When we experience a prolonged change in mood such as
depression symptoms or
anxiety, the current status quo
is to visit our local
doctor who
asks us if three or more of these symptoms below have been consistent for two weeks or more:
| Low mood |
Loss of pleasure |
Trouble sleeping |
| Change in appetite |
Tiredness |
Lack of energy and Activity |
| Feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness |
Self-hate |
Guilt |
| Difficulty concentrating |
Slow or fast movements |
Repeated thoughts of death or suicide |
If the answer is yes, we are told that we could be
suffering from "Depression". If our symptoms are mild to moderate,
our doctor will generally ask us if we would like to go on anti-depressants or receive some form of Talking Therapy.
The Challenge
However, as the chart below clearly shows us, there can be many different causes of depressive-like symptoms, and anti-depressants and talking therapy (the most commonly prescribed treatments) may not be the best or the only solution to address their root cause(s).
| Possible causes of a change in mood |
Improved by Anti-depressants |
Improved by Talking Therapy |
| Specific Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies |
- |
- |
| Hormonal Imbalances |
- |
- |
| Lack of Exercise |
- |
- |
| Poor Nutrition |
- |
- |
| Poor Gut Health and Inflammation In The Body |
- |
- |
| Allergies |
- |
- |
| Dehydration |
- |
- |
| Neurotransmitter Imbalance |
 |
- |
| Thyroid Conditions |
- |
- |
| Poor Oral Health |
- |
- |
| Lack of Sleep |
- |
- |
| Lack of Sunlight |
- |
- |
| Side Effects From Existing Medication |
- |
- |
| Existing Illnesses and Chronic Pain |
- |
- |
| Substance Abuse |
- |
|
| Toxic Build-Up In The Body |
- |
- |
| Family History of Mental Illness and Addiction |
 |
|
| Social Isolation |
- |
|
| Past and Present Trauma |
|
|
| Unresolved Emotional Issues |
- |
|
| Stress |
|
|
| Lack of Intimacy and Connection With Others |
- |
|
| Negative Belief System |
- |
|
| Environment |
- |
- |
| Significant Life Events |
|
|
| Poor Self-Confidence/Self-Image |
|
|
Even psychiatrists, the people who specialize in assessing the way we feel, aren't always confident in the current way of diagnosing.
A study published in the Journal of Psychiatry (2007) asked a group of psychiatrists if they thought psychiatric diagnosis was reliable. The responses indicated that 86% of the psychiatrists surveyed believed that the reliability of psychiatric diagnosis was poor.
Robert Spitzer, who chaired the team that created the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), found that psychiatrists disagreed on a patient's diagnosis around 33% to 46% of the time. In 2007, Spitzer was interviewed for a BBC documentary and stated that with regret, potentially 20% to 30% of all mental disorders listed in the DSM could be normal human reactions to stressful lifestyle situations and not really disorders at all.
So where do we go from here?
Enter The Mental Health Report. Based on research from medical
experts around the world the Mental Health Report is free and takes about 25 minutes to fill in.
Once completed you'll receive access to your free wellness score, and have the option of downloading your customized
Mental Health Report that outlines lifestyle changes that if applied may positively change the way you feel.
