Depression is a mood disorder characterized by a loss of zest for life or severe dejection.
It can happen to all of us. And when it does, talk about it. That's the message of a new campaign on depression from the Ministry of Health.
One in 20 Dutch people struggle with depression. That's more than 800,000. Women are particularly susceptible, according to figures from the Trimbos Institute. As many as one million people take antidepressants.
About a quarter of women (over 24 percent) have experienced depression at some point in their lives. Among men, that percentage is lower, at 13 percent. A major reason for this can be found in the fact that women have 5 times more endorphin receptors than men for reason of pain relief during childbirth.
What's wrong with us.
Depression occurs in a variety of conditions. For example, studies show that people with diabetes (types 1 and 2) are up to 300% more likely to have depressive disorders than those without diabetes. A similar phenomenon occurs in burnout, CFS, PTSD, fybromyalgia, ADHD, obesity, eating disorders, substance abuse, stress disorders and in people with a traumatic past. This gives an indication that depression is a co morbidity that occurs in multiple disorders and states. Depression is an epi genetic adaptation due to over stimulation by stress/trauma, comfort food and, for example, psychostimulants and drugs. This brings us into the realm of epi genetics. In addition, some of the aforementioned stimulants cause disturbances in the microbiome, the blood-gut and the blood-brain barrier. These, in turn, are then the cause of other pathologies.
Excess creates scarcity:
Every living organism strives for a state of equilibrium. The constant search for the best possible balance between the internal and external environment is known as homeostasis and allostasis. If this first-line feedback mechanism fails, then the genes attempt to correct this imbalance. This epi genetic correction can be seen as an ultimate attempt to correct the imbalance as yet. The bad news is that genes can store this adaptation (in response to "excess") as an "acquired trait" and then pass it on to the next generation. In other words, the parents' environment determines the quality of their children's gene expressions. Not only the prenatal environment is decisive (e.g. smoking during pregnancy) but also the period before conception. Here both parents have an equal share.
One of the first findings within epi genetics was the link between over stimulation by the environment and reduced gene expression. If an abnormal number of endorphin receptors (MOR) are activated (e.g., drugs and junk food), the gene will initially desensitize and eventually reduce the number of MOR receptors. In the latter case, the cell shuts down the number of inputs (receptors) to bring the intracellular environment back into balance. This adaptation is called downregulation (reducing the number of receptors). The cell answers excess by scarcity (downregulation). Man senses this scarcity as a disease or disorder. Most epi genetic adaptations result in chronic diseases. These epi genetic adaptations arise because - as we saw earlier - first-line help (homeostasis and allostasis) to restore balance failed.
Epi genetics:
Epi genetics is the science that deals with the influence of environmental factors on the expression of genes. Genes related to stress and depression change their expression, causing signal proteins such as cortisol, serotonin and endorphins to become resistant. Humans have some 25,000 genes, which are stored in the nucleus of each cell. Genes have two functions:
- They transfer hereditary material from parents to children.
- Then the genes control the some 100,000 different proteins that make up the human body.
This means that neurotransmitters, hormones, enzymes and receptors are 'controlled' at the base by genes. If the gene is 'on' (expressive) the production of some protein is stimulated. If the gene is 'off' no proteins are produced. This 'on and off' expression is a response to the environment with the goal of restoring biological balance.
Genetic and epi genetic heritability:
The above shows that a traumatic experience has implications for acquiring lasting changes in gene expression. For example, abuse experiences or severe parental neglect make a person vulnerable to depression and stress sensitivity in later life. These epi genetic adaptations are influenced not only by what a person goes through (acquired changes), but also by the parents' circumstances before conception. Heredity has two components; the genetic and the epi genetic component.
Genetic heredity:
Before the emergence of epi genetics, heredity was defined as a genetic abnormality. These so-called DNA mutations (changes in the code of the gene), occur in about 0.5% of the population. An example is Down syndrome (mongolism). According to pharmaceuticals, genetic mutations are at the root of ADHD and diabetes, for example. The fact states that DNA mutations are exponential, in other words they relate according to the increase in the population. However, the increase in ADHD and diabetes is pandemic, or a global-scale epidemic that appears to increase sharply every decade. Moreover, more than 10% of the population suffers from ADHD and diabetes, a figure that does not match the prevalence of DNA abnormalities.
Epi genetic heredity:
It was waiting for the advent of epi genetics to define heredity in a different way. Genes that adapt long-term (or even acute) to a changing environment store this information as a new (acquired) trait. The gene retains the same DNA coding, but behaves differently. This epi genetic adaptation then becomes an inherited factor.
Treatment:
Our treatment focuses on restoring the endorphin system and the glutamate (NMDA) receptor. Here we use natural remedies as much as possible. In patients with "non-therapy/drug sensitive depression," we may also use medication(derivative of low dose ketamine) to restore the NMDA receptor. Psychiatrists sometimes refer patients to our clinic.
Treatment BeterKlinic
BeterKliniek is the clinic for Integrative Medicine that bridges regular and non-regular medicine.
An van Veen (physician) and Michael van Gils (therapist) look for the cause of a condition or disease. That is where the treatment starts, otherwise, as people often say, it is 'carrying water to the sea'. We call this cause medicine. Sometimes it is also desirable to treat the symptoms (at the same time). We call this symptom medicine.
Chronic disorders often have their cause in epi- genetics. You can schedule a free informative telephone consultation (phone number 040-7117337 until 1 p.m.) at BeterKliniek to discuss your symptoms so that we can provide you with further advice.
