The natural chemistry of the brain involves chemical messengers that work with the electrical communications between the billions of nerve cells in the brain. Called neurotransmitters, these natural chemicals bridge the gap between one brain cell to the next. They regulate our body's automatic functions, including blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, sensations including touch, pain and pleasure, and the control of body movements. They also play a major part in our moods and behavior. If our neurotransmitters are not present in adequate and balanced amounts, the electrical messages of the brain do not occur and bodily functions and moods suffer.
Regarding our moods and behavior, if our neurotransmitters are present and balanced in adequate amounts, they promote happiness, serenity, confidence, clear and constructive thinking, good memory and freedom from worry. If they are deficient and unbalanced, negative thinking and emotions run us, resulting in irritability, nervousness, lack of energy, fatigue, anger, fear, inability to relax or sleep, mood swings, difficulty learning, poor judgement, slowed reactions, lack of sex drive, inability to enjoy life, anxiety and depression.
The neurotransmitters of the brain include norepinephrine, serotonin, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopamine. Each one is involved with certain brain communications, but they all work together as a balanced team for proper mental function. When the brain is able to make these neurotransmitters in good supply, they are all balanced and the brain functions like a championship team.
To make these natural nerve chemicals, the brain needs the right kinds and amounts of nutritional raw materials fed to it. Without these raw materials, one or more of these neurotransmitter chemicals becomes deficient and there is then an imbalance and the team falls apart. When the brain's chemical team doesn't function well, it leads to those negative feelings and emotions that have been given a variety of labels, including depression, anxiety, panic disorders, phobias, mania and bipolar disorder, depending on which neurotransmitters are deficient or unbalanced.
These imbalances have been "treated" for centuries with a variety of methods by practitioners who didn't understand the underlying chemical cause. Many of these methods were cruel and inhumane, such as beatings and torture, isolation, electric shock, chemical numbing, and surgical removal of parts of the brain. Some of these methods still continue today in the practice of psychiatry. This marks a poor track record on the legacy of psychiatry to help those who suffer from disorders of mood and thought.
In the 20th century, we saw the introduction of chemical treatments for mood disorders in the form of antidepressants such as Prozac, antianxiety drugs such as Valium and antipsychotic drugs such as Thorazine. The makers of these drugs had the ambition that the brain's neurotransmitters could be manipulated and controlled with manmade chemicals. The root cause of the neurotransmitter imbalances was overlooked, or ignored.
These drugs are not cures because they do not correct the underlying problem of not supplying the brain with the natural raw materials to make neurotransmitters. Not only are these drugs not cures, but they cause many dangerous side effects, including suicidal tendencies, involuntary muscle spasms, senility due to brain damage, headaches, sleeplessness, drowsiness, dizziness, weakness, loss of sex drive, impotence, tremors, dry mouth, weight gain, abnormal heart beat, low blood sugar, low thyroid function, irritable bowel and more, depression and anxiety. Yes, you read right, they can actually cause depression and anxiety.
Research shows that these medications are no more effective for helping depression and anxiety than sugar pills and can actually increase the rate of suicide and violence in school age patients. Is it any wonder that many of the suicides and acts of violence carried out in our schools were done by students taking these drugs? We're not talking about recreational drugs such as cocaine, crack, marijuana, ecstasy, alcohol or methamphetamine. We're talking about medications that were prescribed by doctors who haven't addressed the real causes of these neurotransmitter imbalances.
There are other medications that can also interfere with neurotransmittes, including blood pressure drugs such as atenolol (Tenormin), propranolol (Inderal), nadolol (Corgard), diuretics (fluid pills), gabapentin (Neurontin), prednisone, birth control pills, artificial female hormones, muscle relaxers and chemotherapy drugs.
Fortunately, there are alternative answers to dangerous medications used for depression and anxiety. The alternative requires identification of the deficient neurotransmitters and a knowledge of the right nutritional supplements to supply the brain with the right natural raw materials to balance them.
Dr. Tim Holcomb is a pharmacist-doctor with over 30 years of experience in natural health care. His website http://www.enddepression-anxiety.com features a free report about ending depression and anxiety with natural alternatives to dangerous prescription drugs. The report features a simple brain function questionnaire that helps identify which neurotransmitters are likely to need nutritional support and which nutritional supplements can be used to balance them.
Dr. Holcomb has a convenient online natural health store at http://www.drholcombsnaturalhealth.com which features the products recommended by the brain function questionnaire and offers a free health newsletter, Health Matters, for you to stay updated on natural health and nutrition.
