Is detoxification a powerful alternative cure for depression, or is it just quackery?
Humans are bombarded with a wide variety of toxic chemicals on a daily basis. Not many years ago, in the 1930s, only one million tons of toxic chemicals were produced per year. Now more than 200 million tons are produced today. Everyone on earth is exposed to chemicals and studies show that 100% of us carry toxins in our fat and fatty tissues every day (brain, breasts, prostate).
It is not about whether our bodies contain these toxic compounds, there is simply no question that they do. The real question is at what level and how is it affecting our health?
Many illnesses, including depression and other mental health problems, have now been linked to exposure to these harmful chemicals. Could this be the cause of your battle with depression or sadness? And could detoxing these harmful toxins be the cure for your much-needed life-saving depression?
Toxic chemicals and depression
The role of toxins and chemicals in psychiatric disorders has recently been highlighted in the scientific journal Neurotoxicology by Dr. Genuis in an article titled “Toxic causes of mental illness are overlooked.”
This is not a new concept, more than twenty years ago a psychiatrist pointed out in the scientific literature that “ patients are being poisoned and psychiatrically disabled as a result of a disregard for occupational and environmental health. ”
For certain people, this knowledge about toxic overload and its relationship to depression may provide the key to curing depression. It is not the right cure for depression for everyone, but it is a powerful approach for those with toxin overload.
4 toxic chemicals commonly associated with mental health disorders
- Heavy metals: such as mercury, lead, manganese, and copper.
- Solvents (or volatile organic compounds): such as benzene, toluene, and styrene.
- Pesticides and other persistent organic pollutants: such as PCBs, dioxins, and pesticides.
- Carbon disulfide
Is there any scientific evidence for this or is it just quackery?
It has been known for more than 300 years that psychiatric disorders can be caused by mercury. In fact, the term “mad hatter” is what people with mercury toxicity were called. There are many studies showing the relationship between toxins and mental health disorders. Let’s now look at just a few.
Studies show that some industrial workers are still affected by mercury today. A recent study investigating workers in a fluorescent lamp factory showed that those exposed to high levels of mercury vapor suffered from depression, anxiety, and certain memory deficits, even six years after finishing their jobs in the factory.
A recent study investigating mood disorders and manganese exposure through welding showed alarming results. Those with the highest past exposure to manganese were seven and a half times more likely to be hostile, 2.6 times more likely to suffer from depression and three times more likely to have anxiety. These symptoms were experienced even fourteen years after the workers’ last exposure to manganese.
Chronic exposure to pesticides can also lead to ongoing depression. A recent study showed that farmers who had previously suffered pesticide poisoning were three times more likely to suffer from depression.
Detoxification as a cure for depression
If you have been exposed to toxic chemicals that cause depression and anxiety, avoiding further exposure is usually not enough to cure depression. Most likely, you will need to undergo a detox regimen that reduces the level of these toxins in your body.
The type of detox program will depend on the type of chemical you have been exposed to. For example, to get rid of heavy metals like lead or mercury, you may need chelation therapy. On the other hand, if you have been exposed to large amounts of pesticides, you may need an intensive infrared sauna detox. The sauna helps your body eliminate pesticides that are stored in fat and fatty tissues.
Toxic chemicals are an overlooked cause of depression, and detox is a cure for depression that has been ignored for too long.