Help Keep Depression at Bay With These 3 Tips

Depression is a condition that is frequently misunderstood. Many times, people who have never experienced it mistake depression for sadness. But the fact is that you don’t even have to be sad to be depressed. And those suffering from the condition often find it difficult to trace their feelings back to a root cause. 

To help clarify, depression is a mood disorder that can manifest in a number of ways, including, but not limited to anger, loss, or sadness. Many do not experience crying jags or bouts of melancholy. Instead, depression is felt as an extreme feeling of lethargy and emptiness. The condition is not uncommon. An estimated 8.1% of adults are depressed—and this is likely to increase as a result of the current pandemic. 

However you experience depression, there is no universal cure. Some recover from the condition, while others learn to live with it for the rest of their lives. A treatment may work for one person, yet have no effect on another. Therefore, managing your symptoms can be a process of trial and error. You may need to try several different options before you find one that works for you. What’s important is that you try to remain as patient and optimistic as possible. 

To get you started, here are three options that can help to keep depression at bay.

Self-care 

Depression can worsen when you have stress or worry in your life, so self-care is crucial. If you have a high-pressured job, consider speaking with your employer about your concerns and find a way to lighten your workload. Time management strategies are also beneficial to help create more relaxing downtime. Whenever you can, indulge in a bit of self-care to brighten your mood. This could include relaxing baths, exercise, a massage, or spending quality time with friends and family.

Therapy

Many people find that taking about their depression is an effective way of relieving their symptoms. Speak with your doctor about options for counseling or cognitive behavioral therapy. If this isn't possible, find a close friend or family member to share your concerns with instead.

Medication

There are several types of medication used to treat depression. Depending on your symptoms, your healthcare provider might prescribe a course of antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication, or antipsychotic medications. It’s important to note that all medications affect people in different ways and their benefits and side effects can vary from person to person. Along with prescription drugs, there are also many natural solutions used to treat depression. These can include herbal supplements, essential oils, vitamins, and medical marijuana, which can be purchased at outlets such as Harvest House of Cannabis. Whichever you choose, it is important to discuss any new medication with your doctor before use.

Lose weight, increase energy and relieve depression by boosting brain chemical dopamine - Here's how to do it!

By JB Bardot

(NaturalNews) Increase energy, lose weight, feel happier and eliminate depression by raising the levels of the brain neurotransmitter dopamine with simple dietary changes.

Dopamine is naturally produced by the brain and controls the body's movements, stimulates metabolism and proper body weight, supports the circulatory system and governs the brain's information flow. Too little dopamine in the system is responsible for a lack of response in an individual, deadening the ability to feel emotion and creating a sense of indifference. In addition, low dopamine levels slow the metabolism, contributing to weight gain, low energy, sluggishness and depression. Too little dopamine can cause unwanted bodily movements, jerking, twitching and slurred speech. Proper levels of dopamine are necessary to prevent conditions such as Parkinson's disease. In the right amounts, dopamine encourages weight loss and helps the body maintain its proper weight.

Heal Autism, Depression and Autoimmune Disorders with a GAPS Diet

The Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet (GAPS) is not for the faint of heart. It requires patience and dedication, not to mention time -- up to three years. But for those suffering from asthma, food intolerance and allergy, developmental delays, depression or a spectrum of digestive disorders, it can be a miracle. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, creator of the diet, believes that all disease begins with a compromised gut and if the digestive tract is healed, so is health.

A damaged gut equals compromised health

Through poor food choices, environmental toxins or genetic disposition, the gut can develop lesions that leak toxins into the bloodstream. This opens the door to a host of dysfunctional autoimmune conditions, systemic candida infections and neurological disorders. Dr. Campbell-McBride, who specializes in neurology and human nutrition, recognizes the crucial role a well functioning digestive system plays in physical and mental health. Using the GAPS protocol, she has witnessed full recoveries from autism to irritable bowel syndrome to food allergies.

The Surprising Natural Antidepressant: Cashews

(Natural Cures, Not Medicine) Two handfuls of cashews is the therapeutic equivalent of a prescription dose of Prozac. Inside you, the essential amino acid L-tryptophan is broken down into anxiety-reducing, snooze-inducing niacin. Even more important, tryptophan is also made into serotonin, one of your body’s most important neurotransmitters. Serotonin gives a feeling of well-being and mellowness, or as the Australians would say, “no worries.” This is such a profound effect that Prozac, Paxil and similar antidepressants usually either mimic serotonin or artificially keep the body’s own serotonin levels high. You can do the same thing with your food. And no one can tell us that beans, peas, cheese, nuts and wheat germ are toxic if you eat a lot of them!

Antidepressant Microbes In Soil: How Dirt Makes You Happy

By Bonnie L. Grant

(Gardening Know How) Prozac may not be the only way to get rid of your serious blues. Soil microbes have been found to have similar effects on the brain and are without side effects and chemical dependency potentials. Learn how to harness the natural antidepressant in soil and make yourself happier and healthier. Read on to see how dirt makes you happy.

Natural remedies have been around for untold centuries. These natural remedies included cures for almost any physical ailment as well as mental and emotional afflictions. Ancient healers may not have known why something worked but simply that it did. Modern scientists have unraveled the why of many medicinal plants and practices but only recently are they finding remedies that were previously unknown and, yet, still a part of the natural life cycle. Soil microbes and human health now have a positive link which has been studied and found to be verifiable.

7 Questions To Ask Yourself The Next Time You Feel Intense Anxiety

(MindBodyGreen)

By Megan Bruneau

Anxiety is often caused by unhealthy thought patterns, worries, and stress. However, sometimes that uncomfortable, distressful, and at times panic-inducing experience has little to do with what we're thinking, and more to do our biochemistry or what we just ate. Sometimes, it doesn't matter how much we "talk it out" because our anxiety has little to do with what our thoughts and more to do with these other culprits.

Creating Heart-to-Heart Coherence and Living a Heart-Centered Life

(SHIFT>) There is an incredible amount of knowledge that we as humans can gather up from the plant kingdom with a heart-centered approach. By gathering information directly from the “heart of nature," we are able to realize the interconnectedness between humanity and the planet in a way that may conjure up themes from films such as Avatar. As more scientific research comes forward concerning the abilities and properties of plants, the more we learn that there are so many things that the plant kingdom is able to teach us, especially concerning harmony and balance.

A book that came our a few years ago entitled "The Secret Teachings of Plants: The Intelligence of the Heart in the Direct Perception of Nature," details these things in a very elegant way and shows us that the ancient shamanistic tales of oneness, interconnectedness, harmony, and balance with respect to humanity and nature’s relationship are indeed true. The human heart is significantly more important than most people realize, and in order to spread awareness of this reality, secret excerpts from the book will be provided to show just how important and sophisticated the heart truly is.

Everything Doesn't Happen For A Reason

By Tim Lawrence

(The Adversity Within) I emerge from this conversation dumbfounded. I've seen this a million times before, but it still gets me every time. 

I’m listening to a man tell a story. A woman he knows was in a devastating car accident; her life shattered in an instant. She now lives in a state of near-permanent pain; a paraplegic; many of her hopes stolen.

He tells of how she had been a mess before the accident, but that the tragedy had engendered positive changes in her life. That she was, as a result of this devastation, living a wonderful life.

And then he utters the words. The words that are responsible for nothing less than emotional, spiritual and psychological violence:

Everything happens for a reason. That this was something that had to happen in order for her to grow.

That's the kind of bullshit that destroys lives.

And it is categorically untrue.

Is Your Paleo Diet Making You Irritable, Depressed and Sleep Deprived?

Struggling with mood swings, anxiety, brain fog or fatigue? If so, you may be GABA compromised. An important neurotransmitter that contributes to our overall sense of well-being, GABA production can become severely disrupted by chronic stress and during the dark winter months. Gut flora imbalance, environmental pollutants and pharmaceutical drug use are also associated with lowered levels. Those on a Paleo diet may suffer from insufficient GABA too.

Psychobiotics: Bacteria For Your Brain?

(GreenMed Info) By Dr. Kelly Brogan, M.D.

Every functional medicine psychiatrist has case stories of the 'probiotic cure' – of a patient with debilitating symptoms, often obsessive compulsive range, whose symptoms remitted completely with dietary change and probiotic supplementation. Is this voodoo or is it based on a growing understanding of the role of the microbiome in mental health and behavior? For two decades now, pioneering researchers have been substantiating inflammatory models of mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.  Research has focused on markers that indicate immune distress in an important subset of patients, many of whom are labeled "treatment resistant." Through this body of literature, we have identified that depression can be induced, in animals and in humans through inflammatory agents, that it is correlated with blood levels of inflammatory markers, in a linear way (more markers = worse depression), and that symptoms can be reversed through pharmaceutical anti-inflammatories.

Banish Depression With the Tree of Happiness

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an estimated 44.3 million Americans, ages 18 and older, suffer from a mental disorder. Depression, included in this number, is reaching epidemic proportions. While the media continues to report on the potentially life-threatening side effects of pharmaceutical antidepressants, more and more individuals are turning to herbal solutions. A little known tree in the West, Albizia julibrissin, is beginning to share the spotlight with other herbal antidepressants as an effective remedy.

15 Easy Things You Can Do To Fight Inflammation & Boost Your Metabolism

(MindBodyGreen) Can you relate to any of the following? I follow all the rules, but I still can't lose the weight. I'm just getting old and my metabolism is slow. It's genetic. There's nothing I can do.
Regular readers of MindBodyGreen know that chronic inflammation has been linked to a host of ailments — from depression and weight gain to cancer — but what can we actually do about it?

A Poem A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

Imagine receiving a poem instead of a standard prescription during your next doctor visit. Used to assist cancer patients and adolescents; those struggling with autism, depression or the dark avenues of grief -- poetry therapy is a powerful method of healing. Through the act of creating a poem or reading aloud specific verse that echo's experience, a harmonious equilibrium is encouraged for both body and mind.

Detox daily with chlorella and keep fibromyalgia, depression, heart disease and cancer at bay

Did you know that chlorella can ease fibromyalgia and depression, boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and shows promise in preventing and treating cancer? A tall order for any supplement, yet research in recent years has uncovered several startling benefits of this ancient food. Rich in nutrients and a supreme detoxifier, chlorella is a superfood that should grace every diet.

Transform Your Life in 10 Minutes With Ancient ‘Youthing’ Practice

If you need more zest and zip in your life, the secret to these states and more can be found in a set of simple (yet profound) yogic exercises known as the "Five Tibetans." Developed by Buddhist monks and brought to the West in the 1930s, Tibetan yoga is a series of five movements that improve digestion and circulation while dispelling fatigue and depression. Advocates of the practice rave about the boundless energy, clarity and vitality the short daily sessions produce. And many also believe Tibetan yoga reverses the hands of time, promoting an ageless and disease free body.

10 Questions To Ask Yourself When You Feel Like Crap

(MindBodyGreen) When life feels overwhelming, it can be easy to fall into a rut. The next time you feel low, here are 10 questions you can ask to gain a fresh perspective and get moving in a more positive direction. They can be applied to any area of your life when you feel down, angry, fearful, sad, or confused.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Tool That Heals Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Insomnia and More

(Beautiful Mind)There is a place on the human body, where a daily use of ice cube will heal you, make you younger and fill you up with energy. This place is located in the hole where neck and head are connected. Chinese acupuncture named it Feng Fu, which means “wind mansion."

A grateful heart

"The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see." —Robert Holden

(As seen in Parade - January 1, 2012) By John Kralik

I’ve received quite a few nice notes and letters from people who saw my piece in Parade. That piece was necessarily much shortened, because of space limitations, so I thought I’d share an earlier draft with those who have taken the time to come to this page. Here goes.

“Knowing that you had to work on Thanksgiving, of all days, I thought I’d express my gratitude that you have taken the time and made the effort to learn my name and greet me each day in a way that makes me feel like a person instead of a number.  It’s a small thing, but on any given day, it can make all the difference.  Thank you!”

I sent this thank-you note to a barista at Starbucks who had brightened my day, and many other days before and after, by remembering my name with a smile every morning.  It was one of the special things for which I was grateful at Thanksgiving of 2008, the year in which I had vowed to write a thank you note every day of the year. It nearly brought her to tears.

Could a hug a day keep infection away?

By Dr. Mercola

Infants deprived of touch typically experience developmental delays. Their growth is often impaired, as is their cognitive development. Rates of serious infections and attachment disorders also increase in children who have been deprived of this apparently innate need.

How Stress Is Making You Lose Your Mind

 By Jenny C. Evans

(Huffington Post) Stress is affecting your brain much more than you think. Sure, you've experienced the distraction, forgetfulness, negativity or anxiety that comes from stressful situations, but did you know it's also shrinking your brain? Hormones released in response to stress not only affect brain function, they also change the physical structure of your brain.

The stress hormone cortisol can kill, shrink, and stop the generation of new neurons in a portion of the brain called the hippocampus. (1)