Suzanne Says

Question: I struggle with whether or not to use medication for depression and go back and forth. When I try prescription drugs, it is a challenge for me because I do not like this choice and I feel weird, numb, and unable to fully feel. Then I take myself off the drugs and get so low that I cannot function well. My family pressures me to go back on the meds because they cannot handle my moods. What is your opinion on this subject?

Answer: It must be very confusing to your body, being on the fence and changing your method of healing so often. To use medication or not is a decision each person must make for themselves with the help of qualified professionals. With either choice the individual must be willing to pay the consequences of their choice. I cannot tell you what is right for you.

This is a very controversial subject depending on one’s belief system. Some following the medical model believe that brain chemistry can only be corrected with proper medication. Some on the opposite camp believe the brain chemistry is "off" for a variety of reasons, such as a dysfunctional belief system which affects the emotional and physical well being. And then there are many points of view and methods in between, which I will classify as spiritual healing. If you are interested in spiritual healing, Robert Felix explains one point of view, that meditation has the potential to help balance brain chemistry. (See the following article for more information on this.)

If the either/or approach doesn’t seem to be working for you, you might also want to consider a combination of approaches. I recommend psychotherapy no matter which path you take to manage your depression.

Western science has finally begun to confirm what the wisdom traditions of the Orient have known for millennia: that meditation practice literally and physically improves your brain behavior.

Robert Felix, author of "The Partners Within", has been educating on the healing power of prayer and meditation to overcome destructive emotions for the last decade. Now several scientific studies are converging to confirm this idea. As recently reported in the Wall Street Journal Science column (1/10/2003), studies at the University of Wisconsin confirmed that "meditation, Buddhist or otherwise, might change the brain and, in particular, its emotional circuitry."

The focus of these studies was on the brain structure called the amygdala. This is a little almond-shaped center that is located deep in the brain and it has been shown to be involved with the negative emotions such as fear, anger, anxiety and depression. This emotional center needs to be modulated by the prefrontal cortex; when it is not, its negative emotions can snowball into destructive behavior patterns. The psychiatric community commonly treats these poor states of mental health with neuroplastic drugs such as seratonin uptake inhibitors (Prozac and Zoloft etc.) with mixed success.

But now, according to Sharon Begley, placebo-controlled clinical studies are suggesting, "Meditation strengthens connections between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala. Inhibitory signals from the prefrontal cortex appear to rein in the amygdala like a good yank on a kite string. The stronger or more numerous those "stop firing!" signals, the stronger the inhibition." Indeed "It appears that the inhibitory signal reaching the amygdala can be modulated voluntarily," says Prof. Richard Davidson, of the University of Wisconsin.

Most importantly, Ms. Begley continues, "The plasticity of connections between the thinking and feeling regions of the brain casts doubt on the belief that each of us has a "set point" for happiness, and that neither a Powerball win nor a life tragedy budges it for long. If inhibitory connections between the frontal lobes and the amygdala can be strengthened in an enduring way, then perhaps you can voluntarily shift that point, increasing our capacities for happiness, fulfillment and for actualizing our own unique human and higher powers."

* Before you apply this information to your life, please check with a professional health care provider to help you evaluate the appropriateness to your situation.