Fact: most people with vitamin B12 deficiency suffer from depression symptoms, as well. Unfortunately, many don’t connect the dots between the two conditions. As a result, they may never find the relief that comes with vitamin B12 supplementation, despite taking antidepressants for anxiety or chronic depression for many years.

The B12 deficiency epidemic

There are a few reasons why vitamin B12 deficiency can slip past the radar when it comes to emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, and paranoia.

1) Many doctors simply don’t test for low vitamin B12 when their patients come to them complaining of long-lasting depression. As a result, a startling number of B12 deficient people never get diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, and never get the treatment they need.

2) If you’ve been struggling with anxiety and depression all your life, then you may not notice signs of early vitamin B12 deficiency that mimic chronic depression. Overwhelming sadness, foreboding, panic attack, brain fog, fatigue, and memory loss are all depression symptoms that also occur with depleted vitamin B12 in your blood supply.

3) Vitamin B12 blood tests often produce inaccurate results. So, even if you suspect you have vitamin B12 deficiency and go in for testing, you may never get the diagnosis you need in order to receive authorized vitamin B12 supplementation from your healthcare provider.

For that reason, many people who suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency or pernicious anemia (the autoimmune form of B12 deficiency) opt to order vitamin B12 online, in order to get enough vitamin B12 to reverse symptoms of depression, nerve damage, fatigue, and cognitive impairment.

4) Certain medications, including antidepressants, increase your chances of developing vitamin B12 deficiency, as they interfere with your ability to digest vitamin B12 properly from the foods you eat.

If you are currently taking antianxiety drugs or antidepressants, then you should supplement with extra vitamin B12 at the same time, in order to prevent anemia.

Depression symptoms from B12 deficiency

Unless it’s treated, vitamin B12 deficiency with depression can become a vicious cycle. Scientists have found that patients suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder experience of worsening of symptoms when vitamin B12 levels are low.

Listed are some depression symptoms and mental illnesses that may become aggravated with vitamin B12 deficiency.

• Overpowering sadness
• Strong sense of doom
• Extreme distractedness, inability to focus
• Crushing fatigue
• Brain fog
• Anxiety, panic attacks
• Paranoia
• Hallucination
• Delusions
• Severe memory impairments
• Irritability
• Unusual aggressive behavior
• Moodiness

If you suffer from depression symptoms, then please see a doctor and discuss medication options. Also, consider adding regular high-dose vitamin B12 to your daily routine.

 Image by Eddi van W.