Susan Biali

Today was one of my rare days working in the clinic, practicing what some might call “real” medicine.   Though I spend most of my time lately doing what I believe I was truly put on this planet to do (writing, dancing, coaching, speaking and educating the public about total wellness), I find that the days that I do still spend practicing traditional medicine always present me with some new insight or gift. 

Today, two different women asked me for prescriptions for antidepressants.  I don’t believe in handing antidepressants out without learning more about the person’s situation, so in each case I asked them: “Have you tried any kind of counseling, or tried to figure out where your sad mood might be coming from?”

In both cases, their initial response was the same…

“Oh yeah, I tried that talking to someone about my depression a few years ago, it didn’t do much for me.  I’m pretty sure that depression is totally genetic, there’s just something wrong with my brain chemistry. I’ve been fine for a while, and now my brain chemistry has just gone ‘off’ again”.

Now, there’s no doubt that yes, when people get depressed, our brain chemistry changes significantly enough to be measured scientifically.  And yes, antidepressants that shift this chemistry back to “normal” can make us feel better.  And, there are people that are so depressed that perhaps the only thing that can pull them out of the hole, at that moment, is an antidepressant.

But these women were functioning pretty well, and weren’t profoundly depressed, they just felt themselves slipping down towards a familiar depressed state, and were rightfully concerned about it.

As is almost always the case, I had to push a little:

“What’s going on in your life right now? Is there any reason you might be starting to feel depressed again?”

“No, not really,” was the response in both cases.

I wasn’t ready to give up that easily, as I so passionately believe that when things are going wrong with our minds, or our bodies, so often it reflects some kind of imbalance in our lives, something that we can “fix”, that will then help our minds or bodies recover, or at least improve significantly.

So I asked again.

Now, the truth came out.  Both women admitted that their lives were way out of balance.   They were too busy, with no time for themselves, or time to think about what activities or choices might really fulfill or nourish their hearts, minds and souls.

They were too busy to look after themselves.  No time for exercise.  No time to eat properly. Very little time for fun.

As I pointed out to them: “Who wouldn’t feel depressed, living like that?”

If your life is too busy, if you have no time at all for you, or for the fundamentals of life (sleep, good nutrition, and exercise) that keep us happy and well – I’d be surprised if you weren’t at least a little depressed!

If you’re feeling low, before you reach for or request a quick fix, ask yourself:  What in my life might be contributing to this?  Is there some aspect of my life that I need to change?  In what way might my low mood be a symptom of what’s happening in my life, or within myself?

If you’ve had any experiences of having your mood lift, or coming out of a depression, as a result of making simple – or major – changes in your life, I’d love to hear about it!  Send me a note through the comment box below - you can choose to keep it private, if you’d like, by telling me that in the body of your message.

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