Chapter 44: I WANT TO GO TO THE ULTRAWELLNESS CLINIC!

Institute for Functional Medicine

I read the book, The UltraMind Solution, by Mark Hyman, M.D., and started making changes in my life to help heal depression symptoms.  I wanted to do everything I could to assist the effectiveness of the medication I was taking.  There is more detail about Dr. Hyman and The UltraMind Solution, in my blog Chapter 21: Healing A "Broken Brain".

The UltraMind Solution is a Six-Week Basic Brain-Boosting Program for Everyone:  A Simple Approach to Optimal Brain Function and Health.  There are some additional steps, called the Self Care Plan, to optimize key systems in the body.  Dr. Hyman says that eighty percent of people will thrive by following the six-week UltraMind Solution and adding the additional Self Care Plan.  The other 20 percent may need further care.  "If you don't experience the level of optimization you expect following The UltraMind Solution and the Self Care Plan in Part IV of the book, then you may need some laboratory tests and medical treatment.  I outlined the primary tests I recommend and some of the treatments you might pursue with your doctor in the book.  To do the tests recommended here and get the care you need, you will most likely have to find an experienced practitioner of Functional Medicine or Integrative Medicine.  Most conventional doctors simply will not give you these tests."

If you buy the book, The UltraMind Solution, you will also receive the Ultra Mind Solution Guide to download on your computer (free).  I believe what I have learned from Dr. Hyman has helped me feel better, along with my medications.  There is too much valuable information in the book to include in my blog.  The information below is for the 20% of us who have done the six-week UltraMind Solution Program and still do not feel completely well.  Receiving medical care from an experienced practitioner in Functional Medicine is the next step for me, and I have not been able to find one in my home area.  I am saving my money to go to the UltraWellness Clinic in Lennox, MA.

The information below in black and teal print are taken from the book, The UltraMind Solution, by Mark Hyman, M.D.  The writing in dark red is what I have done personally in each of the 7 Keys of the UltraMind Solution.

KEY #1:  OPTIMIZE NUTRITION
The Key to Mental Health and Brain Health

"We are made of the stuff we eat.  Our biology, biochemistry, and physiology need certain raw materials to run optimally--the right balance and quality of protein, fats, carbohydrates, the right vitamins and minerals in the correct dose for each of us and all the colorful pigments in plant foods, called phytonutrients, that support our well-being and function.  Nearly all of us are nutritionally imbalanced in one way or another."  
page 35

Medical Care Plan

Methylation Testing (B6, B12, and Folate Insufficiencies)

Vitamin D Testing

Magnesium, Zinc, and Selenium Testing

Essential Fatty Acid Testing

Urinary Amino Acids and Plasma Amino Acids

Red Blood Cell Minerals

Urinary Organic Acid Testing

Testing for amino acids and neurotransmitters can help identify your particular imbalances more accurately.  Further customization of amino-acid therapy is possible based on testing and your 
symptoms.

Testing for omega-3 fats, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, and selenium can be helpful in identifying the need for additional supplementation.  Testing for methylation problems with homocysteine and methylmalonic acid is often very helpful in optimizing doses of folate, B 12, and B 6.

a.  I no longer buy products that have high-fructose corn syrup or trans fats in them.  I threw away all the products in my kitchen containing these two things.

b.  I eat foods with white sugar only occasionally.  I was addicted to sugar, so this was a hard one for me.  Larabars helped me accomplish this goal.  They satisfy a sugar craving, but only a few of the bars actually have sugar in them.  They contain dates, fruit, nuts, raisins, and spices, and they are delicious!  Thank you Larabars. =)

c.  I had the IgG Comprehensive Food Sensitivity Assay blood test done, also known as the ELISA test. After receiving the results I eliminated or cut back on all of the foods I am sensitive to. I believe this has helped reduce the inflammation in my body, helped heal my brain, and contributed to me feeling better.  

Chapter 7 of my blog will give you detailed information about my ELISA results.  

Chapter 7: Keys to UltraWellness, Food Sensitivity

I eliminated the following from my diet:  white flour, wheat, all dairy, eggs, yeast, bread, and most oils other than olive oil.

d.  I drink water and occasionally have fruit juice with no sugar or high fructose corn sugar added.  I don't like beverages with caffeine or alcohol, so I wasn't drinking those anyway. 

e.  I started taking the supplements Dr. Hyman recommends in The UltraMind Solution Essentials Kit: 

Multivitamin/mineral, ProThera, MultiThera 1 Capsule Formula: Serving 6 capsules
2/breakfast  2/lunch  2/dinner 

Calcium/magnesium, ProThera, OsteoThera Capsule Formula: Serving 2 capsules
2/breakfast  2/dinner  

Vitamin D3, Pure Encapsulations, Vitamin D3 1000 IU: Serving 1 capsule   2/breakfast

Methylation, Designs for Health, Homocysteine Supreme: Serving 2 capsules
1/breakfast  1/dinner 

Omega-3 fats, Metagenics, EPA-DHA Extra Strength Enteric Coated: Serving 2 capsules
2/breakfast  2/lunch  2/dinner

Probiotics, Metagenics, UltraFlora Plus DF Capsules: Serving 2 capsules
1/breakfast  1/dinner

If you would like to know the ingredients of the supplements, go to: 
Chapter 12: I Hate Clonazepam, Supplements

f.  I have been taking 6,000 mg of fish oil a day since I returned from the Amen Clinic in March of 2010.  For more information go to Chapter 32: 6,000 mg Of Fish Oil A Day.  

g.  I raised my vitamin D level from 20 to 45, and then up to 72.  I have needed to take a 50,000 IU tablet of vitamin D every two weeks.  This is a prescription vitamin D I have taken in addition to the 3,200 mg daily included in the The UltraMind Solution Essentials Kit.  For more information go to Chapter 29: Do you know what your Vitamin D level is?

KEY #2:  BALANCE YOUR HORMONES

"Our hormones, including insulin, thyroid, sex hormones, stress hormones, and many more, are a symphony of molecules.  They have to work in harmony for you to be healthy."  page 35

Medical Care Plan

Testing for Insulin Resistance

Basic Testing for Thyroid Dysfunction

Additional Thyroid Testing If the Basic Testing Does Not Provide Clear Answers

Testing for Sex Hormone Imbalances 

A two-hour glucose-tolerance test measuring both insulin and glucose may be needed.  A cholesterol profile measuring the size of cholesterol particles, which are smaller in insulin resistance and more prone to clog your arteries.  C-reactive protein, which measures inflammation that is associated with insulin resistance.  Liver function tests with GGT that identify the fatty liver associated with insulin resistance.  

Testing for thyroid problems should include all the thyroid hormones (TSH, free T3, and free T4) and thyroid antibodies (TPO and antithyroglobulin antibodies).  Most doctors just check TSH, which is inadequate to identify mild problems.  

Testing of blood, urine, or saliva can often be helpful in identifying hormonal imbalances such as too much or too little of various hormones.  This can guide a doctor's therapy.  Bioidentical Hormone Replacement:  Hormones interact directly with the brain and affect mood and cognition.  Occasionally, despite lifestyle therapies, diet, exercise, stress reduction, nutrient supplementation, and herbs, hormone therapy can be lifesaving, as well as mood- and brain-saving.  Only a physician knowledgeable and experienced with bioidentical hormone therapy should prescribe them.  The only hormones that should be used are ones that are identical to those made by your body.  They have very specific actions when they bind to their hormone receptors on your cells.  Synthetic or animal hormones typically have unwanted side effects and dangers.

a.  My thyroid was checked for TSH and free T3, which came back in the normal level.  I have never been tested for free T4 or the thyroid antibodies.

b.  In 2008 my hormones were tested by the saliva method.  I have used the cream and the troche during this time, and have had my prescription changed several times to get my hormones balanced.  Two months ago I was tested and my estrogen and progesterone had a healthy ratio, so my prescription stayed the same.

KEY #3:  COOL OFF INFLAMMATION

"We must protect and defend ourselves from foreign invaders or abnormal cells inside our own body.  When this is over - or under active, illness occurs.  Inflammation of the brain is a central theme for almost all psychiatric and neurologic conditions, as well as most chronic disease.  If you have a broken brain it is almost certainly inflamed."  
page 35

Medical Care Plan

High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)

Gluten Allergy/Celiac Disease Testing

IgG Food Sensitivity (Special Antibody Tests Against Food)

ELISA/RAST IgE (Testing for Mold and Environmental Allergies)

Hidden Infections

Testing for inflammation may include C-reactive protein (a generalized marker for inflammation), autoimmune markers (ESR, anti-CCP, TPO, ANA), or food allergies (IgG or IgE), and celiac or gluten testing.  Testing for hidden infections, including viruses, bacteria, parasites, and yeast, may also be helpful.

Specific treatments for infections or more aggressive treatments for autoimmunity and allergies may be needed.

a.  The ELISA IgG Comprehensive Food Sensitivity Assay blood test showed a +1 (low) sensitivity to wheat, but I am not gluten intolerant.
Chapter 7: Keys to UltraWellness, Food Sensitivity 

KEY #4:  FIX YOUR DIGESTION

"Digesting, absorbing, and assimilating all the food and nutrients we eat is critical for health.  Our digestive systems must also protect us from internal toxins, bugs, and potential allergens, as well as eliminate wastes.  Breakdown anywhere in this process creates illness."  page 36

Medical Care Plan

General Gut Health, Bacterial Balance, and Parasite Testing

Conventional Tests for Causes of Acid Reflux

Remove any offending factors, including potential food allergens; overgrowth of bacteria, yeast, parasites; and toxins such as heavy metals.  Replace missing or weakened enzymes, acid, and fiber or prebiotics to help fertilize the healthy bacteria.  Reinnoculate with probiotics or beneficial bacteria.  Repair the intestinal lining with healing nutrients.

Special Note - Treating Bugs:  Bugs that affect the gut come in three main varieties.  1. Bacteria  2. Yeast  3. Parasites  Each type of bug needs different treatment.  Testing can identity which bug or bugs are a problem for you.  Herbal therapies can often be helpful, but most of the time a short course of curative medication is necessary and dramatically effective. 

a.  I have removed food allergens.

b.  My blood test for heavy metals came back with "no traces" in my blood.  Dr. Hyman believes this test will be positive only if exposure has been recent.  He recommends taking a chelating drug that pulls heavy metals from bone and tissue.  Then urine samples are taken to measure the amount of heavy metals your body is excreting.   
Chapter 26: Is Mercury Toxicity Causing Depression?
Chapter 27: Has the Mercury I Have Been Exposed to Caused Toxicity? 
Chapter 28: Heavy Metals Testing is Extremely Controversial! 

KEY #5:  ENHANCE DETOXIFICATION

"Our bodies must eliminate all of our metabolic wastes and toxins, which we take in from the environment through our food, air, water, and medications.  The toxic burden in the twenty-first century is overwhelming and often our bodies can't keep up.  This leads to illness."  page 36

Medical Care Plan

Genetic Testing for Detoxification Capacity or Weakness

How Is Your Detox System Functioning?  The Detoxification Challenge Test

Measurement of Detoxification Enzymes and Molecules

Heavy-Metal Testing

Toxin Exposure

Chemical Testing

In a medically supervised detoxification program, many other nutrients, herbs, and phytonutrients may be used, including alpha lipoic acid, bioactive whey protein, amino acids such as taurine, glycine, glutamine, calcium-D-glucarate, and methionine.  Specialized tests, which assess your body's detoxification system, including genetic testing for detoxification enzymes, and tests for heavy metals, including tests of blood, urine, and hair, may be necessary.  Detoxifying from heavy metals is an important step on the road to health for many and needs to be done with an experienced and qualified health-care practitioner.

Special Note - Detoxifying From Heavy Metals:  Aside from addressing hidden food allergens and helping people balance their blood sugar and consume a whole-foods diet, one of the most powerful ways to correct many chronic health problems is a medically supervised heavy-metal detoxification program.  Proper testing, preparation, and care are needed in order for safe and effective heavy-metal detoxification.  I want to reinforce that this must be done with a qualified health-care practitioner.

a.  I am curious if I have mercury toxicity. 

KEY #6:  BOOST ENERGY METABOLISM

"Life is energy.  Once no more energy is produced in your cells, you die.  The process of extracting energy from the food you eat and the oxygen you breathe is the most essential process of life.  Keeping that metabolic engine running smoothly and protecting it from harm are essential for health.  Loss of energy is found in almost all brain disorders."  page 36

Medical Care Plan

Damaged DNA By-products

Lipid Peroxide Assays in Urine or Serum or TBARS

Advanced Specialty Testing for Oxidative Stress

Specialty Testing for Mitochondrial Function

There are a number of tests, including those of organic acids and cardiometabolic stress testing as well as tests for oxidative stress (8 OHDG, or lipid peroxides), that help your doctor personalize treatment and monitor your progress.  Additional supplements, including creatine, NAC, sulfate, and reduced glutathione, may also be recommended.  

Resveratrol derivatives or extracts are powerful mitochondrial energy boosters and are in drug development now (Sirtris was just purchased by GlaxoSmithKline).  Your doctor may prescribe additional energy-boosting treatments and exercises such as interval training. 

a.  Part of my treatment plan from the Amen Clinic is aerobic exercise every day.  I have not reached that goal yet, but I do have more energy when I exercise on a regular basis.
Chapter 33: Endorphins - Natural Morphine 

KEY #7:  CALM YOUR MIND

"A life of meaning and purpose, a life in balance with connection, community, love, support, and a sense of empowerment, are essential for health.  The overwhelming stresses of the twenty-first century, including social isolation, overwork, and disempowerment, create enormous strain on our nervous system, leading to burnout and breakdown."  page 36

Medical Care Plan

An Adrenal Stress Index

DHEA:  Cortisol Ratio

IGF-1

AA-to-EPA Ratio

Heart Rate Variability

Your doctor may recommend testing for stress hormones or heart rate variability.  Occasionally hormonal treatment with DHEA or low-dose cortisone can be helpful if you have adrenal burnout. 

a.  When my hormones were first tested (2008) my adrenal glands were functioning at a very low level.  Low DHEA and cortisone.  They are functioning in the low end of normal now.

b.  Changing my thinking to living in the moment, instead of focusing on the past, or trying to solve a future that isn't here yet, has been a powerful way for me to calm my mind.
Chapter 5: A New Earth, Changing The Way I Think 
Chapter 6: Ego, Pain-Body, Live In The Present 
Chapter 14: Normal Day, The Power of Now  
Chapter 16: Effexor XR, Live My Life In The Now  
Chapter 18: "Fulfillment, Peace, Life in all its Fullness." 
Chapter 19: Effexor XR, Enlightened Relationships 
Chapter 39: The Constant Chatter In My Mind Is Not Me 
Chapter 40: EGO 
Chapter 41: PAIN-BODY

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, join the dance."

- Alan Watts -

Chapter 43: SAVING MY MONEY

I AM SAVING MY MONEY!  

I want to go to Dr. Mark Hyman's UltraWellness Clinic.  It is in Lenox, Massachusetts which is not close to where I live.  Once again I am planning a trip out of state to receive medical care.  The two times I have done it before have been excellent decisions.  If you have been reading my blog you know about my trip to the Amen Clinic in Newport Beach, California.  Here are the chapters of my blog about the trip if you are interested in reading them.

Chapter 8: Amen Clinic, Newport Beach, CA 

Chapter 9: Three Days At The Amen Clinic

Chapter 10: Detailed Treatment Plan 

Chapter 11: My Brain Scans; Outside Surface View 

Chapter 13: My Brain Scans; Inside Active View 

At first, I was only going to tell you briefly about my first trip out of state for medical care.  But then I decided it was important to me to share a longer version of the story.  I think it is important for all of us to find the best medical care for us personally, and sometimes this takes research!  

My doctor at home recommended a hysterectomy because of severe pain during my periods.  A second opinion agreed with the first one.  I prayed for guidance in making a decision about this surgery and the answer was no.

After a lot of research, I went to Los Angeles, California to the The Institute for Female Alternative Medicine.  Dr. Tirso del Junco, Jr. founded the institute to provide women with an alternative to hysterectomy.  Dr. del Junco is a skilled surgeon using different types of lasers to make the needed repairs during surgery. 

Female Reconstructive Surgery:  April 3, 2000, in Los Angeles, California 

Myomectomy:  Five uterine fibroids removed
Adenomyomectomy:  Removal of adenomyosis - uterine thickening that occurs when endometrial tissue, which normally lines the uterus, moves into the outer muscular walls of the uterus.  This tissues bleeds each month causing pain.  Dr. del Junco used the SLT contact yag laser to remove the adenomyosis from my uterus.  
Left ovarian cystectomy with reconstruction:  Cyst surgically removed from my left ovary and reconstruction of the ovary.

Aspiration of right ovarian cyst: Fluid removed from the cyst
Uterine suspension:  Repair of a prolapsed uterus - suspension was carried out by using a #3/0 Goretex suture, bringing opposing both left and right round ligaments in accordion fashion and attaching this to the anterior surface of the uterus.

Ventral hernia repair:  Incisional ventral hernias are defects that appear at the site of a prior surgical incision.  This results in a bulge or a tear in the area where the abdominal muscles have weakened.  I had a previous surgical incision in my abdomen from having my appendix removed.

Endometrial curettings:  Endometrial curettage means taking a sample of tissue from the inside lining layer (endometrium) of the uterus.  A biopsy was done and no malignancy was found. 

This was a follow up procedure three months after Female Reconstructive Surgery: 

Hysteroscopy:  July 28, 2000 in Los Angeles, California

Checking for adhesions from Female Reconstructive Surgery:  No adhesions
Endocervical polypectomy:  A polyp was removed from my cervix
Ablation of endometriosis:   Endometriosis was removed from the dome of my uterus
Endometriosis is when endometrial tissue, which normally lines the uterus, goes into the pelvic area outside of the uterus.  The tissue usually implants on the ovaries, bowel, rectum, bladder, or the lining of the pelvis; but it can occur in other areas of the body too.

Dr. Tirso del Junco, Jr. is interviewed in this video by Jennie Sauder, on a program called "A Healthy Balance".  (The Health Network)

  

This video is the story of a woman who decided to have Female Reconstructive Surgery.  It will give you more information about the The Institute for Female Alternative Medicine and Dr. Tirso del Junco, Jr. 

 

The positive outcomes of this surgery for me were many:

1.  I was able to keep all of my reproductive organs and they began to function normally soon after the surgery.
2.  My doctor here at home said I would probably be going through menopause soon, I was 47 years old, so I could just "do nothing" but be in pain each month until then.  I was 57 years old when I was officially menopausal.  So that would have been 10 painful years!
3.  I experienced pain while the surgery was healing, but my period started one month after the surgery without any extra pain.  After the surgery healed, I had no pain during my menstrual cycles.  I had given Dr. del Junco permission to remove as much of the adenomyosis he needed to ensure the pain would stop.  This left my uterus without enough strength to carry a baby, but my husband and I were not planning on having more children so this wasn't a problem for me.
4.  I felt like I got my life back!  Before the surgery I was in so much pain each month I had to plan my life around not functioning during this time.
5.  I was able to go through menopause naturally instead of it being initiated by a hysterectomy.
6.  I felt better!

If you would like more information about my experience at The Institute for Female Alternative Medicine, please leave a comment on this chapter with your email address.  Thanks!

As you know I am doing better, but I am not finished with the pursuit of getting my body back in balance, functioning well, and feeling good.  In the next chapter of my blog I will explain why I want to go to the UltraWellness Clinic.  I believe Daniel Amen, M.D., Tirso del Junco, Jr., M.D. and Mark Hyman, M.D., are pioneers in their areas of medicine.

Chapter 42: FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

I would definitely describe the symptoms of depression as darkness.  To bring the light back in to my body and life has taken all of the following:

Trip to the Amen Clinic in Newport Beach, California:  a higher level of education to diagnose and treat my specific psychiatric disorders.  The SPECT brain scans provided information to help in prescribing medication that had the highest chance of being effective for me.

Chapter 1: Depression, Amen Clinics, Amino Acids
Chapter 2: Back to School, Father Died

Chapter 3: Teaching Position, Major Depression

Chapter 4: No To Suicide, 15 Drug Combinations

Chapter 8: Amen Clinic, Newport Beach, CA

Chapter 9: Three Days At The Amen Clinic

Chapter 10: Detailed Treatment Plan

Chapter 11: My Brain Scans, Outside Surface View

Chapter 12: I Hate Clonazepam, Supplements 

Chapter 13: My Brain Scans, Inside Active View


SPECT Brain Scans:   Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography

Chapter 11: My Brain Scans, Outside Surface View
Chapter 13: My Brain Scans, Inside Active View

Medications 

Generic Luvox:  50 mg morning 75 mg afternoon
Effexor XR:  112.5 mg morning
Generic Neurontin:  300 mg 4 times per day


Effexor XR 

Chapter 15: Clonazepam The Beast, Effexor XR 
Chapter 16: Effexor XR, Live My Life In The Now 
Chapter 19: Effexor XR, Enlightened Relationships 
Chapter 25: Effexor XR, $260.59 or $160.80 Every Month 
Chapter 35: FEELING SOME RELIEF, Antidepressant Medications 


Getting Off The Drug Clonazepam 

Chapter 12: I Hate Clonazepam, Supplements 
Chapter 15: Clonazepam The Beast, Effexor XR 


Supplements

Chapter 10: Detailed Treatment Plan 
Chapter 12: I Hate Clonazepam, Supplements 
Chapter 32: 6,000 mg Of Fish Oil A Day 


Fish Oil, Omega 3 Fatty Acids 6,000 mg Per Day 

Chapter 32: 6,000 mg Of Fish Oil A Day 


Raised My Vitamin D Level from 20 to 45, then to 72  

Chapter 29: Do you know what your Vitamin D level is?


Depression is a Disease  

Chapter 23: Angry At The Disease 
Chapter 24: Effexor XR, Please "Kick In" Soon
Chapter 31: Don't Stop Believing
Chapter 36: Blood Type & Diet, Healing Depression Symptoms 


Exercise & Endorphins

Chapter 10: Detailed Treatment Plan

Chapter 33: Endorphins - Natural Morphine 


Reading the Books, The Power of Now, and A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle.  Changing my thinking and living in the Now.

Chapter 5: A New Earth, Changing The Way I Think 
Chapter 6: Ego, Pain-Body, Live In The Present 
Chapter 14: Normal Day, The Power of Now  
Chapter 16: Effexor XR, Live My Life In The Now  
Chapter 18: "Fulfillment, Peace, Life in all its Fullness." 
Chapter 39: The Constant Chatter In My Mind Is Not Me 
Chapter 40: EGO 
Chapter 41: PAIN-BODY


Enlightened Relationships 

Chapter 19: Effexor XR, Enlightened Relationships  


Reading the Book, The UltraMind Solution, by Mark Hyman, M.D.  This led to food sensitivity testing and diet changes.

Chapter 7: Keys To UltraWellness, Food Sensitivity 
Chapter 12: I Hate Clonazepam, Supplements 
Chapter 21: Healing A "Broken Brain" 


The Link Between Inflammation and Depression 

Chapter 37: Treat INFLAMMATION Ease DEPRESSION?
Chapter 38: Depression and Inflammation ARE Linked 


Mercury Toxicity 

Chapter 26: Is Mercury Toxicity Causing Depression?
Chapter 27: Has the Mercury I Have Been Exposed to Caused Toxicity?

Chapter 28: Heavy Metals Testing Is Extremely Controversial!


Reading the book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, by Daniel Amen, M.D. 

Chapter 22: Serotonin, Deep Limbic System


Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation 

Chapter 34: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation


Acupuncture 

Chapter 20: Acupuncture, Relaxed Wanderer


Viral Meningitis  & ADHD 

Chapter 17: Effexor XR, ADHD & Viral Meningitis


Blood Type and Diet 

Chapter 36: Blood Type & Diet, Healing Depression Symptoms   

Chapter 41: PAIN-BODY

This is the conversation my ego (E) and pain-body (PB) had this morning with my higher self (HS).  E & PB:  "Why do we have to wash the fry pan you cooked bacon in yesterday?  It's gross, the inch of fat has been sitting over 24 hours, it stinks and it has solidified into big chunks.  We don't even like bacon.  There is a TINY bit of meat on it and the rest is fat.  Fat isn't good for you and we don't think pork is even that good for you.  Why do you even buy it?  We think some one else should wash this pan."  HS:  "I think you are making a bigger deal out of this situation than it is.  Other family members love bacon, and sometimes I do things because people I love would like it.  We don't have it very often, and I did have one piece of bacon with breakfast yesterday.  I could ask someone else to wash the pan, but I would like to get it done now so the smell of bacon doesn't last too much longer.  This is not an important issue in my life."

"The greater part of most people's thinking is involuntary, automatic, and repetitive.  It is no more than a kind of mental static and fulfills no real purpose.  Strictly speaking, you don't think:  Thinking happens to you.  The statement 'I think' implies volition.  It implies that you have a say in the matter, that there is choice involved on your part.  For most people, this is not yet the case.  'I think' is just as false a statement as 'I digest' or 'I circulate my blood.' Digestion happens, circulation happens, thinking happens."  Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth, page 129

My heart and soul now understands and believes the information in the above paragraph.  I have to work at it every day, but I am now able to "catch", or observe my ego and pain-body when they have overtaken my thinking.  Sometimes my ego seems to be in control of the conversation, sometimes my pain-body is the culprit, and sometimes they join forces and become really obnoxious.  

When my ego or pain-body are in control they tell me things that are not true, are blown out of proportion, do not agree with my higher self, and many times remind me of what a child might say.  If I do not become Present and let my higher self stop the chatter, the conversation is often repeated over and over.  What they say can cause emotions that are based on a made up story and I begin to feel sad, angry, or depressed.  Making progress in helping my higher self be in charge of my mind and thinking is helping me feel better more of the time.  It is so hard for me and I have to practice every day.  I am not implying that I don't need antidepressant medication.  Changing my thinking helps the medication be more effective.

I think these are important points to know about the pain-body.  Taken from the book, A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle.

1.  p. 135  EMOTIONS AND THE EGO

"The voice in the head tells a story that the body believes in and reacts to.  Those reactions are the emotions.  The emotions, in turn, feed energy back to the thoughts that created the emotion in the first place.   This is the vicious circle between unexamined thoughts and emotions, giving rise to emotional thinking and emotional story-making."

 2.  p. 136  EMOTIONS AND THE EGO

"Almost every human body is under a great deal of strain and stress, not because it is threatened by some external factor but from within the mind.  The body has an ego attached to it, and it cannot but respond to all the dysfunctional thought patterns that make up the ego.  Thus, a stream of negative emotion accompanies the stream of incessant and compulsive thinking."

 3.  p. 140  CARRYING THE PAST

"Because of the human tendency to perpetuate old emotion, almost everyone carries in his or her energy field an accumulation of old emotional pain, which I call "the pain-body." 

 4.  p. 141  CARRYING THE PAST

"We can learn not to keep situations or events alive in our minds, but to return our attention continuously to the pristine, timeless present moment rather than be caught up in mental movie-making.  Our very Presence then becomes our identity, rather than our thoughts and emotions.

Nothing ever happened in the past that can prevent you from being present now; and if the past cannot prevent you from being present now, what power does it have?"

 5.  p. 142  INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE

"The remnants of pain left behind by every strong negative emotion that is not fully faced, accepted, and then let go of join together to form an energy field that lives in the very cells of your body.  It consists not just of childhood pain, but also painful emotions that were added to it later in adolescence and during your adult life, much of it created by the voice of the ego.  It is the emotional pain that is your unavoidable companion when a false sense of self is the basis of your life.

This energy field of old but sill very-much-alive emotion that lives in almost every human being is the pain-body."

 6.  p.142-143  INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE

"The pain-body, however, is not just individual in nature.  It also partakes of the pain suffered by countless humans throughout the history of humanity, which is a history of continuous tribal warfare, of enslavement, pillage, rape, torture, and other forms of violence.  This pain still lives in the collective psyche of humanity and is being added to on a daily basis, as you can verify when you watch the news tonight or look at the drama in people's lives."

7.  p. 144-145  HOW THE PAIN-BODY RENEWS ITSELF

"Any emotionally painful experience can be used as food by the pain-body.  That's why it thrives on negative thinking as well as drama in relationships.  The pain-body is an addiction to unhappiness.

In most people, the pain-body has a dormant and an active stage.  When it is dormant, you easily forget that you carry a heavy dark cloud or a dormant volcano inside you, depending on the energy field of your particular pain-body.  How long it remains dormant varies from person to person:  A few weeks is the most common, but it can be a few days or months.  In rare cases the pain-body can lie in hibernation for years before it gets triggered by some event."

 8.  p. 147  HOW THE PAIN-BODY FEEDS ON YOUR THOUGHTS

"Emotion from the pain-body quickly gains control of your thinking, and once your mind has been taken over by the pain-body, your thinking becomes negative.  The voice in your head will be telling sad, anxious, or angry stories about yourself or your life, about other people, about past, future, or imaginary events.  The voice will be blaming, accusing, complaining, imagining.  And you are totally identified with whatever the voice says, believe all its distorted thoughts.  At that point, the addiction to unhappiness has set in."

 9.  p. 148  HOW THE PAIN-BODY FEEDS ON DRAMA

"If there are other people around, preferably your partner or a close family member, the pain-body will attempt to provoke them---bush their buttons, as the expression goes---so it can feed on the ensuing drama.  Pain-bodies love intimate relationships and families because that is where they get most of their food."

10.  p. 149  HOW THE PAIN-BODY FEEDS ON DRAMA

"A deeply unconscious person whose pain-body habitually replenishes itself through physical violence often directs it toward his spouse or children. . . he is truly sorry and may say he will never do this again, and he means it.  The person who is talking and making promises, however, is not the entity that commits the violence, and so you can be sure that it will happen again and again unless he becomes present, recognizes the pain-body within himself, and thus disidentifies from it.  In some cases, counseling can help him do that."

11.  p. 151  DENSE PAIN-BODIES

"Some people carry dense pain-bodies that are never completely dormant.  They may be smiling and making polite conversation, but you do not need to be psychic to sense that seething ball of unhappy emotion in them just underneath the surface, waiting for the next event to react to, the next person to blame or confront, the next thing to be unhappy about.  Their pain-bodies can never get enough, are always hungry.  They magnify the ego's need for enemies."

12.  p. 153  ENTERTAINMENT, THE MEDIA, AND THE PAIN-BODY

"Why do violent films attract such large audiences?  There is an entire industry, a large part of which fuels the human addiction to unhappiness.  People obviously watch those films because they want to feel bad.  What is it in humans that loves to feel bad and calls it good?  The pain-body of course.  A large part of the entertainment industry caters to it.  So, in addition to reactivity, negative thinking, and personal drama, the pain-body also renews itself vicariously through the cinema and television screen.  Pain-bodies write and produce these films, and pain-bodies pay to watch them."

13.  p. 153-154  ENTERTAINMENT, THE MEDIA, AND THE PAIN-BODY

"If films show violence in its wider context, if they show its origin and its consequences, show what it does to the victim as well as the perpetrator, show the collective unconsciousness that lies behind it and is passed on from generation to generation (the anger and hatred that lives in humans as the pain-body), them those films can fulfill a vital function in the the awakening of humanity.

Such films do exist and they do not fuel the pain-body.  Some of the best antiwar films are films that show the reality of war rather than a glamorized version of it.  The pain-body can only feed on films in which violence is portrayed as normal or even desirable human behavior, or that glorify violence with the sole purpose of generating negative emotion in the viewer and so become a 'fix' for the pain-addicted pain-body."

14.  p. 155  THE COLLECTIVE FEMALE PAIN-BODY

"Nobody knows the exact figure because records were not kept, but is seems certain that during a three-hundred-year period between three and five million women were tortured and killed by the "Holy Inquisition," an institution founded by the Roman Catholic Church to suppress heresy. This surely ranks together with the Holocaust as one of the darkest chapters in human history.  It was enough for a woman to show love for animals, walk alone in the fields or woods, or gather medicinal plants to be branded a witch, then tortured and burned at the stake.  The sacred feminine was declared demonic, and an entire dimension largely disappeared from human experience."

15.  p. 156  THE COLLECTIVE FEMALE PAIN-BODY

"What is it that suddenly made men feel threatened by the female?  The evolving ego in them.  It knew it could gain full control of our planet only through the male form, and to do so, it had to render the female powerless.

In time, the ego also took over most women, although it could never become as deeply entrenched in them as in men."

16.  p. 157  NATIONAL AND RACIAL PAIN-BODIES

"Certain countries in which many acts of collective violence were suffered or perpetrated have a heavier collective pain-body than others.  This is why older nations tend to have stronger pain-bodies.  It is also why younger countries, such as Canada or Australia, and those that have remained more sheltered from the surrounding madness, such as Switzerland, tend to have lighter collective pain-bodies.  Of course, in those countries, people still have their personal pain-body to deal with."

17.  p. 158-159  NATIONAL AND RACIAL PAIN-BODIES

"Spiritual practices that involve the physical body, such as t'ai chi, qigong, and yoga, are also increasingly being embraced in the Western world.  These practices do not create a separation between body and spirit and are helpful in weakening the pain-body.  They will play an important role in the global awakening."

18.  p. 159-160  NATIONAL AND RACIAL PAIN-BODIES

"It doesn't really matter what proportion of your pain-body belongs to your nation or race and what proportion is personal.  In either case, you can only go beyond it by taking responsibility for your inner state now.  Even if blame seems more than justified, as long as you blame others, you keep feeding the pain-body with your thoughts and remain trapped in your ego.  There is only one perpetrator of evil on the planet:  human unconsciousness.  That realization is true forgiveness.  With forgiveness, your victim identity dissolves, and your true power emerges---the power of Presence.  Instead of blaming the darkness, you bring in the light."

Chapter 40: EGO

I believe the writing of Eckhart Tolle on the subject of egos in his book, A New Earth, is profound.  Applying these teachings to my life have helped me heal depression symptoms this past year.  My thinking has changed.  What do you think?  Do you think changing your thinking can help depression?  Do you think these concepts are truth?

 1.  p. 59  Chapter 3  The Core of Ego

"Most people are so completely identified with the voice in the head---the incessant stream of involuntary and compulsive thinking and the emotions that accompany it---that we may describe them as being possessed by their mind.  As long as you are completely unaware of this, you take the thinker to be who you are.  This is the egoic mind."

2.  p. 61-62  COMPLAINING AND RESENTMENT

Complaining is one of the ego's favorite ways to strengthen itself, and resentment is the emotion that goes along with it.  Mental labeling of people adds even more energy to the ego. 

"Name-calling is the crudest form of such labeling and of the ego's need to be right and triumph over others:  jerk, bastard, bitch ---all definitive pronouncements that you can't argue with.  On the next level down on the scale of unconsciousness, you have shouting and screaming, and not much below that, physical violence."

3.  p. 63  COMPLAINING AND RESENTMENT

"Complaining is not to be confused with informing someone of a mistake or deficiency so that it can be put right."  This type of complaining desires change, the ego kind enjoys making someone wrong.

4.  p. 68  IN DEFENSE OF AN ILLUSION 

"Every ego confuses opinions and viewpoints with facts.  Furthermore, it cannot tell the difference between an event and its reaction to that event.  Every ego is a master of selective perception and distorted interpretation.  Only through awareness--not through thinking---can you differentiate between fact and opinion."  The ego is strengthened by a sense of boundary, separateness, and superiority.

5.  p. 76  WAR IS A MINDSET  

"Recognize the ego for what it is:  a collective dysfunction, the insanity of the human mind.  When you recognize it for what is is, you no longer misperceive it as somebody's identity." 

6.  p. 77-78  BEYOND EGO:  YOUR TRUE IDENTITY 

"When the ego is at war, know that it is no more than an illusion that is fighting to survive.  That illusion thinks it is you.  It is not easy at first to be there as the witnessing Presence, especially when the ego is in survival mode or some emotional pattern from the past has become activated, but once you have had a taste of it, you will grow in Presence power, and the ego will lose its grip on you.  And so a power comes into your life that is far greater than the ego, greater than the mind.  All that is required to become free of the ego is to be aware of it, since awareness an ego are in compatible."

 7.  p. 79  BEYOND EGO:  YOUR TRUE IDENTITY

"What remains is the light of consciousness in which perceptions, experiences, thoughts, and feelings come and go.  That is Being, that is the deeper, true I.  When I know myself as that, whatever happens in my life is no longer of absolute but only of relative importance.  I honor it, but it loses its absolute seriousness, its heaviness.  The only thing that ultimately matters is this:  Can I sense my essential Beingness, the I Am, in the background of my life at all times?"  . . ."Or am I losing myself in what happens, losing myself in the mind, in the world?" 

 8.  p. 79   ALL STRUCTURES ARE UNSTABLE

"Whatever form it takes, the unconscious drive behind ego is to strengthen the image of who I think I am, the phantom self that came into existence when thought---a great blessing as well as a great curse---began to take over and obscured the simple yet profound joy of connectedness with Being, the Source, God."

  9.  p. 79-80  ALL STRUCTURES ARE UNSTABLE

"Whatever behavior the ego manifests, the hidden motivating force is always the same:  the need to stand out, be special, be in control; the need for power, for attention, for more.  And, of course, the need to feel a sense of separation, that is to say, the need for opposition, enemies."

10.  p. 85  Chapter 4 Role-playing:  The Many Faces of the Ego

"An ego that wants something from another---and what ego doesn't---will usually play some kind of role to get its 'needs' met, be they material gain, a sense of power, superiority, or specialness, or some kind of gratification, be it physical or psychological.  Usually people are completely unaware of the roles they play.  They are those roles."

11.  p. 86  Role-playing:  The Many Faces of the Ego

"All you need to know and observe in yourself is this:  Whenever you feel superior or inferior to anyone, that's the ego in you."

12.  p. 87  VILLAIN, VICTIM, LOVER

"The playing of negative roles becomes particularly pronounced whenever the ego is magnified by an active pain-body, that is to say, emotional pain from the past that wants to renew itself through experiencing more pain."

13.  p. 88  VILLAIN, VICTIM, LOVER

"What is commonly called 'falling in love' is in most cases an intensification of egoic wanting and needing.  You become addicted to another person, or rather to your image of that person.  It has nothing to do with true love, which contains no wanting whatsoever."

14.  p. 89  LETTING GO OF SELF-DEFINITIONS 

"Only rare beings at the time, such as the Buddha or Jesus, saw the ultimate irrelevance of caste or social class, recognized it as identification with form and saw that such identification with the conditioned and the temporal obscured the light of the unconditioned and eternal that shines in each human being."

15.  p. 90-91  PRE-ESTABLISHED ROLES 

"What really matters is not what function you fulfill in this world, but whether you identify with your function to such an extent that it takes you over and becomes a role that you play.  When you play roles, you are unconscious.  When you catch yourself playing a role, that recognition creates a space between you and the role.  It is the beginning of freedom from the role."

16.  p. 95-96  HAPPINESS AS A ROLE VS. TRUE HAPPINESS 

"If there is unhappiness in you, first you need to acknowledge that it is there.  But don't say, 'I'm unhappy.'  Unhappiness has nothing to do with who you are.  Say: 'There is unhappiness in me.'  Then investigate it.  A situation you find yourself in may have something to do with it.  Action may be required to change the situation or remove yourself from it.  If there is nothing you can do, face what is and say, 'Well, right now, this is how it is.  I can either accept it, or make myself miserable'."

17.  p. 96  HAPPINESS AS A ROLE VS. TRUE HAPPINESS

"Unhappiness covers up your natural state of well-being and inner peace, the source of true happiness."

18.  p. 98  PARENTHOOD:  ROLE OR FUNCTION?
 
"If their desire to control or influence the actions of their adult child is thwarted---as it usually is---they will start to criticize or show their disapproval, or try to make the child feel guilty, all in an unconscious attempt to preserve their role, their identity.  On the surface it looks as if they were concerned about their child, and they themselves believe it, but they are only really concerned about preserving their role-identity."

19.  p. 100  PARENTHOOD:  ROLE OR FUNCTION?

"My parents should approve of what I do.  They should understand me and accept me for who I am."  "Really?  Why should they?  The fact is they don't because they can't.  Their evolving consciousness hasn't made the quantum leap to the level of awareness yet.  They are not yet able to disidentify from their role."  . . ."What difference does their approval or disapproval truly make to who you are?  All such unexamined assumptions cause a great deal of negative emotion , much unnecessary unhappiness."

20.  p.101  CONSCIOUS SUFFERING 

"If you have young children, give them help, guidance, and protection to the best of your ability, but even more important, give them space---space to be.  They come into this world through you, but they are not 'yours.'  The belief 'I know what's best for you' may be true when they are very young, but the older they get, the less true it becomes.  The more expectations you have of how their life should unfold, the more you are in your mind instead of being present for them.  Eventually, they will make mistakes, and they will experience some form of suffering, as all humans do.  In fact, they may be mistakes only from your perspective.  What to you is a mistake may be exactly what your children need to do or experience."

21.  p. 102  CONSCIOUS SUFFERING 

"As long as you resist suffering, it is a slow process because the resistance creates more ego to burn up.  When you accept suffering, however, there is an acceleration of that process which is brought about by the fact that you suffer consciously." 

22.  p. 103  CONSCIOUS PARENTING

"Many children harbor hidden anger and resentment toward their parents and often the cause is inauthenticity in the relationship.  The child has a deep longing for the parent to be there as a human being, not as a role, no matter how conscientiously that role is being played.  You may be doing all the right things and the best you can for your child, but even doing the best you can is not enough.  In fact, doing is never enough if you neglect Being."

23.  p.106  GIVING UP ROLE-PLAYING

"To do whatever is required of you in any situation without it becoming a role that you identify with is an essential lesson in the art of living that each one of us is here to learn."

24.  p. 112  THE PATHOLOGICAL EGO

"Negativity is not intelligent.  It is always of the ego.  The ego may be clever, but it is not intelligent.  Cleverness pursues its own little aims.  Intelligence sees the larger whole in which all things are connected."  . . ."Cleverness divides; intelligence includes."

25.  p.  114-115  THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS

"Being at peace and being who you are, that is, being yourself, are one.  The ego says:  Maybe at some point in the future, I can be at peace---if this, that, or the other happens, or I obtain this or become that.  Or it says:  I can never be at peace because of something that happened in the past."  . . ."The ego doesn't know that your only opportunity for being at peace is now.  Or maybe it does know, and it is afraid that you may find this out.  Peace, after all, is the end of the ego." 

26.  p.  115  THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS

"There are three words that convey the secret of the art of living, the secret of all success and happiness:  One With Life.  Being one with life is being one with Now.  You then realize that you don't live your life, but life lives you.  Life is the dancer, and you are the dance."

27.  p. 120  PATHOLOGICAL FORMS OF EGO

"The collective ego of tribes, nations, and religious organizations also frequently contains a strong element of paranoia:  us against the evil others.  It is the cause of much human suffering."  (Spanish Inquisition, burning of heretics and witches, First & Second World Wars, Communism, "Cold War", McCarthyism, violent conflict in the Middle East)

28.  p. 120  PATHOLOGICAL FORMS OF EGO

"The more unconscious individuals, groups or nations are, the more likely it is that egoic pathology will assume the form of physical violence.  Violence is a primitive but still very widespread way in which the ego attempts to assert itself, to prove itself right and another wrong.  With very unconscious people, arguments can easily lead to physical violence."

29.  p.  121  WORK---WITH AND WITHOUT EGO

"Most people have moments when they are free of ego.  Those who are exceptionally good at what they do may be completely or largely free of ego while performing their work.  They may not know it, but their work has become a spiritual practice."

30.  p.  122  WORK---WITH AND WITHOUT EGO

"They are one with what they do, one with the Now, one with the people or the task they serve.  The influence such people have upon others goes far beyond the function they perform.  They bring about a lessening of the ego in everyone who comes into contact with them.  Even people with heavy egos sometimes begin to relax, let down their guard, and stop playing their roles when they interact with them.  It comes as no surprise that those people who work without ego are extraordinarily successful at what they do.  Anybody who is one with what he or she does is building the new earth."

Chapter 39: The Constant Chatter In My Mind Is Not Me

I know my mind is not me.  I know the constant chatter in my head is not me.  If I do not become the watcher of my mind, my ego and pain-body analyze the past over and over and make up outrageous scenarios for the future.  They judge, criticize, compare, complain, lament, whine, degrade and take a position.

If I am present and watching what my mind is saying, I can question what is being said.  If it is not true and I recognize it, I will save myself from experiencing the emotions that go with the thoughts.  I do not want to waste time and energy trying to solve problems that have been made up by my ego or pain-body.  Staying in the present, living in the moment, has reduced the stress in my life.  For me, this has been an important part of the healing process from the disease depression. 

I learned how to change my thinking from Eckhart Tolle and his books.  I have talked about these books in many chapters of my blog.  "The Power of Now", Chapter 6, Chapter 14, Chapter 16, Chapter 18, and Chapter 19.  "A New Earth", Chapter 5, Chapter 6, and Chapter 19.  I don't agree with all of the concepts Eckhart Tolle teaches, but most of them I do.  Some of his beliefs do not correspond to the religious teachings I believe. I have written quite a bit about the things he taught me that have changed my life for the better.  I would also like to write about my religious beliefs that are different than his.  I will do that. =)       

There have been times in the past when a thought has come into my head that I didn't like, or wasn't consistent with what I believe.  It was awesome to learn that this type of thought came from my ego or pain-body.  The present part of me, or what I like to call my higher self, would not have a thought like that and I can dismiss it without feeling guilty about thinking it.  Being present, or in my higher self, brings more peace into my life.  I have to make a conscious effort every day to have my higher self be in charge of my life.

How Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Affect Your Health

WebMD

Reviewed by Amal Chakraburtty, MD on March 01, 2010

© 2010 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. 

How Does Stress Affect Health?

Controlling stress is important to our health. Unrelenting stress can turn to distress. Stress is the body's reaction to any change that requires a physical, mental, or emotional adjustment or response. Stress is a normal part of life. Many events that happen to you and around you -- and many things that you do to yourself -- put stress on your body. Some stress can be good. It keeps us alert, motivated, and ready to avoid danger. But too much stress can make us sick.

Stress that continues without relief can lead to a condition called distress -- a negative stress reaction. Distress can disturb the body's internal balance or equilibrium, leading to physical symptoms such as headaches, an upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, sexual dysfunction, and problems sleeping. Emotional problems can also result from distress. These problems include depression, panic attacks, or other forms of anxiety and worry. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases. Stress is linked to six of the leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and even suicide.

Stress also becomes harmful when people engage in the compulsive use of substances or behaviors to try to relieve their stress. These substances or behaviors may include food, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, gambling, sex, shopping, and the Internet. Rather than relieving the stress and returning the body to a relaxed state, these substances and compulsive behaviors tend to keep the body in a stressed state causing more problems. The distressed person becomes trapped in a vicious circle. 

Link between Stress, Anxiety, Depression 

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on April 12, 2010  

PsychCentral

Source: University of Western Ontario

Researchers have discovered a biological link between stress, anxiety and depression. 

Lead researcher Stephen Ferguson believes that the connecting mechanism in the brain explains how stress and anxiety could lead to depression. The study also reveals a small molecule inhibitor, developed by Ferguson, which may provide a new and better way to treat anxiety, depression and other related disorders.

The findings are published online in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Ferguson, Ana Magalhaes and their colleagues used a behavioral mouse model and a series of molecular experiments to reveal the connection pathway and to test the new inhibitor. 

“We’ve gone from mechanism to mouse, and the next step is to see whether or not we can take the inhibitor we developed, and turn it into a pharmaceutical agent.”

The research was conducted in collaboration with Hymie Anisman at Carleton University, and funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

“According to the World Health Organization, depression, anxiety and other related mood disorders now share the dubious distinction of being the most prevalent causes of chronic illness,” says Anthony Phillips, the scientific director of the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction.

“Using the power of molecular biology, Stephen Ferguson and colleagues provide novel insights that may be the key to improving the lives of so many individuals coping with these forms of mental ill health.”

The linking mechanism in the study involves the interaction between corticotropin releasing factor receptor 1 (CRFR1) and specific types of serotonin receptors (5-HTRs).

While no one has been able to connect these two receptors on a molecular level, the study reveals that CRFR1 works to increase the number of 5-HTRs on cell surfaces in the brain, which can cause abnormal brain signaling.

Since CRFR1 activation leads to anxiety in response to stress, and 5-HTRs lead to depression, the research shows how stress, anxiety and depression pathways connect through distinct 

processes in the brain.

Most importantly, the inhibitor developed by the Ferguson lab blocks 5-HTRs in the pathway to combat anxious behavior, and potentially depression, in mice.

While major depressive disorder often occurs together with anxiety disorder in patients, the causes for both are strongly linked to stressful experiences. Stressful experiences can also make the symptoms of anxiety and depression more severe.

By discovering and then blocking a pathway responsible for the link between stress, anxiety and depression, Ferguson not only provides the first biological evidence for a connection, but he also pioneers the development of a potential drug for more effective treatment.

Genetic Link Between Stress and Depression

Study Shows People With a Genetic Mutation May Be More Likely to Develop Depression

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Feb. 7, 2011 -- A gene that influences how the brain responds to stress may also play a key role in depression.

A new study shows people with a certain genetic mutation that causes them to produce less of the brain chemical neuropeptide Y (NPY) have a more intense negative emotional response to stress and may be more likely to develop depression than others.

Researchers found low levels of neuropeptide Y caused a stronger emotional response to negative stimuli and physiological response to pain in the brain, which may make people less resilient in the face of stress and more prone to depression.

"We've identified a biomarker -- in this case genetic variation -- that is linked with increased risk of major depression," says researcher Jon-Kar Zubieta, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry and radiology at the University of Michigan, in a news release. "This appears to be another mechanism, independent of previous targets in depression research, such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine." 

Genetic Link to Depression

In three separate tests, researchers looked at the link between this genetic mutation and depression in 39 adults with depression and 113 healthy adults. The results are published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

First, researchers measured the amount of NPY expression in each of the participants and used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the brain's response to positive, neutral, or negative words like "hopeful," "material," or "murderer."

The results showed people with low levels of this brain molecule had much more activity in an area of the brain associated with regulating emotions, the prefrontal cortex, than those with high levels. 

Response to Stress

In a second experiment, researchers measured the response to a stressful event involving injecting saline solution into a jaw muscle, which produces moderate pain for about 20 minutes, but no lasting harm.

The study showed those with low neuropeptide Y rated their emotional response as more negative while anticipating the event before and immediately after the event while reflecting on their experience.

"This tells us that individuals with the risk-associated NPY gene variant tend to activate this key brain region more than other people, even in the absence of stress and before psychiatric symptoms are present," says researcher Brian Mickey, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School, in the news release.

Finally, researchers found participants with this genetic variation were much more likely to have been diagnosed with depression than those without it.

"These are genetic features that can be measured in any person. We hope they can guide us toward assessing an individual's risk for developing depression and anxiety," Mickey says.

SOURCES: Mickey, B. Archives of General Psychiatry, February 2011; vol 68: pp 158-166.News release, University of Michigan Health System.

©2011 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

I am excited about the research that may lead to new treatment options for depression.  Below is a summary of the two research articles above. 

1.  CRFR1 (corticotropin releasing factor receptor 1) works to increase the number of 5-HTRs (specific types of serotonin receptors) on cell surfaces in the brain, which can cause abnormal brain signaling.  CRFR1 activation leads to anxiety in response to stress, and 5-HTRs lead to depression.  The research shows how stress, anxiety, and depression pathways connect through distinct processes in the brain.  This is the first biological evidence for a connection between stress, anxiety, and depression.  

The small molecule inhibitor developed by the Ferguson lab blocks 5-HTRs in the pathway to combat anxious behavior, and potentially depression, in mice.  The researchers are hoping to take the inhibitor they developed, and turn it into a pharmaceutical agent.

2.  People with a genetic mutation that causes them to produce less of the brain chemical neuropeptide Y (NPY), have a more intense negative emotional response to stress and may be more likely to develop depression than others.  People with low levels of this brain molecule had much more activity in an area of the brain associated with regulating emotions, the prefrontal cortex, than those with high levels. 

Individuals with the risk-associated NPY gene variant tend to activate this key brain region more than other people, and participants with this genetic variation were much more likely to have been diagnosed with depression than those without it.  This information will help in assessing an individual's risk for developing depression and anxiety, and may lead to a way to manipulate NPY to improve depression and anxiety symptoms.

Lowering my stress levels help me manage the depression symptoms.  Regular aerobic exercise and weight training help me reduce stress.  I feel the best when I use our Cross Trainer (eliptical) every day, but that doesn't always happen.  

Changing my thinking patterns have also been a great help in lowering stress.  Eckhart Tolle teaches, "Wherever you are, be there totally.  If you find your here and now intolerable and it makes you unhappy, you have three options:  remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it totally.  If you want to take responsibility for your life, you must choose one of those three options, and you must choose now."  "The Power of Now", page 82.

What do you do to reduce your stress levels?  Does it help manage your depression symptoms?  Please share.