Yoga as Medicine by Yoga Journal

Author:Yoga Journal
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Health and Healing
ISBN: 9780553903942
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2007-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

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Doctors increasingly have come to view depression as a biochemical problem, related to abnormal levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the brain. Partly due to this belief and partly due to the high cost of psychotherapy, the primary, and often the only, treatment prescribed for depression these days is drugs, most commonly drugs like Prozac and Zoloft, which raise levels of serotonin. These drugs, known collectively as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are no more effective than older antidepressants, but many patients find the side effects more tolerable. Although not everyone is helped by them, and I feel strongly it’s best to use them as part of a multipronged approach, these drugs can be lifesavers. I say this despite the often very negative attitude toward antidepressants found in both the yoga world and among many advocates of alternative medicine.

While antidepressants are far from perfect, some people need to be on them—and stay on them—to function. For others, taking an antidepressant on a temporary basis can give them the energy and strength to engage in the health-promoting activities, like yoga, exercise, and psychotherapy, that could help lift them out of depression. From a yogic perspective, antidepressants are neither good nor bad, they are simply tools. What’s crucial is to use them wisely, take them when you truly need them, and avoid them if you don’t. As Patricia says, “Thank God we have this option.”

Although effective treatments are available, many people with depression are never diagnosed. Some people who are depressed are unaware of it. Men appear more likely than women to fail to recognize when they are depressed. Both men and women may avoid seeking treatment out of a misguided sense of embarrassment, seeing their condition as a sign that they are weak, or believing that there is little to be done for it. But even those who know something is wrong and do seek treatment for it may turn up at their doctor’s office with a catalogue of symptoms—including fatigue, headaches, stomach problems, and dizziness—that is hard to diagnose. Primary-care doctors often fail to diagnose depression accurately, especially in men, who are more likely to manifest depression through symptoms like anger and irritability instead of the sadness that women are more prone to. Doctors may also fail to recognize depression in the elderly, whose symptoms may manifest in a primarily physical manner, or in people with conditions like cancer, HIV, and heart disease. Serious illness results in a markedly increased risk of major depression, but doctors understandably tend to focus their treatment on the underlying disease, not the accompanying depression. Unfortunately, failing to recognize and treat depression may undermine therapeutic efforts for these other medical problems, and ultimately contribute to an earlier death.

How Yoga Fits In

Since stress can be a big factor in depression, part of yoga’s effectiveness undoubtedly comes from its proven ability to alleviate tension. People who are depressed tend to have persistent activation of the sympathetic nervous system (the fight-or-flight response) and elevations of the stress hormone cortisol (see Chapter 3).

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