Posts Tagged ‘Depressed Person’

One of the ways to battle back from depression is to fight with food. What you eat can improve or tear down your body. It is crucial for a depressed person to use food in a positive way.

What is it about comfort foods? We eat them until we are stuffed to the gills. Why? One reason is that good food satisfies our bodies and our minds. We feel better about ourselves.

Certain nutrients have an effect on the level of neurotransmitters in the brain. In a depressed person, the levels of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin are lower than normal. This leads to the symptoms that have been attributed to depression.

To reverse that state, diet plays a major role. Here are a few dishes that are easy to prepare but offer a wealth of nutritional value to boost your brain power and reduce depressive symptoms.

1. Hummus – This is made from ground up chickpeas. You can add other foods like sun-dried tomatoes, peppers and garlic to flavor the snack or side dish. Chickpeas contain one of the B vitamins responsible for increasing serotonin levels.
2. Black bean dip – If you have some canned beans around, you can make this one in a jiffy. Mix black beans, salsa, cheese, a pinch of sugar and spices together in a bowl. The beans provide protein, folic acid, magnesium and essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks for the neurotransmitters that affect mood.
3. Smoothies – Smoothies are chock full of delicious fruits, yogurt and fruit juices. Mixing one up increases your intake of antioxidants which are instrumental in maintaining brain health.
4. Cheese omelet – Are you in a hurry for breakfast? It takes no time at all to scramble an egg to make an omelet and top it with cheese. The nutrients you are getting increase the level of the three neurotransmitters responsible for mood.

Want to get your diet to work for you? Make a few changes that include adding these few recipes to your food list.

Depression in itself is something difficult to deal with, especially if the person hasn’t yet been treated for it. Suicidal thoughts can often be a result of depression, especially in cases where there is still no treatment in place.

Some newly data collected in a recent study has reported 3% of people receiving treatment for depression on an outpatient basis will actually die from suicide. This doesn’t mean however that the suicidal thoughts aren’t still there. Any therapy which is aimed at helping a person’s depressive state can also help the patient regain enough feeling of self control to put the suicidal urges at bay.

Being depressed causes a person to narrow their personal view of the world around them. Everything in reality can end up seeming distorted. Any negative aspect in their lives becomes constantly reinforced, while the positive is either discounted or seemingly irrelevant.

This is where the suicidal thoughts normally come into play. With this unrelenting sadness causing pain to the depressed person, sometimes they feel the only way to escape it to get away from it permanently. The opinion that death is the only solution often enters the depressed person’s mind.

The most important step to take if you notice any suicidal tendencies surrounding those you care for is to make sure they seek medical help. If this person is already being treated for depression, they should consult with their physician or therapist as quickly as possible. The situation may be changed by an increased dose of their current antidepressant, or perhaps a change in prescriptions.

It has been well documented that some antidepressants will have adverse effects on some people. Any suicidal thoughts could mean the medication prescribed just simply isn’t having the desired effect. There are many more options out there, and your physician is well equipped to try something else.

If you are experiencing any type of suicidal thoughts yourself, please share how you feel with someone else. Suicide is not the answer to any problem, and discussing your feelings canhelp you find a better solution.

Dealing with one of the many depression disorders can often bring forth another task which is hard to cope with. That extra issue just happens to be a weight problem, and can either be a loss or gain of weight. In the majority of people the issue is weight gain, but there are still those who deal with unexplained weight loss during this time.

No matter which of the two scenarios you’re personally dealing with, the first step recommended is to speak to your physician about your depression as well as any weight issues.
Here are some ideas on how to best approach this situation.

* Get help for the depression. Putting priority on depression treatment will make dealing with weight issues more successful in the long-run.

* Set small goals. Any task is difficult when you suffer from depression. Adjust your goals by making them smaller and they will become more achievable.

* Increase your physical activity. Many people have a difficult time getting themselves to exercise. For the depressed person, the task can be monumental. However, exercise and general activity helps alleviate depression and minimizing weight gain. However, it’s better to take things slow and manageable rather than quitting too soon out of frustration.

* Eat nutritiously. Your body can be your friend during tough times if it’s treated right. Eating colorful, nutritious foods will give the body what it needs to help fight the depression and prevent improper eating habits.

* Work on your self-esteem. As a rule, people with depressive disorders have either feelings of inadequacy or low self-esteem. By working on these issues, it becomes easier to handle the necessary tasks of proper nutrition and exercise required to avoid weight issues in the first place.

* Ask your physician if your medication could be the culprit in your weight issues. Some antidepressants are known for causing weight gain.

While there are still many unknown elements about the relationship of weight issues and mental health, it’s evident that any connection is an important public health issue.