Is This What's Causing Your Depression?

May 12, 2015

 

It’s pretty obvious these days that most conventional approaches to chronic health problems fail to address the root causes and instead chase symptoms. Perhaps this is nowhere more apparent than with depression. Some might point out things like imbalances with brain chemistry, or inactivity, or pulling away socially, but all of these things are again not really root causes of depression.

So, whats causing your depression then? If it’s not imbalances in your brain chemistry, then what is it?  Well, it might be something you may have never even considered. Your depression may be caused by problems with your gut.

The Brain-Gut Connection

More and more research is showing us how intimately connected our brain is to our gut. Changes to our GI system’s normal function and physiology can have profound negative effects on our body, and in particular, our brain. Here are just a few things that can cause problems in our GI system that can in turn, manifest in the form of problems like depression:

-overuse of pain medications
-frequent use of antibiotics
-chronic infections
-Gluten hypersensitivity
-Severe food allergies
-Radiation therapy
-Inflammatory disorders
-Psychological/emotional/physical stress

Do You Have an Infection?

One of the most common things that can result from these problems listed above are infections within our GI system. These infections can be bacterial, viral, parasitic, or even fungal. Ultimately, these infections manifest in many different ways. Often times they can be extremely subtle in their presentation. Sometimes they many not even show any symptoms within the GI system itself. Some people might be thinking, “I’ve never had any GI problems or symptoms before.”  The truth is that you don’t necessarily have to have any “GI specific” problems or symptoms to have an infection within your GI system. Frequently the only “symptom” people may show with a GI infection is some type of mood disorder such as depression.

 Eating “Right” Alone Won’t Cut It

Assuming that you do have an infection in your GI system that is causing your depression, you need to realize that simply changing your diet alone will not be enough. This is certainly a step in the right direction, but the underlying infection must be addressed, otherwise, you will continue to struggle with the same problem.

Take the Test

You can’t know for sure if you have a GI infection without a GI pathogen test. There are several different companies and several different types, but the most effective is a simple stool test. These aren’t the most fun tests, but they are very effective at detecting a wide range of pathogens within the GI system.

If you are struggling with depression, take the GI pathogen test. There is a very high likelihood that you might have an infection. Many physicians aren’t even aware of these tests, so if you need help ordering this test, feel free to contact our chiropractor office and we can order one for you.

Dr. Chad Woolner

Align Integrated Medical Clinic

208-639-1397

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