There are several general questions every naturopathic doctor asks their patients to help get a better picture of their overall wellbeing. How is your sleep? How is digestion? How is your energy level? Are you struggling with any changes in mood?
Over the past eight months this last question has become more important than ever. Increased reports of irritability, frustration, overwhelm, sadness and even depression are becoming a significant cause for concern for a growing number of people who are, all too often, new to these types of changes in their mood.
Of course, these days, the pandemic is the most substantial influencer in everyone’s day to day life. Restricted travel and freedoms, minimized social interactions, changes in work structure and disruptions to extracurricular activities are clearly taking their toll. While it’s always distressing to know that more and more people are feeling more socially and emotionally isolated, it’s also helpful to remember that low mood can happen to anyone, at any time and can have multiple causes.
While COVID is most certainly responsible for a general downturn in all our wellbeing, it’s also important to recognize that there are significant differences in what each individual may be experiencing. A low mood vs a clinical depression, for instance, are notably different and understanding these differences is vital in receiving the appropriate support you or your loved ones may be needing.
Low mood can happen intermittently, usually occurs for short periods of time (days to weeks) and can often be due to external influences beyond a patient’s control.
Clinical depression, on the other hand, is diagnosed by your psychiatrist, medical doctor, naturopathic doctor or psychologist. These practitioners refer to standardized criteria known as DSM-5 which is used as a reference guide for this diagnosis.
While both conditions are serious and worth a discussion with your primary caregiver, today we’re going to focus on low mood, and in order to fully understand how we can support our mood, it’s helpful to recognise the hormones that influence it.
Dopamine – the “reward” hormone. Increases when you’ve completed a task or if there’s positive reinforcement associated with the completed task
Serotonin – helps to stabilize mood and is released when we sleep, meditate or walk in nature
Endorphins – released during exercise and after eating
Oxytocin – also known as the “love” hormone and is released after you hug someone you care about or are playing with a pet
So what do these have to do with supporting ourselves when we’re experiencing low mood? Plenty. As we gain a deeper understanding of our hormones, we become better equipped to provide our body with what it needs to help support our overall mental wellbeing. For instance:
Sleep
While we sleep our body produces Serotonin and as discussed before, Serotonin helps to stabilize our mood. Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial in supporting our mood.
Diet
Frequent alcohol intake over the long-term can decrease serotonin levels and therefore exacerbate low mood. Having a glass of wine is ok but moderation is extremely important.
Foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids (wild salmon, chia and flax seeds) help support the nervous system which is responsible for producing our neurotransmitters. Increasing our intake is known to be extremely beneficial in our overall mental health.
Green, leafy vegetables contain folate which helps with the metabolism of serotonin and dopamine, again two of our mood influencing hormones.
Exercise
Exercise is all forms releases endorphins which causes your body to release dopamine. Even low impact activities like a walk around the neighbourhood can be extremely beneficial.
Meditation
Calming activities like meditation helps to increase the production of serotonin.
Supplemental Supports
Vitamin D helps regulate the production of dopamine in the brain and protects from serotonin depletion
5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is a precursor to the synthesis of serotonin
S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAM-e) increases brain levels of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine
As always, the first step to improving any sort of mental distress is simply recognizing its effect on your everyday life. We’re all experiencing these unprecedented times together and coping with the challenges they continue to bring isn’t easy for anyone. If you, or anyone who care for is experiencing any significant mood changes, please talk to your primary health care provider about finding a treatment that works for you.
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