Symptoms and Natural Treatment
Neurotransmitters are an important aspect of mental health. Any imbalance in neutrotransmitters can cause symptoms of mood changes, from depression to mania.
Healing occurs from the top down, inside out, from most important to least important and the reverse order of occurrence. As you can imagine that one of the most important parts of your being is your spiritual, emotional, and mental bodies. These are the areas that need to be fixed first before anything will get fixed on your physical body. If you are trying to fix the ingrown toenail and you have a history of mental illness nothing you do will help you with your toenail. Sure, we can use things to band-aid the problem, but that will not work long term.
There are many different areas that can go arise with mental health- one of them are Neurotransmitter imbalances. These can include common neurotransmitters such as Serotonin, Dopamine, and Adrenaline (Epinephrine and Norepinephrine) or more complex ones such as GABA. A dysregulation of these and other neurotransmitters will cause symptoms and diseases such as depression, bi-polar, and mania.
What happens when dopamine is not utilized?
The dopamine pathway is very important for vitality and is one of the reasons why people can become stressed and depressed. Generally speaking, there can be mutations in an enzyme (Dopamine Beta Hydroxylase aka DBH) that causes all of your dopamine to be used in order to make adrenaline, leaving you with the following symptoms:
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- Fatigue
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- Low libido
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- Mood swings
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- Insomnia
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- Depression
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- Memory loss
- Lack of motivation
Adrenaline is the get-up-and-go neurotransmitter that makes it possible to survive in stressful situations. This is the icy cold sensation in your veins you feel when driving on the highway and someone switches lanes right in front of you, nearly clipping your bumper. It is the fight or flight response that many people feel in dangerous situations. In order to get out of the fight or flight response, this enzyme should be slowed down so dopamine can be increased.
There are many ways to increase dopamine levels with supplements and lifestyle changes. However, I want to emphasize that if you are battling with depression or low dopamine levels, please seek out the guidance of a naturopathic physician.
People are not just one biochemical reaction and we, therefore, need a holistic approach to fix the problem. Taking a pill for the rest of your life is not the answer most people are looking for. I work with diet and lifestyle modification, along with ways of modulating genes with natural supplements and medications to address the underlying reasons for low dopamine.
Common Mental Health Issues
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Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease has symptoms of forgetfulness, anger, depression, difficulty thinking, loss of memory and inability to create new memories. Alzheimer’s usually occurs after 60, and most experience symptoms without being aware of it. Dr. Brody uses preventative measures whenever possible using tests to show one’s predisposition to Alzheimer’s.
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Anxiety
Anxiety can be linked to different genetic mutations. These mutations can affect how the body processes adrenaline, or the “fight or flight” hormone. If the body has difficulty processing adrenaline, it can leave the body believing it is in danger for longer periods of time, creating prolongued anxiety. And mental health has recently been linked with digestive health for people of certain blood types as well. For these people, making dietary changes and testing which bacteria are in your microbiome can have impacts on mental health as well.
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Depression
Depression is something many people suffer from during their lives as a result of relationship difficulties, excessive stress, the passing of someone close, neurotransmitter imbalances, or genetics. Dr. Brody has found that different mutations occur in certain blood types that can make depression harder to combat without preventive and consistant measures.
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Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease is complex, but at the basic level occurs when dopamine is either blocked or depleted. Symptoms can include speech problems, dizziness, fatigue, stiff muscles, difficulty walking, shaky hands, dementia, poor balance, confusion, and more. Dr. Brody approaches this by removing plaque build-ups that may be blocking dopamine from traveling to the correct places in the body.
Free Discovery Session
A free Discovery Session includes analysis of your blood type, receiving dietary advice, and supplement suggestions with no obligation.
To schedule an appointment, please contact the front desk at the Personalized Natural Medicine Clinic, located in the heart of Newtown, Connecticut.