Repairing Depression to Repair Your Health

Your body knows when you are depressed. Depression has a way of shouting that it is taking charge. Your job is to stop it in its tracks and to get all the help you need to make sure that depression stays out of the picture.

Especially during these tough economic times it is not unusual to experience anger, stress, frustration and anxiety. On the other had, long-term feels of hopelessness and sadness are not normal. Those are signs of clinical depression and you need medical help.

Your mind and your body are connected much more than most of us realize. Researchers report that untreated depression that lasts more than two weeks can increase the risk of a person becoming ill. Untreated depression can also make worse a current illness. It appears that people who are depressed are more likely to be ill, and people who are ill are more likely to be depressed. Another good reason to repair your depression.

We know that when someone is severely depressed there are emotional symptoms which can interfere with daily function. For instance, if you stay hidden under the covers in bed all day you are not going to be very productive. You are also more likely to become obese. The numbers show that depressed people were twice as likely to have more fat around their middles and have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol which is linked to abdominal obesity and higher risk for heart disease and diabetes. Repairing your depression may lower those elevated cortisol levels and get you towards a healthy direction.

Another example of the mind and body connection is inflammation. Depression and medical conditions such as diabetes and heart disease are linked to chronic inflammation. Antidepressants are known to lower the high levels of inflammatory factors called cytokines which are proteins released with immune responses.

Stress is another factor that connects mind and body. The flight or fight response results in higher levels of cortisol which negatively affects many body systems.

And then there are your medications. Many commonly used medications may have side effects that include depression. For instance, more than two-thirds of people who use the drug interferon develop depression. Check with your doctor and your pharmacist.

If you experience any of these symptoms for more than two weeks it is time to talk to your doctor:

• Persistent feelings of sadness, guilt, hopelessness
• Unusual fatigue, lack of energy
• Restlessness
• Sleep and appetite disturbances
• Unable to concentrate
• Dwelling on thoughts of dying.

Your doctor will be able to point you in the right direction for effective treatment. The sooner you get help the better, for you and your family.

I invite you to find more information on successful approaches for a healthy lifestyle by joining my blog http://www.upsideofaging.com. Provide your name and email address to keep posted of free teleseminars on living with stress even though you lost your job.

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