Hello, and welcome to
Health For A Lifetime.
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I'm Don Mackintosh and we're
glad you've joined us today.
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We believe that today's
program is very important.
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We're happy to have a special
guest with us, Dr. Neil Nedley.
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Welcome, Dr. Nedley.
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Thank you.
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Glad to be here.
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Dr. Nedley is a
Specialist in Internal Medicine
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from Ardmore, Oklahoma.
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He sees patients with all
different types of problems
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in an acute care setting.
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Is that right doctor?
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That's correct.
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Heart attacks, strokes, many
of the most emergent situations
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you care for.
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Correct.
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Today's program deals
specifically with something
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you see quite often, and
those of you who are joining us
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maybe you see as well.
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In fact, maybe even today,
you are experiencing some of the
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things that we will be covering.
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The subject is depression,
and not just a minor depression,
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but major depression.
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In America
depression is a real problem.
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17 million Americans suffer from
depression, major depression,
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and 200 million worldwide,
the statistics tell us.
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But what exactly is
depression, Dr. Nedley?
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What can you tell
our viewers today?
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What can you tell
us about depression?
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How could we know whether
or not we really are depressed
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in terms of medically?
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Actually, it's a pretty
simple thing to find out whether
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an individual is
depressed or not.
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In fact anyone viewing here
today could actually find out
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for themselves whether
they are depressed based on
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the following definition:
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So in other words if you feel
sad today, but not sad tomorrow,
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that doesn't classify.
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If you've had the death of
a spouse, or loss of a job,
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or some other terrible
situation in your life that's
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caused you to be
sad, that doesn't qualify
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you for depression.
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But if you haven't had
those things, and the following
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5 of 9 symptoms
persist for more than 2 weeks,
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then you do have
major depression.
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Then we need to find
the cause, and then treat
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the underlying cause.
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Those nine
symptoms are as follows:
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Some people won't feel the
deep sadness, they'll just feel
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apathetic, and
maybe have some agitation.
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Sleep disturbances: that
means either sleeping too much,
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or not able to sleep
enough, having insomnia.
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Weight or appetite
changes: either eating too much
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and gaining weight, or actually
loosing weight and not really
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wanting to do either
one while you're having
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those appetite changes.
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Fatigue is one of the
common symptoms that I see as an
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Internal Medicine physician, as
far as depression is concerned.
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Now if you only have 2 to 4
of those symptoms then you don't
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classify as a major depression.
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We call that in
medical terminology
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Subsyndromal Depression,
and even that needs to have some
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attention given to
it so that it doesn't
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become major depression,
and we may need to find
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the underlying
cause of this as well.
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So of these 5 causes, or
actually these 5 symptoms
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of depression, if you have 5
or more of these over a 2 week
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period, then you
have major depression.
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Correct.
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Okay.
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Is depression something that
we can just "grit our teeth"
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and get through it?
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Is that the best treatment?
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Is that how we should treat
this; or what should we do?
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No, actually that
treatment will not work.
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In fact one of the major
misunderstandings of those who
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have a loved one that is
depressed is that they feel
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that that loved one ought to be
able to just "snap out" of it,
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particularly since they've
seen them not depressed before,
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are what's wrong with you?
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Why can't you get over this?
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And really that doesn't work.
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Once you're at the
major depression stage,
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any treatment is going to take
at least a minimum of 7 days
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to notice improvement,
and about 3 to 4 weeks
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to get maximum improvement.
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So this is not a
disease that you "snap out" of.
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It is something that requires
a longer period of time.
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I know there are a lot
of things in the media today
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about depression.
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There are lots of
supposed treatments.
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Almost every day you
hear about some thing new.
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I'm sure you're very familiar
with those because you deal
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with major depression every day.
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Help us with that.
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Work us through.
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What are people
normally hearing?
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What's bogus?
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What's not bogus?
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Help us understand that.
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Well, there are definitely some
bogus therapies for depression,
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or at least unproven
therapies for depression.
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We can get into some of those.
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You can get into any health food
store and see all these claims
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that this might help for
depression, when really there
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isn't the
clinical evidence there.
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I'm really interested in talking
about the proven techniques,
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as far as causes and
treatment of depression.
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In that, as far as the
actual treatment for depression,
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we really need to find out
what the underlying cause is.
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That's why we list
that at the top as far as
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treatments for depression.
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We can't treat depression
as the same disease in everyone
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because the cause may be
quite different in one person to
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another, and only as we find
the cause can we most adequately
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treat the depression.
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Secondly, we need to
enhance frontal lobe function.
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We do this because about 50% of
the circulation of the frontal
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lobe is decreased
in depressed patients,
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in fact that may be one of
the underlying contributors
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of the depression.
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At this point of time,
in the medical literature,
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we're not sure if the depression
actually causes the decrease
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circulation in the frontal
lobe, or whether the decreased
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circulation causes the
depression, but there is some
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evidence that there is what we
call a positive feedback cycle.
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In this brain here, how we find
out is through PET scanning.
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In this area of the
brain, which is the frontal lobe
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of the brain, the prefrontal
cortex is dramatically decreased
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in circulation
seen on the PET scan.
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This is the control center
of the brain, so in order to
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adequately treat depression,
particularly trying to treat it
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without medications,
or getting people off of
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their depression medications,
in order to be successful,
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we have to put them on a
program that's going to enhance
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the circulation right here.
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Now, I assume that you're
going to help us know how to
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enhance that circulation.
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I don't think it means
standing on our heads or
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something like that,
but there are certainly ways
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to enhance that circulation.
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I want to mention something to
our viewers that you've written
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concerning that.
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Dr. Nedley is joining us today.
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He's a physician from Ardmore,
Oklahoma, and he has written
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a book called Proof Positive.
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I believe in that book there is
a chapter that talks all about
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the frontal lobe, and how to
enhance the blood flow to that
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area of the brain.
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Exactly.
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Give us some ideas.
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Give us a little
overview for our viewers.
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How do we do that?
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How do we enhance
blood flow to our brain?
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Well, we need to
choose foods that are high
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in complex carbohydrates.
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That's the food that's
best for the frontal lobe,
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and that's going to be fruits,
grains, nuts, and vegetables.
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Those are the best
foods for the frontal lobe.
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We need to avoid food or
substances that are going to
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detract from the circulation
to the frontal lobe; that being
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alcohol, even caffeine
has an effect in that area.
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Then we need to actually
participate in activities
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that are going to enhance
frontal lobe circulation.
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Entertainment television
has been shown to decrease
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the circulation in the frontal
lobe of the brain because of the
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rapid scene of reference
change that takes place there.
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Educational TV does not have
that effect because it doesn't
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have that real
rapid scene of reference,
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hypnotic type
effect that occurs.
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Those are just some, of probably
a list of about 50 or 80 things,
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that we go through in the
book in chapters 12 and 13.
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Well, let's come back to
treatments for depression then.
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We were looking at a list with
you, and we had talked about
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the frontal lobe first of all.
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What are some other treatments
that we can be involved in?
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Well, we need to avoid
the frontal lobe suppressants.
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We've just touched on that.
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We need to increase
brain serotonin levels.
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One of the best ways of
increasing brain serotonin
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levels is not necessarily taking
medications like Prozac, Zoloft,
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and Paxil, which can have that
effect, but actually getting
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morning sunlight.
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Actually thirty
minutes of outdoor natural air,
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actually natural light that
hits the retina in the back of
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the eye can dramatically
increase the serotonin levels
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in the brain itself.
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So, for patients that are
having a serotonin difficulty,
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we recommend a minimum of thirty
minutes of either very bright
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artificial light, which requires
much brighter than what's in any
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room or office anywhere,
or natural outdoor light
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to accomplish this.
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Are the lights that we're under
today bright enough for us to
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not be depressed?
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Actually, they're
probably pretty close.
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I had some friends in Norway
that I visited, and of course,
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during the course of a
year there, half a year is
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pretty much dark.
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Many of them, I found,
wanted to go on vacation
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to the Canary
Islands or somewhere else.
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They wanted to get to
where that sunlight was.
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This is probably
one of the reasons.
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They probably figured that out.
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Yes, they'll be depressed
patients in Norway above
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the Arctic Circle
in the winter time.
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We call it seasonal effective
disorder, and the treatment
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for them is either very
bright artificial light,
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or the Canary Islands.
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Well, I don't think that would
be a hard choice for me to make.
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Well, let's keep going
then on these treatments.
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Yes, included also in
the treatment is sufficient
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omega-3 fatty acid intake,
folate, and B vitamin intake.
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Omega-3 fatty acids are
one of the major contributors
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of depression today; in
other words not getting enough
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of them in the diet.
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We can get these either from
deep sea fish, but a safer way
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to get them, with a
whole lot less pesticides,
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are through plant foods.
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The richest plant food is
flax seed oil: 7526 milligrams
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per tablespoon.
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English walnuts also
are very high on the list,
00:12:05.06\00:12:08.14
as well as canola oil.
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Rounding out the top seven are
black walnuts, wheat germ oil,
00:12:10.28\00:12:14.13
soybean oil, and
the green soybeans.
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This isn't the regular
soybeans that you find in tofu
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or other types of meat analogs,
but actually the green soybeans
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are very high in omega-3, and
can have a very dramatic effect
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in treating depression, due to
low omega-3 fatty acid intake.
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So we can have really an
active role, and it's not just a
00:12:34.85\00:12:38.69
medication over the counter,
although I think you're probably
00:12:38.72\00:12:40.75
going to talk about medications,
but really the medications we
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take the most of is food.
00:12:45.19\00:12:46.29
That's right.
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So we can be involved in that.
00:12:47.30\00:12:48.65
We can indeed be
involved in that.
00:12:48.68\00:12:50.95
Well, I can almost hear
the shopping carts out there.
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Some people are saying, well,
I'm going to make a list of
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these different things.
00:12:56.75\00:12:57.72
I want to be actively involved.
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Is there anything else we should
put in our shopping carts?
00:12:59.12\00:13:01.62
Well, as we mentioned, a
diet that's low in folate
00:13:01.65\00:13:06.31
will also cause depression.
00:13:06.34\00:13:08.25
In fact anti-depressants
will not be able to treat that
00:13:08.34\00:13:11.83
type of depression.
00:13:11.86\00:13:13.97
Folate is getting a lot of media
attention today for good reason.
00:13:14.01\00:13:16.65
Not only women that are
pregnant need it, but really all
00:13:16.68\00:13:20.28
Americans need it to
lower homosystine levels,
00:13:20.31\00:13:23.44
lower the risk of heart disease,
and also dramatically lower
00:13:23.47\00:13:26.34
the risk of depression.
00:13:26.37\00:13:27.74
Those are some of the top
heavy hitters there in folate.
00:13:27.77\00:13:31.36
You can see mustard
greens have 105 micrograms,
00:13:31.39\00:13:34.76
raw spinach has 109 mcg,
and one cup of navy beans 255.
00:13:34.79\00:13:40.80
Our bodies need 1000 mcg. per
day, and animal products do not
00:13:40.87\00:13:46.48
have very much
folate in them at all.
00:13:46.51\00:13:49.44
The average animal product
has less than 10 mcg. of folate.
00:13:49.47\00:13:53.76
Okra, fortunately for our
area of the country, is high in
00:13:53.79\00:13:57.78
folate: 269, but the two highest
sources are lentils: 831,
00:13:57.81\00:14:03.11
and black-eyed peas.
00:14:03.14\00:14:04.85
Just one cup will supply all
of your daily needs of folate.
00:14:04.88\00:14:09.75
That sounds good too!
00:14:09.78\00:14:11.63
I think there's even a
restaurant chain now that has
00:14:11.66\00:14:15.39
black-eyed peas in its name.
00:14:15.42\00:14:17.22
I saw one the other day.
00:14:17.25\00:14:18.36
So it's not going to be
something that's hard to eat.
00:14:18.39\00:14:20.66
It's going to be
healthful for you.
00:14:20.69\00:14:21.81
Is there anything
else that we need?
00:14:21.84\00:14:23.04
Well, Yes, as far as
treatments of depression.
00:14:23.07\00:14:26.68
Getting adequate B vitamins
is important, and also getting
00:14:26.71\00:14:31.58
enough tryptophan in the diet.
00:14:31.61\00:14:34.10
I believe our next graphic
goes into some of the other
00:14:34.13\00:14:38.76
treatments for depression.
00:14:38.79\00:14:40.03
Those treatments are
also to get enough tryptophan
00:14:40.07\00:14:45.21
in the diet.
00:14:45.25\00:14:46.22
Also we need to avoid
cholesterol, saturated fat,
00:14:46.23\00:14:49.02
and sugar.
00:14:49.05\00:14:50.02
Daily aerobic
exercise is also important
00:14:50.03\00:14:53.40
for depressed patients.
00:14:53.43\00:14:54.71
Actually, daily aerobic
exercise will help the majority
00:14:54.74\00:15:01.13
of depressed patients.
00:15:01.16\00:15:02.20
They'll have to exercise for
at least a week before it starts
00:15:02.23\00:15:05.22
helping, but actually it will
help equivalent to a standard
00:15:05.25\00:15:09.13
medication as far as treating
depression is concerned.
00:15:09.16\00:15:12.45
The avoiding cholesterol
and saturated fat and sugar:
00:15:12.48\00:15:15.74
that's really to avoid
the oxidized cholesterol.
00:15:15.77\00:15:18.10
Atherosclerosis is one of
the major causes of depression
00:15:18.13\00:15:21.11
in the elderly, and if we
can clear up the blood vessels
00:15:21.14\00:15:24.26
to the brain, we can help
clear up the depression as well.
00:15:24.29\00:15:27.30
And then, as mentioned, severe
depression usually requires
00:15:27.33\00:15:30.58
medical therapy
for 5 to 6 months,
00:15:30.61\00:15:33.94
if it's severe major depression.
00:15:33.97\00:15:36.44
That may mean actually
taking some medications.
00:15:36.47\00:15:39.58
I must add to that though, Don,
that most people, if they're on
00:15:39.61\00:15:46.35
a correct lifestyle program,
won't run into depression
00:15:46.38\00:15:50.25
to begin with.
00:15:50.28\00:15:51.25
If they have developed
depression, and they get on a
00:15:51.26\00:15:55.31
program such as
we're elucidating today,
00:15:55.34\00:15:57.63
they will not need
their medication beyond that
00:15:57.66\00:16:00.64
5 to 6 month point.
00:16:00.67\00:16:02.13
And they'll be able to
withdraw from the medication
00:16:02.16\00:16:04.66
in a six month period of time,
and never get depressed again.
00:16:04.69\00:16:10.07
So what I do in my office
on a daily basis is actually
00:16:10.10\00:16:15.29
get people on a program so
they're no longer dependent
00:16:15.32\00:16:17.98
on medications.
00:16:18.01\00:16:19.90
Is there anything that you can
say to our viewers concerning
00:16:19.93\00:16:22.53
any of those that are already
taking medications and what not?
00:16:22.56\00:16:25.76
They're hearing what you're
saying today and they think
00:16:25.79\00:16:27.98
well, maybe this is a good time
for me to stop my medications.
00:16:28.01\00:16:30.78
Is that a good idea?
00:16:30.81\00:16:32.31
And secondly, you know, some
people have depression in manic
00:16:32.34\00:16:38.35
stages that go back and forth:
so called bipolar disorder.
00:16:38.38\00:16:41.47
Is there any counsel
that you want to give?
00:16:41.50\00:16:45.12
Well, that's a good question.
00:16:45.15\00:16:46.12
As far as the bipolar
disorder patients, this does not
00:16:46.13\00:16:51.02
necessarily; it applies somewhat
to them, but most bipolar
00:16:51.05\00:16:55.68
depressed patients will
need to stay on medication.
00:16:55.71\00:16:59.06
Those individuals
will not be able to get off
00:16:59.09\00:17:01.65
of their medications.
00:17:01.68\00:17:02.90
There are very few
exceptions to that.
00:17:02.93\00:17:04.85
What we're talking about
mainly today is what we call
00:17:04.88\00:17:08.02
unipolar depression, which
is major depression without
00:17:08.05\00:17:10.95
the mania and the manic phase.
00:17:10.98\00:17:14.20
As far as that type of
depression is concerned,
00:17:14.23\00:17:16.54
well over 90% of patients,
if they're on a good lifestyle
00:17:16.57\00:17:20.61
program, and if they've
found the underlying cause of
00:17:20.64\00:17:24.48
depression, and treated
that cause, they will not need
00:17:24.51\00:17:28.29
the medication therapy.
00:17:28.32\00:17:30.40
So we've talked thus far
today about major depression
00:17:30.43\00:17:34.13
and the impact on the country.
00:17:34.16\00:17:35.65
We've talked about how we
can know whether or not we
00:17:35.68\00:17:38.37
have major depression.
00:17:38.40\00:17:39.56
We've talked a little bit
about what we can do: exercise,
00:17:39.59\00:17:43.48
and foods that we should eat.
00:17:43.51\00:17:44.76
Foods high in folates
are nowhere in medications,
00:17:44.79\00:17:47.77
you suggested, so we have to
be eating those foods at least,
00:17:47.80\00:17:51.59
and other foods, and a
lifestyle program that can help
00:17:51.62\00:17:53.71
us not be dependent on
any type of medication, with a
00:17:53.74\00:17:57.33
disclaimer that there are
those that will need to stay on
00:17:57.36\00:18:00.70
medication with
certain special conditions.
00:18:00.73\00:18:04.04
Well, let's go to medications.
00:18:04.07\00:18:06.26
Is that appropriate
now to talk a little bit
00:18:06.29\00:18:07.73
about those treatments?
00:18:07.76\00:18:09.22
Yes, we also want to deal with
some of the less common causes
00:18:09.25\00:18:13.19
of depression too, before we
actually get to the treatment.
00:18:13.22\00:18:16.40
Let's do that.
00:18:16.44\00:18:17.80
Some of the less common
causes of depression are:
00:18:17.83\00:18:20.31
Sick Building Syndrome;
that's actually where there's
00:18:20.34\00:18:23.26
improper ventilation, or
molds growing in the corners
00:18:23.29\00:18:26.59
where there's damp moist places.
00:18:26.62\00:18:28.07
This, in and of
itself, could cause depression.
00:18:28.11\00:18:30.59
When people go on vacation for
a week or two their depression
00:18:30.62\00:18:34.70
tends to clear up,
and they go back to work,
00:18:34.73\00:18:36.35
and it comes back again.
00:18:36.38\00:18:37.97
Really, their building
needs to be treated adequately,
00:18:38.00\00:18:42.03
and that's the
treatment for the depression.
00:18:42.06\00:18:44.04
So their building is depressed!
00:18:44.07\00:18:45.47
Ha ha ha!
00:18:45.50\00:18:46.62
And they have to clean it
out, so spring cleaning is a
00:18:46.65\00:18:48.94
good idea for any house.
00:18:48.97\00:18:50.16
Spring cleaning would
probably be a good idea,
00:18:50.19\00:18:52.69
particularly getting
rid of the molds, and also
00:18:52.72\00:18:56.60
the proper
ventilation in the house.
00:18:56.63\00:19:00.13
Okay, you had some others.
00:19:00.16\00:19:01.13
Secondly, some prions.
00:19:01.14\00:19:03.55
Prions are not viruses,
but there are other infections.
00:19:03.58\00:19:06.72
The prion that causes mad
cow disease actually can cause
00:19:06.75\00:19:09.30
depression first
before it causes that.
00:19:09.33\00:19:12.00
Then fetal flu exposure
can be a cause of depression
00:19:12.03\00:19:16.44
in a child growing up.
00:19:16.47\00:19:19.26
Then there is a cause of
depression that is increasing
00:19:19.29\00:19:22.67
in the Western world, and
that is the Borna Disease Virus.
00:19:22.70\00:19:25.98
Borna Disease Virus actually
is transmitted from one animal
00:19:26.01\00:19:31.45
species to another.
00:19:31.48\00:19:32.51
It's most commonly transmitted
from a horse to a human being,
00:19:32.54\00:19:36.79
but it can be in other
animals as well, and it causes
00:19:36.82\00:19:38.99
a severe depression.
00:19:39.02\00:19:40.60
Antidepressants don't touch
it, and the only way of really
00:19:40.63\00:19:45.05
treating that depression
is treating the virus.
00:19:45.08\00:19:48.33
There is some antiviral
medication that go against
00:19:48.36\00:19:50.85
Borna Disease Virus, and if we
put people on those medications,
00:19:50.88\00:19:54.45
and the virus is cleared up,
their depression will go away,
00:19:54.48\00:19:57.73
and they will
return to normal again.
00:19:57.76\00:19:59.51
So what I hear you saying, I
mean these types of things we
00:19:59.54\00:20:02.52
don't normally hear about
depression in our national
00:20:02.55\00:20:06.03
papers and newspapers.
00:20:06.06\00:20:07.43
If you're listening today, and
you're going to see your doctor,
00:20:07.46\00:20:10.50
maybe a good thing would be to
remind him of some these things.
00:20:10.53\00:20:14.56
Or if you see a relationship
where this could be the case,
00:20:14.60\00:20:17.10
triggering your physician when
they're taking that history in
00:20:17.13\00:20:20.45
that physical, and that's going
to help them, because these
00:20:20.48\00:20:23.36
are things that you need a
medical doctor to help you with.
00:20:23.39\00:20:25.47
Correct.
00:20:25.50\00:20:26.73
Well, let's go on.
00:20:26.76\00:20:27.73
There are other things
that a medical doctor can help
00:20:27.74\00:20:29.49
people with in terms of
depression, and one of those,
00:20:29.52\00:20:33.43
of course, that many
hear about is medications.
00:20:33.46\00:20:36.03
Yes, as I mentioned,
medications sometimes
00:20:36.06\00:20:39.43
are necessary.
00:20:39.46\00:20:40.43
I use them in my
practice in certain instances,
00:20:40.44\00:20:43.64
but we also need to know
that each of the medications for
00:20:43.67\00:20:48.22
depression can
have side effects.
00:20:48.25\00:20:50.02
The Prozac like
medications, for instance.
00:20:50.05\00:20:53.19
Those are the most commonly
used medications for depression.
00:20:53.22\00:20:57.35
They not only include
Prozac, but also Paxil, Zoloft,
00:20:57.38\00:21:02.30
Effexor, and Luvox.
00:21:02.33\00:21:04.84
Those
medications do improve mood.
00:21:04.87\00:21:08.25
They will
decrease crying spells.
00:21:08.28\00:21:10.17
They will decrease hostility.
00:21:10.20\00:21:11.78
They will tend to
increase social affiliations,
00:21:11.81\00:21:14.75
but notice there, Don, they
also increase impulsiveness.
00:21:14.78\00:21:19.27
This is not something that most
individuals are interested in,
00:21:19.30\00:21:22.84
but that is a characteristic
side effect of what we call the
00:21:22.87\00:21:27.46
serotonin re-uptake inhibitors.
00:21:27.49\00:21:29.44
In addition to that, they
tend to cause an "I don't care"
00:21:29.47\00:21:33.05
attitude, meaning that something
bad can happen to them,
00:21:33.08\00:21:38.37
such as the death of a
spouse, and the individual
00:21:38.40\00:21:40.94
can't even cry, or doesn't
even feel sad, when they should
00:21:40.97\00:21:43.84
be feeling sad.
00:21:43.87\00:21:44.99
It's actually healing to
go through those grieving type
00:21:45.02\00:21:48.21
of sad processes.
00:21:48.24\00:21:50.11
Because they're on this
medication they can't really
00:21:50.14\00:21:53.73
deal with major
episodes of emotional trauma
00:21:53.76\00:21:58.43
in their life adequately.
00:21:58.46\00:21:59.77
So that's why it's important
to try to get people off
00:21:59.80\00:22:03.01
of these medications.
00:22:03.04\00:22:04.22
If they're on a comprehensive
lifestyle program, we can be
00:22:04.25\00:22:07.59
successful in taking
them off of their medications.
00:22:07.62\00:22:10.71
Again, they
shouldn't stop tomorrow.
00:22:10.74\00:22:13.00
They really need to
implement this program today,
00:22:13.03\00:22:15.93
and then wait.
00:22:15.96\00:22:17.88
Usually it's going to be 5
to 6 months on a medication.
00:22:17.91\00:22:21.90
If they've already been
on the medicine that long,
00:22:21.93\00:22:23.74
wait at least 3 to 4
weeks before starting a
00:22:23.77\00:22:25.92
lifestyle program.
00:22:25.95\00:22:27.16
Then chances are they
will be able to be withdrawn
00:22:27.19\00:22:30.22
from their medication,
but I would recommend
00:22:30.25\00:22:32.47
they do it under the
supervision of their physician.
00:22:32.50\00:22:35.06
What I like about what
you're saying today, doctor,
00:22:35.09\00:22:37.74
is that not only do we need help
from physicians, and what not,
00:22:37.77\00:22:41.83
but there is an active role
people can play in depression.
00:22:41.86\00:22:46.01
They don't need to be depressed
about the fact that they're
00:22:46.04\00:22:48.34
depressed; they need to
do something about it...
00:22:48.37\00:22:50.61
Correct.
00:22:50.64\00:22:51.61
...and be involved in that.
00:22:51.62\00:22:53.08
You mentioned to me before
we started today that you're
00:22:53.11\00:22:56.35
actually in the process of
compiling material to write a
00:22:56.38\00:22:58.97
book on depression.
00:22:59.00\00:23:00.14
Yes, the material
has been compiled.
00:23:00.17\00:23:02.50
We're just in the
writing stages now.
00:23:02.53\00:23:04.78
I know we're going
to look forward to that.
00:23:04.81\00:23:06.43
As you went through some of
that material there were some
00:23:06.46\00:23:10.77
very interesting
therapies that you mentioned.
00:23:10.80\00:23:13.61
Maybe you could touch on
some of those with us now.
00:23:13.64\00:23:15.68
Well, one of them that is
beneficial to depressed patients
00:23:15.71\00:23:19.69
is actually what we call
Guided Music Image Therapy.
00:23:19.72\00:23:23.82
It's a very intriguing
therapy that involves the use
00:23:23.85\00:23:29.55
of classical music.
00:23:29.58\00:23:30.96
Individuals will sit down
and actually listen to classical
00:23:30.99\00:23:36.35
music, and while they are so
doing think about life events,
00:23:36.38\00:23:39.97
or think about their
present situation, and potential
00:23:40.00\00:23:42.93
resolution of
their present situation.
00:23:42.96\00:23:45.33
So it's actually
helping them to think.
00:23:45.36\00:23:47.44
It improves the
circulation of the frontal lobe.
00:23:47.47\00:23:49.98
Interestingly, as
this study points out:
00:23:50.01\00:23:52.60
Interestingly, this has
only been shown with one type of
00:24:22.56\00:24:26.18
music: classical music.
00:24:26.21\00:24:28.00
Other forms of music including
country music, or rock music,
00:24:28.03\00:24:31.58
although this has also
been tried in this setting,
00:24:31.61\00:24:34.42
has not reported any
benefit as far as elevating the
00:24:34.45\00:24:38.34
mood is concerned.
00:24:38.37\00:24:39.47
So that "old time rock and roll"
doesn't really "move the soul"
00:24:39.50\00:24:42.19
like the song says.
00:24:42.22\00:24:43.55
It may be upbeat, but upbeat
does not necessarily uplift.
00:24:43.58\00:24:48.18
We really need to choose,
according to the studies,
00:24:48.21\00:24:51.88
the classical music for this.
00:24:51.91\00:24:54.46
So this is directed
imaging, looking at things,
00:24:54.49\00:24:58.78
or remembering events.
00:24:58.81\00:25:00.25
It's not going to help me to
go out, or go home and say to my
00:25:00.28\00:25:03.78
wife, "Honey we really
need to buy those season tickets
00:25:03.81\00:25:06.13
to the symphony. "
00:25:06.16\00:25:07.13
Well, actually you can do
that even while you are in front
00:25:07.14\00:25:10.23
of the symphony.
00:25:10.26\00:25:11.23
Many times good music will bring
about some thoughts and images,
00:25:11.24\00:25:16.57
etc, that can also be healthy.
00:25:16.60\00:25:19.05
Anything else we should avoid?
00:25:19.08\00:25:21.87
We need to avoid pessimism.
00:25:21.90\00:25:24.12
There was a very
interesting study done out of
00:25:24.15\00:25:26.34
Ohio State University recently.
00:25:26.37\00:25:28.73
Many people think what they
need to do is be optimistic.
00:25:28.76\00:25:32.53
Actually that doesn't help.
00:25:32.56\00:25:34.21
Being optimistic and not
realistic actually is a set up
00:25:34.24\00:25:38.37
for discouragement.
00:25:38.40\00:25:39.37
But avoiding
pessimism is important.
00:25:39.38\00:25:41.51
And really what I recommend
to any patient, but especially
00:26:08.27\00:26:14.56
depressed patients, is that
whenever the negative thoughts
00:26:14.59\00:26:17.30
come in they need to refocus,
direct their thoughts to
00:26:17.33\00:26:19.99
something else, and get rid
of those melancholic thoughts.
00:26:20.02\00:26:24.12
It's a very important
process to not dwell on them,
00:26:24.15\00:26:26.97
because many times we're
dwelling on negative thoughts,
00:26:27.00\00:26:30.08
on what if situations that
will never occur, and don't even
00:26:30.11\00:26:33.58
have much of a
chance of occurring.
00:26:33.61\00:26:35.15
Yet the depressed patient will
bring themselves further into
00:26:35.18\00:26:38.80
depression when they do this.
00:26:38.83\00:26:40.36
As a Christian
physician, do you use spiritual
00:26:40.39\00:26:45.25
resources in depression?
00:26:45.28\00:26:46.70
Yes, in fact studies have shown
that those that have an active
00:26:46.73\00:26:50.58
faith in God get over their
depression a whole lot quicker
00:26:50.61\00:26:54.14
than those that do not.
00:26:54.17\00:26:55.49
So this is developing a
relationship with the Lord,
00:26:55.52\00:27:02.34
and developing an
active faith relationship
00:27:02.37\00:27:05.76
that's also important.
00:27:05.79\00:27:06.85
Of course that will enhance the
frontal lobe function as well.
00:27:06.88\00:27:09.58
Thank you very much, Dr.
Nedley, for being with us,
00:27:09.61\00:27:12.65
and thank you for being with us.
00:27:12.68\00:27:14.04
We've been
talking about depression.
00:27:14.07\00:27:15.62
If you would like more
information contact 3ABN about
00:27:15.65\00:27:19.93
this insightful program.
00:27:19.96\00:27:22.70
We hope that what you've seen
today will help you have health
00:27:22.73\00:27:27.81
that lasts for a lifetime.
00:27:27.84\00:27:30.33