An Article on Whether Milk Helps Stop Depression Amongst Cannabis Smokers

Depression when you come to think of it is a clinical symptom. There are many types of depression including manic, bipolar affective etc. The term affective refers to feelings of state or mood. Affective disorders are those in which there is a disturbance of mood. Although there may be many types of affective disorders there are two major disorders that represent the extremes in mood; Depression refers to severe dejection; mania signifies an extremely elated feeling. Most people have experienced some form of wild depression and can understand what the feelings must be like in extreme form. Depression is a normal reaction to a grievous loss, such as the loss of a loved one. The loss of self-esteem or loss of health. There are people whose tendency towards depression is out of proportion.

The onset of depression usually starts in early-to-mid adulthood. Diagnosis is based on the patients self reported experiences and observed behaviour.

Furthermore, depression turns out to involve hormonal systems. Both norepinephrine and serotonin modulate the secretion of hormones by the hypothalamic –adrenal systems.

Many modern antic depressants drugs, changes synaptic levels of certain neurotransmitters, especially serotonin. And norepinephrine – potentially implicating neurochemiacal factors as causally significant. Studies have also shown a third brain chemical dopamine to play a role in both depressed and elevated mood, (Psychology Today:Low-carb state of mind.www.psychologytoday.com/rss/pto20040406-00014.html-)

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the brain. They work by transporting signals between the nerve cells. Tryptophan is a chemical that the brain uses to make neurotransmitters called serotonin. High levels of serotonin can produce feelings of elation. These signals cause changes in the sensation and emotion that we experience. Can cannabis help ease depression for those of us who use cannabis to treat depression? (does meth affect serotonin levels? www.klc.org/posts/041506/meth-info/msg-board-meth-serotonin-levels.htm)

Low serotonin levels are believed to be the cause of many cases of mild to sever depression, which can lead to symptoms such as anxiety apathy, fear, and feelings of worthlessness, insomnia and fatigue. The most concrete evidence for the connection between serotonin and depression is the decreased concentrations of serotonin metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissues of depressed people. Supporting this view comes from the Wurtman, 29 March 2007, )depression and mood disoders (herbalcaredirect.com/…depression and mood disoders.html) study that found that rats with low crab diet were found to have low levels of serotonin in their brain d activity.

If depression arises as a result of a serotonin deficiencey then pharmacological agents that increase the amount of serotonin in the brain should be helpful in treating depressed patients.

If depression is mild enough it can sometimes be managed without prescribed medications. The most effective way of raising serotonin levels is with vigorous exercise, (Primary Psychiatry. The Role Of Dopamine and Norepinephrine in Depression. www.primary psychiatry.comaspx/articledetail.aspx?articleevid=1066-48k)

Serotonin levels can also be controlled thorough diet. A diet deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids may lower brain levels of serotonin and cause depression. Complex carbohydrates raise the level of tryptophan in the brains resulting in a claming effect. Vitamin is also required for the conversion of tryptophan into serotonin.

Serotonin is synthesized from the amino acid trytophan. Amino acid is particulary plentiful in chocolate, oats banana, dried oats, milk, yoghurt, cheese, meat fish, chicken, sesame and peanuts.

Continuing with this paper, I myself had come across a cure for those with depression. According to my theory the depressed person goes goes on smoking cannabis. Whilst doing this, the serotonin level in the brains activity starts to decrease and hence produces depression. Once drunk milk the serotonin level increases and the depression level diminishes.

Studies have also shown a third brain chemical dopamine to play a role in both depressed and elevated Mood.

According to Brons article, she points out that smoking pot causes excess dopamine. Brons said opiods facilitates dopamine releases by inhibiting GABA inhibition of ventral tementum dopamine. Nicotine stimulates the ventral tegmentum dopamine cells by way of the nicotine cholinergic receptors.

Dopamine antagonistic is traditionally used to treat schizophrenia and related mental disorders. A person with schizophrenia may have an overactive dopamine system. Dopamine antagonists can help regulate this system but turning down dopamine activity, (understanding chronic pain.www.webmd.com/fibromyagla/features/understanding-chronic-pain)

Inconclusion,the theory really sets out to explain how low levels of serotonin occurs whilst smoking cannabis, and how a glass of milk balances the steronergeric activity within the brain, causing a no chance depressed person.

The main aim of this study was to reach upon the effects of serotonin amongst cannabis smokers. The research question was to distinguish the levels of depression amongst cannabis smokers after consuming a glass of milk. The hypithesis states that there will be a significant difference amongst milk drunk in cannabis smokers. The idependent variable was thought to be the amount of milk drunk whilst the dependent variable was thought to be the highrst level of scores amongst the depressed people (Appendix 1).

Design

Participants

Altogether 10 participants took part in this experiment. All participants were aged between 20-30 of all mixed race and occupation. Participants were chosen on the basis from a directory under ——.Hypothesis states there will be a significant difference between the levels of psrticipants depression xcaused whilst drinking milk.

Apparatus

Martirals thought to be used was milk (photograph in appendix 2), and a depression scale extracted from source:http://www.stanford.edu~yesavage/GDS.HTML. (internet site).This scale can be seen in appendix 1. Standardiesed instuction can be seen in appendix 3.

method

This is a matched participants design whereby participants appear under one condition. There might be a negative praticese effect of a general kind (fatigue, bordeon). The independent varaible was the 500ml of milk given to the group. The dependent varaible was the performance of participants scorese on the depression scale. The hypothesis states that the participants in week 1 will recall signifiacntly less scorses then participants carrying out the experiment in week 2. This is a paramentirc assupmtions as there is an assumption abouut the parametets of the distribution of the population. That the sample is drwan. It is a type 1 error as there ia a prdiction made at the one tailed test.Ths experiemnr is a longitudianl stydy whereby managaing to keep track of the groupremains representative over two weeks.

Procedure

Participants were told before hand which day and what time to come for for the experiemnrt to be statred. The expernem,t was based in ——–centre, Leicester.Partioants were tlod they had to complete a standatdised insructions form so that they were fully aware of the aims of the experiemnt. After understanding the aim of what the aim of the

Refrences

1. Does meth affect serotonin levels? (30 October, 2007) www.kcl.org?posts/041506/meth-info/msg-board-meth-serotonin-levels.htm.

1. Psychology Today: Low –Carb State Of Mind. ( 10 april 2006) www.psychologytoday.com/rss/pto-20040406000014.html-

1. Understanding Chronic Pain. ( 15 August, 2008)www.webmd.com/fibromyalgla/features/understandinf -chronic-pain.

1. WhyDoesALoverPullAwayAfterSex/Reuniting.(18 March, 2007)www.reuniting.info/science/dopamine-separation-after-orgasm.

1. Wurtman (29 March 2007). Depression+Mood Disorders.(Herbalcaredirect.com/…depression-and-mood-disoders.html)