A brief look at the role that brain chemistry plays in depression.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals which are released into synaptic space whenever a neuron conducts an action potential to the axon terminals. Yeah, right.   For our purposes, they are chemicals that affect your mood. There are perhaps one hundred or so different neurotransmitter varieties in the brain.

According to one source the major neurotransmitters are:

Feel Good: endorphins(mood elevating), norepinephrine (see below), dopamine (see below), acetylcholine (alertness, memory, sexual performance), phenylethylmine (bliss, infatuation...high levels found in chocolate)

Inhibitory: enkephalins (pain restrictor), GABA (Gamma Amino Butric Acid...anti stress, calm, focus)

Hormonal: serotonin (see below), melatonin (body clock, sleep), oxytocin (emotional attachment, sexual arousal, desire to cuddle...stimulated by dopamine)

Three were emphasized in a depression program I attended.

Serotonin (sair·oh·tone·in): Function: emotional stability, pain tolerance, self confidence. If there’s not enough: pervasive sadness, helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness, wanting to die, suicidal thoughts.

Dopamine (dope·uh·mean): Function: thinking, pleasure, reward, loving feelings. If there’s not enough: lack of concentration, memory problems, lack of joy.

Norepinephrine (nor·eh·pin·ef·rin):Function: arousal, energy, drive. If there’s not enough: lethargy, lack of motivation, inattention, low libido, lack of excitement, poor appetite.

Neurotransmitters are naturally depleted during the course of each waking day. The brain manufactures and replenishes them while you are sleeping. Thus a good (continuous—not sleeping/waking in fits and starts) night’s sleep is very important both in curing depression and preventing a relapse.

If your body is stressed the brain reabsorbs the neurotransmitters it has manufactured to fight that stress. This reabsorption means they are not available for use during the day. Not having enough neurotransmitters means you wind up feeling bad.

The term reuptake is medical speak for reabsorption. Thus SSRI is a commonly used acronym for a class of medications that prevent or at least reduce the amount of reabsorption.

Amino Acids

Certain amino acids are used by the body to manufacture neurotransmitters. Two key amino acids your brain uses to make neurotransmitters are:

Phenylalanine (fe·nal·al·uh·nean) is an essential amino acid meaning if you’re not getting it from your diet then your brain isn’t getting what it needs to make the neurotransmitters that cause you to feel happy, loving and motivated.

Glutamine (glue·ta·mean) is conditionally essential. During periods of stress the body cannot make its own supply of glutamine and needs an outside source—from food or supplements. It is used to make neurotransmitters which keep you feeling calm, focused and in control.

They are available as dietary supplements and do not require a prescription. Look for them in the in health food stores, nutrition centers, health/nutrition departments in supermarkets, and large retail drug stores.