Re: Food & Depression

 Some of the questions were unusual and I had never seen them asked before in a quiz like this.  Perhaps, you can shed some light on why they'd ask these questions ... i.e., what are they trying to find out with these particular questions?

For example:

Are you sensitive to pain (low pain threshold? [Stress/Depression connection?]

Depression has many causes.  It is not as simple as low serotonin.  Although low serotonin is apparently also a factor in fibromyalgia.  Another thing that can cause depression is low dopamine.  Low dopamine also increases pain levels/sensitivities.

Do you have itchy ears, frequent ear infections or ringing in the ears? [Allergy/Depression connection?]

Allergies indicate adrenal dysfunction and adrenal dysfunction can also contribute to depression.  Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) though is most often the result of constriction of blood flow in the ear region.  It can also be the result of damage in the ear from things such as loud noises, infection or barotrauma.  Now how these are tied together is a little vague.  Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are well known for causing both tinnitus and depression through the inhibition of prostaglandins.  But this does not mean the depression is the cause of tinnitus.  It just means they can occur together.  And chronic tinnitus itself can be stressful leading to adrenal suppression and depression.

Do you have crowded upper front teeth?        

Again the only link I can see is if this is causing pain, which would again suppress adrenal function.

        
Do you have little body hair and a lean build?                 

The little body hair could indicate thyroid dysfunction, which in turn can cause depression.  

A lean build is pretty vague.  An athlete can have a lean build and still not have depression.  On the other hand an anorexic could have a lean body and be depressed because of nutritional deficiencies and feeling that they still are not thin enough.

Do you have large ears or long fingers and toes?  [No clue about these three questions!]

I have no idea where they are going with this one.  Prince Charles has big ears.  Does this make him depressed or is he happy being a prince?

Do you dream infrequently?

Do you have poor dream recall?                 

Again I think these are ridiculous.  If a person is  a sound sleeper they are not likely to remember their dreams.  On the other end of the spectrum are lucid dreamers, which are in a deeper state of REM sleep while also in a very light stage of sleep where the person is actually aware that they are asleep and dreaming.  So whether or not you remember your dreams is irrelevant.  If you are in a deep sleep and are suddenly woken by a shock, such as an alarm then that distraction can easily make you forget what you were dreaming about.  So can shifting your focus when you wake such as realizing you are late or the kids are crying, etc.

Do you sneeze in sunlight? [No clue on these questions]

Were you shy or over-sensitive as a child?                                      

Do you ever feel ‘unreal'?                                

Do you ever ‘hear' your own thoughts?

Do you see or hear things abnormally?                                 

Are you naturally suspicious of people?  [Again, no clue]

Again I do not see any real tie with these either.  Some of these such as "unreal" are vague terms and so can be interpreted in many ways.  And things like were you shy as a child........   Most children are pretty shy.  Do you "hear" your own thoughts.  Doesn't everyone.  When you thinking about something, even reading a book don't you "hear" the words?  And see things abnormally?  Like floaters and flashes that can indicate eye issues, not depression?  Again they are making vague references and overall their list is ridiculous.  These really are not indicators for depression.