5 Natural ways to fight depression
According to Washington University School of Medicine, there is an estimated 17.5 million Americans with some form of depression, and an estimated 9.2 million have major or clinical depression. Nearly two-thirds of people with depression do not seek medical treatment. The economic cost of depression is 30.4 billion a year. Major depression is 1.5-3 times more likely among first-degree biological relatives and women are diagnosed with depression twice as often as men.
Four things to keep in mind about Depression:
- Depression is a real illness.
- Depression affects people in different ways.
- Depression is treatable.
- If you have depression, you are not alone.
Here are some natural ways to fight depression that can be used in conjunction with medicine or without medicine:
- Depression can strip away structure in your life leaving you with a helpless feeling. Many Psychiatrist recommend beginning a normalized schedule, this can help you get away from that feeling of one day melting into the next and on and on and on.
- Exercise. Exercise is a natural way to increase endorphinis (feel good chemicals) your body makes. Scientist are finding that exercise can help the brain re-wire itself in positive ways. So how much exercise do you need? Start with 30 minutes 3x Week and work your way up from there.
- Sleep. Depression can make you want to sleep a lot or make you not get enough sleep. Too little and too much sleep can make depression worse. This one goes in conjunction with #1, you need to try and get to sleep at the same time every day. The best way to do this is to get in a routine where you have no distractions 1 hour-30 minutes before bedtime.
- Food can make a big difference. Depression can make you over eat. There is no special diet to cure depression but there is evidence that foods high in omega 3 fatty acids can help ease symptoms. Foods high in omega 3 fatty acids include wild caught salmon, avocado, tuna, flax seeds, and pistachios.
- Do something new. When you challenge your brain to perform a new activity, dopamine ( a chemical in the brain associated with pleasure and enjoyment) levels can be affected in a positive way.