Mental health - Part 1

A few weeks ago it was Mental Health week here in Western Australia, which also included World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October. And according to The World Health Organisation, 50% of mental health illnesses begin at the age of 14! Almost half (45%) of people aged between 16-85 years of age will experience mental illness.Mental health statistics are on the rise, and according to the Black Dog Institute, 1 in 5 (20%) Australians will suffer from a mental health condition during their lifetime.Mental illnesses/disorders cover a range of conditions (not just limited to) such as:

• Depression

• Bipolar

• Schizophrenia

• Post traumatic stress disorder

• Anxiety disorders

Why the rise in statistics?

Have I just opened a can of worms?There would be very few people that would be able to pin point WHY they may now suffer from a mental illness/disorder. There are definite obvious reasons and risk factors that someone may be more susceptible than others. They can be:

• Experiencing a traumatic event

• Family history of mental illness (genetic)

• Environmental

• Toxicity

• Substance abuse/addictions

• Chemical imbalance

The list can go on. But in recent years the added impact of social media use (especially at a young age), can greatly contribute to mental health and the added pressures that go along with this (low self esteem, social pressures etc.)Or is it just the fact that we are becoming aware of this growing issue, and as a society becoming more empathetic?I will just let you ponder on that for a moment!

One of the first things I do within my clinic is have my clients take a blood test to make sure that their nutrient levels are at optimum levels.

Nutrients play a huge part in our mood and so does inflammation. So you can understand that if you are deficient in a vitamin that plays a massive part in mood (e.g B12), then it's worth getting tested. The main food sources of B12 actually come from dairy, fish/meat and eggs. Vegans are a big risk a being deficient in this vitamin and should be taking supplements to compensate this. But B12 also needs a substance called intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is secreted from the small intestine; and when there is inflammation within the small intestine, intrinsic factor secretion can be inhibited.To know if you have inflammation within the small intestine, you can determine this by what symptoms you maybe experiencing. You may have:

• diarrhoea

• constipation

• stomach pain

• food intolerances

• auto immune condition

• post infection

But that is just looking at B12!To understand if you have inflammation within your body, doesn't necessarily mean you will be in pain. I think we often think they always co-exist, but they don't necessarily.Basic blood tests that you get from your GP, can identify if you have inflammation within your body system (systemic inflammation).Examples are:

• Liver enzyme- GGT

• Bilirubin levels

• White cell count

• C Reactive Protein levels

• Homocysteine levels

• Cortisol levels

• Histamine levels

If you would like to know more about how you can manage your mental health, please contact via my online booking tool.  var initResizer = function() { iframes = iFrameResize({}, "#widget-inline-embed"); }