Category Archives: Depression

The Latest News About Depression: Could Your Brain Have a Natural Opiate Deficiency?

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If absolutely nothing has been able to break your cycle of depression, and you are frustrated to the point where you don’t know how you can live without getting better soon, there is an alternate theory about your problem you need to learn more about.

I have spent thousands of hours doing general research on moods and the human brain because I am completely fascinated by the subject. I recently discovered something that continues to blow me away when I think about it. Being a victim myself of bipolar depression, terrible anxiety disorders and ADHD, I know what it is like trying to escape the indescribable negative feelings and overwhelming heaviness and terror these disorders create in the mind.

What follows will probably stun you if you have never heard it before, but I think it also proves that drinking and/or drug use and mood disorders –especially depression — are linked by a natural cause. Here is what I find incredible and am surprised is not that well known or publicized:

It was recently discovered that the human brain and body manufactures morphine in the identical molecular structure as that which comes from the opium poppy. Here is the clearest proof, published in a report just 2 years ago by the Neuroscience Research Institute: “Recent empirical findings have contributed valuable mechanistic information in support of a regulated de novo biosynthetic pathway for chemically authentic morphine and related morphinan alkaloids within (human) animal cells”.

The opium poppy, of course, is what the devil’s drug heroin is made from. Not coincidentally, I believe that is why it is the most addictive drug on earth. It makes one feel so euphorically happy when they first start taking it, that the desire to feel that way all the time gets embedded in the brain. It is really important that you understand that your brain does not manufacture a chemical that makes you feel like you have taken an opiate — it manufactures the exact opiate itself.

We know for certain that what the brain manufactures in terms of neurotransmitters or other “feel good” brain chemicals, it unfortunately does not manufacture enough of in people who are clinically depressed. You have undoubtedly heard examples of these other “feel-good” neuro-chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin or endorphins. Too little of these chemicals results in depression, and antidepressants help correct the problem.

Doctors don’t know exactly how most of these drugs work, mind you, and some were meant for totally different problems — but we’ll save that for another article. The main point I am driving at is that if some people can be deficient in other brain chemicals, it certainly stands to reason that they could be deficient in their opiate levels. From what I have researched this is being referred to as either Endorphin Deficiency Syndrome, or Endogenous Opioid Deficiency. Not having enough opiates is a subject I have direct experience with and can describe for you, as a bad back got me into opiate-based painkillers and I got addicted to them.

Because you develop a tolerance an opiate drug, you need more and more and more of it over time — just to feel “normal” after taking the drug for several months. Without it, after taking higher amounts for a while, you go into opiate withdrawal. I don’t think there is anything more uncomfortable and frightening than this kind of withdrawal, either. Your body feels like it has the flu times 100, and your mind goes into a state of a tortured paralysis. Doing anything effectively while in such a state is nearly impossible, and your brain is stuck on one thought and one thought only — how to get more opiates.

One reason people go to rehab is to get some medical relief from such sickness by way of other drugs the doctors can give you to keep you a little more comfortable. You need mental support as well, because your brain function is totally impaired. Depression is also inevitable, and that leads us back to the point of this article.

There are growing numbers of what they call “treatment resistant” people who have got depression. The thinking is that some people are driven into depression by the lack of the naturally made opiate. Every one of the people in this group whose web comments I read experienced what they called an incredibly pronounced and dramatic lift in their mood upon taking an opiate. They are completely convinced it is the only thing that will help beating depression. After trying everything else, they get stuck in a position where they know they need an opiate, but feel very guilty about it because of the attached negative stigmas to the drug.

Fortunately, a drug has been developed that is used for easing people off of opiate addictions and it is called Suboxone. It is made in doses of 1 MG pills, where up to 18 MG might be prescribed for a heavy addict in withdrawal. But I have heard of people going on Suboxone for the long term with very good effects at just 2 MG. It is addicting, but people experienced with opiates say if you run out of your Suboxone you may feel a little achy for a few days at the 2 MG level, that’s all. I should mention that obviously Suboxone itself is a type of substitute opiate to help addicts, and giving it to people long term where technically they could become slightly addicted is highly controversial in the medical community. Some docs frown upon this whole notion, while others know it’s a life-saver. I am not a doctor, so you need to speak with a progressive psychiatrist about everything I have mentioned here.

Hopefully this knowledge can make a difference in somebody’s life, and help bring happiness to those stuck in the awful grip of depression– if they are truly treatment resistant. How about you? What do you think of somebody taking an opiate type substitute for perhaps the rest of your life. Do you frown on it or believe it should be OK to practice this idea? I pray this information will reach somebody who has not lost hope while depressed. So please spread the word about this and post references to this article in places where people in need might see it, please.

The Partner in Depression

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It is like hell on earth already for the person suffering from depression, and for the family, spouse and friends around him or her, it is perhaps like hell in a burning rage. For those who’s partners are suffering from depression, perhaps you can find solace and encouragement from my partner who has been supporting me through the whole ordeal as I banged my head on the walls, cried for hours, or tried to take my own life. Here’s an interview with my spouse, who took care of me in my depression and other physical illnesses, on how he felt and how he coped:

Did you know she was depressed at the beginning? How did you react at that time? How did you feel?

At the beginning I knew something was wrong, but just thought it was stress or culture shock. At the time I just wanted to find a solution and was happy for Noch to stop going to work etc. I felt frustrated because I couldn’t make her better, and any logic I tried to use when speaking with her seemed to fall on deaf ears.

What was your reaction when Noch diagnosed with depression?

I think I was relieved, because once diagnosed I felt we could start to treat the illness properly. I didn’t have any problems with her having depression, for me it was just a sickness like having the flu. I even joked with her that all celebrities etc. have depression and need therapy and it quite trendy to be depressed.

What was the effect on your daily life?

The effect on my daily life was the biggest impact and was a challenge to deal with. Noch would burst into tears and have severe mood swings which I didn’t know how to deal with. I tried to say the right things, but it hardly ever helped. Then I would get frustrated and sometimes lose my temper and become angry. I’m a positive person and the worst part of all for me was that Noch would bring my mood down. I would get up and be excited about the day, but she just wanted to die, this was very hard for me to reconcile.

The migraines and associated physical illnesses also made it difficult for me. Sometimes I would have to leave work or a party and rush home to take care of her. One time I came home and found her semi conscious and the bottom of the staircase. I didn’t know if she had fallen or hit her head or what happened, so I had to carry her to a taxi and go to the hospital. The other hardest thing for me to do was to put Noch’s needs first. So even if I was at an amazing party having the time of my life, if Noch called and needed me I had to leave immediately without even saying goodbye to my friends. This took a bit of time to get used to without feeling resentful, but once accustomed to it I felt a sense of responsibility I’d never felt before and it helped me grow up.

How did you feel?

Overall I just felt frustrated. There really wasn’t anything I said that helped the situation. I just had to be there. When the therapist first said Noch would need a year of treatment I thought that was way too long and an exaggeration. In the end it did take a year.

How did you cope?

I had hope.

Eventually I learnt to manage the situations as best as possible. So even if we had to rush to the hospital, I may take a few extra minutes at home to pack myself a few books or change into comfortable clothes. This made it easier for me to deal with the long stays in hospital. I learnt to watch for signs that a migraine was coming and take steps to avoid the triggers, and pack medicine and water all of the time. Also I learnt what treatments I could offer her. When she was crying and wanted to die and couldn’t sleep it was useless for me to tell her that everything would be OK and that life was worth living. She just couldn’t see my point. Instead I learnt to distract her with fairy tales and stories I would make up. I would sing her to sleep with nursery rhymes and relax her with massages.

Did you want to give up? Why did or didn’t you?

When Noch and I were on totally different wavelengths and she was bringing me down and I felt resentful I wanted to give up. I think i kept just saying to myself ‘lets give it one more month and see how she is” and I managed to get through. I was confident that it was a temporary situation. I had known Noch for 1.5 years prior to the depression and she was such an amazing person, I knew that with time she could get back to that point. I also felt like the depression would make her stronger and be a change agent in her life and so maybe was a necessary evil.

We lived together and had just moved countries together and were therefore in a committed relationship. So this helped too as I was committed to taking care of her no matter what. I think if it had been a less serious relationship I may not have been able to stick through it.

What advice would you give to other people whose partners have depression?

This is a tough question and it depends on the type of relationship and the stage of the depression.

Firstly you need to seek medical advice and treatment through medication and therapy. Be prepared to be taking medication and therapy for at least a year. We were very lucky in the fact that our insurance covered the medical bills and after trying a few therapists we found a very good one. I advise doing single (for each partner) and couple therapy and don’t settle for a therapist who you are not comfortable with!

Dealing with depressed people takes a lot of energy and commitment, you need to be prepared to put that person first and be in it for the long-term, i.e. you need to be in love.

If it is not a relationship built on true love and commitment then I would advise caution in being involved with a depressed person. If you do decide to end a relationship with a depressed person I would also suggest you seek advise from a professional on how to end or manage the relationship. Obviously a sudden breakup with someone who is depressed could exacerbate the situation and there are risks of suicide etc.

To all the partners and family of those in depression: there is hope, do not give up on the sufferer and find your encouragement from other people going through the same experience as you.