The Root Cause of My Anxiety and Depression
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I can’t say that it’s been easy dealing with these conditions for most of my life. I always thought that I was coping fairly well. However, coping involved consuming alcohol on a regular basis (most times a bottle of wine per day) and smoking cigarettes (at least 30 per day). Needless to say, not the healthiest way to cope and now after years of using these strategies, my body and brain have had enough!
I’ve missed countless opportunities and adventures due to the anxiety. Depression has caused me to seclude myself at times. The lack of physical and mental energy to get out and be social let alone get into the shower seemed like a feat sometimes.
Unresolved trauma has caused a great deals of metabolic issues as well. As per previous posts, methylation issues, gut issues and self-esteem issues linked to limiting beliefs. And, because of the methylation issues caused from the missing genes, it made me unable to properly detoxify from the overload of the toxic mold I was exposed to. Mold toxicity can be one of the root causes of anxiety. If mold toxicity is one of those underlying conditions, it takes a long time too remediate, to recover, to heal.
Not until I tested with an organic acids test did I discover that my neurotransmitters were all “out of whack” and most likely the cause of the anxiety and depression I’ve been dealing with for so long!
Today I’m going to discuss the basic science of what neurotransmitters are and why it is critical they function properly. What I am doing to have some relief from these symptoms using supplemented amino acids and their precursors.
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that your body can't function without. Their job is to carry chemical signals (“messages”) from one neuron (nerve cell) to the next target cell. The next target cell can be another nerve cell, a muscle cell or a gland. (I will reference some more in-depth information below if you’d like to do a deeper dive.)
Below is the results from my organics acids test, the section on neurotransmitter metabolites.
The red triangles indicate low or high ranges of the metabolites.
Dopamine: a chemical messenger that carries signals between brain cells. Creates feelings of motivation, self-confidence, focus, goal-oriented thinking and overall happiness.
Serotonin: a chemical nerve cells produce that sends signals between your nerve cells. Invokes calm and serenity. Mostly produced in the digestive system.
GABA: a dominant inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that supports neuropeptides and calms the nervous system. GABA’s main benefits are calm, relaxation and stress reduction.
Homovanillate (HVA): Homovanillate (also known as HVA) is the primary metabolite of dopamine, a brain and adrenal neurotransmitter that comes from tyrosine (with BH4 and iron as co-factors) and goes on to create norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and epinephrine (adrenaline).
Vanilmandelate (VMA): Vanilmandelate (also known as VMA) is the primary metabolite of norepinephrine and epinephrine (adrenaline). Epinephrine is also called adrenaline, and norepinephrine is also called noradrenaline. They are responsible for the “fight or flight” sensations we experience during periods of stress and anxiety. They are produced in by the nervous system and the adrenal medulla.
HVA / VMA Ratio: The HVA/VMA ratio reflects the balance between dopamine and norepinephrine/epinephrine production by catecholamine producing neurons in the central nervous system, sympathetic nervous system, and adrenal gland. A common reason for an elevation of the HVA/VMA ratio is a decreased conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine. The enzyme responsible for this conversion, dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), is copper and vitamin C dependent so an elevated ratio could be due to deficiencies of these cofactors. Other causes of an increased ratio include inhibition of DBH by the mold metabolite fusaric acid.
OK, so apologies for the technical terms above but to understand the dis-regulation, it’s important to know how these neurotransmitters work with each other. I’ve placed a chart here to help see the flow of how each one requires the next to function properly.
My entire life, I have had anxiety over taking prescription drugs. Even before I was a Heath Coach. The long term effects of benzodiazepines and SSRI’s weren’t worth the side-effects (to me anyway). They are commonly prescribed for anxiety, depression and insomnia. It’s known that long-term use leads to tolerance. That’s why I have decided to work with my Naturopath Doctor about taking specific amino acids to help alleviate the symptoms while I deal with the root cause of the issue - Toxic Mold!
So with low serotonin, my symptoms that I experience is more mental anxiety, worry in the head, lying awake at night, ruminating, thinking about things, reprocessing, imagining the worst, using carbohydrates to self-medicate, especially in the afternoon and the evening cravings. Irritability, anger issues, imposter syndrome, worry, panic and phobias, and then, of course, the insomnia as well. So I am taking a prescribed dose of 5HTP. So, I am already taking an activated form of vitamin B6 which is a cofactor for 5HTP which them moves on to serotonin (in the cycle).
So the other big root cause of anxiety is low GABA. And with low GABA, it's more the physical anxiety. So you'll feel tension in your body and your shoulders. Insomnia is common with low GABA. I most times have this desire to self-medicate in order to relax. And the common thing with self-medication with low GABA is alcohol. So at the end of the day, I've got to have a glass of wine to relax, and that's the drug of choice, so to speak. It can make sleep worse. It damages the gut lining. It depletes us of zinc, magnesium, vitamin B6, and using GABA as a supplement can boost those GABA levels. So GABA stands for gamma-Aminobutyric acid. It's both a calming neurotransmitter, and it's an amino acid, and it’s used as a supplement to get those levels up. The bad thing is too much GABA can make you too tired. So a lot of people will hear about GABA, go to the health store, buy 500 milligrams of GABA, 750 milligrams of GABA, and it's too much. That’s why it’s important to get tested and work with your trusted health professional.
So in past posts I have said that I am already supplementing with food source vitamin C (camu camu berry powder), specialized probiotics to help heal my gut, coQ10 and a few more to supplement these deficiencies while I detox and heal from this toxic mold illness.
Now there are many other things that I am trying to do on a regular basis to support my mental health. I will talk to you about those things sprinkled through future posts like regular movement, proper sleep, working with a therapist and trying to stay away from alcohol and smoking and so on.
I know it’s going to be an ongoing struggle until I heal but I am hopeful for the future of a happier and healthier me :)
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to me. Especially if you’d like to learn more about how I had the Organics Acids Test ordered and interpreted.
As always, take care of yourself and talk to you soon!
With love,
Melissa