Old Paradigms & Broken Hearts

Because of my personal prior history with clinical depression, it breaks my heart when I read things like this…

“My daughter, 17, has been prescribed 4 different depression meds in 3 months. All of them make her sick. She was suicidal and the professionals INSIST that she needs meds. I don\’t believe any of these meds are helping her but am afraid to go against the professionals opinion. Help!”

I don\’t blame the “professionals” directly—they\’re taught from the perspective of an OLD biological understanding, and for acute conditions, they\’ve had much success with this in the past and have not been given any alternate tools or paradigms, so I can see how it might make sense from their perspective to maintain their limited paradigm (even though they\’ve not had so much luck with chronic conditions).

However, in the last decade or so, NEW biological research and revelations have shown us that our feel-good brain chemicals are largely produced in our gut, by our MICROBIAL counterparts, rather than our mammalian/human cells (that most current pharmaceutical medicine is focussed on).

So if we are talking about a chronic situation (such as most non-communicable diseases, including depression and chronic anxiety), then the PRIMARY point of focus should be improving diet (for ideas, search “how to improve your gut microbiome“) and reducing toxicity—restoring healthy function of our microbiome—rather than simply trying to control a surface symptom with narrowly focussed pharmaceuticals (some of which, e.g. antibiotics, actually harm the microbiome—thus, ultimately reducing our capacity for good mental and physical health).

This image shows the common factors for almost ALL chronic NCDs… none of which are permanently resolved by psychotropic or other pharmaceutical symptom-focussed medications, and most of which are within your immediate sphere of control.

BTW, if you\’re taking psychotropic (or other) medications and/or seeing a professional about your mental health, I\’m definitely NOT saying you should stop. There are a growing number of excellent holistic health practitioners out there who are doing marvelous work to help people. I\’m not a “professional” and this is not medical advice. You should do your own research and decide for yourself.

BUT do also take a pro-active part in your own health, and I think, like me, you\’ll be AMAZED at what some simple changes in diet to support your microbiome can do for your overall mental and physical health, so give it a shot!