A quick way out of the depression and anxiety trap

Q & A for Radio discussion with Sue and Zulaikha. 31^st January 2019

Q: Where exactly does a panic attack come from? Why do people feel so anxious from time to time?

A: We all feel anxious from time to time. Babies and young children especially, cry and panic a lot and we grow up being subconsciously hardwired to demanding instant acknowledgement, comfort and rewards. As grown up seeking our mother’s love, we no longer suck on dummies and thrive on hugs and kisses. As abandoned human beings we adopt habits such as smoking, drinking and taking medications to compensate for the security and comfort of the primal womb. Blame it on the amygdala, a part of the brain that is responsible for emotional and social processing.

Ever since birth, out into the cruel world it helps us to avoid dangerous situations by causing fear. A re-stimulated memory of a previous event that has been stored in amygdala may be the cause of panic attacks in later life. Damage within the amygdala can set off behavioural and emotional abnormalities. But in most cases, it is this primitive fear stimulus that we overreact to, even if it is only a perception, a paper tiger. We dramatize the effects, and are capable of manifesting problems in our minds that become obstacles to feeling happy, safe and calm.

Q: Apart from psychotherapy, what medication is given to treat severe anxiety-based symptoms such as panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms?

A: Medications that modify and increase the signals of both the serotonin neurons and the GABA neurons are popular. (Our pacifiers that help compensate for a sensation of abandonment when our mothers may have left the room to go to the toilet. You never know what re stimulates a primal trauma!) antidepressant such as SSRIs prolong the action of serotonin. Tranquillizers like the benzodiazepines enhance the effect of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Both of these drugs modify the effects of neurotransmitters – they don’t actually help the body to increase its endogenous output of serotonin or GABA. This means that levels are not being replenished. Drugs do not treat the cause, they only pacify the patient. Remember that as adults we seek recognition, reward, security and acknowledgement. Without it we get depressed and seek other ways to raise our primal levels serotonin and dopamine.

MEDICATIONS:

1: SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are a type of antidepressant that work by increasing levels of serotonin within the brain by preventing the reuptake of serotonin within a neural synapse.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is often referred to as the “feel good hormone”. It carries messages between nerve cells and contributes to well-being, good mood, appetite, as well as helping to regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle and internal clock. Brands include: Citalopram (Celexa), Escitalopram (Lexapro), Fluoxetine (Prozac), Fluvoxamine (Luvox, Luvox CR), Paroxetine (Paxil, Paxil CR), Sertraline (Zoloft)

Although we think they are safe and harmless, some of the adverse effects include ironically: insomnia, headaches, agitation or nervousness and suicide. Studies show that when compared to results from taking a placebo, chances of having suicidal thoughts doubled — from between 1% and 2% to between 2% and 4% — when taking any kind of antidepressant, including an SSRI. Serotonin toxicity can also cause death.

2: Benzodiazepines (tranquillizers) enhance the brain’s response to GABA and thus reduce the excitability of nerve signals in your brain and slows it down, leading to the relaxation of certain physiological and emotional responses. This results in a calming, tranquilizing feeling.

Short term side effects: constipation, confusion, depression, drowsiness, acute anxiety, fatigue, headache, impaired motor skills and coordination, irritability, loss of appetite or increased appetite, low libido, muscle weakness, short-term memory loss and impaired cognition (brain fog).

Sue: Now that’s a high price to pay for a tranquillizer. In the long term you can look forward to: Acute anxiety! Hello? Also included are: agoraphobia (the fear of open or public spaces), anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure), inability to think cohesively, loss of libido and social phobias.

Read the warning on the product information: “If you’ve been diagnosed with depression or PTSD, you need to be aware that using Benzodiazepines (tranquillizers) can create an increased risk of self-harm and suicide, as well as drastic mood changes.” I think that taking this drug would make one’s life unbearable. No wonder you hear about people giving up on life when they take a mixture of prescribed medications that add to their misery as well as their friends and families.

Q: Is this the best that modern medicine has to offer? Why do people take these chemicals if they are so dangerous?

A: No, it is not. Included in the standard treatment for mood disorders is psychotherapy and in many cases it can also enhance the effect of serotonin and GABA. You can get all these woes from taking a medication or two for feeling depressed, fearful, panicky or anxious. But the placebo-based trials show that even inert (inactive medications) placebos will work as well as antidepressants in over 50% of the cases. The mind interferes with medications and indeed, in some cases patients manifest some of these woes at the mere suggestion of reading the package insert!

Q: Is there any therapy we can use to enhance the production of serotonin? Also, could we find something that does not have such harmful effects, has no contraindications and works quickly?

A: Yes, there is! As a new human being in the womb, we responded to bioresonance – sound or energy medicine during our initial development of neurochemistry. As an adult, cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) can be generated from a portable device with leads that clip onto the earlobes and transmit signals directly into the brain. (CES is not related to old fashioned shock or electroconvulsive therapy that had destructive side effects.) It is worn by the user in a way similar to listening to music from a cell phone and does not interfere with daily activities. For some patients, the serotonin increase begins after 20 minutes.

Cranial electrotherapy stimulation is the ideal way to balance and support all neurochemicals.

Not only serotonin is produced by CES, these impulses can also reach cortical and subcortical areas of the brain, as shown by electromagnetic tomography and functional MRI studies. The nervous system is based on electromagnetic impulses so CES treatments are compatible and have no problems interacting across gut and brain barriers to carry their therapeutic signals directly to problem areas. They have been found to induce changes in necrohormones and neurotransmitters that have been implicated in psychiatric disorders.

Studies show that substantial increases in beta endorphins, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, and serotonin were achieved. This is different to merely extending the engagement of serotonin on a receptor by inhibiting its uptake as SSRIs do. There were moderate increases in melatonin and norepinephrine, modest or unquantified increases in cholinesterase, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). As a further stress reliever, the CES achieved moderate reductions in cortisol.

The evidence-based efficacy of CES and the lack of side effects make it an excellent option for the treatment of depression. Furthermore, CES treatments outperformed placebo-based very convincingly in trials – by over 90%. The best result that antidepressant drugs manage to achieve over and above placebo trials has been no more than 10%. Even 2% above a placebo response is deemed an acceptable margin.

Q: This sounds too good to be true, does the field of bioresonance have more to offer?

A: Yes, there is nothing new about using soundwaves to treat ailments. We can also generate our own, when we sing or hum certain notes – call them frequencies. The healing frequencies from the Tibetan singing bowls, for instance can cleanse an area of negative energy or vibrations. Ringing giant bells or striking rocks (singing dolomite) were used to clear negative energies from ancient villages. We are lucky to have these healing sounds available to us via You Tube and playing to them can have significantly uplifting effect, even after a few minutes. Sound or bioresonance can make a big – and immediate – difference to the way you feel. It can uplift, reassure and generate a sense of wellbeing.

Notice how a mother cat purrs to her kittens and how happy they are when they touch her, she licks them and keeps them warm. Their levels of serotonin soar! But even the isolated sound of a cat purring emits a frequency that has a healing effect. I tested it out with my cat, playing the You Tube soundtrack to him when he was very weak and ill. After an hour, I found him bright and cheery, pawing at the computer screen.

Rife therapy: There are electronic frequencies that raise our levels of serotonin that we can use. There are good programmes on the Rife and SCIO apparatus that treat depression, insomnia, addictions, stress and so on. A Rife apparatus with the mat extension is a good investment. Overnight treatments offer plenty of evidence for using healing frequencies for a good night’s sleep and an energy packed day.

Mr Royal Rife was a genius who made numerous important discoveries. He found that frequencies can reverse serious medical conditions. Using frequencies he restored health to many people. You tube provides many of these frequencies for us to use, free of charge that can be relayed to the brain via headphones.

“Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person’s thoughts, behaviour, feelings and sense of well-being. People with depressed mood can feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless and so on. So what’s the solution? Not all Rife frequencies are pleasant to listen to, but you can play them at a very low volume or overlay the track with your favourite uplifting music for an augmented effect.

Q: Today most of us use mobile phones and have them with us all day. We know of the harm this can do, so are there any positive benefits from owning one?

A: Yes, the good news is that from You Tube we can download or tune into healing frequencies that help to alleviate the gloom and doom throughout the day. What an easy way to raise serotonin levels – especially for people who don’t feel inspired or motivated to even get out of bed! There are excellent binaural compositions such as this one:

Overcome Depression – Binaural Beats Music to Boost Serotonin, Dopamine and Endorphin, Healing Music. Aaah, that’s better

Theta Binaural Beats + Meditation Music for Physical & Emotional Healing of Subconscious Mind. Tuned to 417 Hz Solfeggio Miracle Tone this session will help you remove your mental blockages, healing your subconscious with harmony & peace.

1 HOUR Cognition Enhancer – Clearer, Smarter Thinking – Learning & Intelligence ISOCHRONIC. Increase intelligence and mental efficiency with this binaural beat with isochronic tone music track that uses frequencies from 11.5Hz to 14Hz that focus on assisting the brain to be awake and alert, more focused and concentrated on tasks at hand, relieving you from headaches or stress.

From You tube you can choose from a variety of free and very pleasant sounding treatments, even for your home and pets. It is worth downloading the ones you like, that work best for you. Use them on your cell phone, to counteract the gloominess that microwaves, mycoplasma, medications, EMF, drug cravings and modern living can cause!

Q: What about Homeopathy, can people take remedies that can really lift them out of the depression trap?

A: Yes, Homeopathy is also classed as a vibrational medicine. This method of prescribing is holistic in that it is intended to treat the patient on the emotional and spiritual levels of his or her being as well as the physical. It is aimed at eventual cure of the patient, not just suppression or relief of immediate symptoms. Homeopathic case-taking for constitutional prescribing is similar to that for acute prescribing, but more in-depth.

The initial interview generally takes one to two hours. The practitioner is concerned with recording the totality of the patient’s symptoms and the modalities that influence their severity. Also included are general characteristics about the patient and his or her lifestyle choices. For example, a practitioner might ask if the patient likes being outside or is generally hot or cold. There is also an emphasis on the patient’s lifetime medical history, particularly records of allopathic treatments

There are also acute OTC Homeopathinc remedies we can all use to help alleviate the effects of stress, anxiety, fatigue and so on. The characteristics of the remedies often combine both mental and physical symptoms, giving a very well targeted result. For instance, you may feel angry and frustrated at the time, but are always sensitive to loud noises. Then your recommendation would be ZINC D6. Also the Bach flower remedies, are powerful sources of calming, soothing vibrational medicine. Many of us have used the RESCUE REMEDY, for instance for anxiety, stress, emergencies and panic.

Q: Doctors would argue that Homeopathy is not scientific and remedies would not be compatible with their prescriptions. Nobody likes to argue and so we return to what our medical aid pays for not so?

A: These medicines are considered non-toxic and generally free of harmful side effects. The primary risks to the patient from constitutional homeopathic treatment are the symptoms of the healing crisis and individual reactions to homeopathic medicine. Homeopathy has been scientifically developed and studied for centuries, with much documentation and success. There are some medications like cortisone for instance that may be in conflict with the healing effects of Homeopathy.

There continue to be many studies on the efficacy of homeopathic treatments. Among the most celebrated, the British Medical Journal in 1991 published a large analysis of homeopathic treatments that were given over the course of 25 years.

Q: This may be a stupid question but sometimes anybody can feel down, hopeless and abandoned – often for no obvious reason. We get stressed out and freak out, yet we are not what you call a seriously depressed patient. So why then, should we start taking medications? Isn’t it better just to talk about it?

A: We have developed a faith in modern doctors and medicine. We allow them to dictate to us, make the decisions and take all the responsibility. They get paid by you to do just that because most people feel too helpless or confused to seek other options. Often patients feel overwhelmed by advice from family, friends or the internet. They want to walk out with a prescription for a pill that will make them better, right? This is part of the white jacket effect, the feeling of being listened to, having a check-up, a diagnosis, being reassured and given a medication to cure the ailment.

This is why the placebo effect of antidepressants is almost as effective as the medication prescribed. It is mostly in the mind and sadly, when the patient reads about all the adverse effects, they too can be manifested by the patient! For some, it is important to have a family doctor – a dearly beloved physician, just to go and talk to. After that, the patient feels relieved and gladly takes the medicine and usually gets better.

Unfortunately not all drugs are totally safe to prescribe, let alone take and some pharmaceutical companies tend to manipulate or bias our family health practitioners. Prescribing more and more combinations of such products has led to these severe complications in treating depression – anxiety and panic syndromes, serotonin toxicity, suicide and even death, to name a few.

Q: What would be an immediate workable strategy for patients and their doctors to adopt?

A: Finding the cause of the dilemma, it is not a medication deficiency! There is a great need for people to discuss the way they feel – to somebody who is prepared to hear them out. Therapy is helpful in this respect as no pill can solve problems that may have triggered those feelings of distress, frustration, apathy or abandonment. Unresolved issues relating to work, business, relationships and self-esteem will continue to loop around.

Confronting the problems, discussing a strategy and following it through will do more for dopamine levels than an anti- Parkinson’s medication and without causing a landslide of drug induced complications. Often patients smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol to feel a surge of feel good neurochemicals.

But as with medications, sources of serotonin and dopamine that are introduced in such a way tend to shut down one’s endogenous production. Call it a safety mechanism, to control these levels within. When flooded with serotonin for instance, toxicity and even serotonin resistance may result. This is the cause of major depression according to a recent study. Ideally, when our own supply line is restored the need for “nicotine, medication and alcohol supplements” falls away.

It would be better for doctors to acquaint themselves with how the body makes uses and controls these neurochemicals. The need for key micronutrients also plays a role in preventing a shortfall of serotonin in the first place. So too, are other causative factors such as environmental toxicity, radiation and even viral infections that also decrease our levels of neurotransmitters.

Aromatherapy helps to pacify the amygdala, the primitive stressor to relieve anxiety. Doctors need to know the following:

When the scent of an essential oil is inhaled, molecules enter the nasal cavities and stimulate a firing of mental response in the limbic system of the brain. These stimulants regulate stress or calming responses, such as heart rate, breathing patterns, production of hormones and blood pressure. Aromatherapy can be applied as direct inhalations, hot water vapour, a humidifier fan or through aromatherapy diffusers. This method is ideal for doctors and dentist’s consulting rooms – but especially the waiting room!

The best oils to use for fear and anxiety are a combination of lavender, bergamot and rose. Mixing them into skin lotions and carrier oils provides a good way to apply them to the skin so they can be trans dermally absorbed. But these plant oils also smell so good – positive, clean and reassuring. As an aid to sleep, lavender oil can be rubbed onto a patient’s hands and feet prior to retiring. At the same time listening to calming therapeutic music also helps to induce a peaceful sleep. Just like a mother’s lullaby. There is no shortage of feel good strategies that involve the senses and of course, the amygdala and they will enhance the effects of the medications you still feel are necessary to take.