The class of medication commonly called anti-depressants but more correctly known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) can in some people cause a marked improvement.

As with any medication, people differ as to how much they benefit and whether they suffer any side-effects. Another problem is that certain Christians, for somewhat illogical, almost superstitious reasons, feel uncomfortable about taking medication to aid one’s psychological health, even though they have no qualms about taking other chemicals (such as vitamins and minerals) to boost their physical and psychological well-being.

Research suggests there are alternative ways – such as vitamins and minerals – of correcting medical problems with one’s brain chemistry. One likely possibility is inositol (cyclohexa). It occurs naturally throughout the human body and in many foods, especially cereals, nuts, beans and fruits.

Though once regarded as a member of the vitamin B complex, inositol has been reclassified because it is produced by the human body. Wikipedia cites “serotonin activity modulation” among inositol’s many vital functions. It states, “Some preliminary results of studies on high-dose inositol supplements show promising results for people suffering from problems such as bulimia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, agoraphobia, and unipolar and bipolar depression.”

What first drew my attention to this was a highly enthusiastic e-mail from a reader of my pages about Religious Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (scrupulosity). He was so thrilled about the transformation that inositol has apparently brought to his life that he was most keen that I tell everyone, even though doing so was of no personal benefit to himself. After sharing his experience, I’ll provide a more sober assessment and discuss other possible helps:

I have to report to you that after six months completely free of any type of scrupulosity that the missing link is inositol.

I saw a licensed counselor who happened to be a Christian and an expert on scrupulosity. He isn’t biased by any drug manufacturer and has actually suffered from scrupulosity himself, had brain scans done and understands it quite well.

I am convinced that it is through taking inositol that the thoughts that used to bombard my brain no longer torment me but are now processed in another way. These days, if I get a bad thought I am able to see it for its silliness and disregard it. But it’s more than a mere deflection. As a car that keeps racing gets worn out, so a human brain that keeps racing exhausts the person. So now, because of the peace I feel, I have incredible energy as well as freedom.

In Israel, they often prescribe inositol for O.C.D. or Bi-Polar, rather than anti-depressants. I’m not referring to a couple of 500mg inositol pills, but 10 grams a day. [Some studies have used slightly higher dosages.] It’s simple: you just get a bucket of it, scoop in tablespoons full, mix and drink. It has no taste.

Some scientific studies suggest that in large doses inositol is more effective than anti-depressants. It seems to operate much like lithium does, but your brain fights back by producing huge amounts of serotonin.

The benefits should be shouted upon the rooftops! It’s like floating on a cloud compared to the hell I was in. If you don’t tell others about this I’ll be greatly disappointed!

I warn that I have no medical expertise and more research is needed on inositol. A frustrating problem with “natural” cures is that if drug companies cannot patent it, there is much less motivation to conduct high quality scientific research to confirm the benefits.

Some studies suggest that drinking coffee and prolonged use of antibiotics might contribute to inositol deficiency.

Some practitioners suggest combining inositol with a similarly common and important nutrient: choline.

It is important to realize that “natural” can never always mean safe. Life-threatening food allergies are proof that there is virtually no substance in existence that someone somewhere does not suffer a dangerous reaction to (Examples). Because inositol is water soluble, there is a good chance of even mega-doses not accumulating in the body. However, inositol has been found to have interactions with certain drugs. To a medical ignoramus like me, http://www.buzzle.com/articles/inositol-side-effects.html seems a balanced and sobering evaluation of the side effects. Obviously the safest course is to seek expert monitoring, should you consider taking this course.

People’s reactions to medication varies from person to person. So at the end of the day, what really matters is what works for you.

I once e-mailed someone saying that if most people had an iron deficiency they would have little qualms about taking a supplement to correct it, so why should anyone have a double standard when it comes to treating a serotonin deficiency (the function of most anti-depressants)? Ironically, I learnt soon after that an iron deficiency (even a slight one) can increase anxiety. This has obvious implications for any anxiety-related illness, be it O.C.D. excessive fear, or whatever. As with virtually everything, one needs to be careful, because too much iron can be as dangerous to health as too little.

A quick Internet search reveals that a chromium deficiency (common among people who consume large amounts of alcohol or refined sugars) can also contribute to anxiety. Brewer’s Yeast is a rich source of chromium. Calcium and magnesium are important, too. Calcium is a calmative, and magnesium is needed to absorb it. Adequate levels of potassium and selenium are likewise important for low anxiety. Garlic, along with essential fatty acids such as flaxseed oil and fish oil, have also been suggested to help relieve anxiety. B-group vitamins are considered important in reducing anxiety levels. In fact, vitamin B9 (folic acid) vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) are both believed to affect serotonin levels.

In response to an earlier draft of this webpage, Allison shared her experience:

I discovered I have a B12 Deficiency and once I started giving myself B12 shots every week, my depression went away, along with all the excess sleeping I was doing. I didn’t take it regularly for a month or so and my anxiety revved up. I am now back on it and seem to be doing better again. I was on anti-depressants for about 11 years, and I was exhausted all the time, it made me gain weight and it did not relieve my depression, even though I tried many different kinds. I believe that prescribed medications can be good if you manage to find the right one for you, but no matter what the substance, different people will react differently.

At the very least, try a multivitamin with a full range of minerals for a while and see if you notice any improvement. My nephew, who suffers from anxiety, was regularly doing this but a blood test proved he needed still more iron to correct his iron deficiency. Just to emphasize how we all differ, however, a close friend cannot take normal multivitamin supplements because she is allergic to a common ingredient in multivitamins. A doctor once urged me to take an especially expense form of multivitamins and minerals that were meant to be particularly “natural”. He was afterwards horrified to discover that the soils where my doctor and I live are unusually rich in copper and since this gets into food grown in them I could be suffering from too much copper. Copper was one of the minerals in the supplement he suggested!

So despite all the medical advances, there are so many variables that there is often a need for prayer and patient trial and error in discovering what will be most effective for each individual.

For a brief Christian perspective on medical issues, see The Use of Medicine and Doctors: A Christian Perspective.

For further help with O.C.D. see Scrupulosity: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the pages it leads to.

For further help with depression, see When Things Get Tough: Handling Discouragement, Depression or Apparent Failure and the pages it leads to.