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This is part 1 of a 3 episode mini series about depression.

I mismanaged my depression for SO LONG because I didn’t understand it. I floundered in my healing because I was told things, by doctors and psychiatrists no less, “that this is just the way I am and would just have to manage it my whole life” or “depression was a chemical imbalance” and the only fix was a pill. Because I didn’t really understand what depression was and where it was rooted, I didn’t have any kind of clear roadmap towards healing. My goal today is to offer you education, an alternative lens, and a roadmap that made all the difference for me. In this episode we look at the difference between understanding depression through the chemical imbalance theory vs the polyvagal theory and the difference that can make. I want to help you understand depression in a new way that puts hope back into your healing. Hit play to learn more!

✨ 3 Takeaways from this episode:

1. Remember at the beginning of the episode I invited you to set down any current beliefs around depression and that you could pick them back up again at the end? Takeaway #1 is an invitation to reflect on what you’ve heard and ask yourself what feels the most helpful or true for you.

2. Reframe: Depression is not caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain, but rather it is a nervous system overwhelmed to the point of shut down because of a variety of factors: trauma, stress, genetics, hormones, environmental, lifestyle or social factors, negative thinking patterns, lack of coping mechanism, and so on. Maybe you’re not broken, maybe this shut down state is a totally appropriate response to those things.

3. Reflect/Journal: If you think it might be, how does this change how I approach my healing? What do I want to do next? What support do I need? And so on…

📘 Resources:

• Nervous System Ladder Visual

• Sources referenced:

  • Harvard Medical School Article

  • Serotonin and depression: a disconnect between the advertisements and the scientific literature

  • The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence

    • An article explaining the above publication for those not familiar with reading through reserach

  • Is the chemical imbalance an ‘urban legend’? An exploration of the status of the serotonin theory of depression in the scientific literature

• Want support on your healing journey?

  • Join me inside RISE, our monthly mental health membership and group coaching space

  • Apply for RESTORE, our 16-week, 1:1 Anxiety & Depression Coaching Program

• Connect with me: Website | Instagram | TikTok

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