Depression and other mood disorders are common ailments in the United States. Nearly one in four Americans suffers from clinical depression or a mood disorder at some point in his or her life. Over 28 million Americans take antidepressant or anti anxiety medication. Significantly more women than men seek treatment for depression, and it is estimated that about three times more women than men are treated for this disorder.
The higher incidence of depression in women suggests that hormonal changes increase women’s susceptibility to this disorder. As many as 33% of women will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime. According to some researchers, three life stages, premenstrual, postpartum, and menopause, appear to create an increased risk for depression. While modern studies examining the incidence of depression at menopause have yielded conflicting data, the historical record attests to a strong perceived association between mental disturbances and a woman’s hormonal status. In the mid-1800′s and early 1900′s many women were given hysterectomies, because it was believed that their uterus, which was no longer “needed for childbearing”, was creating symptoms of hysteria. This disorder was later called “involutional melancholia”, and it appeared as an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual published by the American Psychiatric Association until 1968.
It is clear from the groundbreaking research of Dr. Katharina Dalton, M.D., who was the first to identify a definite physiological basis for premenstrual syndrome in the early 1970′s, that alterations in hormonal balance can lead to profound changes in mood. We also now know that all the sex hormones have a significant effect on the nervous system. Estrogen and testosterone tend to have a stimulating effect on the nervous system, while progesterone and cortisol exert a sedating or calming effect. Although science has yet established a clear biochemical basis for the association between mood alterations and hormonal transitions in women, many clinicians observe that perimenopause is a time when women commonly present with depression. In fact, one study reported that as many as 80% of perimenopausal women develop mood disturbances.
The recent spate of articles in the popular media about herbal remedies for depression attests that increasing numbers of Americans are seeking relief from this disorder by using natural medicines. Clinical research on the antidepressant effects of nutrients and herbs indicates that many people suffering from depression may gain significant relief from this more natural treatment approach. Herbal and nutrient-based formulas can address several factors that contribute to depression. Nutrients and botanical supplements can alleviate depression by correcting nutrient deficiencies, improving blood flow to the brain, and optimizing levels of serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, which are brain chemicals known to play a role in depression.