Depression
Depression
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Depression and Courage
Depression and Courage…Living with Depression Requires Courage Depression and courage – Living as a depressed person requires tremendous courage and tremendous energy. Functioning on a daily basis and keeping up with a world that is not depressed is a challenge that is not for the faint of heart. If you are depressed or think you may be struggling with depression, give yourself a break. Yours is not an easy road, but it is one that is shared by many; I used to be one of them. It’s not so long ago, that I don’t still remember how it felt. It’s not so long ago that I don’t still get…
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Depression – Side Effects of Antidepressants
Depression – Side Effects of Antidepressants I remember when I finally decided to get medical help for my depression. It was after many years of denying that I was depressed. I remember exactly where I was…it was on the deck of our house. My husband was the one who finally said to me, “Aren’t you tired of being depressed?” I called my doctor and began the process. I had to talk to an LICSW (social worker) who then referred me to a psychiatrist who was the one with the prescription pad. At the time, I had no idea about the side effects of antidepressants. I was so psyched once I…
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Depression; Thief of Life
The Thief Known as Depression Depression was many things to me. It was a thief of fun and energy. It was something to hide and be ashamed of; it was something that made me feel different and inferior… damaged goods in some way. It made me fearful that my defect would be discovered. It also made me jealous; jealous of others who could have fun and be silly while I was so serious and just tried to maintain. I lived with depression for decades. My first memory of it is when I was twelve years old. I began crying for silly reasons, and no one could figure out what was…
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Exercise and Depression – Go for a hike!
Exercise and Depression – Go for a hike! After my first post on exercise and depression, I decided to take my own advice, get off the couch and move, but not right away… Today Rob said, “Do you want to go for a hike?” I tend to be a more sedentary person by nature and really wanted to spend some free time sitting and crocheting a blanket I’m making for one of my nieces, so I considered the merits of taking my own advice and said, “sure, let’s go for a hike”. We suited up and headed out. A short drive later we were at a nearby Audubon refuge that…
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Exercise and Depression…it can help more than you think
Exercise and Depression When you’re depressed, sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed, nevermind even thinking about exercising! When you just want to pull the covers over your head and wait for tomorrow hoping it will be better, running around the block or heading for the gym are not top on your list of favorite things to do. Exercise and depression…I think not… Ironically, when you’re depressed, you tend to want to do things that are not necessarily going to make you feel better (at least I did). Things like being sedentary and eating sugar and carby foods that gave me a few moments of comfort and feel-good taste-wise…
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Depression and Menopause- Can the right foods help?
Depression and Menopause Let’s begin our discussion of depression and menopause by acknowledging that the target market for antidepressants is women. The antidepressant industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. Is it any wonder why doctors prescribe them so liberally rather than discuss diet, supplements, exercise, hormone balancing, etc.? Doctors who practice allopathic, or mainstream medicine are not schooled in nutrition. The definition of allopathic medicine is “mainstream medical use of pharmacologically active agents or physical interventions to treat or suppress symptoms or pathophysiologic processes of diseases or conditions”. Not a vegetable in sight… If these doctors are required to take one or two courses on the subject of food and nutrition while…
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Sugar and Depression…how sugar can shrink your brain
Sugar and Depression… Are you struggling with depression? Do you know someone who is depressed or who takes anti-depressants? There’s actually a link between sugar and depression. How much sugar do you eat? Did you know that people who consume diets high in sugar and simple carbohydrates are more likely to become depressed? It’s true! Sugar is the enemy of your body and your mind. It’s so unfair that it tastes so good. I love it too; but I know it doesn’t love me back. It doesn’t serve my body or my mind to eat it. We have choices, and as difficult and as challenging as it may be, we…
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Statins and Depression
Statins and depression… Statins and depression….Are the statins you’ve been told will lower your cholesterol making you depressed? If you struggle with depression, you want to do anything you can do to help control it. Believe me, I know. I lived with depression for decades. Statins are being called into question relative to the epidemic of depression we are experiencing in this country. Did you know that over 20% of women in the U.S. in their 40s and 50s are taking anti-depressants? When you read the studies about statins and depression, most of the negative press is about how they affect women’s moods, aggression, etc. I can tell you from…
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Vitamin D and Depression – the positive effect of vitamin D on your mood
Vitamin D and Depression…The Positive Effects of Vitamin D on Your Mood I just realized I ran out of Vitamin D which is what prompted this post. As someone who struggled with depression for decades (please note the past tense used here), I am acutely aware of the effect that vitamin D plays on mood, sadness and depression. Studies have shown a link between vitamin D deficiency and mood. Vitamin D is a vitamin our body produces but does not store. In fact, each day we need a source of vitamin D or we will become deficient in that vitamin. The good news is that getting enough vitamin D…
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Depression and Parkinson’s Disease
Depression and Parkinson’s Disease… Swedish study shows a link I was saddened to read that Alan Alda has revealed he has Parkinson’s Disease. My father lived and died with that disease, but at that time, he wasn’t one of many. What is it that is driving this disease to epidemic proportions in recent years? I want to share with you a story I read about a study conducted in Sweden that strongly suggests there’s a link between depression and Parkinson’s disease. This really caught my attention as I have struggled with depression in the past, and as I said, my father had Parkinson’s. The study followed the entire population of…
