A chemical imbalance is a diagnosis made by physicians and psychiatrists to explain why changes in the neurological state of a person occurs.

Your brain contains a number of chemicals called neurotransmitters that control your emotions, reactions, moods and even your physical movements. Your body synthesizes these chemicals naturally, but if it makes too much or too little of either one, your moods—and even your personality—may change.

Many foods contain nutrients that are vital to hormonal and neurochemical activity and balance in our brains. Symptoms of depression and anxiety are worsened by vitamin and nutrient deficiencies. Foods rich in the following nutrients can help reduce anxiety and improve mood.

Cymbalta and Prozac are two popular antidepressant medications manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company. Although there are many similarities between the two medications, there are also many differences.

Feeling hopeless and worthless, not being able to sleep, gaining weight from overeating and constantly feeling sad are symptoms of depression and things that most people would want to change. People seek help for depression with therapy, medication, group therapy and support from friends and family.

Depression is a debilitating mental health issue that can significantly impact a person socially and occupationally. Treatment for depression includes individual therapy, family therapy, support groups and medication.

Anxiety disorders affect one in eight American children, and are often associated with depression, eating disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to Anxiety Disorders Association of America.

The use of birth control pills, oral contraceptives, to help prevent pregnancy is widespread. Oral contraceptives contain progestin or synthetic progesterone.

Serotonin and norepinephrine are two neurotransmitters that are involved in mood, and are thought to be connected to depression. The Mayo Clinic notes that it is hypothesized that a deficit in either neurotransmitter can cause depression.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, and serotonin are neurotransmitters that help regulate your body’s anxiety level and mood. Although no foods contain GABA or serotonin, you can stimulate your body to produce more of these vital brain chemicals through dietary means.

If you suffer from depression, you are most certainly not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one of the most prevalent mental illnesses is major depressive disorder. This intense form of the disease affects nearly 7 percent of American adults in a year.

According to the Mayo Clinic, clinical depression can be treated by psychotherapy as well as medication. Antidepressants affect the release and reuptake of some common neurotransmitters that send messages between neurons. Some of these include dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.