ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire)– Major Depressive Disorder affects more than 19 million people in the United States and two million are kids.
Did you know MDD is more prevalent in women than in men? Are things we do every day making us more prone to depression?
Irritated, down, angry, bored, indifferent, tired, lethargic.
“We all have struggles, there’s not one of us on the planet that’s not struggling with something,” David Baker, PhD, LLC, a psychotherapist performance management consultant, told Ivanhoe.
First, watch what you eat. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the healthier a person’s diet, the lower their risk of depression. The more processed foods you eat, the higher risk you have. Also, spending too much time alone can impact your mood.
“I have not been the friend that I wanted to be to my best friend,” David Baker, PhD, LLC, stated.
A study out of the University of North Carolina found that people with close social ties had lower blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, and levels of inflammation markers than those that were socially isolated and try to cut back on multitasking on your media. In fact, experts estimate that the average amount of time spent multitasking on devices has doubled from an hour and a half to almost three hours a day.
“Can you ask yourself, as a mental health check-in, ‘What is it that I’m desiring, longing for, but not having?’” David Baker, PhD, LLC, asked.
So, bottom line, turn off your phone and have a healthy dinner with your friends. It just may be the perk-me-up you need.
Last year, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline received more than 800,000 calls. This is a 27% increase from 2019. The helpline is a confidential, free, 24-hour information service. If you’re feeling down and want to talk to someone, call 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Sources: https://www.dbsalliance.org/education/depression/statistics/ https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/99/1/181/4577292 https://www.thehealthy.com/family/relationships/friends-facts/
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
Contributor(s) to this news report include: Jenna Ehrlich, Producer; Robert Walko, Videographer; Robert Walko, Editor. To receive a free weekly email on Smart Living from Ivanhoe, sign up at: http://www.ivanhoe.com/ftk