Depression and Immunity :: Emotional and Mental Health

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Depression and Immunity
by author Lorna Vanderhaeghe, BSc

The sad fact is that one in five of us will suffer depression at some time in our lives. More than 20 million North Americans are afflicted with some form of depression, and it occurs twice as often in women as in men. The intensity may vary from mild to severe, and it may happen only once or recur throughout one’s lifetime.

While everyone feels down at some time or another, depression is a severe state of unhappiness that imposes itself on a person’s state of mind and affects his or her habits and normal conduct for at least two consecutive weeks. In some cases, depression can last months or even years before a diagnosis is made or treatment is sought. It often starts without a clear reason, is intense and can last for long periods.

Emotional trauma, the loss of a loved one and extreme stress are a few factors involved in the onset of depression. However, depression is more than sadness or the result of negative situations in our lives; it is a biochemical change in the brain. Depressed people have low levels of the neurotransmitter, serotonin. Food allergies, nutritional deficiencies and thyroid disease can have a profound effect on the biochemical activities in the brain. Depression has also been thought a consequence of serious and life-threatening diseases. Now the basis for depression will have to be rethought, as researchers are discovering that an overactive immune system may be the cause of severe depression.

Immune-Boosting Drugs and Depression

Over the last decade, reports have surfaced that those who have been prescribed powerful immune-boosting drugs such as interferon for hepatitis and cancer have experienced life-threatening depression with suicidal feelings. As a result, scientists have sought answers and, although the jury is still out, a hyper-stimulated immune system may just be the cause. This is the complete opposite of what was believed in the past. Depression was most often thought of as a symptom of weak immunity. Now, for many people with depression, treatments look at ways of regulating the immune system and controlling the inflammatory process that is involved in fighting viruses and other invaders. In other words, keeping the immune factors that regulate the immune system in balance.

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Lorna Vanderhaeghe, BSc, is the author of several books, including the best-seller Healthy Immunity: Scientifically Proven Natural Conditions from A-Z (Wiley & Sons, 2001). Her latest book is No More HRT: Menopause Treats the Cause (Quarry Books, 2002). She is also senior editor of aliveâ€™s Encyclopedia of Natural Healing (2002) and associate editor of alive.

Source: alive #252, October 2003

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