Medication and Brain Chemistry…

The assumption that medication is always necessary to change brain chemistry is erroneous.  It may be the quickest or easiest method, but it is not the only way to alter brain chemistry and it’s not the safest either.  We know that behaviors, diet, activities and thoughts can change brain chemistry negatively or positively.  The choice to make their effects positive depends on your knowledge of the brain chemicals you need to change and how to change them.

We definitely recognize that some individuals will require medication and agree that some conditions cannot be addressed by lifestyle changes alone.  Others may require medication initially, but are able to reduce the dosage or eliminate it all together once a brain healthy lifestyle is established and through medical supervision  However, you should never, never stop or alter your medication without the advice of your physician.

Changing Brain Chemistry is an everyday phenomenon…

There’s hope to live differently because we manipulate our brain chemistry every day whether we realize it or not.  We use food and behavior to cope with stress and avoid emotional pain as well as to promote positive feelings and achieve better performance.  Ever grab a candy bar or ice cream to lift your mood or another cup of coffee to tackle that deadline?   How about a glass of wine or beer to relax or even isolating yourself from other people for a night of much needed calm?

Growing up you may have heard it said that your body only craves what it needs nutritionally.  However, the truth is that we tend to choose foods based on their chemical effect on brain chemistry and we usually choose things that create and worsen brain chemical imbalances.  These imbalances dull the mind, weaken the body and cause needless emotional and perhaps even physical suffering.  If we can learn how to choose differently, we could increase energy, increase mental clarity, increase concentration, improve quality of sleep, improve interpersonal relationships and have an overall sense of inner peace and joy.

Most people experience unbalanced brain chemistry at one time or another…

If you think you have unbalanced brain chemistry, you’re not alone!  In fact, the majority of people suffer from some degree of brain chemical imbalance but most don’t even realize it. Some of those imbalances came from genetic or inherited factors and others are the result of significant trauma during the developmental years.  Still others are the result of adult acquired behaviors such as poor sleep habits, poor eating habits, or poor decision making.   But no matter what the cause of a brain chemistry imbalance, it can usually be helped by addressing a brain healthy lifestyle. 

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