We all experience periods of feeling sad sometimes. It might be a normal reaction of grief following the loss of a loved one or important relationship, or it can just be a “blue” day, with no known reason for feeling down.
No matter how extreme, in most cases, the feeling passes, sometimes more quickly than others. But low mood that lasts can be debilitating, interfering with sleep, social interactions, work production, and ultimately health and wellness.
Negative emotional feelings related to lasting anxiety and feeling down are due to an imbalance of hormones in the brain, also known as brain chemistry. When that chemistry becomes imbalanced it can be difficult, if not impossible, to bounce back from a depressive state.
What is Chemical Imbalance?
Mood disorders are believed to be the result of just such a body chemical imbalance that begins in the brain. The human brain is responsible for the constant transmission of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters to properly control overall body function. Every bodily function and emotion, both voluntary and involuntary, begins with this communication.
Serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, among others, are the primary chemical messengers associated with feeling sad or low. A deficiency of these “feel good” neurotransmitters can cause or contribute to a number of low mood disorders, including fatigue and brain fog.
There are many factors that can impair neurotransmitter function and lead to hormonal depletion and a body chemical imbalance. These include stress, poor diet and lifestyle habits, environmental pollutants, infections, and genetics. In addition, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and many medications used to manage other health conditions can contribute to the reduced production of chemical messengers.
What Can You Do?
Advancement in the study of low mood disorders proves that any perceived chemical imbalance is unique to the individual patient. Therefore, it becomes necessary to measure neurotransmitter levels in patients suffering from low mood disorder in order to treat them most effectively.
The individualized readings from this testing allow us to skip the trial-and-error approach of yesterday‘s educated guesswork in favor of patient-specific therapies based on that patient’s own brain chemistry.
The results of this simple and needle-free neuro adrenal test can point us toward a more individualized protocol resulting in highly effective treatment sooner. This might include dietary changes, case-specific vitamins, and supplements in the correct doses or certain detoxification therapies, all designed to balance out deficiencies that lead to low mood disorders.
At Whole Body Health, we can provide neurotransmitter testing along with a detailed analysis of your results and recommended ways to improve your brain chemistry balance. Brain chemistry testing is one of a variety of holistic ways Whole Body Health is effectively treating emotional and hormonal disorders.