About Depression and Anxiety

The number of people in the United States who will experience a major depressive episode at some point in their lives is estimated to be between 5 and 11 percent of the total population. At any given time, over 12 million Americans are suffering from depression but yet less than 1/2 of these people are receiving treatment. The term depression refers to a cluster of signs and symptoms consisting of some or many of the following:

• decrease in activity levels
• feelings sad, "blue" or melancholy
• disruption of normal sleep patterns
• change in appetite
• feelings of low self-esteem
• fatigue
• decreased motivation
• decreased sex drive
• inability to concentrate with a low attention span
• inability to experience pleasure
• lack of interest in friends or activities
• pessimistic about the future

Risk factors for developing a major depressive episode include:

• Family history-there is a three times higher risk of developing depression if a family member has been afflicted with depression
• females outnumber males by 2:1
• negative life events such as divorce/separation, death of a loved one, loss of employment, etc.
• the postpartum period produces an increased risk of developing a major depression

The treatment of depression involves much more than a physician prescribing medications. The causes up depression are multifactorial involving environmental factors and genetic/chemical factors. Prescribing medications alone does not address the environmental factors contributing to the depressive episode. Are there conflicts occurring between the depressed person and his/her spouse? Are their financial problems or employment issues causing a sensation of feeling overwhelmed? Is there an absence of coping mechanisms present to help the person address negative aspects of his/her life? The person suffering from depression may benefit greatly from establishing a relationship with a professional counselor such as a psychologist, a licensed clinical social worker or priest/pastor/rabbi.

Prescription medications available to treat depression include:

• Prozac^®, Zoloft, Paxil^®, Celexa^®- these antidepressants work by raising serotonin levels at the serotonin 1-A receptor sites. Their mechanism of action is based on their inability to inhibit a transport carrier that removes serotonin away from these receptor sites.
• Effexor®- this antidepressant raises serotonin levels as well as another neurotransmitter called norepinephrine.
• Tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil^®

Over-the-counter supplements that have been used for mood enhancement include:

• St. John's Wort- the mechanism of action of the supplement includes raising serotonin levels by inhibiting monoamine oxidase, the enzyme in the body that breaks down serotonin
• 5-HTP- this supplement is a serotonin “precursor” meaning that the body converts tryptophan to 5-HTP and then 5-HTP is converted to serotonin

The response rate to antidepressant medications is no greater than 65%.

The “social stigma” of depression and other mental illnesses often prevents people from seeking the treatment they so desperately need. Psychiatrists are referred to as “Shrinks” and medications or supplements used for depression are perceived as mind altering medications. Nothing could be further from the truth. The first step in addressing depression and other mental disorders is to understand that there is a biological/chemical basis to these problems in addition to the environmental issues.

SeroCalm is a serotonin enhancement supplement, and serotonin has been shown in studies to demonstrate excellent efficacy and tolerability in the treatment of depression. Unlike the prescription “SSRIs” such as Sarafem®, Zoloft® and Prozac® that only raises serotonin levels selectively at one serotonin receptor site, SeroCalm provides a global enhancement of serotonin levels.