Depression: A Teaching Moment for Functional Medicine
Remember:
Diagnosis tells us nothing about the cause or the pathophysiological mechanism. Similarly, symptom clusters cannot tell us about the mechanism of disease, and the same symptoms can have various causes!
Let’s look at depression for a point of reference:
In conventional medicine, if you have a certain # of symptoms you are diagnosed with depression and offered an antidepressant. This can be a useful tool! However, beyond the assumption that your neurotransmitters may be compromised there is no indication of the mechanism for your depression. Mental health continues to be an area of poor outcomes in medicine despite presence and access to psychotropic treatment. WHY? I believe it is because we are barely scratching the surface on fully supporting this condition in conventional medicine.
In functional medicine, there are many root causes for depression:
1. Hormones: Low thyroid, imbalanced cortisol, low Estrogen.
2. Nutrients: Low Vitamin D, B vitamins, Imbalance Micronutrients.
3. Neurotransmitters: Either low levels of neurotransmitters or poorly sensitized receptors for them.
4. Toxic Exposures: Neuroinflammation to the brain from Mold toxicity, as an example.
5. Gastrointestinal: Neuroinflammation to the brain from GI pathogens.
6. Infections: Neuroinflammation from chronic infections.
7. Psychological/Trauma: The way in which pathways in the brain are solidified in the context of trauma.
If you are not feeling fully well, whether depression or any clinical condition — consider Functional Medicine where someone will take a deep dive into the “why” and in doing so help you get to your most vital state.
About DCIM
The team at District Center for Integrative Medicine specializes in helping patients get to the root cause of their conditions. If you’re looking for 1-on-1 help from naturopathic doctors who care, request a free consultation today!
