˜Psychiatrists long ago decided to make depression into a disease. Any time you try and make a symptom into a whole disease in and of itself, there's got to be a financial motive- at least thats what my doctor says. But anyway, they've decided that they "own" depression and that only they have the cure for this "disease" which they will be quick to tell you, is antidepressants, and MORE antidepressants. I'm sorry, but I just can not accept this analysis of the situation.
In a book I am reading, Hypothyroidism: The unsuspected illness, by Dr. Broda Barnes, reknowned and respected thyroid expert, I am learning that as early as the 1970's he found that 40 percent of the population was suspect of having a thyroid problem. It is epidemic in our country. Many other doctors who at first thought that this estimate was outlandish latter found that it was spot on, even a bit low according to thryoid expert Dr. Stephen Langer in his book "Solved, The Riddle of Illness". Well, guess what? Depression is a for sure sign that you need to check out the status of your thyroid, because it is a major symptom of a thyroid gone haywire.
I've come to learn that the general population, including most modern day doctors do not understand the necessity of screening for this very basic health issue. They do not understand which tests should be ordered, and they very often do not understand how to interpret your tests even if you are lucky and they ordered them. You right now might be walking around with a thyroid disorder and you may not know it and you may be trying to solve a health riddle that could very well be coming from your thyroid. You may be spending thousands of dollars and going from doctor to doctor. Worse yet, you may have been convinced to take an antidepressant instead of giving you a standard physical check-up such as you would have received say, in the 1960's or earlier.
So why isn't this epidemic of hypothyroidism, that is increasing every day as we pump more chemicals into the environment that antagonise the thyroid, why isn't it big time news? Well, the cure for the majority of patients is not patented because it is just dried porcine thyroid and it has been successfully used for over a hundred years. It is CHEAP.
Do you suppose there could be some vested interests that do not want you to know about this? I'm sure as you are reading this you have asked yourself the question who might profit from your ignorance of these facts and you've undoubtedly figured that one out.
The good news is that most cases can be screened with a simple test that you can do at home, and its free! It was developed by Dr. Barnes decades ago. Simply take a thermometer and shake it down and place it next to your bed. As soon as you wake up and without getting out of the bed and as little movement as possible, put the thermometer under your armpit for ten minutes. Do this and average if for a few days. Make sure you do not have an infection, or your period. If you get a reading below 97.8 find a doctor who will do the the correct tests. Start reading for yourself because your doctor is not likely to know the correct tests and how to interpret them. A good place to start are the two books I've mentioned, and patient advocate Mary Shoman's website at thyroid.about.com/.
Understand this- every year there are millions of folks who do have a thyroid condition but are being told that it has already been successfully treated, or that they simply do not have a thyroid condition when they do. The doctor does some blood tests, not necessarily the correct ones, and not with the correct interpretation. Despite the patient complaint and misery, the patient is often told that the reason is all in their mind and they need antideppresants. The risk here is great. Untreated, what started as a fairly simple and extremely common malady can set one up for future heart disease, obesity, certain forms of cancer, and a great deal of unhappiness. And if its a child, the parent will be pressed into believing that the child has "ADD" and given ritilin.
I LOVE talking about Dianetics and Scientology because for over 33 years, that is what has gotten miraculous results for myself, my family and my friends. But a body is a body and living in the environment that we do, it pays to have an understanding of what we are going up against. If you've really had a standard physical exam and have ruled out curable medical conditions as a cause of your depression, then you might find my follow-up posts helpful. I am going to point out many aspects of handling depression using Scientology and the works of L. Ron Hubbard. They are my favorites because I've seen them work on myself and others countless times.
