Mental Health
Here’s How Georgia Defeated Clinical Depression in 10 Steps
A holistic and optimistic health approach with healthy lifestyle habits opened the channels of healing for a middle-aged female artist.
Purpose of the Story
This story highlights synergistically integrating mainstream and alternative therapies coupled with healthy lifestyle habits as the key to tackling clinical depression holistically.
A Brief Background to Georgia’s Life
Georgia is an artist. As a professional painter, she loved her job and wanted to excel in her skills, gradually desiring to be famous one day. Even though her career was not financially satisfactory, her art satisfied her mind, heart, and soul until she experienced clinical depression.
As an artist, Georgia had a sensitive personality. She took everything personally. As an empath, she felt the pain of others and attempted to take responsibility for the suffering and problems of other people unnecessarily. In addition, she had a tendency for perfectionism.
Furthermore, Georgia had unrealistic expectations. She called them delusional in hindsight. She didn’t want to be rich but desired her art to be recognized.
However, when she had no recognition from peers and critics, she got disappointed and started blaming herself and feeling guilty regularly.
After a while, she lost interest in her work, hobbies, and relationships. Life became meaningless to her. She had the constant feeling of anhedonia. She even had suicidal thoughts during that period.
Georgia’s caring friends and family members encouraged her to see a clinical psychologist and later a psychiatrist. Her family doctor was also supportive and monitored her situation diligently. Fortunately, this health support from all was an excellent start to getting to the bottom of her condition.
During the process, Georgia met a mentor who suffered from clinical depression in the past and successfully got rid of it with a holistic healthcare approach. Her mentor shared the resources and paved the way for Georgia, who also successfully solved her depression issue.
Understanding the Importance of Clinical Depression
Major depression is a highly complex mental health condition. It requires guidance and support from qualified healthcare professionals.
There are various types of depression, such as major depression or major depressive disorder, also known as clinical depression, persistent depressive disorder, bipolar, perinatal, postpartum, premenstrual, seasonal, and psychotic.
Depression is widespread globally. “Approximately 280 million people in the world have depression,” according to World Health Organization (WHO).
Since 2005, depression has significantly risen globally. Unfortunately, even developed countries have high depression rates. For example, as a developed country, the US is among the top three most affected countries by major depressive disorders.
Depression symptoms usually manifest in persistent emotions such as sadness, anxiety, irritation, dissatisfaction, guilt, and despair. These feelings affect the mood. Thus, depression is considered a mood disorder.
Clinical depression is a severe medical condition preventing people from functioning as desired. Therefore it is diagnosed and treated by qualified healthcare professionals such as psychiatrists and neurologists via counseling, medication, behavioral changes, and brain stimulation.
If patients feel sad, anxious, hopeless, and numb at all times with no underlying health conditions such as major diseases, they most likely experience clinical depression. Usual mood swings due to daily stress are not considered depression.
There are various factors causing depression, as mentioned in the literature. However, the common causes are abnormalities of neurotransmitters in the brain, medical conditions (e.g., cancers, dementia, or diabetes), trauma, chronic stress, chronic inflammation, hormonal imbalance, side effects of medications, personality problems, and genetics.
A combination of these factors might make depression more intense for the patients.
After this brief background, I’d like to touch on the key points that helped Georgia defeat significant depression at a high level.
A 10-Step Approach to Defeating Depression by Georgia
This section summarizes the key points under ten headings. As these points are comprehensive, I provided links to relevant stories for details.
1 — Started with mainstream medicine and therapy.
Georgia had a very supportive family doctor. Her physician proactively monitored her blood markers. However, there were no noticeable anomalies.
Therefore, the physician had to refer her to a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist who helped her.
The psychologist believed that Georgia’s depressive situation came from her psychological constructs, such as unexpressed and unmanaged emotions. The psychologist also touched on her emotional traumas that Georgia was unaware of.
The psychiatrist believed that Georgia had imbalanced neurotransmitters. Therefore, starting with medications and balancing the biochemical was a relief to her.
Initially, her psychiatrist prescribed antidepressants such as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) which gave her noticeable relief.
However, Georgia always felt something missing in her life. She did not feel 100% satisfied with her physical and mental health even after using medication.
Some of her friends enjoyed life so intensely, but she couldn’t. Therefore, she was searching for a solution to find her desired joy and happiness.
The first clue came from her psychiatrist, who identified some addiction problems in Georgia. Therefore, the psychiatrist referred her to a psychotherapist who specialized in addiction problems, which I will touch on in the next section.
2 — Solved addiction problems.
After an initial consultation, the psychotherapist identified several addiction problems in Georgia. She was unaware of her addictions.
Georgia had no clue she was addicted to caffeine, nicotine, and sugar. She was not a heavy smoker, but she always smoked a few cigarettes every day when she felt stressed and hopeless.
In addition, whenever she felt down, she reached out for a cup of coffee with doughnuts or cakes in her work studio. Desserts after lunch and dinner gave her comfort. She also had no idea she had emotional hunger until the psychotherapist articulated them in her vernacular.
The cognitive behavioral therapy that her psychotherapist performed has solved her addiction problems layer by layer. During that time, she continued with SSRIs that helped her to deal with the withdrawal symptoms.
For interested readers, I documented my findings on dealing with addictions in two articles to give a perspective. The first one explains the punishment pathways in an article titled Awareness of Punishment Pathways in the Brain for Mental Health.
The second one summarizes the key mechanism for addictions in the brain in an article titled What DeltaFosB Is and Why It Matters in Solving Addiction Problems.
From my experience, understanding the concept of DeltaFosB (ΔFosB) is crucial to gaining clarity on addictive behavior leading to anxiety and depression in the brain due to epigenetic reasons.
In summary, ΔFosB represents a vital mechanism by which addictive substances or behavior produce long-lasting biochemical neuronal changes in the brain that contribute to the addiction. It is a potent molecular switch leading to consequences such as happiness or suffering.
Stimulants like nicotine, caffeine, and sugar give dopamine hits. The brain maintains the records of dopamine spikes using ΔFosB by increasing them with each impact. So, the constant release of dopamine to the neurons can desensitize them. As a result, the brain needs more dopamine-producing stimulants to have the same effect.
The disproportional release of dopamine causes the problem with the ΔFosB level leading to addictive behavior. Illegal drugs, nicotine, alcohol, sugar, porn, and gambling are well-known contributors to the disproportional release of dopamine.
I elaborated on these points in an article titled Depression Has More to Do with Addictions and Less with Economic Conditions.
3 — Fixed nutritional deficiencies.
One of the findings during the therapy sessions was the nutritional deficiencies caused by excessive use of refined carbs like desserts.
Georgia did not know the importance of essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids.
The holistic therapist referred Georgia to a certified dietician to customize a diet to suit her needs. This minor tweak made a significant impact in a short time.
Suddenly Georgia felt more energetic. Her fatigue disappeared. She started seeing the world brighter. Noticing this difference, her psychiatrist reduced the amounts of medications. Georgia got happier.
But the holistic psychotherapist did not stop there. It was time for another layer to add more energy and stamina to Georgia’s life.
4 — Said goodbye to a sedentary lifestyle.
Georgia never had regular exercises. She did not have any interest in gyms or fitness clubs. She even did not walk much, spending most of her time in her art studio or reading books.
The therapist encouraged Georgia to start a workout regimen. When the therapist offered a few options, Georgia got interested in yoga, pilates, and swimming.
The therapist referred her to a community fitness center offering these services affordable for members. The center provided introductory education sessions for these workout programs.
Georgia met numerous people attending these classes who inspired her to stay active. One friend invited her to their bushwalking sessions. She absolutely loved the experience.
Interestingly, at a later stage, I met Georgia in one of the bushwalking sessions and introduced her dry sauna. The heat therapy opened another path to her healing.
Practicing yoga, pilates, walking, and sauna sessions significantly increased her energy levels. Something magical happened during the process.
As the therapist identified, Georgia was also suffering from sleep deprivation. So the next layer needed to be addressed.
5 — Solved sleep issues.
As soon as Georgia started above mentioned workout regimens, her sleep significantly improved. She had no clue that ‘sleep deprivation’ drained her energy and caused fatigue.
The therapist kept monitoring Georgia’s status. The progress was excellent. Her psychiatrist reduced the medication. And after a few months later, she stopped using any medication as advised by her psychiatrists.
I also documented my sleep improvement regimen that helped Georgia at the time. Interested readers might check this article titled Here’s How I Corrected My Sleep Issues in 7 Steps and Reaped Many Health Benefits.
6 — Lowered chronic stress, fatigue, anxiety, and inflammation.
The psychotherapy sessions, personalized diet, joyful workouts, and restorative sleep significantly reduced chronic stress, fatigue, and anxiety.
Georgia’s supportive family doctor informed her that her inflammation markers substantially improved. For example, her C-reactive protein levels dropped.
Georgia felt more energetic, calmer, and joyful with reduced stress, anxiety, and inflammation. The psychiatrist informed her that Georgia’s clinical depression was resolved, so she did not need to attend these sessions.
However, the psychiatrist advised her to continue her therapy sessions and closely work with her family doctor to monitor her situation. Georgia got thrilled with this assurance and support.
The psychotherapist worked on improving Georgia’s emotional profile.
7 — Regulated emotions and gained emotional mastery.
During the clinical depression, Georgia’s emotional profile was mixed. Sometimes she felt deep sadness, guilt, and anxiety for no apparent reason.
In her terms, she always attempted to numb these unpleasant feelings. The psychotherapist taught her to express her emotions in a healthy way.
Based on guidance from the psychotherapist, Georgia used various techniques such as expressive writing, regular meditation, visualizations, self-talk, listening to classical music, and conversing with her loved ones and friends.
These techniques, especially regular meditation, reduce her mental stress and anxiety. She made meditation a lifestyle choice.
The psychotherapist helped Georgia to feel more confident and develop better relationships with others.
8 — Improved relationships and enhanced social connections.
Georgia made many great friends during the fitness sessions who listened attentively to her problems. Her social intelligence and emotional maturity grew.
Her social network got bigger with quality connections. For example, she gained more supportive friends. While expressing her emotions, she also contributed to the well-being of her friends by listening to their problems.
She kept her empathy and compassion. However, as advised by her therapist, she did not take personal responsibility for their friends.
This new approach even further developed her relationships with others. She stopped solving her friends’ problems but became a catalyst to solve their problems by listening to them.
9 — Leveraged the power of thermogenesis
When I mentioned the importance of the sauna during the bushwalking session, Georgia got interested in learning more.
She wanted to try it when she saw many friends and me having cold showers after the sauna sessions. Initially, she felt uncomfortable, but then she felt fantastic after cold showers.
Heath and cold therapy further improved her brain chemistry. She told me that she did not experience any depressive thoughts and feelings after cold showers. Her mood significantly improved.
Like me, she got hooked on saunas and cold showers. and encouraged others to try them. The therapist was pleased with Georgia’s progress, and they ended the sessions with excellent results.
I documented my years of experience with thermogenesis in an article titled Here’s What Happened When I Experimented with Thermogenesis for Decades.
10 — Activated self-healing system of the body and mind.
Our friendship during the sauna sessions got intense. Georgia started picking my brain. She kept asking what else she could do to improve her health and fitness.
During our conversations, I mentioned to her the body’s self-healing system. This concept intrigued her. She wanted to learn more about autophagy and mitophagy.
When I shared my protocol, Georgia found time-restricted eating exciting. She discussed it with her family doctor, who also inspired her to skip a meal daily. Like me, Georgia started by skipping breakfast. She sometimes tried one meal a day regimen.
Within a year, Georgia had a fat-adapted body. She made intermittent fasting a new lifestyle habit for her mental health development. This regime put her body into ketosis, giving her a metabolic advantage and improving her mental health further. Her body became more insulin sensitive and leptin receptive. She lost significant visceral fat.
Since then, Georgia not only improved her mental health but also gained a trimmed body that further increased her self-confidence, self-love, and joy in life.
I posted two articles explaining the importance of autophagy and mitophagy. Interested readers might review these articles from the following links.
Here Is What Happened When I Experimentally Initiated Autophagy Decades Ago
Here’s How I Initiate Mitophagy and Make My Mitochondria Denser in 7 Steps
Conclusions and Takeaways
Who could have thought that a person experiencing clinical depression might eliminate the condition and transform her physical health?
Georgia was fortunate to have supportive friends, family members, and healthcare professionals who opened the path to her healing and transformation.
By taking personal responsibility and committing to her goals, Georgia managed to activate the self-healing and self-protecting aspects of her body and mind to get healthier, fitter, and happier with a satisfying life.
Since I found Georgia’s experience inspiring and empowering, I felt obliged to pass along this precious story to my readers, who might gain valuable perspectives.
We are all different, and one thing working for another might not work for others. However, we can learn from the principles and gain insights from the various protocols which might be customized for our conditions.
I want to conclude this heart-warming story with a few takeaway points.
Takeaways
1 — Accept any health condition, whatever its intensity.
2 — Seek timely help from friends, loved ones, and qualified professionals.
3 — Take personal responsibility to address issues timely.
4 — Approach health holistically by taking advantage of mainstream and alternative therapies.
5 — Consider personalizing your diet and workout regimen.
6 — Develop your relationships with others and enhance your social connections.
7 — Keep the body moving, refraining from a sedentary life.
8 — Express your emotions using mindfulness techniques.
9 — Consider regular meditation to reduce anxiety, fear, and stress.
10 — Consider heat/cold therapy and time-restricted eating to activate the self-healing and self-protecting abilities of the body.
People taking personal responsibility and reversing their health conditions always inspire me. I also documented the case of a mature-age couple who reversed their type II diabetes with holistic solutions and healthy lifestyle habits.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
If you find this article valuable, you might check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting on my reviews, observations, and decades of sensible experiments.
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Six Tips to Prevent Brain Atrophy and Lower the Risks of Mental Disorders
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Reduce the Risks of Neonatal Disorders to Prevent Infant Mortality.
Reduce the Risks of Major Diseases with Healthy Lifestyle Habits
I also write about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and other nutrients that might help to improve metabolism and mental health.
Disclaimer: Please note that this post does NOT include health or professional advice. I documented my reviews, observations, experience, and perspectives only to provide information and create awareness.
I publish my lifestyle, health, and well-being stories on EUPHORIA. I wrote several articles on major diseases and valuable nutrients for health. My focus is on metabolic, cellular, mitochondrial, and mental health.
You might find more information about my professional background. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis.
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