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The Missing Link: Inflammation and Depression in Women

Anti-Inflammatory Approach to Reducing Symptoms

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]ntidepressant drug use is on the rise, particularly among women. A report released by Medco Health Solutions analyzed prescription claims data from 2.5 million Americans between 2001 and 2010 and found that 25 percent of women take drugs for a mental health condition. Despite a mainstream medicine notion that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, medications known by familiar names such as Zoloft and Prozac meant to counter symptoms of such an imbalance may instead be causing a host of known harmful side effects.

“In six decades, not a single study has proven that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance,” asserts Dr. Kelly Brogan, an integrative physician, women’s health advocate and pioneer in holistic psychiatry.

A study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry in 2014 reviewed 10 randomized, placebo-controlled trials to assess the effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) in adults with symptoms of depression. The researchers from Aarhus University, in Denmark, found that treating inflammation in patients helped decrease their symptoms.

Brogan asserts that this approach is the best way to treat depression in women, advocating the use of a holistic anti-inflammation strategy instead of NSAIDs or antidepressants. “A more effective, drug-free approach is to recruit basic lifestyle changes that kick-start the body’s self-healing mechanisms, helping to curtail the symptoms of depression,” she claims. Her suggestions include dietary modification; simple breathing and meditation techniques; minimizing exposure to biology-disrupting toxins that include common over-the-counter drugs; sufficient sleep and exercise.

“Medical literature has emphasized the role of inflammation in mental illness for more than 20 years, so if you think a chemical pill can save, cure or correct you, think again,” says Brogan. “Covering over symptoms is a missed opportunity to resolve the root cause of the problem.” For more information, visit KellyBroganMD.com.

Health Briefs
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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