The Mental State of Society
By the numbers, there is no doubt that mental health disorders are reaching critical rates both within the US and globally.
- Johns Hopkins reports that 26% of adult Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder in a given year.
- Depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are some of the most commonly recognized mental health difficulties plaguing the population.
- The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 8 people around the world struggle with one of these frustrating and often debilitating conditions.
The interest in improving mental health goes beyond those who struggle with these concerns and the people closest to them. Policy-makers consider it a public health crisis for good reason. Because mental health disorders impact an individual’s work, schooling, relationships, and normal life, the collective medical and economic impacts on broader society are considerable.
Many have not yet learned about the connection between mental health and the health of the gastrointestinal microbiome.
While most of our culture has by this time fortunately learned that there is no shame in an individual struggling with mental health issues, many have not yet learned about the connection between mental health and the health of the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome. In the ongoing quest to address the rising mental health catastrophe, it is crucial to learn about common causes of mental health disorders and become well-versed in the targeted protocols for holistic treatment.
Mental health disorders often have a complex array of underlying causes, from genetic predisposition to toxic environmental exposures, but in many cases, a significant factor to consider is the role of gastrointestinal health.
The microbiome in the human digestive tract comprises over 30 trillion microbes of various types. Beginning with the mouth and the saliva that breaks down all we eat, then continuing through to the stomach and the intestines, the GI microbiome is one of the more extensive systems of the body. A thorough understanding of the ways that a healthy microbiome can support the health of the body in multiple ways will also have a substantial beneficial effect on mental health.
The Brain-Gut Connection
The gut microbiome and its trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi communicate constantly with the brain, and the brain communicates right back. This continuous feedback loop means that the brain and the gut have an immense impact on one another.
Mood, digestion, cognitive function, and overall health are just a few of the things impacted by the gut-brain axis’ bidirectional communication. When people discuss having a “gut feeling” or when stress seems to cause an upset or unsettled stomach, these are some of the most easily relatable and recognizable pieces of evidence of the tie between our minds and our guts.
Doctors at Johns Hopkins have noted an increase in mood and mental health disorders in patients with Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
Both the brain and the gut produce hormones and neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine; these are some of the key chemical messengers moderating digestive processes, mood, and other bodily functions. This seeming redundancy is the reason that the gut is sometimes called the second brain, or what scientists and doctors know as the enteric nervous system or ENS.
Doctors at Johns Hopkins have noted an increase in mood and mental health disorders in patients with Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome. This seems to confirm the strong link between mental health and gastrointestinal health.
Johns Hopkins research also found that the ENS is responsible for triggering emotional shifts concurrent with functional bowel problems like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and stomach upset. The ENS appears to send signals to the central nervous system (CNS) that bring about mood changes of varying amplitude. Therefore, when a patient arrives in your office seeking to unravel issues relating to their health, it should come as no surprise that gut microbiome health is a likely piece of the puzzle, whether as a cause or a critical part of a treatment protocol.
Standard GI protocols too often leave patients high and dry without seeing any meaningful improvements. You owe it to your patients to look beyond generic treatment plans and provide personalized care. But how?
When you sign up for Dr. Datis Kharrazian’s free half-hour mini-training session, Mastering Complex Gastrointestinal Cases, you’ll learn four game-changing clinical insights to revolutionize how you approach patient care.
New Kharrazian Institute members can also watch the first module of Dr. Kharrazian’s full 12-hour Gastrointestinal Clinical Strategies course free with their 7-day free trial.
Start creating truly personalized GI treatment strategies that work. Sign up today!
Standard GI protocols too often leave patients high and dry without seeing any meaningful improvements. You owe it to your patients to look beyond generic treatment plans and provide personalized care. But how?Traditional Mental Health Treatment Shortcomings
Current mental health treatment options most often revolve around medication and some form of talk therapy, either individually or in tandem. These forms of treatment have varying degrees of success for those who do access them, but there continues to be a lack of equal access for all demographics.
The traditional approach often leaves something to be desired for patients. Some get lucky and overcome the cultural and internal stigma, have easy geographical access without limits of provider shortages, and have the financial resources to seek traditional therapies for mental health disorders and even find a pharmaceutical treatment that provides relief.
But the reality for most is that even if most of these factors fall into place, the medication prescribed by their psychiatrist or primary care doctor may fail to provide adequate relief or cause unbearable side effects. This model and the practitioners therein are trying desperately to help people who are hurting, but there may be additional components that well-trained functional medicine providers will be more equipped to investigate.
Unfortunately for the majority of patients, the traditional approach is incomplete because it neglects the second brain and fails to capitalize on the healing potential of the brain-gut connection.
Certainly, the functional medicine field has room for carefully chosen pharmaceutical therapies as a part of a treatment protocol for a patient struggling with mental health diagnoses. Medications developed for the treatment of psychiatric difficulties work primarily by specifically targeting neurotransmitters like norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine to impact the brain’s chemical messaging system.
On the surface, that seems to make complete sense—a brain chemistry problem requires a brain chemistry answer. And in some cases, such treatment may be adequate, and chemical imbalances can sometimes be that simple to address.
Unfortunately for the majority of patients, this approach is incomplete because it neglects the second brain (i.e., the gut) and fails to capitalize on the healing potential of the brain-gut connection.
At best, a pharmaceutical approach in exclusion will not be appropriately supported without an adequate and customized diet, supplement, and lifestyle. At worst, failed mental health treatments can lead to increased frustration and even dire hopelessness.
The Value of a Holistic Approach to Mental Health
It is nearly impossible to overstate the extent of the importance of the gut-brain axis.
Valuable research shared by the National Institutes of Health explains that this communication goes beyond the digestive system and the brain; it also communicates with the autonomic nervous system, the immune system, the endocrine system, the metabolism, and more. Given the far-reaching impact, it stands to reason that in order to support the body and brain holistically, you must address both brain and gut microbiome.
Furthermore, you must continue to support both the brain and the gut. Just as patients with chronic gastrointestinal disorders experience a higher rate of incidence of mental health concerns, patients with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety report higher levels of gastrointestinal distress. Without ongoing support for the brain and gut, a patient’s mood may dysregulate their gastrointestinal system, and vice versa.
When you encounter a new patient with complaints about their mood or who tells you about their mental health diagnoses, you need to approach them, like any other new patient, with a comprehensive initial exam. In addition to mood, make note of any neurological symptoms, especially since things like brain fog and forgetfulness may be attributed to common mood disorders but may also be indicative of other significant issues.
Without ongoing support for the brain and gut, a patient’s mood may dysregulate their gastrointestinal system, and vice versa.
In fact, as we have described in other articles, neuroinflammation has a very strong connection to major depressive disorder in particular. Patients who have uncontrolled glial cells instigating a neuroinflammatory response usually have primary complaints of depression symptoms. A quick prescription for an SSRI or other depression treatment may give some temporary relief but will neglect the important underlying cause.
Having a well-rounded view of all symptoms that your patient is experiencing is critical so that as you design a treatment protocol for them, you can be confident that you are addressing issues in the correct order, or in concert, as needed.
Unlock Mental Health Flourishing with Gut Health
In light of the ongoing mental health crisis we face as a global community, now is the best time to learn how we can create mental health treatment protocols that fully integrate the gut microbiome and harness its ability to create and support mental health.
Dr. Datis Kharrazian is a world leader in teaching and training about the extensive health benefits of a comprehensive understanding of the gut-brain axis. Learn how to develop truly personalized GI protocols for your patients for their mental and holistic health in his GI masterclass.
When you join our online course, Gastrointestinal Clinical Strategies and Treatment Applications, you’ll gain the necessary knowledge to treat GI patients effectively and efficiently. This groundbreaking course is based on Dr. Kharrazian’s 20+ years of experience working with patients, breakthrough scientific research, and time-tested clinical strategies that he’s used in his own practice with enormous success.
He’ll show you a step-by-step approach to diagnosing the underlying mechanisms of gastrointestinal dysfunction and developing customized treatment strategies that work.
By the end of this course, you’ll have a time-tested clinical model you can immediately use to help your current patients quickly return to optimal GI health. Click here to learn more and sign up today.
