A Functional Medicine Approach to Depression
Feeling overwhelmed by fatigue, low mood, and a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed? Depression can be a debilitating condition, but you don’t have to face it alone. At Revivo Health, we take a Functional Medicine approach to depression, focusing on identifying the root causes and creating a personalized path to healing.
Suppressing your symptoms may be required initially, but for a long-term recovery we need to address the underlying causes.
We care about your well-being. We understand how overwhelming depression can. We’ll listen to your story and experiences, creating a safe space for you to share your struggles.
There’s more to the story than symptoms. Functional Medicine goes beyond just managing symptoms with medication. The depression is the coming together and culmination of multiple factors. We aim to find and address those factors paving the way for long-lasting improvement.
Understanding the shadows
Depression can have various contributing factors, including:
- Nutritional deficiencies: Deficiencies in vitamins B6, B12, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids can impact mood regulation.
- Hormonal imbalances: Issues with thyroid function, sex hormones, or stress hormones can affect mood and energy levels.
- Chronic inflammation: Inflammation throughout the body can impact brain health and mood.
- Gut health: Dysbiosis, or an imbalance of gut bacteria, can contribute to depression by affecting neurotransmitter production.
- Sleep disturbances: Poor sleep quality can worsen symptoms of depression and vice versa.
- Heavy metal toxicity: High levels of aluminum, lead or mercury can interfere with the current flowing through the nerves, which can lead to depressive symptoms.
- Trauma: Child hood bullying, death of love one’s, work or school stress along with many stressful life events can impact the HPA axis (A system that control stress), leading to depression.
- Food allergies/sensitivities: Wheat and dairy items contains proteins that can impact the brain function in people who are sensitive to it, leading to mood changes and depressive symptoms.
To identify the root causes of your depression, we need a comprehensive diagnostic approach, which may include:
- Conventional blood tests to assess thyroid function, hormone levels, micro- and macronutrient status, detoxification and inflammation markers.
- Functional Medicine tests may be needed:
- Stool tests help us evaluate gut microbiome composition, bacteria, parasites, yeast, digestive issues and malabsorption which may push you towards depression.
- Nutrient deficiency testing is often required. Deficiency in vitamin d, folate, B12, iron and multiple other nutritional deficiencies can cause depression.
- Food sensitivity testing to pin down potential food intolerances that can contribute to mood swings.
The Revivo Health Approach
Our goal is to empower you to reclaim your joy. Through a personalized Functional Medicine approach, we can help you manage your depression, improve your overall well-being, and find renewed energy for a brighter future.
You don’t have to suffer in silence.
A Personalized Approach to YOUR Depression
Our personalized treatment plan for depression centers around your specific underlying causes and needs. We do not provide one standard medication or plan to all patients struggling with depression.
- Nutritional optimization: Addressing nutritional deficiencies through dietary changes is often requited. To bridge the gap till those changes are implanted we may need to use targeted supplements.
- Hormonal balancing may be required in the short-term for some patients while others may require a long-term intervention.
- Gut health restoration is achieved with probiotics, prebiotics, and dietary modifications. Addressing yeast or other pathogens in the GI tract can be a game-changer.
- Stress management with stress-reduction techniques, proper sleep, yoga, medication, exercise or deep breathing exercises can greatly impact on your mood.
- Sleep hygiene improvements are required in almost all patients.
- Supplements can support neurotransmitter production and overall brain health.
