When struggling with symptoms of depression the first step is to rule out medical reasons.

I have permission from my client to tell the following story. Just the same I have changed his name to preserve his anonymity. I had been working with “Mike” for a few months and I just did not feel like we were getting anywhere with his depression. Then one week he came in for his appointment – he seemed like a changed man! He was smiling. His affect was brighter than I had ever seen it and he seemed much more at ease with himself. As soon as we were comfortably situated in our respective spots I asked him about the change. He said he had gone to his doctor for his annual check up. They found that he had a severe vitamin D deficiency. He had been on the supplements only a few days and his smiling face was the result. When I see him now he refers to his life before and after vitamin D. If ever I was a skeptic about vitamins before Mike, I certainly am not now. If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels and your thyroid.