Dr. Mercola July 12 2005 1,877 views
For the estimated 10 percent of people who will experience an episode of major depression in their lifetime, the following may (or may not) come as a blessing:
Researchers have been perfecting pacemaker-like technology to treat patients who suffer from severe depression and have had little success with "conventional" therapies. The technology, which is already used to treat Parkinson's disease, uses electrodes that are implanted in the brain to switch off or interrupt the electrical circuits linked to depression.
Early Work
Professor Helen Mayberg from Emory University School of Medicine first began studying the use of deep-brain stimulation to treat depression 15 years ago. By examining brain scans of patients with severe depression that could not be eased with drugs or other available treatments, she discovered such patients tended to have extremely high activity in an area of the brain within the limbic system -- the area associated with mood.
The depressed patients were also found to have lower than normal activity in the frontal lobe, which appeared to be associated with the abnormally elevated activity in the part of the limbic system that Professor Mayberg referred to as area 25.
She reasoned that stimulating area 25 with electric currents would put brain activity back in balance and ease depression.
Putting the Data to Use
The technology researchers came up with consists of a matchbox-sized, battery-powered generator that is placed inside a patient's chest that tracks brain function and produces electrical currents. The currents are then relayed to the desired area deep in the brain through tiny wires channeled under the skin on either side of the neck.
To study its effects, researchers implanted the device, under local anesthetic, into six patients suffering from depression who failed on all other treatments; four out of the six patients have had significant improvements in their mood with no side effects.
Therefore, this technology, explained researchers, would be ideal for patients with the most severe and debilitating treatment-resistant depression.
BBC News June 27, 2005
Newsweek June 27, 2005
Don't you just love Moore's Law, which has been in affect for over 40 years, since Gordon Moore, Intel's founder, stated that transistors will double every 18 months? It is responsible for many of the amazing benefits we all enjoy today. High-speed Internet is certainly one of them and without that this newsletter would not be possible.
However, it's possible to take any technology and use it inappropriately, and this is so easy to do when someone is clueless about natural medicine principles. Treating depression with this technology is an absolute abuse and should be avoided at all costs, as there are far more effective, less invasive and less expensive options.
If you're at your wit's end and feel there are no good solutions left to treat your depression, I strongly urge you to try these safe, effective options before risking your health with such an invasive procedure.
Natural Treatments for Depression
Optimize the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fats in your diet by eating foods high in omega-3 fats and taking a high-quality fish or cod liver oil every day.
Reduce, with the goal of eliminating, sugar and grains from your diet.
Start moving with an exercise program.
Use my free online manual to learn the energy psychology tool called the Emotional Freedom Technique, which I use daily in my practice.
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I was strickened with profound chemical depression. I was suicidal for the better part of every day for 4 years and in the most profound anxious, scary, extremely depressive pain imaginable. Prior to this episode I was an deeply happy person and kept myself extremely healthy with daily exercise, proper nutrition, proper supplementation and alot of meditation. During this brutal depressive episode I had a loving family, fantastic friends and a loving girlfriend. There was nothing from my life experience causing this except per chemical disfunction in the brain as I had no issue with my life just the profound pscychic pain that was so tortures. I tried every natural protocal imaginable and followed all Doctor Mercola's techinques for a very longtime to no avail The pain was to much to bear and I was desperate (matter of life and death) so eventually I went the pharmaceutical route and tried every over 15 psychotropic medications, was hospitalized on 3 different occasions and even tried Electro shock therapy, all to no avail . None of this worked over the 4 years and I was desperately wanting to die but I couldn't do that to my family and friends
I literally was at what seemed like the end of my rope. Then I heard about this deep brain stimulation study being conducted as a treatment for depression, After an intense screening process, I was accepted into the study. I had the electrodes planted deep into my brain which were then attached to a stimulator planted in my chest. After 6 months of finding the right setting I became an extremely grateful human being. I had my life fully completely back. The pain, fear, anxiety, depression were pretty much completely gone and I was very happy, healthy, working, extremely active and excited about my future!! Though I do still get a little depressed for a few days here and there it is nothing compared to before and I bounce back fairly quickly. This procedure literally saved my life! Doctor Mercola needs to be more open!!
I have to chime in here too. While I concur that there are often abuses of medicine and technology, I think to overreact even to these can be detrimental. And doesn't take into account the many people who have benefitted. Even in the alternative medicine and natural medicine fields, greed and profit often lead the way, and there isn't necessarily anything wrong with that in its entirety.
On a personal note, I too went from being a generally very happy, strong, sound minded person, to being stricken suddenly and powerfully by a very intense, debilitating clinical depression. I lost 30 pounds in a few weeks, couldn't sleep for weeks, and "lost my mind" in many ways, also experiencing unbearable physical pain in the process. I tried it all - meditation, healthy dieting, omega 3's, exercise, yoga, therapy, etc. I was told - AND COULD TELL PHYSICALLY - that I was on the verge of severe physical damage if not death. And decided to go on pscyhotropics. Noone will ever know if it is they "cured" me - but I am convinced they helped me at least stabilize and last until the time went by and the other things kicked in to fully bring me around.
This procedure should be accepted into the medical communiy immediately. For peopel with severe or chronic depression (like me), I would do it in a heartbeat.
Sorry, but Omega 3s, exercise, and cutting out sugar don't alwys cut it Dr.!