We think (because our doctors think) that we need to "cure" the brain, but in reality we need to look at the whole body's ecosystem: intestinal health, hormonal interactions, the immune system and autoimmune disorders, blood sugar balance, and toxicant exposure. In 2014 Scottish researchers addressed the gap between what the science says about the causes of depression and what patients experience when they find themselves caught in the default web of psychiatric care. In their paper they highlight the value of what I aim to practice: psychoneuroimmunology.
Yes, it's a mouthful of a word, but it simply refers to examining (and respecting) the complex interplay between various systems and organs of the body, especially those that syncopate the nervous, gastrointestinal, and immune systems in a brilliant dance that in turn affects mental wellbeing. These researchers point out that many patients who are told they have "psychiatric" conditions originating in their head or related to some purported brain chemical deficiency actually share real biological imbalances related to their immune-inflammatory pathways. These patients show elevated levels of inflammatory markers in their blood, signs that their body is on the defensive, activating processes that can result in physical symptoms and that are diagnosed as psychiatric if your doctor isn't asking the right questions. And rather than treating the underlying biology, they are instead relegated to a lifetime of therapy and medication to no avail.
The field of psychiatry has known about the role of the immune system in the onset of depression for the better part of the last century. But only recently have we really begun to understand the relevant connections thanks to better technology and large, long-term studies that reveal just how impactful the relationships are among immunity, inflammation, hormones, gut flora, and mental health. Many different physical conditions create psychiatric symptoms but aren't themselves "psychiatric." Two prime examples: dysfunctioning thyroid and blood sugar chaos. I myself suffered a misbehaving thyroid after the birth of my first daughter several years ago. I almost fell into the vortex of needing constant medicine, but I knew better from not just my training and personal research but also my instinct. I knew that many of my symptoms could be categorized under the blanket diagnosis of depression. Somehow, I had the intuition to choose a path of natural medicine and am totally healthy today with normal thyroid function. Call me crazy, but would you want to treat an autoimmune thyroid condition with a brain-changing chemical if you could reverse it naturally?
To identify the root cause of cognitive and emotional struggle, we need to pause, and we need to ask a question I was never taught to ask in my conventional training: Why. We need to ask what is behind the diagnosis without settling for the one ill-one pill model. When we begin to appreciate the reasons for our suffering - be they physiologic or psychospiritual - the path is illuminated for healing. I never healed a single patient when I was prescribing. Now I do, every week. I teach women what I have learned, that honoring our co-evolution with the natural world, and sending the body a signal of safety through movement, nutrition, meditation, and environmental detoxification represents our most primal and most powerful tool kit. We also need to identify vulnerabilities, modifiable exposures, and support basic cellular function, detoxification, and immune response. This is, ultimately, personalized medicine.
All of my patients share similar goals: they want to feel physically vibrant and emotionally balanced, which I believe is everyone's birthright—not perpetually drained, unsettled, mentally foggy, and unable to enjoy life. This isn't New Age medicine. It's real medicine in the 21st Century. I witness remarkable turnarounds in the health of my patients. They are my partners. We collaborate, and they work hard. They work hard at a time when they feel they can't even lift a finger—when the prospect of walking to the drugstore with a slip of paper twinkles like the North Star in their dark sky. They follow my lead because they feel inspired by my conviction and hope in this new model—one that that asks the question "why?" and has the goal of not only symptom relief, but an incredible boost in their vitality.
The moment we sense something wrong in our minds is the moment we have an opportunity—a chance to stop and figure out what's causing our imbalance. Mental health will always be grounded in whole body health. When you discover the real imbalances underlying all your symptoms—physical and mental—and take steps to address them, you can restore your health without resorting to problematic drug treatments and endless psychotherapy.
Join the revolution.
What about for those with autism/aspergers? Many of us (myself definitely included) have severe anxiety and resulting depression mostly due to largely self-imposed isolation (for me anyway). Social interactions cause so much anxiety, take so much out of me that I tend to avoid them altogether. No amount of psychotherapy or exercise or detox (so far) can cure my extreme sensitivity -- it is innate I feel.
I agree, drugs should never be the first choice, but as I see things there are few options for people like me. This is why those with autism have a much lower average longevity and are 9 times more likely to commit suicide than neurotypicals.