The Truth About Insomnia, Depression and Anxiety

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

In today’s fast-paced society, it isn’t any wonder that so many people suffer from depression. But is the answer to this modern day epidemic really found with pharmaceuticals? The answer is unmistakably NO! Depression is generally a symptom of a much bigger problem – the general health of America (and other countries) has been on a dramatic decline due to chronic exposure to multiple stressors. Some of these stressors include:

Environmental (air, water pollution, processed and chemical ridden foods, etc)
Emotional (work, societal, family, etc)
Physical (lack or over exercise, smoking, excess alcohol, etc)

… all of which significantly deplete the body of vital nutrients. If the nutrients the body requires for optimal health are not replenished, symptoms of disease are soon to follow. So let’s talk a bit about these nutrients.

Without amino acids, life would not be possible. However, in order for amino acids to function properly, a balance must be maintained in conjunction with vitamin, minerals and other substances which are necessary for good health. For example tryptophan (precursor to serotonin), must first react with Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C. Water-soluble vitamins like B vitamin and Vitamin C are easily destroyed. And if they are not replaced daily, a deficiency is sure to follow. In the case of tryptophan, if there is insufficient Vitamin B6 and/or Vitamin C in the body, the tryptophan-serotonin pathway is then blocked resulting in low serotonin levels in the body. And the effects of low serotonin levels in the body are extremely well-known. They are:

Insomnia
Depression
Anxiety
Eventual hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Many people have tried to use tryptophan to help with these conditions only to later give up because they did not achieve the results they were hoping for. Without addressing all of the deficiencies, you can see that the result would be impossible to achieve. Unfortunately, even modern medicine hasn’t made this obvious connection. Instead of addressing the cause, countless pharmaceuticals have been created to treat the symptoms of these conditions (many based on serotonin, the very hormone that is dependent upon tryptophan). Popular prescriptions for insomnia have recently made headlines due to “Risk of Death”. The following are only some that have been named:

Ambien
Restoril
Sonata
Lunesta

A recent article on FOX News.com stated,

“People who took more than 132 pills a year were not only five times more likely to die, but were also atgreater risk of developing several types of cancer, and 35 percent more likely to be diagnosed with any type of cancer, overall”

In the UK, the following was said in an eye opening article;

“Experts have warned that sleeping pills prescribed in the UK could increase the risk of death more than four-fold.” also finding that… “The meagre benefits of hypnotics, as critically reviewed by groups without financial interest, would not justify substantial risks.” ~ Sleeping Pills ‘Quadruple Risk Of Death’

The list of drugs used for treating anxiety is almost endless, however some of the more popular include:

Cymbalta
Ativan
Lexapro
Paxil
Valium
Xanax

Dr. Peter Bongiorno, naturopath, wrote an intresting article in Psychology Today. He states,

“These anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications are among the most prescribed in the United States – and possibly the most dangerous. According to a report in the 2010 Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, people who use anti-anxiety medication have a 36% increased mortality risk. That means persons using these drugs are almost 40% more likely to die than people who do not use them…”

To further support this argument was a Canadian study done 2010 finding that the dangers of anxiolytic and hypnotic drugs were significant enough to conclude the following;

“…physicians should systematically consider possibilities for nonpharmacological treatment of sleep disturbances and anxiety.”

A highly recommended read is Anti-Anxiety Drugs: The Facts About the Effects published by Citizens Commission on Human Rights. Anti-depressants are not in short supply. The list of these drugs grow every year, no doubt to the high demand and obvious profit that is tied to this modern day epidemic. Some of the more popular are:

Wellbutrin
Cymbalta
Paxil
Prozac
Zoloft

But these drugs are not what they were advertised to be. The following movie is revealing:

Furthermore, recently the FDA warned patients and physicians of the link between SSRI antidepressants and Birth Defects. For more, see Natural Cure for Depression Silenced?

So for many it’s a question of, “What do I do now?” And the answer has been here all along. Real nutrition, supplement the deficiencies, stress management, and moderate exercise. Personally, I experienced all three symptoms on that list: insomnia, anxiety and possibly depression. Never did the medical doctors (and I went to four looking for answers):

Show concern about my lifestyle habits (stress, exercise, etc)
Show concern for chemicals in the air, water and food supply
Show concern about nutritional deficiencies
Show concern as to WHY I felt these symptoms

What they did however, was give me free sample of drugs to, “Try it and see if they help, and if it doesn’t, we’ll try a different drug (or add another one)”. (See “My Story of Healing“) Another example an amino acid deficiency and disease can be found with arginine. An arginine can potentially cause high blood pressure and eventual cardiovascular disease. This is because arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide (NO), which is vital for healthy cardiovascular health. This is evident by the drugs most commonly prescribed for angina pectoris (severe chest pain due to a lack of blood, thus oxygen supply to the heart muscle). For more, see Heart Disease: Nitric Oxide/Arginine Cure? Some of the more popular drugs include:

Caduet
Coreg
Nitrostate
Ranexa

The key to true health lays in cause, not masking the symptoms. With depression/anxiety and cardiovascular/heart disease being major health issues of today, you can see the importance of having amino acids in balance with other nutrients. Without amino acids, many vitamins and minerals could not be utilized in the body. And with the U.S. steadfast in a nutrient deficient diet consisting of never-ending processed foods, fast-foods, and with added chemicals, preservatives, and food additives…as well as the increasing dispersal of prescription drugs for everything under the sun, its more than likely that we suffer from amino acid imbalances at a greater extent than we once thought. If this wasn’t the case, wouldn’t people be getting healthier rather than sicker!

References:

Previous articles by Dr. Michelle:

About the author:

Dr. Michelle Kmiec is a licensed chiropractor who also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology. She is life-long athlete who after curing herself 100% naturally from autoimmune neurological symptoms and anxiety, became an avid nutrition health researcher/promoter, Founder of the natural health website Online Holistic Health and author of Healthcare Freedom Revolution: Exposing the Lies, Deceit and Greed of the Medical Profession.

You can follow Online Holistic Health online, on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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