Depression Hurts

Studies have shown that running can sometimes be just as effective as medication for depression.  This can be just 30 minutes of brisk walking or running 3 times per week.  There are people who do not respond well to medication and this would be a great alternative for them and healthier too.  As a runner myself, I would obviously encourage someone to try this because although I do not have depression, running certainly lifts my mood and I often feel more grounded and balanced if I take the time to do it on a regular basis. Over half of the people tested in a study doing this no longer had depression at the end of 16 weeks and I believe it.

If you have ever looked at the side effects of most anti-depressants, you might agree that looking into alternative methods of healing would be worthwhile for someone with this diagnosis.  Honestly, everything from anxiety to nausea, constipation and sleep deprivation are possible with drugs that are meant to help with depression.  I tend to try to veer away from medication in general as I am a firm believer that the way we eat and other lifestyle changes make enormous impacts on our ailments both physically and mentally.  However, I am not a medical expert by any stretch.  I have heard that St. Johns Wort is effective though, so at least something like that would be worth exploring rather than go through the horrible side effects.

It is very common that depression and alcoholism go hand in hand.  Both of these ailments can run in the family and they both co-exist routinely.  It seems that feelings of sadness and desperation from depression feel as if they are lifted by drinking, as the drinking of alcohol produces a “high” which lifts those lower feelings of depression and the inhibitions that go with it.  Waking up with a hangover pretty much does the opposite, of course, so it is an ongoing struggle for the person with these diseases.  In a sense, the person with depression is “self-medicating” themselves for their depression.  I can’t begin to imagine how you go about untangling all of that, or which problem you try to attack and dismantle first!

Many people have no idea they are living with someone with depression.  This can be a slow and subtle awakening to a difficult relationship.  In college I worked for a woman whose ex-husband had depression.  She told me stories of the things he would do as well as the things he would say to her.  After that, I began to wonder – is depression more difficult for the person with the disorder, or the person on the other end? It seems it can be just as difficult to have a relationship with someone with depression as it is to live with someone struggling with alcoholism and such.

One of the toughest things in the world is being a parent.  I have envisioned every nightmare you can think of when it comes to my little girl.  The worry can be endless.  Sometimes all it takes is a Lifetime movie about a teenager with depression to spin my brain off into a tangent of what-ifs.  When I see a story in the news about depression leading to self injury or suicide, I think deeply about what I could do to prevent that from ever happening to my daughter – and can it even be prevented? If it is something that is just wired in at birth, then it is inevitable.  But if it is based on circumstance and environment then, I, as a parent could make that difference. I think it comes down to the lines of communication and being aware of the little things both in conversation and actions with kids.