Can Turmeric Help Your Depression?

Depression is commonly comorbid (co-occurring) with chronic illness and chronic pain. It makes sense. Our lifestyles drastically (and often suddenly) change. We may lose relationships (of different sorts), our purpose in life may change, and not to mention the pain centre of the brain is right next to the mood centre. Even the most resilient of us struggle with depression and a bit of an identity crisis upon having a chronic pain/illness diagnosis (or even no diagnosis but jut the onset of symptoms). I have also struggled with depression. Some of it stemming from childhood trauma, but I really noticed it after the onset of my pain/illness. Actually I was in complete denial about it at first and went to counselling only for anxiety (though my very perceptive counsellor was certainly treating me for depression as well).

Could turmeric have helped my 2016 post-diagnosis struggle (I started seeing a naturopath later that year, who did recommend turmeric, specifically for pain)

So, personally, I’m not a fan of a lot of medication. I take what I need to, and try to find alternative solutions for other things. I would never say that I’ve been more than mildly depressed. I use exercise for pain and it also happens to help with depressive symptoms. When I notice my mood is low I practice behavioural activation. Example – a few weeks ago I noticed I had low mood which was definitely correlated with an increase in pain and decreased energy. I had plans with friends and my partner for a board game night, and while a part of me really wanted to cancel on them, I made myself go because I knew it would improve my mood. Guess what? I really enjoyed the night, had a great time, and slept in the next day so it was all good (actually it was great!).

Exercise and behavioural activation are great and there is tons of research to show their effectiveness for pain and depression. There is a growing amount of research showing that turmeric (or more accurately the active ingredient in turmeric – curcumin) is as effective as anti-depressants in treating depression, including with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). It also happens to decrease inflammation in the body, leading to less physical pain. According to the research I’ve linked below, it doesn’t seem to make a huge difference in the amount of curcumin/turmeric used and there were only mild side effects in some patients who were taking doses of 12g/day. Definitely some interesting and potentially helpful research for anyone who, like me, prefers to stay natural as often as possible. Now, I’m by no means dissing anti-depressants. Many people benefit from them and need them. If that’s you, please stick with it. This is more of an option for anyone who doesn’t want to use them, and is looking for alternatives.

Turmeric can come in different forms. Powder that you use on food (popular in many Asian cultures), and supplements you can buy from a health store are the most common and popular. I also have a lovely turmeric tea that I buy and try to drink more often when my pain increases or my mood is low. Definitely a few great options if you’re interested in giving it a try. As with everything, I take a scientific approach and view any of these ideas as an experiment. Clearly the research shows that it works for a lot of people. Will it work for me or you? The only way to find out is to be curious and give it a try. Maybe it’s another way we can keep making the most of it!

Reference:

Ramaholimihaso, T., Bouazzaoui, F., & Kaladjian, A. (2020). Curcumin in Depression: Potential Mechanisms of Action and Current Evidence – A Narrative Review. Front Psychiatry, 11, 572533. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.572533

Was My Hip Surgery Worth It?

This is a bit more personal of a post than I’ve written for awhile, but I thought it would be important to share my thoughts and feelings about the subject. As some of you may know (if you’ve been a reader of this blog and/or have followed me on social media for awhile), I had a hip arthroscopy to repair a labral tear on my left hip last November.

Post-surgery selfie.

The surgery lasts for about 4 hours, is totally laparoscopic. I was extremely nauseous coming out of the anaesthesia which is no fun. And then there is the recovery period. The first 6 weeks you can’t put any pressure on that side (so again, for me it was the left) so I had to use crutches to get around (which was exhausting, especially because I live alone – though I did have some friends come to help throughout). You also can’t bend at more than 90 degrees during those first six weeks, and obviously, no exercising that hip. (I found some chair workouts to at least get some upper body exercise).

My very tiny scars have faded quite a bit since the surgery.

Then after the 6 weeks, you can start walking again and bending, but no “exercise” for 6 months. And by that I mean there are some physio-approved exercises including light walking and recumbant bicycling as well as specific strength exercise for it, but overall it is pretty limited. And for me, well I help my other UCTD and fibro symptoms with exercise, so being limited is not overly helpful.

https://videopress.com/v/XPmJL9g6?resizeToParent=true&preloadContent=metadata

Me trying to walk for the first time in 6 weeks.

Recently someone posted in an online group that I belong to, that she was diagnosed with a labral tear and was still undergoing testing for autoimmune diseases. She was asking questions about the tear and treatment options including surgery. Someone else responded to her post saying that she was told by her rheumatologist that labral tears (which can occur in almost any joint) are common in people with lupus and other connective tissue diseases. (Mind you my rheumatologist and orthopaedic surgeon said nothing about this). In my own research I had found that people with fibromyalgia tend to have much longer recovery times from the surgery. In my own experience, I realized over the summer that the pain in my left hip had returned. Not nearly as badly as it used to be, I mean I can sit (including cross-legged) for much longer than I used to be able to, but it was back nonetheless. This leads me to believe that (a) I re-tore the labrum, or (b) it just never healed properly. So that’s what I responded to this other woman’s post.

Still wondering how I survived on crutches for that long.

So, was the surgery worth it? Would I do it again? I don’t know to be honest. Perhaps not. At this moment if someone said to me, well we can go in and fix it again, I would definitely decline. So what I learned, and I suppose what this post is about, is to do A LOT of research before committing to a surgery that some doctors think will help. Unless they are making specific connections to your illness overall, something like this which is elective (because the other treatment option is physical therapy), I would say do not jump into it. I thought I had done my research but I probably didn’t do enough. That being said, I am self-compassionate and acknowledge that I made a decision based on the information I had, and that’s okay. And I choose not to forget that it perhaps did improve the quality of my life in the long-term (remember, I can sit longer now, and as a therapist that is super important). Just many things to consider.

Thanks for reading everyone, and keep making the most of it!

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