contains a phytochemical that interacts with the brain chemical, GABA, which is involved in the regulation of anxiety, depression, and related emotions (drugs such as Valium and Xanax work in a similar way), is considered a sedative and aids sleep.
- St. John's wort reduces symptoms of mild to moderate depression, but not severe. According to research, it works like Prozac and Zoloft.
- L-theanine (found in green tea and other plants) increases dopamine and GABA levels in the brain and causes psychoactive changes, including anxiety, improving cognition, and balancing mood.
- 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that is converted in the brain to serotonin (which causes feelings of pleasure).
Step 5. Try acupuncture treatments
Acupuncture is performed by inserting very thin needles into specific energy points in the skin/muscle to reduce pain, fight inflammation, stimulate healing, and balance body processes. Recent research has shown that acupuncture is as effective as antidepressant drugs in treating depression and other mood-related problems, but without the side effects. Based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture works by releasing various substances such as endorphins and serotonin which function to reduce pain and improve mood.
- It is also said that acupuncture stimulates the flow of energy, or chi, which is also involved in balancing brain chemistry.
- Acupuncture points that can treat chemical imbalances are scattered throughout the body, including the head, hands, and feet.
- Acupuncture is performed by a variety of health professionals including doctors, naturopaths, and psychologists. The acupuncturist you choose must be licensed.
Part 2 of 2: Getting Help from a Medical Professional
Step 1. Consult a mental health professional
If stress, anxiety, and/or depression are negatively impacting your life, talk to a mental health professional. A psychiatrist, psychologist, or counselor can provide information about your problem and try to address the cause of the imbalance. Mental health professionals sometimes use non-drug techniques and therapies, such as psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. It's not clear whether psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy can balance brain chemistry, but both have a track record of success in treating depression and anxiety, although they usually take weeks or months.
- Psychotherapy is a type of counseling that targets the emotional response to mental illness. Patients are encouraged to talk through strategies to understand and cope with their disorder.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy requires patients to learn how to recognize and change thought patterns and behaviors that cause distressing feelings.
- Unfortunately, there is no blood test that can directly measure the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. However, hormonal imbalances (such as insulin or thyroid hormone) can be detected by blood tests and may be associated with mood swings. Other components that can be measured in the blood and are associated with depression are very high levels of copper, too much lead and low levels of folate.
Step 2. Ask your doctor about SSRIs
The neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are strongly associated with depression and anxiety, so most antidepressant medications are designed to affect these chemicals. For depression, doctors usually start by prescribing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) because these drugs are relatively safer and cause fewer serious side effects than other types of antidepressants. SSRIs relieve symptoms by blocking the reabsorption of serotonin by certain nerve cells so that there is more serotonin to improve mood.
- SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac, Selfemra), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), and escitalopram (Lexapro).
- SSRIs are considered relatively effective for treating all anxiety disorders, including depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- Common side effects of SSRIs are insomnia (inability to sleep), social dysfunction, and weight gain.
- Although SSRIs are usually given to patients who are assumed to have a chemical imbalance of serotonin, their use can sometimes trigger Serotonin Syndrome, a condition in which serotonin levels are very high.
- Symptoms of Serotonin Syndrome are flushed skin, increased heart rate, increased body temperature, increased blood pressure, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you are taking an SSRI and experience any of these symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.
- If you're having trouble with SSRI side effects, talk to your doctor or psychiatrist. There are various profiles within each drug and each drug has its own advantages and disadvantages. Your doctor will know what medicine is best for you to prescribe.
Step 3. Consider SNRI as an alternative
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are similar to SSRIs, but have a dual mechanism of action, namely increasing serotonin and norepinephrine levels by inhibiting their absorption into brain neurons. SNRI drugs are considered to be just as effective as SSRIs, so they are also the first treatment that doctors generally prescribe, particularly for treatment for generalized anxiety disorder.
- SNRIs include duloxetine (Cymbalta), venlafaxine (Effexor XR), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq, Khedezla), and levomilnacipran (Fetzima).
- Common side effects of SNRIs include insomnia, abdominal pain, excessive sweating, headaches, social dysfunction, and hypertension (high blood pressure).
- Several types of SNRIs such as Cymbalta are approved to treat depression in people with chronic pain. Medications such as Effexor can be used in people with generalized anxiety disorder as well as depression.
- The use of SNRIs can also trigger an imbalance of serotonin levels in the brain, called Serotonin Syndrome.
Step 4. Be careful when using benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants
Benzodiazepines are an older class of drugs still used for the short-term management of anxiety. This drug is very effective for relaxation, reducing muscle tension, and other physical symptoms associated with anxiety through enhancing the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA. Benzodiazepines cannot be used long-term because they have serious side effects, such as aggression, cognitive impairment, dependence, and worsening depression. Concerns about the long-term use of benzodiazepines led many psychiatrists and doctors to prefer tricyclic antidepressants before SSRIs and SNRIs appeared. Tricyclics are relatively effective for dealing with anxiety because they can increase serotonin levels in the brain, but they are also problematic in long-term use. For this reason, tricyclic antidepressants are usually not prescribed unless you've used an SSRI and it doesn't work.
- Benzodiazepines include alprazolam (Xanax, Niravam), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium, Diastat), and lorazepam (Ativan).
- Tricyclic antidepressants include imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), amitriptyline, doxepin, trimipramine (Surmontil), desipramine (Norpramin), and protriptyline (Vivactil).
- Tricyclic antidepressants have cardiotoxic potential and should be used with caution in patients with heart disease.
Tips
- Serotonin helps regulate mood, sleep and appetite, and inhibits pain. Very low levels of serotonin in the brain are associated with a high risk of suicide.
- Dopamine is important for movement, affects motivation, and plays a role in the perception of reality. Low levels of dopamine are associated with psychosis (a disturbance in the mind characterized by hallucinations and delusions).
- Norepinephrine constricts arteries and raises blood pressure, and helps determine motivation. Very high levels can trigger anxiety and lead to feelings of depression.
- Getting enough sleep (both in duration and quality) and reducing stress (from work and relationships) will have a positive impact on neurotransmitters and help balance brain chemistry.
