Are you feeling like you just can’t go on another minute with the way things are? Please know that you are not alone. There are people out there who care and want to help. In the U.S., you can access free crisis resources at the any of the suicide hotlines listed below. Outside the U.S.? …
Can Exercise Help Depression?
Can exercise help depression? According to a study from the Black Dog Institute, even small amounts of exercise can help. In fact, as little as an hour a week – of any intensity – may be helpful, they say. The study is an important one as it was the largest of its kind conducted to…
Metabolic Syndrome Makes It Hard to Treat Depression
A study published on December 13, 2017 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society says that having metabolic syndrome may make it more difficult to treat depression in older adults. What Is Metabolic Syndrome? Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of certain symptoms, including excess abdominal fat, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. …
Antidepressants: What Are They, How Do They Work?
At its simplest, antidepressants are medications which are used to treat depression. Chemically, they are drugs which are capable of altering the amount of the substances within your brain that scientists believe are responsible for regulating mood (neurotransmitters). The Role of Neurotransmitters in Depression To understand how antidepressants affect our brain’s chemistry, we must first…
Exercise and Depression: How to Set Doable Goals
You’ve probably heard about the many studies dealing with exercise and depression. Experts say it probably helps by increasing blood flow to the brain as well as triggering the release of feel-good chemicals like endorphins and serotonin. It may also help by providing a distraction from your troubles, boosting your confidence and helping you become…
Rumination and Depression: To-Do List May Help Sleep
Are you struggling with rumination and depression? Do you find yourself unable to fall asleep at night because you can’t stop thinking about how much you need to get done the next day? Baylor University researchers say the key to falling asleep may be taking some time before bed to jot down a to-do list….
Dear Younger Me: Letter to an Abuse Survivor
When I was in my early twenties, I was in an abusive relationship. At various points in our relationship, he gave me a black eye, pushed me into a wall so hard I had to have my scalp stitched back together and squeezed my face so hard that my teeth cut into my cheeks and…
How to Make a Suicide Safety Plan
If you suffer from depression, the possibility always exists that at some point you may have thoughts about harming yourself. Unfortunately, when you are in the midst of a crisis, you will probably not be thinking clearly or making the best choices. For this reason, it is a very good idea to make a suicide safety…
When Friends and Family Don’t Understand Depression
When you have depression, it can be very helpful knowing that your friends and family are in your corner. But what can you do when they just don’t understand depression? Or, worse, maybe they’re even hostile towards you, blaming you for your illness or saying things that make you feel completely discouraged? If you are…
How to Sleep Better to Feel Better
Getting a good night’s sleep is very important in how you feel. If your sleep is of poor quality, it can leave you feeling tired, grumpy and blue the next day. And, over time, not getting enough restful sleep can lead to feelings of depression. A very important part of both preventing and relieving your…
