It’s shocking to hear this but it’s the truth: there are currently 16 million people in the United States who are struggling with depression. Depression has become ubiquitous in modern life, with more people than ever being diagnosed as clinically depressed than ever before. There are numerous scores of thinking as to why this should be the case from increasing poverty, insecure jobs and stressful working lives to the amount of time spent on social media, and of course, many cases of depression are believed to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain too, but whatever the course, one thing’s for sure — depression sucks.
Living with depression is like living under a black cloud where you never see the sun but it does rain a lot. It can make you feel tired, sad, bored or you may even feel nothing at all, and even getting out of bed in the morning will seem like an activity too far. So, if you’re feeling depressed, it’s pretty obvious that you need to get it treated as soon as possible.
When it comes to treating mental health issues, your doctor should be your first port of call because they will be able to diagnose you officially, and a treatment of medication and/or counseling is always worth trying. That being said, there are lots of natural antidepressants which have some backing from science, which you might also want to try too. Here are some of them.
Curcumin
Curcumin is the main ingredient of that popular curry spice turmeric, which gives Indian food that distinctive golden yellow color. Many people hail turmeric as a miracle food, claiming it can reduce inflammation in the body and lower the risks of brain disease amongst other things, but one thing there is definitely scientific backing to suggest it can help to ease depression, I, fact, in some studies, curcumin supplements have been found to be as effective as SSRI medications and has been sown to increase levels of both dopamine and serotonin. That’s pretty impressive for a humble spice ingredient, right?
Learning An Instrument
If you’ve always wanted to play the guitar or learn how to sing like a pro, now might be the time to check out music schools because the science seems to suggest that the complexity of learning to play music combined with the fact that it keeps your mind active and engaged, can help you to win the fight against depression.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness seems to be as ubiquitous as depression in the west right now, but if you think it’s a fad, you need to think again. The fact that mindfulness is becoming more popular at the same time that depression levels are soaring may not be such a coincidence since numerous studies carried out by John Hopkins University in the UK seem to suggest that a regular mindfulness practice can help you to beat depression and anxiety and even help you to manage pain. You can learn mindfulness using apps like Headspace or via books such as The Mindful Way Through Depression, both of which are excellent and very simple. It’s best to start learning mindfulness when you’re feeling fairly well though because it could be difficult to concentrate when you’re in the midst of a bad episode.
Have you been diagnosed with depression? What helps you the most?
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Marilyn
August 8, 2018 at 2:26 am
What helped me tremendously was meditation. I went to a 10 day Vipassana retreat. And I swear, this is no joke. Life changed after that. No pills, no meds, no therapy in the form of a shrink. I meditate regularly and it makes life easier.