Wellness has expanded further than just physical fitness, ideal weight and body shape. With the increase in outflow of information about health and wellness, mental health is slowly approaching an acceptance point in the society. But a vast majority of population is unaware about the seriousness of being affected by chronic stress and depression and how one can lead to another. The combination of both can drastically affect the physical health of a person if not addressed timely.
Stress is an important element in life that keeps us alert and ready to avoid danger. This is called the flight or fight response. This is a survival instinct designed to keep us alive and cope with unfavorable circumstances. On the other hand this stress can turn into distress or negative stress and cause various health hazards including headaches, elevated blood pressure, indigestion, addictions and even death. 75% to 90% of all the doctor’s office visits are for stress related diseases.
Stress plays a vital role in depression. Depression is a complex mental health condition that causes a person to have low mood, sadness and hopelessness. Depression has many possible causes, such as genetics, brain chemicals and your life situation. Chronic stressful life situations can increase the risk of developing depression if you aren’t coping with the stress well. People affected by depression tend to have suicidal tendencies due to low levels of serotonin (the happy hormone) in the body.
Stress and depression create an inflammatory response in the body causing excessive damage to the neurons (brain cells) which affects the serotonin levels in the body. Serotonin helps regulate sleep, appetite, and mood and prevents the feeling of pain. Other neurotransmitters such as dopamine, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, GABA, and glutamate also get affected.
The culminative effect on the body is tremendous such as weight gain or excessive weight loss, chronic pain, fatigue, low libido, insomnia, irritable bowel disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and other lifestyle disorders. It increases the inflammatory conditions in the body and depresses the immunity. This makes the body susceptible to recurrent infections and can cause autoimmune disorders.
Thus, stress and depression can lead to a viscous cycle of detrimental health conditions.
It is thus necessary to identify the early symptoms and treat them via various treatment options such as nutrition therapy, exercise, counseling, medications (in some cases necessary) and recuperative and wellness services. A depressed person will have a difficult time admitting the problem due to the stigma associated with mental health problems, so it is essential that one knows what to look out for in a person affected by depression. The affected may experience changes in their mood, body, behavior, sleep patterns, which will be a drastic contrast to their usual self.
It is important to make them understand that there is a safe place for them to open up about their feelings and agitations. Provide them with emotional support and encourage them to continue with their normal routine.
Diet is also a very important component of mental health. Depressed people tend to lose their appetite which will lead to further health problems. A diet rich in fiber and focused on whole foods is the key to maintaining the balance. Food rich in nutrition especially omega 3, vitamin B complex, Vitamin C and antioxidants play a vital role in managing stress and depression. Exercises such as yoga, Tai chi, brisk walking, etc. have been proven to improve mental health. It is advised to enroll them in recreational activities such as drawing, knitting, playing with pets and others that release the happy hormones to help raise the serotonin and reduce stress and depression.
Sleep is also a necessary activity that depressed people tend to lack. A good quality sleep provides the necessary rejuvenation of the body and the mind.
Moreover, it is of utmost importance that the people around them do not make light of the situation as people fail to understand that depression is a serious mental health problem that affects more than 264 million people of all ages worldwide. Be kind, be understanding, you never know what the other person is dealing with inside.
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