Depression and sadness by Anni Dahms

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A quote from Buddha says:
“We are what we think,
all that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we create the world.”

We all know what it means to feel discouraged and depressed. There is a big difference between being sad and in a awful mood for a short period of time and experiencing an extenuating long lasting depression.
Depression reaches the 5th position in a WHO´s list of diseases. It is a disorder that is rapidly increasing. It is believed that depression will reach the second position by 2020.
Although both depression and sadness are unpleasant conditions, depression can have serious, both family and social, consequences. Depression may lead to other diseases and even to suicide, depending on its severity, which can not be measured by analysis of blood or brain scan. The diagnosis of this disease is based upon definite parameters and special rules.
Many cases of depression are indirectly due to other disorders, for example: diabetes, diseases of the heart, cancer, hormonal disorders, thyroid dysfunction, hypoglycemia, adrenal fatigue, etc.

 

Make an effort and seek challenges

Pain and depression weaken the immune system, reducing nutrient absorption and increasing the number of residues in our body.
Many studies conducted abroad estimate women diagnosed with depression double the rate of men, while men are more prone to suicide. People over 65 are a group strongly exposed to this illness, problems such as malnutrition, bereavement, illness, feelings of loss of identity after leaving the labor market… etc can be held responsible for this. Many people think it is normal to feel depressed while getting older. We must put an end to this sort of negative thinking process. There are a lot of interesting activities we can do. Do not get isolated, this is the worst thing you can do.
If you feel strongly depressed, you should seek medical attention and the advice of an expert. Good treatments controlled by a good physician are most important.
Nevertheless, often, we are able to take care of ourselves when we are experiencing just a slight sadness. This sadness can be due to many things, for example the wrong habit of laziness or the stupid habit of letting other people manipulate or influence us (maybe because we hate conflict…). We get used to this and then we create a habit that lead us to be ultimately depressed.
Life is a gift we have been given, as such we must welcome it. You must begin to think anew and create circumstances to live your life in a more comfortable and enjoyable way.

The diet

Diet, exercise and good supplements are the three cornerstones that can help you on your way to a better life, without a trace of hopelessness.

Alcohol and sugar

Alcohol can worsen depression. If you are taking too much alcohol every day try to refrain yourself or search for qualified help. The excess of alcohol reduces serotonin, the hormone that provides wellbeing. Improve your health by reducing your consumption (or stop it completely).
Avoid sugary foods as they interfere with blood sugar levels, be careful both with sugar in foods and drinks. A stable blood sugar is very important to your well-being throughout the day.
Avoid aspartame as it is seriously suspected of causing side effects, as mood disturbances.

Eat well with fats!

60% of our brain is composed of fats. Make sure that you eat fats of good quality, appropriate to enhance your body functioning, such as fish oils, flaxseed oil, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds almonds and sesame seeds. All these foods have plenty of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acid is the most important for the chemistry of the brain and its processes. Jean Carper mentioned in his book ”Miracle diet for the brain” that fish oil seems to raise the level of neurotransmitters in the brain.
Eat well also taking foods that contain lecithin. Lecithin is found in egg yolk. It is recommended not to eat raw egg yolk, boiled eggs are good for consumption. Lecithin is delicate, it gets destroyed by prolonged heat, so it is better to consume soft-boiled eggs rather than fried eggs. Other sources of lecithin are: olive oil and soybeans, seeds and dried fruit, vegetable oils and fish oil. Lecithin is important both for our nervous system and our brain. 30% of the brain consists of lecithin. It is an essential component of all cell membranes and helps provide greater well-being, especially to older people. Lecithin has a calming effect.

Food that makes you happy

Depression seems to worsen in the morning, so you should begin your day taking a good breakfast that provides you with excellent new energies. You could improve your breakfasts by adding good fats, for example, a few tablespoons of flaxseed oil, it has been shown that this oil works as an antidepressant and mood stabilizer.
You should stop, rethink your food habits for a moment and ask yourself if your current diet really benefits your body. Actually, many people like the most those foods that get our body into trouble. Stop eating pre-cooked or refined foods and drop drinks that contain caffeine from your daily diet, these foods can worse depression as they take vitamins B, C and chrome from our body.
Be sure to eat foods rich in fiber, vegetables, fruits and proteins of good quality. Use herbs and spices that add flavor to your meals, also remember eating some bitter foods which help cleanse the liver. Drink enough water, which helps to eliminate toxins.
A good advice!: season you foods with pepper, it produces endorphins that lift up our mood!

Supplements

• First of all, get yourself a good quality multivitamin and mineral base, for example: Omnimin, Spektro, Mivitotal which besides vitamins and minerals also contains all the amino acids, which are our body´s building blocks. If you are lacking some of these vitamins, it could make you feel depressed and sad.
• As mentioned before, look for good omega 3 fatty acids, as, for example CardiOmega, Bio – Fish, Krill oil, etc. Take aprox. 4 g per day.
• B vitamins play a very important role to maintain the good chemistry of the brain. Lack of B vitamins is common in people suffering from depression.
• Loss of folic acid (vitamin B9) can contribute to depression.
  Many reports indicate that folic acid deficiency predicts depression better than B12 deficiency. If you are taking antidepressant medications, it can be interesting to remember that they work better if your body does not present folic acid deficiencies.
• B12 is better absorbed in the form of tablets (under the tongue) or injections. The lack of vitamin B12 can be devastating to the brain.
• The intake of vitamin C should be of approx. 1 gram daily.
• 5 – HTP (hydroxytryptophan) helps increase the levels of serotonin in the brain. The dose may be 50 mg – 200 mg per day. Start with a small dose, adding if you want B group vitamins and zinc. You could start by taking 5 – HTP at night and gradually augment to 3-4 times a day until you find the amount and number of intakes that make you feel more comfortable.
• Methionine is an essential amino acid that can be of help to people suffering from depression. It must be noted that methionine must be administered with the whole range of B group vitamins, otherwise methionine could have undesirable effects such as psychotic symptoms, as for example when there is a folic acid deficiency in the body. Methionine, is good for many things, for example for the growth of hair and to keep a strong memory, among others.
• Siberian ginseng, also known as Arctic root, has a calming effect on the adrenal glands, which usually get overloaded in depressive people.
• St. John’s Wort has proved to be an excellent aid for small depressions. It improves mood, reduces nervousness and the feelings of impotence, and helps sleep better. The usual dose sometimes has to be doubled until desired effects are attained.
• If you are taking St. John’s wort, be careful while sunbathing, it can make the skin more sensitive. You should not take St. John’s wort along with other antidepressants prescribed by the doctor. Be careful if you are taking oral contraceptives or anticoagulants; in doubt, consult your doctor.
• Rhodiola increases our energy levels and helps the brain produce the neurotransmitter serotonin, which makes us feel happy and positive.

Get out in daylight!

… As much as possible and preferably in the morning, at least 1 hour a day. Light means a lot for our health.  It is said that 80-90 percent of winter depression is caused by lack of natural light coming in through the eyes. If you do not tolerate well sun light use sunglasses.

Exercise daily

In some psychiatric centers physical exercise is part of the treatment of mild depression. 15 minutes of exercise a day helps keep away the depressive symptoms.

Take time to learn to know yourself

Perhaps you do not even know enough your own feelings. Know them, express them and take them as they are. You are a unique person, it is important that you free yourself of certain attitudes and specific patterns of other people that may be influencing you negatively. It can be very difficult to eliminate these patterns, then the help of a professional may be needed.

Be sure to sleep well

7-8 hours everyday. It is very important to be able to conduct ourselves normally in day hours.

Are you taking any medications?

Certain medications, such as certain forms of chemotherapy, can cause depression.

It is also important to avoid stress

You must find a balance between your work and your personal life. Let work remain at its correct place.

Electromagnetic radiation

Do you have the feeling that your depression and/or sleep disorder could be caused by radiation? A good idea could be moving your bed to some other place and see if it helps. There is much literature on this subject on the Internet.