Depression Treatment

Depression is one of the biggest challenges in terms of mental health today, and Portugal is one of the three European countries with the highest rates of depression. 

Most of the time, the conventional way to treat this kind of problem is to medicate and, in some cases, to complement it with psychotherapy.

Functional medicine does not just look at symptoms, but seeks to find the underlying cause of a health problem. It is about approaching each individual as unique and defining a treatment plan that meets their needs based on thorough investigation and addressing the cause of their illness. By choosing to treat this problem through the functional medicine approach, you may find you have more beneficial and long-lasting effects. 

The standard medical approach to fighting depression is to treat the symptoms. If the patient is suffering from depression, the doctor may prescribe medication to give him relief and improve his emotional and mental well-being.

Depression is seen as a biological function and the prevailing approach is that there is a chemical imbalance in the brain that can be treated with medication.

Often, these drugs do not work as expected and can have side effects such as loss of libido, nausea, and constipation.

Functional medicine takes a holistic approach to health care and looks for the cause of a health problem, rather than simply treating the symptoms.

It starts from the starting point that we are biologically unique and that our bodies can heal and prevent disease if given the chance. The causes of depression vary greatly from person to person. The role of functional medicine is to delve into all aspects of the individual's health and family history, environment, nutritional habits, as well as other lifestyle factors, to understand what is going on and thus find the most appropriate treatment method.

The chemical imbalance theory may work for some patients, but for many, the cause of depression lies in underlying health problems.

Investigating these problems and addressing them directly can help provide a more permanent solution that medication may not provide. Some of the causes may be:

• Environmental Factors
• Genetics
• Chronic stress
• Blood sugar dysregulation and obesity
• Infection
• Permeable bowel and dysbiosis
• Loneliness and/or trauma
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Sleep deprivation and exposure to artificial light