Depression is widely misunderstood as a mental health issue and, in most cases, treated with antidepressants with detrimental effects. Antidepressants and other chemicals/supplements will never fix the underling cause, which in most cases is due to a weakness of the endocrine glands. I am not saying you cannot feel depressed or anxious by external events in your life. However, the state of these glands will affect your overall mood and how you deal with external stressors and events. When these glands are strong, you will be able to handle pressure and stress better, feel confident and happy, have lots of energy, increased concentration, and general feelings of wellbeing. You will feel like a different person.
The Importance role of Endocrine Glands in Mood Disorders
Endocrine glands control many functions in the body by producing internal secretions (e.g. hormones) that are released directly into the blood or lymph system to be circulated throughout the body. Depression, anxiety, chronic worry and fear are due to a weakness of these glands, specifically the adrenal and thyroid/parathyroid glands.
Approximately 75% of all “disease” symptoms can be attributed to the failure of the endocrine gland system.
Up until the last 10 to 25 years, we mostly found these chronic or degenerative issues in the elderly. Today, because of our lifestyles, diets, and especially because of genetic weaknesses, these glands have become weakened to the point where even infants have chronic and degenerative conditions. The good news is that these glands can be regenerated by reversing the factors that have caused the weakness in the first place.
What is the underlying cause of depression?
In the majority of cases, depression is caused by a lack of calcium utilisation by the thyroid/parathyroid gland. When these glands are in a hypo state or being suppressed by other glands (e.g. pituitary), calcium utilisation drops.
Calcium is the most abundant mineral (metal) in your body and has many functions. Calcium is necessary for bone, cartilage, tendons and connective tissue strength. It plays an important role in blood clotting, regulating normal nerve functions and is one of many cellular transporters.
A lack of proper calcium utilisation causes symptoms such as:
- Scoliosis
- Depression
- Connective tissue weaknesses
- Varicose veins
- Hemorrhoids
- Hernias and aneurysms
- Lower steroid production that leads to fibrocystic issues, fibromyalgia, fibroids, cysts, cholesterol plaquing and other conditions
It's important to understand that these issues are not usually caused by a deficiency of calcium, rather they are a calcium utilisation problem. For example, many people experience weak, brittle and/or ridged fingernails and start taking a calcium supplement or gelatin and their nails will become hard again. However, as soon as they stop taking the calcium, their nails return to the weakened state. They did not fix the “cause” of the problem, which is, in nine out of ten cases, a utilisation problem, not a deficiency problem.
High calcium supplementation will actually push out or deplete your phosphorus levels. Calcium cannot be properly utilized without parathyroid hormones. Stone formation, including bone spurs, will result if you supplement anything but plant calcium, especially when the parathyroid is weak. Calcium is very abundant even in our S.A.D. (Standard American Diet). However, we are destroying its utilization potential through cooking and processing. You must fix the utilization problem, and the bottom line of food utilization is energy and proper endocrine gland function.
A clear example of depression caused by a weakness of the thyroid/parathyroid is in postpartum depression. During pregnancy, the baby growing in its mother's womb needs plenty of calcium to develop its skeleton. This need is especially great during the last 3 months of pregnancy. If the mother doesn't get enough calcium, her baby will draw what it needs from the mother's and deplete her. If she already has a parathyroid weakness, she will develop connective tissue weakness and depression.
What is the underlying cause of anxiety?
When the adrenal glands become hypoactive, anxieties can overwhelm you. Adrenal Glands a pair of triangular-shaped glands that sit on top of each kidney and are one of the most important glands in the body.
The medulla of the adrenal glands produces neurotransmitters (epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine hydrochloride). These regulate the action of the heart and nerve response affecting almost all tissues in the body, including the heart, vascular system, intestines, skin and kidneys. The cortex of the adrenal glands produce cortical-type steroids or hormones. Many of these steroids act as anti-inflammatory compounds, which are vital to combating inflammatory processes within the body. These steroids affect muscle, nerve, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular tissues.
Weakness of the adrenal glands causes low blood pressure from insufficient neurotransmitters and starts a process of nerve disorders, breathing problems, and heart arrhythmias. It also causes insufficient steroid production leading to acidosis and inflammation, slowly breaking down tissues/glands.
Symptoms include arthritis, fatigue, low blood pressure, high blood pressure (occasionally), weak pulse, systemic inflammation, female reproductive problems (especially estrogen dominance - ovarian cysts, sore breasts, uterine fibroids, etc), prostatitis, exhaustion, low endurance, neurotransmitting issues - e.g., multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, palsys, tremors, Lou Gehrig’s, etc. Post strokes, spinal cord injuries, all types of cancers, HIV (AIDS), skin conditions, heart arrhythmias, and anxiety/mood disorders.
Mood disorders can vary from mild shyness and introversion, to apprehension, to chronic worry and anxiety, to acute anxiety attacks, to paralysing fear and reclusiveness. Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other similar conditions are all manifestations of the above, as they affect your calcium, serotonin, neurotransmitters, and the like.
How to overcome depression & anxiety naturally?
As you can see, the endocrine glands play a vital role in the proper functioning of the body and emotions. This should be good news for anyone suffering with chronic depression and anxiety because there is a relatively simple solution - strengthen the endocrine glands, specifically adrenals and thyroid/parathyroid.
In order to do this, you must look at what caused this weakness in the first place. The answer is always either genetics, toxicity or acidosis. Regardless of which one it is, the solution is always detoxification and regeneration.
Regenerative Detoxification
Regeneration means rebuilding tissue that is failing; and detoxification is the method used to remove the inflammation and toxins that have caused these tissues to fail in the first place.
Detoxification is the simple process of allowing the body to clean itself. Regeneration has three main components to it: Alkalize, detoxify and energize. All three work together and are inseparable. Alkalization is vital to tissue regeneration because it is anti-inflammatory. It builds electrolytes for proper ionizacion, oxidation and neutralization. It allows for proper cellular respiration and for disbursement of nutrients throughout the body.
Detoxifying, of course, cleans all the obstructions, irritants and stimulants, like mucus, heavy metals, chemicals and pesticides out of your body. This allows for proper digestion, absorption, utilisation and elimination.
So how do we alkalize the body?
We interact with external chemistry by what we eat, breathe, and put on our skin. The first step in detoxification is to eliminate all acid and mucus forming foods. This includes protein, dairy and grains. These foods have an acid ash when consumed creating a cationic, or acidic environment of coagulation and agglomeration. Acids are not only corrosive to tissues in the body but can also be deadly if blood becomes too acidic.
These foods also cause excessive mucus production in the body's tissues, especially dairy and refined sugars. Once the body becomes overburdened with this mucus from the lymph system, the mucus itself then becomes the problem. It can block proper cellular function, causing hypoactivity of the respective organ or gland. In addition to being acidic, meats are also putrefactive and will invite parasites in the body.
It’s also important to move away from cooked foods. Cooking food will change the chemistry of the food to a more acidic pH and that is why you want to move to a raw diet of mainly fruits and vegetables, see diet recommendations here. Creates a homeostasis of body chemistry.
Energising your cells with energy from living foods is vital to robust health. Without the power of live foods, which are full of nutrition and electricity, you cannot accomplish alkalization and detoxification.
Herbal Formulas
Unfortunately some of us are at deeply chronic and degenerative levels that a raw diet isn't enough for us to heal and herbs become essential. Herbs are a great tool to help with the detoxification as they are tissue specific and are designed to heal, clean and strengthen.
Herbs for the adrenal glands; Eleuthero Root, Wild Yam Root, Cleavers Herb, Parsley (Whole Plant), He Shou Wu Root, Saw Palmetto Berry, Chaste Tree Berry, Juniper Berry, Dandelion Root & Leaf, Rhodiola Root and many more.
Herbs for the Thyroid; Kelp Frond Powder, Bee Propolis Powder, He Shou Wu Root, Saw Palmetto Berry, Butcher’s Broom Root, Eleuthero Root, Chaste Tree Berry, Bayberry Root, Schizandra Berry and Prickly Ash Bark.
Due to the synergies created from taking the herbs together, it's best to consume the combined herbs as a tincture, capsule or tea. Dr. Morse's Endocrine Glands and Thyroid Support are great formulas. However it's important to work on the kidneys, GI tract and lymphatic system at the same time. Book a consultation for a herbal protocol here.
Note: you should not take thyroid herbs if your thyroid is in a hyper state and have symptoms such as a goiter as it will stimulate the thyroid. It's best to get an iridology reading to have a protocol made for you here.