The Dangers Of Depression And How To Protect Yourself
OsakaWayne Studios
If your mental health has taken a turn for the worse, it could partially be as a result of the ongoing pandemic we are facing. If this is the case for you, you are not the only one. As the COVID-19 pandemic raged on, according to the American Psychological Association, mental health issues such as depression and anxiety have been on the rise in young adults and adults in recent years. Harmful mental health issues have become approximately 4 times as common in individuals compared to the average percentage of depression symptoms reported in the years prior to the pandemic. Depression is a disorder that can be genetically passed on, developed from traumatic experiences, etc. So, there are many ways in which depression can present itself in a person, and not only this, but also at different stages in one’s life. As shown in the stated statistic above, Depression disorder is unfortunately not as uncommon in people as you would hope. As it seems we are nearing the end of the pandemic, we all need to continue to realize that it still is very important to take care of our mental health. We need to pay as much special attention in keeping our minds healthy as we would our bodies. This article will discuss and dive into a variety of ways in which you can take better care of your mental health from everyday adjustments to some more complicated ways. Here are some ways to read about so you can be more educated on trying to find relief if you or a loved one suffer with experiencing symptoms of depression.
Maintaining Your Social Life
Our social lives are an important part of our everyday decisions and actions. Whether it is going out for lunch with a friend once a week, or meeting new people on the weekends, our social lives help to dictate who we are. Having an active and exciting social life might be important for more reasons than you would initially think. Your healthy social activities could relate to your mental health and its ability to lessen symptoms of depression. In an informative article by Psychology Today, they described a healthy social life’s impact on depression and stress as,
“Therefore, doing things—even when it goes against all instincts—brings about benefits on many levels. For example, maintaining social contact is a major source of relief; it acts physiologically, by tempering stress reactivity, and counters the bleakness of depression by providing a source of pleasure.”
Even if you are more of a natural homebody and normally prefer to stay in, you should try to go out when you have the opportunity. If you are presented with the chance between going out or staying in, even if you really feel you want to stay in, try going out for a change to cause a distraction for your mind by doing something which makes you happy. By
going out, it could possibly make you feel better in the long run and could be refreshing for your mind. By being cognizant of how often you engage in healthy social activities, not only could you help relieve your symptoms of depression, but you can also relieve stress which could help you feel even better mentally. Stress can be triggering for a depressive episode, so by managing your stress through a healthy social life, it can ward off a depressive episode.
Brain Food
Were you aware that there are certain healthy yet delicious foods which can possibly help you fight off depression symptoms? It has been proven that there are! Our diets are a very important part of not only being able to maintain good physical health, but good mental health as well. The foods we eat have the power to help or hinder. There has been research done by Psychology Today which has reported that certain diets such as the Mediterranean and Japanese diets, have shown to improve brain functions. These diets rely heavily on fresh sea foods and fruits and vegetables and have a healthy chemical composition as these diets are also particularly low in dairy and animal products. Mediterranean and Japanese diets are related to improving your mood and additionally fight off the scary concept of neurodegeneration. If you make sure to be aware of what you are eating and to watch what you eat, you not only could help improve your physical health, but your mental health could improve as well. Therefore, your new diet could help in bettering your quality of life and lower the frequency of depression symptoms; if one of these diets work for your lifestyle and are approved by your doctor.
“Brain Training”
Depression is hard to deal with on a daily basis, and depression can also
lead to one having more stress and other issues. It is said that some people who suffer from depression can also possibly have issues with inhibitory control functions. Inhibitory control is the specific part of the brain which is in charge of responding to various stimuli and it keeps us from resisting the urge to do random things at inappropriate times. Our moods and our brain functions, whether basic or complex, are connected and controlled in the same areas of the brain. For example, when it comes to depression, if you have issues with inhibitory control, you could suffer with persistent thoughts which could impact your mental health for the worst. Happiful stated in response to the studies conducted by distinguished doctors such as Dr. Henry Mahncke that,
“These new results confirm an emerging understanding of brain health – that mood and cognitive function are both functions of brain health, and are deeply intertwined, with bi-directional relationships between cognitive performance and mental health...More studies have shown the benefits of brain training using the exercises in BrainHQ including improvements in memory, attention, mood, confidence and social cognition.”
So, to sum up, the research findings conducted by Dr. Henry Mahncke and
others, it is insinuated that if one has the ability to improve their inhibitory
control and response functions through proper brain training techniques,
then there is the possibility that the individuals with depression could lessen
their symptoms drastically.
Depression is a very serious disorder and should never be taken lightly. Whether you are already a diagnosed sufferer of depression or not, your mental health is extremely important. There is hope for you in being able to relieve your depression and there are many different options for doing so. From everyday activities to make better diet choices to your social life to more advanced and clinically researched ways in which you can try to improve your mental health, there are many professionals out there to assist you. If you need more specialized and advanced assistance for your depression, there are even more avenues you can head down. You have the right to be able to live your best life. You should have the ability to be treated if you need treatment. If you ever feel you need help immediately or your life is in danger, make sure you reach out to a help hotline such as 1-800-662-HELP to get the proper assistance you need.
