“Don’t resort to chemical treatments too quickly when you’re depressed!” – Interview with Dr. Eberhard J. Wormer

"The rapid increase in mental illnesses is widely discussed. However, it is rarely discussed that depression often has physical causes; the most common are vitamin, mineral or hormone deficiencies. My main concern is to encourage self-help - I am surprised myself at how much you can do to get depressive problems under control." Dr. Eberhard J. Wormer - author of the compact guide " Natural Antidepressants ", which has now been published in an updated and significantly expanded new edition - explains the possible causes of depressive conditions, explains the risks of drug treatment and presents natural ways to get out of a low mood.

Current studies confirm that the incidence of depression has increased dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic. How do you assess this development?

Dr. Wormer: World-shattering events such as a pandemic often make latent problems more visible. This also applies to depression. Whether one can really assume a dramatic increase - which was predicted by the WHO long before Corona - or whether one has just taken a closer look is a matter of interpretation. Studies are based on surveys and ICD symptom scales to record depressive states. In fact, lockdowns, curfews, quarantine, media and political propaganda, bans and threats of punishment, forced isolation/vaccination create a climate of fear, helplessness and powerlessness. Children, young people, women, migrants, old and sick people - the vulnerable part of the population - are the first victims of such drastic sanctions. Added to this is the depressive burden caused by Covid-19 diseases and the deliberate stigmatization of the unvaccinated. According to a study (Front Psychol 2021), the state of Bavaria has made a particularly repressive profile for itself and has unscrupulously exploited the fears it stokes for power and profit interests. This increases the risk of depression and suicide and brings even emotionally stable people to the brink of despair. None of this has anything to do with medicine.

Your guide “Natural Antidepressants” is now being published in a revised and expanded edition. What are the new features?

Dr. med. Wormer: In my view, this book presents, for the first time, in an expanded form, all available options for treating depressive conditions that are not psychopharmacologically oriented. The book should be easy to read and understand and motivate people to help themselves - a main concern. I am surprised myself at how much you can do to get depressive problems under control! It is clear that the psychotropic pill is a dead end: often ineffective and fraught with side effects, primarily a highly profitable mainstream medicine. Unlike natural antidepressants, which rely on healing through self-healing, complex holistic healing. Very interesting new additions are cannabinoids (hemp plants) and psilocybin, which is found in mushrooms. Both groups of substances have been ostracized, banned and defamed as drugs for decades. Contrary to all reason, contrary to scientific evidence and despite their cultural roots since time immemorial. The research that had previously been blocked has now picked up speed again and confirms the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids and psilocybin. Tolerable, safe and effective antidepressants are urgently needed in view of the traumatization of entire populations by wars, natural disasters or pandemics. I encourage self-help. Support from bureaucrats, funding bodies and institutions is not to be expected in this country. In any case, psilocybin will play a prominent role in the cure of severe depression in the future.

You see depression as a natural reaction to any kind of stress and trauma, which in many cases is triggered by physical causes. What is behind it?

Dr. Wormer: Any type of above-average stress shifts the emotional state towards depression. Sometimes we notice it, sometimes we don't. Physical and psychological injuries - trauma - can heal, but leave permanent marks or scars that the affected person lives with. Depending on the severity of the trauma, the depression can also vary in severity. If you feel exhausted, tired and depressed after a cold, for example, you should remember that this is a natural reaction of the body that will disappear as recovery progresses. If you have suffered a heart attack, you must expect a pronounced depressive state - nowadays, more and more attempts are being made to take the risk of depression into account when treating heart attacks. One reason for depression after trauma is the close connection between the immune system and the nervous system - the body has given priority to physical recovery, which leads to a reduction in the happiness hormones. This is natural.

The mood opposite of depression is what is known as mania. How do those affected notice that “normal” mood swings are developing into an illness?

Dr. Wormer: Those affected feel great! Possibly too great. In severe mania, the need for sleep decreases, appetite dwindles, and an enormous urge to act becomes noticeable. Manics have world-shattering ideas (which have no basis whatsoever) that they present to those around them with great conviction. They have a charming, sometimes irresistible charisma and simply feel great. In a manic state, accounts are opened at five banks, three cars are bought, huge debts are incurred, and multiple marriage vows are made in a very short space of time. Mania is the "speed mode" of life, restlessly driven by grandiose ideas, sleepless and hyperactive, and 1000 percent motivated. When the mania subsides, those affected are left with nothing. In principle, the manic has no choice; he inevitably plunges into a frenzy. It is the people around him who should notice such behavioral abnormalities and recognize them as a partial symptom of a mental illness. If the manic state is mild, it is called hypomania. This condition occurs much more frequently. Those affected are usually considered "normal", at most "hyperactive", "annoying" or "doers". Nevertheless, dealing with these permanently overly good-tempered characters can be exhausting and stressful.

When treating depressed patients, medicine often relies on chemical antidepressants and strong psychotropic drugs very often and carelessly. What are the risks of these drugs and what alternative measures are available?

Dr. Wormer: Every treatment option has its indication and justification, and if the diagnosis is correct, a probability of success. Antidepressants, alternative medicines and psychotherapy can, individually or in combination, help to eliminate a stressful or life-threatening depression. First, it must be determined whether the patient is suffering from a depressive mood or genuine depression. Then it must be ensured that there is no deficiency of any kind. If this has been determined and (increasingly severe) depression is still noticeable, psychotropic drugs may be indicated - to stabilize the mood and prevent suicide. Antidepressants should, if possible, only be used for a limited period of time. Psychotherapy can be effective and recommended for any mood disorder. It is also a temporary measure that depends on needs, especially in crisis situations - in studies with depressives, psychotherapy has sometimes proven to be just as effective as antidepressants! Alternative remedies are the “first-line therapy” for depressive conditions and mood disorders: elimination of deficiencies, treatment of gland disorders, promotion of recovery, strengthening of the immune system, exercise training or artistic activity.

When diagnosing mental illnesses, it is often overlooked that they can be the expression of a disturbance in the physical and mental balance or of undetected deficiencies. What are the causes and possible symptoms?

Dr. Wormer: The most common deficiencies that cause depression are vitamin D deficiency, iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency and thyroid hormone deficiency. All of these conditions can be easily identified and successfully treated - if you think about them and do not dismiss the possibility as trivial or unimportant. Doctors usually see depression in patients as a "side issue" that is brushed off by prescribing antidepressants. Anyone who allows this to happen may unknowingly fall into the "antidepressant trap" where they can remain for years. You should therefore not leave the responsibility to the doctor, but take action yourself: have your values ​​checked, identify deficiencies and eliminate them with nutritional supplements. It is actually very simple and inexpensive - and in many cases very successful.

What are the advantages of “natural antidepressants” and what risks should be considered?

Dr. med. Wormer: Since natural antidepressants are mostly substances produced by the body itself or similar to it, there is hardly any real risk of side effects. Some drugs have specific dosage and application guidelines that should be followed. The rare exception is the elemental substance lithium, which is only used under medical supervision - lithium is a mood stabilizer for treating bipolar disorder. A healthy diet, physical exercise, psychotherapy, sleep deprivation and art therapy are very safe recommendations.

Because of their side effects and interactions, you advise against the careless use of psychotropic drugs. When is the use of the "chemical weapon" nevertheless essential?

Dr. med. Wormer: Yes, I strongly advise against the careless use of antidepressants and detest the irresponsible prescription of psychotropic drugs! Antidepressants and psychotropic drugs have their place in cases of genuine depression or psychosis. In acute cases and in recurring depressive phases, they can help to overcome serious psychological crises and prevent suicides - if they work. They can save lives, but they are not a sustainable solution or even a cure for mental illness.

For thousands of years, psychological states of emergency have accompanied humanity and have found expression in art and literature as "melancholy". What role does creativity play in coping with and treating mental illness?

Dr. med. Wormer: That's easy to answer: Any kind of artistic or cultural activity - be it music, painting, writing, pottery or whatever motivates you - can stabilize the psyche and successfully help to overcome mood disorders. A remedy for the soul.

Book tip:
Dr. med. Eberhard J. Wormer: Natural antidepressants . Compact guide. Gentle ways out of a low mood. Mankau Verlag, 2nd updated and expanded edition June 2022. Paperback 11.5 x 16.5 cm, color, 158 pp., ISBN 978-3-86374-664-3, 12.00 euros (D) / 12.40 euros (A).

Link recommendations:
More information about the guide "Natural Antidepressants"
To the reading sample in PDF format
More about Dr. Eberhard J. Wormer
Our social networks – for questions, criticism, suggestions