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- Newsgroups: misc.health.alternative
- Path: sparky!uunet!think.com!enterpoop.mit.edu!bloom-picayune.mit.edu!nerus.pfc.mit.edu!mrl
- From: mrl@nerus.pfc.mit.edu
- Subject: RE: Depression
- Message-ID: <25DEC92.04422186@nerus.pfc.mit.edu>
- Sender: news@athena.mit.edu (News system)
- Nntp-Posting-Host: nerus.pfc.mit.edu
- Organization: MIT PLASMA FUSION CENTER
- References: <1hdnfsINN7t7@cae.cad.gatech.edu>
- Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 04:42:21 GMT
- Lines: 27
-
- In a previous article, dips@cad.gatech.edu (Deeptendu Majumder) wrote:
- >Does anybody have any opinion about dealing with depression
- >in ways other than Prozac.
- >
-
- I don't know anyone who has tried this personally, but my doctor who treats
- patients mainly with vitamins has mentioned that certain certain B vitamins and
- minerals can be helpful by increasing serotonin levels. However, this should
- be done only with the help of an experienced orthomolecular practioner, as
- I've read in some case it may worsen the symptoms. Depression has many
- different causes, which is probably why different anti-depressents help
- different people. Aerobic exercise is often recommended, as it also increases
- serotonin levels, and of course self-esteem. If done in the afternoon or
- evening, it may aid with sleep problems, which is often a problem with
- depression (if not the cause, which was so with my wife.)
-
- P.s. A recent article in the NY Times stated that depression has definetly
- increased in "modern" countries, and although many reasons were cited, no one
- real reason has been found. The breakdown of the family is often cited as
- one reason. In our country where women have to strive to be like the women
- shown on TV, there are more depressed women than men, but this is not the case
- in countries where they don't have an overblown ideal woman notion. In those
- cases, depression is equal between the sexes. However, I believe it mentioned
- that even in our country, the difference is starting to lessen.
-
- Mark London
- MRL@NERUS.PFC.MIT.EDU
-