The holidays are meant to be filled with joy, gatherings of loved ones, and happiness, but…
The holidays can also be stressful and challenging for those battling mental illness.
Holidays may worsen some people’s mental health issues due to potential loneliness.
Sadness, depression, and anxiety can be challenging to cope with when all people are singing about how this is “the most joyous time of the year.”
For many people struggling with mental health disorders, this can literally be the most difficult time of the year.
In 2014, a study conducted by NAMI found that 64% of people suffering from mental illness reported that the holidays make their conditions worse.
Also, a survey conducted in 2021 showed that 3 in 5 Americans feel their mental health is negatively impacted by the holidays.
So, what can you do to cope with your own mental health during the holiday season?
Superhuman IV has a mental health plan to help you enjoy your festivities to the max!
1. Accept Imperfection:
Expectations around the holiday season are always high.
We want to host the best gathering, give the best presents, and enjoy all the details during this time of year.
We may feel stressed about living up to those high expectations.
So, it’s most helpful to accept that everything will not always be as perfect as we expect, but we can still enjoy our holidays.
Imperfection is normal! It’s all right if things don’t go exactly how we’ve planned ….
2. Set Aside Time for Self-Care:
Packing your holiday season with gatherings, presents, and plans is fun, but you should never forget about setting aside time for self-care and managing your mental health during this time.
Schedule dedicated time to do the activities you enjoy, meditate and avoid any extra stress.
3. Ask for Help:
One of the best things you can do to help with mental health issues during holidays is reaching out for help if you need it.
You can share your feelings and thoughts with a person you trust, like a friend, family member, or your therapist.
This will help you discover that stress, anxiety, and feeling down during the holiday season is normal, and you can discuss many solutions to overcome your negative feelings and thoughts.
4. Keep a Regular Sleep, Eat and Exercise Schedule:
During the hassle of the holiday season, you should exercise, get enough rest, and help your mind stay healthy.
You should also keep up with your sleep routine, diet and exercise schedule so you feel more organized and ready to take on the holiday season and manage your mental health.
Activities like meditation, scheduling a massage, taking a yoga class will help you unwind and enjoy a moment of peace during your day.
Many rounds of deep breathing before you head into a store or family gathering will also help you center yourself.
6. Get a Nutrient Boost with IV Therapy:
IV therapy featuring many medications like NAD+, ketamine, and psilocybin is a great way to give an immediate impact to mood.
IV therapy will give your physical and mental health a boost with the great features it offers like:
Delivering essential vitamins, nutrients, and amino-acids.
Improving hydration.
Aiding in muscle recovery.
Treating hangovers.
Relieving depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms within a few hours.
Don’t let the holidays become something you dread; you should be enjoying quality time with your loved ones!
Take proactive steps to prevent stress, depression, loneliness, and anxiety that can descend during the holidays season.
With more planning, healthy habits, and positive thinking, you will find peace, joy, and fulfillment during the holidays.
On behalf of the entire Superhuman team…
We wish you happy holidays full of love, prosperity, and positivity… May this new year be your best year yet!
References:
64% of people suffering from a mental illness reported that the holidays make their conditions worse.
(National Alliance of Mental Illness: Mental Health and the Holiday Blues, 2014, View reference).
A perfectionist strives toward perfection with the belief that imperfection is unacceptable which can be detrimental to health.
(WebMD: How to Overcome Perfectionism, 2021, View reference).
Self-care is the ability to care for oneself through awareness, self-control, and self-reliance in order to achieve, maintain, or promote both physical and mental health.
(National Library of Medicine: Self-care: A concept analysis, 2021, View reference).
When you are depressed, anxious, or stressed, it’s most useful to get help from a psychiatrist or another mental health expert
(WebMD: How to Get Help for Mental Health, 2022, View reference).
To manage your mental health, you should have a healthy lifestyle including your diet, sleep routine, and exercise schedule.
(World Health Organization: 20 health tips for 2020, 2019, View reference).
Relaxation techniques reduce stress symptoms and help you enjoy a better quality of life, especially if you have a physical or mental illness.
(Mayoclinic: Relaxation techniques: Try these steps to reduce stress, 2022, View reference).
There are many health issues that IV therapy promises to solve or improve through an infusion of various vitamins and minerals.(Healthline: IV Vitamin Therapy: Your Questions Answered, 2019, View reference).
They can be natural disasters, assaults, accidents, combat, or the loss of a loved one.
Although traumas can be isolated events, there can also be ongoing traumas, like abuse, poverty, and homelessness.
The impact of trauma on the human physical body and mental well-being is profound.
Trauma can elevate the sense of helplessness, self-sabotage, and anxiety that can stay with a person for a very long time.
After a traumatic event, many people may carry shame or guilt from their experience and suffer from eroded self-worth.
Also, many survivors claim that after a trauma, they are left feeling like they have experienced an emotional or spiritual death.
Most alarming: many physical and mental health problems can occur as a result of extreme stress on the body.
Did you know that trauma can literally change the BRAIN?!
To understand how this happens, let’s examine how the brain deals with traumatic events..
One of the primary functions of our brain is to keep us safe.
On the most fundamental level, our brain converts experiences into memories so we can maximize activities that have good results and avoid the ones that have negative results.
So, whenever we experience trauma, our brain’s main function becomes keeping us safe.
In order to operate efficiently after a trauma, our brain will rely on negative blueprints of the past, and warn us of present threats long after a traumatic event ends.
This changes the way our brain functions….
Our brain is divided into three main parts: the reptilian, mammalian, and neomammalian brain.
And each part of these has specific functions.
The reptilian brain is responsible for housing survival instincts and managing autonomic body processes like heart rate, breathing, hunger, and thirst.
The mammalian brain processes emotions like joy, sadness, and fear and regulates our attachment style.
The neomammalian brain is responsible for sensory processing, memory, learning, decision-making, and problem solving.
What happens when we experience trauma?
In short, our brain will shut down all nonessential systems and activate both the sympathetic nervous system and the mammalian brain.
The brain gives an order to the sympathetic nervous system to release stress hormones (“fight or flight” response).
And once the traumatic event passes, the parasympathetic nervous system reactivates and the three parts of the brain will start functioning again.
Studies show that traumatic stress can interfere with this normal process and trap the brain in “survival mode.”
When traumatic stress affects the brain, many people may develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), others may deal with a heightened sense of anxiety and fear, or they may have difficulties managing their emotions and thought patterns.
Here’s How Traumatic Stress interferes with normal brain function:
1. Traumatic Stress Activates The Amygdala:
The amygdala is an almond-shaped structure that processes our emotions.
It also helps regulate our response to fear and create emotional memories.
Makes memories of traumatic events become nightmares and flashbacks.
Makes the emotion-driven thoughts become so intrusive preventing us from sleep.
Prevents our brain from differentiating between past and present threats.
So, when you remember a trauma event, the amygdala will respond the same way it would if you were experiencing the trauma for your first time causing you to be on high alert and feel like you’re always on edge.
In addition, an overactive amygdala can also cause many other symptoms like:
Chronic stress
Heightened fear
Increased irritation
An inability to calm down
Insomnia
2. Traumatic Stress Shrinks The Hippocampus:
The hippocampus is the part of the brain that’s responsible for storing and retrieving memories and realizing the difference between past and present experiences.
This makes it hard to differentiate between the past and present.
Because of this, anything that reminds us of our past experiences may cause fear, stress, and panic.
3. Traumatic Stress Decreases Function In The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC):
The prefrontal cortex helps us regulate and interpret emotions, control impulses, think logically, and solve problems.
Studies say that traumatic stress can diminish functionality in the prefrontal cortex, impacting our ability to learn and store new information, manage our emotions, and solve complex problems.
In short, traumatic stress makes logical thinking a difficult task which in turn will elevate our fears and anxiety.
Living with traumatic stress can change the brain so much that daily life can feel like a challenge.
But, there’s hope…
There are many alternative therapies to assist in recovery from traumatic stress, including somatic therapy, acupuncture, Reiki, and, of course, IV therapy.
Ketamine, NAD+, and psilocybin may offer relief to those battling PTSD.
You deserve to thrive….
We support you on your journey healing journey.
References:
Psychological trauma is a response to an event that a person finds highly stressful.
(MedicalNewsToday: What Is trauma? What to know, 2020, View reference).
Fight, flight, or freeze are the three most basic stress responses. They reflect how your body will react to danger.
(WebMD: What Does Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn Mean?, 2022, View reference).
Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibit heightened amygdala reactivity.
(National Center for Biotechnology Information: Amygdala Response to Negative Stimuli Predicts PTSD Symptom Onset following a Terrorist Attack, 2014, View reference).
People with PTSD may also have problems overcoming their fear response to thoughts, memories or situations that are reminiscent of their traumatic event.
(Verywellmind: The Effect of PTSD on the Hippocampus, 2020, View reference).
Chronic stress exposure leads to dendritic atrophy in PFC. (National Center for Biotechnology Information: The effects of stress exposure on prefrontal cortex: Translating basic research into successful treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder, 2015, View reference).
Our approach to mental health has changed throughout time…
Mental illnesses were present long before we had names to give them.
For example, depression, PTSD, and bipolar disorder have already gone through many monikers: hysteria, shell shock, psychosis, and demonic possession (just to name a few).
Many ancient cultures (Egyptian, Indian, Greecian, and Roman) have viewed mental illnesses as religious punishment, personal problems, or demonic possessions.
Since the 5th century B.C, Hippocrates was a pioneer in treating the mentally ill with techniques not related to religion. He, instead, changed mentally ill patient’s environments and introduced substances as treatments.
But unfortunately, negative attitudes towards people with mental health issues persisted into the 18th century in the United States.
And when the 20th century came, society finally understood the reality of mental illness as a true medical illness and, for the first time, healthcare providers began to treat these disorders.
Yet, society’s perceptions of mental health still have a long way to go…
Mental health services have not always benefited the people struggling with mental health disorders.
In this article we’ll go through the timeline of mental illness treatment to highlight key moments in history that have led us to where we are today.
The First Forms of Mental Health Treatment
Pre-18th Century:
In the 16th century, mental health disorders were split into two main categories: demonic possession and physical illness.
When a physical abnormality was presented in a patient with mental illness, treatments focused on fixing the physical symptoms.
For example, if someone had a mental illness with a stomach ache, doctors encouraged the use of herbal supplements, medications, and lifestyle changes.
Doctors also performed intense surgeries on patients with mental health disorders.
But for non-surgical treatments, they worked at a socioeconomic level to shut out mentally ill people from society.
People with mental illnesses often ended up in jail, and rarely received proper treatment.
There was also the implementation of mental hospitals (which still exist today) to provide moral treatment to help people with mental illnesses.
But before the 18th century, these hospitals were environments of isolation.
Emerging Treatments in the 19th and 20th Centuries:
In the early 1900s psychiatric hospitals were known as “insane asylums,” and they were used as punishment for people with mental illnesses.
In addition to isolation, the 19th and 20th century had new forms of addressing mental health issues, such as:
Freudian therapeutic techniques, such as the “talking cure”
These treatments were a new way to fix society’s perception of those suffering from mental health disorders rather than helping them.
But…
When the moral method reached the United States, doctors used it as an innovative way of treating mentally ill people by working on their:
Social needs.
Individual needs.
Occupational needs.
Doctors encouraged patients to participate in manual labor and conversation and trained them to be healthy and contributing members of society.
Although moral treatment was effective, it died out in the late years of the 19th century.
Critics said that this method did not treat patients but made them dependent on their doctors.
What Does Mental Health Look Like Today?
Treatment for mental illness has developed a lot throughout history.
Our modern look at mental illness has improved tremendously because of many mental health awareness movements, studies, and innovations.
According to Webmd, today, treatments handle mental illness more knowledgeably, effectively, and morally.
We started having many treatments that are more effective and less harmful.
There are hundreds of psychoactive drugs that are targetingmental health disorders and giving patients a great degree of comfort and privacy with how their conditions are treated.
Tetracyclic antidepressants that are specific serotonergic antidepressants (NaSSAs)
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
And, in the last 10 years, technology has transformed the way we treat mental illnesses even more!
Some of the latest innovations are:
Rapid Acting Antidepressants, like Ketamine, triggers the rapid growth of neurological connections in the brain, which can lift symptoms of depression and suicidality (sometimes within hours of treatment).
AI motion sensors can be used to detect symptoms of anxiety.
IV therapy, which is an intravenous drip, is the fastest way to deliver essential nutrients and/or medications to the bloodstream and relieve mental health symptoms.
The evolution, advancements, and innovations suggest that the improvements of today are better than anything that has come before and we have much to look forward to with the future of mental health treatments.
References:
Hippocrates established the first intellectual school devoted to teaching the practice of medicine.
(LiveScience: Who Was Hippocrates?, 2018, View reference).
Mental illnesses are common in the United States. Nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness.
(National Institute of Mental Health: Mental Illness, 2022, View reference).
Western European belief in demonic possession as a cause of mental disorder has been traced through the medieval and early modern periods.
(PubMed:Demonic possessions and mental illness: discussion of selected cases in late medieval hagiographical literature, 2014, View reference).
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) uses an electric current to create a generalized cerebral seizure.
(National Library of Medicine: Electroconvulsive Therapy, 2022, View reference).
A lobotomy, also called a leucotomy, is a type of psychosurgery that was used to treat mental health conditions.
Moral treatment is a therapeutic approach that emphasized character and spiritual development.
(National Library of Medicine: Moral treatment in asylums and general hospitals in 19th-century America, 1989, View reference).
There are several different types of drugs available to treat mental illnesses, antidepressants, antianxiety, etc….(Webmd: Drugs to Treat Mental Illness, 2021, View reference).
This will typically go away on its own within a few days.
On the other hand, according to WebMD, chronic depression persists for weeks, months, and, sometimes, maybe years!
This may feel like a sadness that won’t go away on its own…
People may battle depression as a result of external factors like family, work, and study issues, or the changing of the seasons.
But sometimes, environmental factors may not be the reason, instead, a neurological condition may affect a person’s thought patterns which require lifestyle changes, medical treatment, and IV therapy.
Today, NAD+, Ketamine, and Psilocybin are opening new doors and giving hope to people suffering from depression for many reasons we’ll list in this article…
Let’s start with NAD+
NAD+ IV Therapy
According to PubMed, NAD+ (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme that our bodies naturally produce and it plays a key role in:
Reversing mitochondrial damage
Improving cellular function
Reducing oxidative stress
Reducing inflammation
Promoting brain and neurotransmitter regeneration
Apart from the functions it performs, NAD+ is also required for many enzymatic activations like the ones including Sirtuins.
Patients suffering from mental health disorders have low levels of these NAD-dependent enzymes.
In addition, in depressed people, changes in the hippocampus reduce the functions of the neurons.
So, using NAD+ IV for depression helps boost the levels of Sirtuins. SIRT 1 (a subclass of these enzymes) that’s responsible for mediating neurotransmitters in the brain to reduce anxiety and depression levels.
Other subclasses like SIRT1, SIRT2, SIRT3 have a positive impact on the overall brain health as they prevent neuro-degeneration, promote neuronal growth, reduce inflammation and damage in neurons.
Ketamine for Depression
Ketamine is used for people suffering from serious mental issues who have tried other medications with no relief.
This treatment is mainly used for people with treatment-resistant depression, acute suicidality, PTSD, OCD, bipolar, and eating disorders.
Ketamine triggers glutamate production, cascading a series of events that prompt the brain to form new neural connections.
Glutamate encourages the growth of synapses in the brain, and strengthens neural connections in the regions that are most impaired by depression; these new connections induce beneficial changes in brain circuit function.
This process makes the brain more adaptable and able to create new pathways, and gives patients the opportunity to develop more positive thoughts and behaviors.
Ketamine works very quickly within hours to ease symptoms and stimulates brain changes that lead to lasting symptom relief.
Psilocybin for Depression
Psilocybin is an active ingredient found in many species of mushrooms called ‘magic mushrooms’
This material makes the brain more flexible, produces immediate effects, and has a long duration (weeks after use for people with depression).
These features make it a uniquely useful new treatment for depression.
The scans performed on the brain after psilocybin therapy showed that it reduced connections within brain areas that are connected in depression, like the default mode, salience, and executive networks, and increased connections to other regions that had not been integrated.
All of these features prove that psilocybin works differently from conventional antidepressants by making the brain flexible, fluid, and less entrenched in the negative thinking patterns associated with depression.
Anyone who’s ever experienced sadness understands how much of a damper it can put on the day.
But… chronic depression is more than just having a “bad day”, it may mean having an unhealthy relationship to self, others, and life.
The American Psychiatric Association recognizes depression as a serious medical illness that negatively impacts how a person feels, thinks, and lives.
If common antidepressants can not fully treat a person’s depression, these innovative treatments are able to provide hope and help people suffering with depression reclaim their lives.
NAD+, ketamine, and psilocybin treatments for depression can be a useful co-therapy for traditional methods such as medication and lifestyle changes.
Superhuman IV brings appointments directly to you at home or at the office to enjoy the benefits of these innovative treatments.
References:
In modern diagnostic classification systems, dysthymia and chronic depression are now both referred to as persistent depressive disorder.
NAD+ influences many key cellular functions, including metabolic pathways, DNA repair, chromatin remodelling, cellular senescence and immune cell function.
(PubMed: NAD+ metabolism and its roles in cellular processes during ageing, 2022, View reference).
NAD+ plays an important role in the regulation of NAD+-consuming enzymes, including sirtuins.
(National Library of Medicine: NAD+ and Sirtuins in Aging and Disease, 2015, View reference).
Treatment-resistant depression is the depression that doesn’t respond to two different antidepressants from different classes.
The mental health of people across the world suffered greatly in 2020, and the pandemics’ effects on our collective and individual well-being forced the world to confront mental and physical health challenges like never before.Can mental health be relieved through biohacking treatments?
Innovative thinkers have stepped up to the challenge!
We all know that there’s the kind of anxiety we feel in a dangerous situation when our minds and bodies are on high alert.
And then there’s anxiety, the permanent fear we experience during everyday situations when the threat of danger isn’t actually real.
The first type of anxiety is a natural part of the “fight or flight” response programmed into us to survive a crisis.
The second type is a mental health issue that affects every aspect of our lives.
NAD+ therapy has become a great available choice for anxiety relief.
IV therapy depends mostly on vitamins & minerals, in addition to many other nutrients that relieve anxiety and depression symptoms.
So, you’re not only getting mental improvements, but your physical body improves too!
If you grapple with anxiety, depression, PTSD, or addiction, the most pioneering treatments available may offer welcome symptom relief:
Let’s dig deeper into the 4 most innovative treatments out there.
NAD+ IV
NAD+ is a coenzyme that plays a great role in the chemical process that generates energy and alleviates anxiety symptoms and addictive behaviors in two key ways:
• Influencing sirtuin (SIRT) activity:
Low levels of serotonin (a neurotransmitter in the brain) can contribute to anxiety.
Sirtuins are a family of signaling proteins involved in metabolic regulation. A specific type of sirtuin, SIRT1, can bolster low serotonin levels to improve your mood and this depends on NAD+ to carry out this function.
• Oxidative stress reduction:
Free radicals (in the form of oxidative stress) cause cellular damage.
And there’s a strong relationship between anxiety and brain inflammation (and neurotoxicity) caused by this oxidative stress.
NAD+ IV will solve this problem by reducing the damage caused by free radicals and promoting cellular repair and functionality.
IV therapy featuring NAD+ offers effective benefits for mental health, supports physical health with vitamins and minerals, and makes you feel more energy and vitality.
But, Why Does NAD+ Help The Brain?
NAD+ is a vital redox cofactor for metabolism and ATP production in brain cells.
It’s a key substrate for at least four families of enzymes involved in health span and longevity.
In addition, SIRT 1 has been shown to be involved in regulating long-term potentiation, learning, and memory.
Ketamine
Ketamine is effective for treating both depression & anxiety.
But, how does Ketamine work?
Ketamine binds to NMDA receptors in the brain to increase the amount of glutamate (a neurotransmitter in the spaces between neurons).
Glutamate then activates connections in the AMPA receptor.
This leads to the release of other molecules that help neurons communicate with each other along new pathways which affect mood, thought patterns, and cognition!
Why Does Ketamine Help The Brain?
A leading theory proposes that Ketamine stimulates the regrowth of synapses (synapses are the connections between neurons), effectively rewiring the brain.
Another reason is that it works differently than existing antidepressants. Rather than affecting one of the “monoamine” neurotransmitters (like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine), it affects glutamate, the most common chemical messenger in the brain.
In its turn, Glutamate plays a key role in the changes synapses undergo in response to experiences that underlie learning and memory.
Psilocybin
Psilocybin treatment decreases depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms (and can maintain a decrease in symptoms) one, three, six, and twelve months after Psilocybin treatment.
Psilocybin produces significant and immediate effects, & it also has a long duration, which suggests that it may be a uniquely useful treatment for mental health conditions.
Psilocybin increases attitudes about self and life, mood, relationships, and behavior too.
Why Does Psilocybin Help The Brain?
Psilocybin fosters greater connections between different regions of the brain in traumatized, depressed, anxious, and addicted people.
This helps free clients up from long-held patterns of rumination and excessive self-focus, giving them healthier flexibility in their thought patterns.
David Nutt, MD, head of the Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research says: “For the first time we find that psilocybin works differently from conventional antidepressants – making the brain more flexible and fluid, and less entrenched in the negative thinking patterns associated with depression”.
1000 mg Of EPA Fatty Acids Per Day
What makes fatty acids a great choice for mental health challenges is that they easily travel through the brain cell membrane and interact with mood-related molecules.
Recently, Oxford published a study that discussed fatty acid benefits throughout life.
Fatty acids have been studied in many mood disorders, such as postpartum depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder, and borderline personality disorder.
Why Do EPAs Help The Brain?
The brain contains more than 100 billion cells and omega-3 fatty acids are the building blocks of these cells.
Fatty Acids bind to cell membranes increasing their fluidity, which is important for the functioning of brain cells.
Essential Fatty Acids(EFAs) are vital to the maintenance of optimal health and must be obtained from dietary sources.
Clinical observation studies have related imbalanced intake of fatty acids to impaired brain performance and diseases.
Dealing with mental health challenges can make simple daily tasks a struggle. Sometimes, leaving the house, or just the bed feels impossible.
So….
If you can’t make it to Superhuman’s physical location at 5th + Broadway in downtown Nashville, TN, we will come to you with our in-home services and the most innovative treatments out there.
One of our goals at Superhuman is to help as many people as possible who struggle with mental health battles using natural, nutrient-based therapy that has lasting results.
We want to serve you the way we have served our other clients who have seen significant results.
One of our favorite stories is about Maria, a 26-year-old who has battled severe fatigue and depression for decades. After one of our mini NAD+ mental health protocol treatments, Maria saw a night and day difference.
Maria says Superhuman changed the game, after years of suffering from depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.
After the mental health 3-day NAD+ package, she hasn’t had a depressing day or panic attack since.
NAD+ IV Treatment helped Maria change her thought patterns, sleep, and mood!
Testimonials reflect individual experiences of real customers, are applicable solely to the individual depicted, and are not necessarily representative of all who use Superhuman products and services. Results do vary and are unique to each individual. Testimonials are not intended to make claims that these products can be used to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease.
References:
NAD+ IV : Affects mental health, supports physical health and helps people get super vital and energetic (Webmd: NADH, Overview, Uses, Side Effects, And More.., 2020, view reference)
(The National Library of Medicine: NAD+ in Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders, 2020, view reference)
Ketamine affects mood, thought patterns, and cognition (Medscape: Ketamine Linked to Reduced Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, Anxiety, 2022, view reference)
(Scientific American: Behind the Buzz: How Ketamine Changes the Depressed Patient’s Brain, 2019, view reference)
Both Ketamine and psilocybin play a key role in reducing anxiety and depression levels. (Mayo Clinic: Treatment resistant-depression, 2021, view reference)
Psilocybin affects attitude about self & life, relationships, behaviors, and mood.
(National Library of Medicine: Psilocybin for Treating Psychiatric Disorders: A Psychonaut Legend or a Promising Therapeutic Perspective?, 2022, view reference)
(Medscape: Psilocybin Effective Up to 12 Weeks in Severe Depression, 2022, view reference)
(University of California San Francisco, Psilocybin Rewires the Brain for People with Depression, 2022, view reference)
EPA Fatty Acids help with depression, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, menstrual pain, and many mood disorders. (Oxford Academic: Omega-3 Fatty Acids EPA and DHA: Health Benefits Throughout Life, 2012, view reference)(PubMed: Essential fatty acids and human brain, 2009, view reference)
The National Institute of Aging (NIA) launched the first National HIV and Aging Awareness Day on September 18, 2008.
In the late 1980s, very few people that were diagnosed with what is now known as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were lucky to survive past a year. During that time, many of the people living with HIV were taking highly toxic prescriptions and staying silent in hopes of surviving an epidemic. As treatments got better, so did the lives of those suffering in silence. Although the HIV drugs used now are more effective and less toxic than drugs used in earlier times, they still may have long-term effects that we do not yet fully understand. So, it’s not a surprise we are hearing of more people surviving longer than the normal lifespan.
The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (ADAP) serves over half a million individuals over age fifty with HIV. In 2019, 92.2% of those aged fifty and older receiving HIV medical care were virally suppressed, which was higher than the national average (88.1%).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2018, over half (51%) of people in the United States that are diagnosed were aged 50 and older. In addition, people aged 50 and older accounted for 17% of the 37,968 new HIV diagnoses. Though new HIV diagnoses are declining among people aged 50 and older, around 15% of diagnosis were those classified to be in this HIV and aging group.
People living with HIV have a lot more issues related to their aging than their HIV-related illnesses. Many individuals with HIV who have been living with it since the very beginning of the epidemic have unique difficulties, both physically and psychologically.
How Does HIV Affect the Body’s Aging Process
HIV has an “early and substantial” impact on aging in infected people, accelerating biological changes in the body associated with normal aging within just two to three years of infection, according to a study by UCLA researchers and colleagues.
The findings suggest that new HIV infection may rapidly cut nearly five years off an individual’s life span relative to an uninfected person.
“Our work demonstrates that even in the early months and years of living with HIV, the virus has already set into motion an accelerated aging process at the DNA level,” said lead author Elizabeth Crabb Breen, a professor emerita at UCLA’s Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
“This emphasizes the critical importance of early HIV diagnosis and an awareness of age-related problems, as well as the value of preventing HIV infection in the first place.”
Living with HIV presents certain challenges, no matter what your age. But older individuals with HIV may face different issues than their younger counterparts, including greater social isolation and loneliness. The aging process itself can lower energy levels, restrict social encounters, and cause decreased physical and mental abilities. This means that older people living with HIV may suffer more emotional problems and physical stresses than others do.
Stigma can also make things difficult. There is the stigma from shame of living with HIV and AIDS in older adults. This can make it difficult for older people to find support. First of all, they may be ashamed and hesitate to tell anyone that they live with HIV. Secondly, they may not be comfortable in support groups that include younger people.
In the late 80s many HIV regimens required people to take several pills around the clock. Even today with the huge improvements in HIV drugs that now allow most people to live long and healthy lives with HIV, there are several ways in which living and aging with HIV are different for those over 50 years old.
HIV and its treatment can also have effects on the brain. Researchers estimate that between 25 and 50% of people with HIV have HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND), a spectrum of cognitive, motor, and/or mood disorders categorized into three levels: asymptomatic, mild, and HIV-associated dementia. Researchers are studying how HIV and its treatment affect the brain, including the effects on older people living with HIV.
Can NAD+ Slow Aging for those Aging with HIV?
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a coenzyme that’s been shown to slow aging and help people fight the ill effects of aging. As biohacking evolves, it’s been found to mitigate age-related disorders by regenerating the human body’s mitochondria. NAD+ is a key enzyme found in human cells and has been shown to reduce the amount of age-related tissue damage and by increasing the nutrients that keep skin looking young. It also improves muscle function and endurance and helps ward off age-related diseases. Recent research has shown that NAD+’s rehabilitation power extends the cells.
“We report that HIV-1 infection of human cells in vitro leads to significant decreases in the intracellular concentration of NAD. This decrease varies with viral load and HIV strain. In tissue culture, cells lacking CD4 receptors or cells incubated with heat inactivated virus do not demonstrate this decrease in NAD. Nicotinamide, the amide form of the vitamin niacin, increases intracellular NAD levels in uninfected cells as expected. Our data demonstrate that nicotinamide also maintains increased intracellular NAD concentrations in HIV infected cells. We conclude that HIV induces a state of intracellular pellagra which is reversed by the administration of nicotinamide.”
The team examined five epigenetic measures of aging. Four of them are what are known as epigenetic “clocks,” each of which uses a slightly different approach to estimate biological age acceleration in years, relative to chronological age. The fifth measure assessed the length of telomeres, the protective cap-like ends of chromosomes that become progressively shorter with age as cells divide, until they become so short that division is no longer possible.
“Our access to rare, well-characterized samples allowed us to design this study in a way that leaves little doubt about the role of HIV in eliciting biological signatures of early aging,” said senior author Beth Jamieson, a professor in the division of hematology and oncology at the Geffen School. “Our long-term goal is to determine whether we can use any of these signatures to predict whether an individual is at increased risk for specific aging-related disease outcomes, thus exposing new targets for intervention therapeutics.”
If you feel good about your age, it can help your health. As the saying goes, you’re only as old as you feel!
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