In this article I will explain How to overcome depression - for a break, infidelity or any adverse situation vital - with 6 advice based on psychology and research. If you apply them you will see results little by little.
When you have depression you do not have the energy to do anything, you have a very negative opinion of yourself and you think the future will be black.
However, it can be solved; You can feel more energetic, improve your self-esteem and start enjoying life.
"I am terribly tired, sad, uneasy. I feel pain but I do not know where, it is everything and nothing. Confusion. I know I have to go to work but only the idea of facing the shower unleashes a terrible pressure on my chest, my heart is agitated, I can not breathe, I feel a restlessness that I can not stop... I have not slept well... everything appears dark. I do not feel like doing anything. Or anyone. I wonder what sense it has to follow,..." (Anonymous testimony) .
These words reflect the chilling testimony of what the world represents for a person suffering from the devastating disease called Major depressive disorder .
Depression is, in the words of Sapolsky "The worst disease you could suffer." Why affirm this? Because it is devastating, it affects a large number of people throughout the world regardless of their age (estimates speak for 350 million people affected eleven ) Is the fourth leading cause of disability in the world today (according to World Health Organization eleven ) And it is estimated that between 2020 and 2025 will be the second (ahead of obesity or diabetes!).
But not all bad news because, unlike many other diseases, depression can be cured. There are effective treatments for depression.
The World Health Organization Advocates that, in cases of moderate depression, psychosocial treatments are the Effective whereas, if we are talking about severe depression (more than two years suffering the pathology), this type of treatment should be Accompanied by medication eleven .
There is now a lot of confusion about what the term depression means. This is not a unitary concept, but encompasses a broad spectrum Of mood alterations with a single common denominator, pathological sadness.
We are talking about a common spectrum with similar causes and symptomatology, although of different gravity. Major depressive disorder can be episodic or Recurrent and may or may not be aggravated by seasonal changes Referring to Fig. .
Contains sleep disturbances ( insomnia , Drowsiness or unrefreshing sleep), a feeling of continuous fatigue, concentration and memory problems, obsession, anxiety , culpability And, among others, disturbs the ability of those who suffer from perceiving and appreciating the pleasures of life Referring to Fig. .
Human beings have an extraordinary ability to experience pleasure in many domains. What could be worse than a disease you have As a defining symptom the inability to feel pleasure?
It has recently been discovered that in patients with depression the cerebral circuit of pain is overactivated. This corroborates the testimony Patients who claim to suffer torture, agony and, in cases of greater severity, patients begin to see death as a mode of Feasible output 10 .
What I would like to share with you today are the therapeutic approaches that have proven effective and empirically supported in many Studies and which should be used before deciding to start a medication.
First of all I would like to clarify that the support of a health professional, whether psychologist or psychiatrist, is paramount, since only a professional Can guide you and help you understand what is happening to you; Reminding you at every moment that, it is not your fault.
6 Tips for Overcoming Depression
1-Include omega-3 in your diet
Including simple and small changes or contributions in your diet could be that push you need to arm yourself with strength. Why not try?
Several epidemiological and clinical case studies suggest that simply increasing the consumption of long chain unsaturated fatty acids Rich in Omega 3 Results in a significant improvement in depressive symptoms 2,3,4,4,5,6 .
Among them, it is possible to distinguish between those foods containing omega-3 subtype EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) versus subtype DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid), since only the former (EPA) have a clinically and scientifically consolidated efficacy 1 .
Let's translate this into practice. Some of the foods rich in omega-3 EPA subtype are: oily fish or natural fish oil, enriched drinks With omega-3, eggs (80mg / 100g), turkey (30mg / 100g) and beef (20mg / 100g) 7 .
What fish are the ideals?
- Royal salmon> 2000mg / 100g.
- Mussels 950mg / 100g.
- Silver School 400mg / 100g.
- Lorcha 310mg / 100g.
- Oysters 300mg / 100g.
- Canned tuna 230mg / 100g.
- Pargo 220mg / 100g.
- Lose 100mg / 100g.
- Tiger prawn 100mg / 100g.
The best thing of all is to know that, in reality, humans only require that 1% of our fat intake is long chain omega-3, so A slight change will result in a noticeable difference in your state of mind Referring to Fig. .
Here you can find more food against depression.
2-Expose to sunlight
Globally known as light therapy or lumino- therapy, it has finally been demonstrated in 2005 without possible leaf turning, that exposure to"light Bright or white"is associated with a significant reduction in the severity of depression symptoms 12 .
Sunlight is white light and is named so because it emits similar amounts of light in all colors of the spectrum. Do not hesitate, why not Go sunbathing Yes, with protection.
This reminds me of something I have learned working on the University of Geneva . It is amazing to see how the quality of light in an animal Can make the animals relaxed and happy forming their family or, on the contrary, can lead them to begin to experience anxiety, Stereotyped behaviors (such as running in circles for hours) and even being aggressive with members of their community.
With light quality, I mean that if the light source is white (a bright light and clear), the animals will be happy. If the light is yellow, Being vulgar, the catastrophe is looming.
The key word of effectiveness of this therapy is" Melatonin ". What is it? It is a hormone present in both humans and mammals whose function Is to regulate the circadian rhythmicity 13 .
How is it regulated? Although it sounds like science fiction, the light that reaches our eyes and, therefore, our retinas, is not all destined to the sense of view.
Part of it travels to the suprachiasmatic nucleus and then Hypothalamus , Pineal gland And other brain structures responsible for Production and release of hormones into the blood system.
(Clarification: the light is not the one that travels, but the electrical signals produced at synaptic level).
3-Sleep Hygiene
The relationship between sleep and depression is comparable to whiting that bites the tail.
On the one hand, most people with depression claim to suffer some kind of Sleep disturbance (Not all people!), With insomnia being the More frequently.
On the other hand, although vulnerability to mood disorders is not a simple consequence of sleep disturbances, Longitudinal studies have documented that insomnia is a risk factor for its development 14, 15 .
Having said that, it will not come as a surprise to you that many of the brain areas involved in the pathophysiology of depression and Sleep disorders, be the same! 16.17 (Yes, not all).
The relationship between sleep and mood is very complex. If this topic is of your special interest, I suggest that you take a look at the magnificent work of Michael E. Thase 18 .
Let us now turn to practice, How to improve sleep hygiene?
It has been shown that Cognitive-behavioral therapy Is more effective in the long term than sedative-hypnotic medication 18 Whereas, on the other hand, Is addictive (how difficult it is to quit smoking, as to hypnotic medication).
Cognitive-behavioral therapy bases its treatment on stimulus control and arousal control techniques. In case it sounds like Chinese, I translate it into Some simple indications:
- Lie down and get up every day at about the same time (if it's the same, better).
- Get up in the sun or use bright lights when you wake up (what does this remind you of?).
- Try not to drink alcohol near bedtime (alcohol will help you stay asleep but the quality of your sleep will be terrible: goodbye REM phase and slow wave sleep; Why sleep then?). Look here More negative consequences of alcohol.
- Avoid consumption of stimulant foods, beverages or drugs during the afternoon and evening (when I speak of drugs I also include the word Drugs: nicotine, for example, is a stimulant and, above, you are his slave,... and I, too).
- Establish a relaxation routine before bed (a warm bath, relaxing music, interesting reading, you choose!). In addition, seek Dine something light at least two hours before bedtime (this will also help you a lot more than you think to get a bikini body).
- Finally and, very importantly, the bed is for sleeping (except one exception). Do not lie in bed with the computer, or the mobile phone, or a book, or To watch TV or anything. Why? All these activities are incompatible with sleep and your brain will learn and adapt. Do not We must forget that we are animals.
In this article You can get more tips for better sleep.
4-Lifestyle
" The human being is not designed for a sedentary, enclosed, socially isolated, loaded with fast food, deprived of sleep and hectic " 10
Oddly enough, depression talks about biology. Look at where you look at it. It is at this point where I would like to recommend a book called" Why Zebras have no ulcer "Of my admired Sapolsky. The title of the book says it all, never forget what we are or where we come from.
The person who suffers from depression with the naked eye seems lethargic, slow, irresponsible, etc. But, as almost always, appearances deceive.
A depressed person has a constant, though cyclic, sustained and intense stress response. Your brain produces adrenaline without stopping, your kidneys They work madly, their head does not stop thinking and thinking. He is a person prepared for fight or flight. The problem is that there is no need to run away and never It's time to fight.
Let's think again, zebras, lions, elephants and other animals in nature, far from the human hand, do not have ulcers. The humans do.
5-Physical exercise
This advice is linked to the explanation I give in the previous point. Since the brain and body of a depressed person is overactivated, if Wants to flee and fight, it is best to do so.
I speak in a figurative sense, do not fight against anyone or any situation, because, in fact, nothing in your environment is threatening. I am referring That to find you much better if you find yourself depressed, to deceive your brain is the way to win the battle.
Do physical exercise. Make your brain believe you've already run away from the cheetah. Do you feel continuously as if a cheetah Chase
6-Social support
What is it? According to Cobb, social support â €"is defined in terms of the information that the person has and makes him believe that he is loved, loved and esteemed and that he is a member of a Network with mutual obligations".
There are several types of social support: emotional, structural and functional 19
- Among them the emotional one is the one that is most linked to health, causing an instant improvement effect and, according to Grav, effect of Buffering or long-term well-being.
- Structural support refers to the amount, density, and frequency of contact with people in your social network. The more, the better.
- Functional support talks about your role within your social network. Being and feeling part of your social group will make you feel much better with you.
Same
On many occasions you will feel that others do not understand you and you will find it frustrating to hear the word"cheer"once more.
In those moments when the body asks you to say goodbye to find a place where you can"be calm", do yourself a favor and remember that, like It is not your fault to be suffering so much, the others are not guilty of not knowing how to react or help you.
You are trying to get out of this, the others are trying to help you out.
What are you doing to overcome depression?
References
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In depression: Evidence from the meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 28, 525-542 - Appleton KM, et al., (2007). Depressed mood and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake from fish: non-linear or confounded association? Soc
Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 42: 100-4. - Noaghiul S, and Hibbeln JR., (2003). Cross-national comparisons of seafood consumption and rates of bipolar disorders. Am J Psychiatry, 160: 2222-7.
- Silvers KM, and Scott KM, (2002). Fish consumption and self-reported physical and mental health status. Public Health Nutr, 5: 427-31
- Transkanen A, et al., (2001). Fish consumption, depression, and suicidality in a general population. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 58: 512-3.
- Timonen M, et al., (2004). Fish consumption and depression: the Northern Finland 1966 birth cohort study. J Affect Disord, 82: 447-52
- Fatty Acid Database, RMIT University, Australia as quoted at www.omega-3centre.com spring 2008. * Analysis from Massey University. #
NZ crop and food analysis. - IFFO Ltd. (2008). .
- American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition, Text Revision). Washington, DC:
American Psychiatric Association. - Illardi, S. The 6-step program to beat depression without drugs.
- WHO Fact Sheet No. 369. (2012). .
- Golden, R., et al. (2005). The Efficacy and light therapy in the treatment of mood disorders: A review and meta-analysis of the evidence. American
Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 656-662. - Golombek, D.A. (1991). Melatonin-Induced Depression of Locomotor Activity in Hamsters: Time-Dependence and Inhibition by the Central-Type
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- Nofzinger EA. Functional neuroimaging of sleep. Semin Neurol. 2005; 25: 9-18.
- Maquet P. Current status of brain imaging in sleep medicine. Sleep Med Rev. 20059: 155-156.
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- Grav, S., Hellzen, O., Romild, U., & Stordal, E. (2012). Association between social support and depression in the general population: The hunt
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