How to Fight Depression
Work overload can cause depression, says Harold Levinson, M.D. , a New York based psychiatrist and neurologist. So why do we say yes in the first place?
As humans, we’re inherently social, the problem is that the activity is part of a week that includes 20 other things. The solution is to prioritize, says Catherine Birndorf, M.D. look at the bigger picture, which activities do you really want to do and will they realistically fit into your schedule.
Laughter really is the best medicine. Studies have shown that putting a smile on your face will make you feel better physically.
Your social calendar is jam packed with happy hour drink specials. A drink or two may keep the mood festive, but they’ll also have you belting out post-party pity tunes. Why? Alcohol is actually a central nervous system depressant, besides you’ll pay the next day with a hangover. Pace yourself, experts say. If you have three get-togethers in one week, decide how many drinks you’ll have at each . Also, fill your stomach with food to cut alcohol’s impact.
Focus on the good things in your life, especially when you feel buried under by stress and worry. Is work getting to you? Take a time out; turn away from the task at hand, close your eyes for a minute and think about something in your life that makes you happy.
Certain vitamins and nutrients, like omega 3 fatty acids, play a role in changing the brain chemistry that affects your mood. B vitamins, especially B6, B12, and folic acid, may also help. So eat foods such as sunflower seeds, oranges, beet6s and leafy green vegetables every day to avoid mood swings. Vitamin D offers a double dose of nutritional goodness. It can cut the risk of osteoporosis and may lift seasonal affective disorder, a depression that typically occurs in winter, when there are fewer hours of sunshine.
Trying to get through life when missing a loved one, especially the first year or two, can trigger depression and loneliness.
Breath in and sooth your mood with aroma therapy using concentrated essential oils from plants. Those that may help include clary sage, bergamont, geranium, lavender, lemon and rose. Dilute them with vegetable oil and message into your skin, add a few drops to the bath, or warm them over a diffuser [the heat will spread the scent throughout the room].
If you are still having trouble beating the blahs, you may be clinically depressed. Your Doctor can determine if medication is a treatment option. Antidepressants relieve depression by working on brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Research shows that medication and t6herapy together are more effective than either by itself.
About 20 million people a year suffer from depression, a disorder that compromises one’s ability to function normally day to day.
Lifescript, December 27, 2008
