In surfing around the internet, I came across a very interesting study on the link between the immune system and the brain.

We intuitively know that there must be a link:  we experience that we are whole selves, not parts.  But medicine seems to study disease by disease, not the interrelationships -- until now.

There are more and more studies that address how one thing affects another and, in this study, the scientists looked at how chronic inflammation (like in rheumatoid arthritis or heart disease) creates a depressive response.  The inflammation itself changes the chemistry in the brain.  This debunks the older idea that depression is a reaction to a disease, or even another form of poor coping with a chronic illness.

Instead, here we see that the disease of depression is the biochemical reaction to inflammation -- not a psychological failure or a maladaptive reaction to pain and limitation.

These studies were done on mice, and so there is a way to go before we can make definitive correlations to people, but I think there is something to pay attention to in this research.

Often our impression of depression is that it is a failure of will or a personal weakness -- not a serious illness with its own symptoms that go away when properly treated.

Classic signs of depression are feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and futility, along with sleeping problems, irritable moods and angry outbursts, lack of energy, and gaining or losing weight.  Recent statistics suggest that one in ten people have depression, and among those with RA newer studies put the incidence at twice that of the general population.

Depression is vastly under-treated because people feel embarrassed or ashamed.  In addition, many people don't want to be on yet another medication.  They "don't like taking drugs."

The tragic downside of this is that, when someone is treated for depression, it goes away.  They feel better.  They have more energy and the world seems like a friendlier and easier place to be.

What the inflammation research tells us is that, if you have RA (or another chronic illness with inflammation), the depression is a result of that disease.  It isn't your fault, and it can be treated.  You don't have to live with all those sad, angry, painful thoughts all the time.

To read the article, click here.

If you suspect you might be depressed, talk to your doctor and get an evaluation.  Don't be afraid of a brief course of anti-depressants.

You want to enjoy -- not just endure your life.

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Every morning when I turn on my computer and boot up my e-mail, a lovely post appears from a fiery woman named Danielle LaPorte.  Her blog is titled White Hot Truth and I never know what will show up -- a song, a quote, a poem, a musing.

Today it was a simple question written in large script across the page:

What are you tolerating?

Isn't that a great question?

We tolerate so many things, letting them accumulate on the edges -- and sometimes even in the center of our lives.  Unanswered letters, cluttered desks and drawers, cars that need to be fixed, freezers that overflow so we can't get one more thing in them.  All of these are irritating tolerations that distract us a hundred times a day.

Then there are the larger, more insidious tolerations.  We tolerate thoughts that eat up our precious energy:  "I can't, it doesn't matter, it's not worth the effort."

We allow ourselves to tolerate relationships that don't support our growth, less-than-ideal self-care, and work that is dead-end.

We rationalize this -- but we let so many things stay in place because we're ... what?  You fill in the blank.

We don't put forth the effort to make a change.

I learned a long time ago that our tolerations actively sap our energy.  For every undone project and every jam-packed clutter zone, we pay a price.  A tiny bit of energy drains out.  If you are tolerating lots of things, your energy deficit may be larger than your energy credit.

When you live with a chronic illness, this is an expensive way to go.  You need your energy, your initiative, your sense of power and control.

You can take that energy back.  It is a simple process.

Start eliminating those tolerations.

I suggest people begin with a list.  Don't worry about how many items there are -- or how minor they seem.  Every one counts.  Write them all down.

Look for the easiest ones to eliminate.

Decide what you can do today and tomorrow.  Do two or three.  Then pick five to cross off by next week.

I once worked with someone who needed new glasses and hadn't taken the time to go to the eye doctor.  She also was out of checks, and got behind on bills, and her daughter was toddling around in shoes that were too small.  Then there were minor things like a car inspection, and a hall closet where you couldn't hang up anything because it was full of coats no one was wearing.  She had a longer list, but this was where she decided to start.

Three weeks into the project, she was feeling stronger and happier and more in charge.  She even felt that her arthritis was improved.

I think it had a lot to do with not feeling so overwhelmed and stuck.

What are you tolerating?  What will you do about that today?  This week?

When you get rid of them, I promise you will feel better -- in lots of ways!

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My last "serious" book report is about a book that has really opened my mind, but isn't a title that automatically jumps out for the arthritis crowd.

Written by a doctor diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, the author was treated -- only to have his cancer return -- and now he lives with it as a chronic disease.  He describes how he began to do serious research about his illness, and found very specific ways to involve his mind and body in healing.

What captivated me is that what he studied had as much to do with arthritis as it does with cancer. He approaches the disease from the perspective of inflammation and autoimmune susceptibility and what he proposes is as relevant to those with RA as it is for someone who wants to avoid a cancer recurrence.

Dr. Servan-Schreiber titles his book, Anti-Cancer:  A New Way of Life  (Kindle Edition), and his intent is to inspire all of us to take our immune systems seriously.  He is almost evangelical in his approach to the simple building blocks of food, exercise, our environment, and our mental habits -- all things we emphasize on the CJ site!

What is added in this book is a raft of specific scientific studies that support his prescription for healthy living.  He looks at how our traditional Western diet aggravates inflammation and suggests what to avoid.  Many of you with RA already steer clear of wheat, or nightshades, or sugar, but he outlines why these foods create an inner physical environment that encourages inflamed cells, and he demonstrates scientifically why this is so.

He is just as compelling (and encouraging) talking about exercise and how easy it can be to do just a little -- and the big difference it can make for our health.

The most portable of his lessons though is the one that shows the connection between stress and inflammation.  He looks at how stress affects us biochemically -- and he includes the ways we stress ourselves by the thinking we practice and the emotions we allow.

He talks about the "Type C" personality -- the one who is always avoiding making waves, and becoming more and more passive about their own wants and desires.  His final chapter describes some of the recent science about learning to change -- attitudes, behaviors, and even healing some history.

It is possible for the Type C's to begin to claim some space and get free of old baggage.

That is a road to better health.

You don't need to have cancer -- or even arthritis -- to appreciate the wisdom of this book.  Dr. Servan-Schreiber is very generous with his own story, and invites you to think about his science, and feel your way into a better stronger way of life.  I recommend this enthusiastically and hope it offers you some practical information as you work on your own healing.

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