The Power of Depression
Posted by admin on November 19th, 2009
Depression is a force to be reckoned with. It will rob you of the best years of your life. More than 6 million men suffer with depression in America, and if you add in the number of women who also suffer, that number more than doubles. These numbers are alarming and growing every day. Right now approximately 17 percent of Americans suffer from some form of depression. In this article, you will learn what is depression, what causes depression, and how you can easily beat depression without a trip to the pharmacist.
What is Depression
Depression is a serious medical condition, that believe it or not, most people will just ignore. I’d like to believe that the reason for ignoring this condition is to avoid those dangerous antidepressants. It will not just go away and you do not have to take those antidepressants either. Depression is a disease and is nothing to be ashamed of. If gone untreated, it will rob you of your life, you will find a loss of energy, a lack of appetite, and a whole host of issues you might not even realize are related. You might find yourself avoiding social activities and normal get-togethers with friends and colleagues. This is a time you’ll need them most, instead of feeling too embarrassed to face them or let them know how down you’re feeling. Depression comes in several forms, mild, moderate and severe with bouts of anxiety and even panic attacks. All of these issues can be controlled by you, without the doctor visits. A little research, a little exercise, make a few changes in your diet and add a few supplements and you will be astonished by what you can accomplish. Now just think what you can do about your depression if you really get serious.
What causes Depression
Depression usually comes from several sources that add up slowly. Your body is extremely resilient, but after a while these things will add up and cause your system to overload and then break down. Sometimes it can just be one major or traumatic event that sets you in motion. Depression is caused by an imbalance of chemicals or neurotransmitters that carry brain signals to your nerves. Serotonin levels play a major role in depression and most people who suffer from depression have very low serotonin levels. Stress causes depression, now stress maybe next to impossible to avoid these days with our troubled economy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn how to manage stress. I think most people can use a little stress management in their lives. Some people can suffer with bouts of depression as a direct result from side effects of medication that they might be taking for another problem they may have all together. Depression can come from many sources, the trick is recognizing it early and taking action before it gets the better of you.
What to do now
First of all, a little exercising is a powerful way to make you feel better about yourself. Exercise releases endorphins and increases serotonin in the brain. This will make you feel better, sleep better and give you that “runners high” feeling. Simple carbohydrates and grains will also help your brain release serotonin. Tryptophan is also very good for helping to produce serotonin. Great sources of tryptophan are turkey, chicken, beef, brown rice, eggs, milk, cheese, fish, fruit, nuts and vegetables. Also, you should stay away from processed foods and excess sugar. You will also need to take natural supplements. The best ones are, and you should start with St. John’s Wort, Rhodiola Rosea, 5-HTP, L-Tyrosine, Fish Oil, Magnesium, Vitamin B, Passion Flower and Acai Berry. This is a great list to start out with. I would research these supplements one by one and see which ones you’d like to try first. They are all great and they will all help. Don’t let the power of depression defeat you.