Treatments and Therapies

Self-care: Are you getting enough?

February 25, 2016 By Kay Walker

What is self-care?

Self care is a set of intentional actions you take to nourish, or in other words, be kind to your physical and mental well-being. The different between fun and self care is that self care makes you feel relaxed, whereas, fun energizes you.

Self-care: Are you getting enough?

Common actions of self care are:

Getting a massage
Giving yourself a massage
Taking a hot bath
Sitting in a sauna
Going to a spa
Getting a manicure or pedicure
Getting a haircut
Meditating
Watching a movie or TV
Spending time with family members or friends that make you feel happy
Taking your dog for a walk
Petting an animal
Walking in nature
Gardening
Cooking and eating a wholesome meal
Sleeping
Listening to music you enjoy
Sex
Masturbation
Reading a fiction novel
Painting an abstract picture
Swimming
Sitting in a hot tub
Travel
Shopping

Why self-care is easy to forget about

Many self-care actions are not considered “productive” actions in North American Society. (ie. What does getting a pedicure have to do with anything?). This is why it’s also not a learned skill, it’s a choice. So, most people don’t naturally put self care in their schedules. It is easily overlooked because it is not something you have to do, or necessary for your survival. Most of us learn to do the things we have to do before what we need to do for our health because doing what we have to do ensures our survival.

A good self care rule to stick to:

At a minimum, ensure you take at least three self care actions per week to ensure a you maintain a positive mental state. At maximum consider incorporating this rule “treat yourself as you would treat a baby”. It is a good way to nourish your physical and mental state, and keep it top of mind.

When you “treat yourself as you would treat a baby” your actions are correlate, so you most likely only eat natural and wholesome foods, you make sure to dress impeccably, you go to sleep on time (or allow yourself some naps), you play and have fun, you work your body (like a baby practices their motor skills).

Conquer your depression with the Depression Recovery Map and Guide

January 8, 2016 By Kay Walker

We designed this depression recovery map and guide because there are too many articles and clinical publications about depression with explanations of what causes the illness that sadly look like this:

“While the exact cause of depression isn’t known, what we do know is that it’s a 
complex illness with biological, environmental, social and genetic influences.”

While this explanation does speak to what science does not yet know about depression, it isn’t very helpful. That’s true especially for people who are struggling and seeking answers, or for family members and friends that are trying to help a struggling loved one get better. It’s especially difficult to understand depression and how a person gets it, if you’re someone who has never experienced it.

To make it simple to understand – even with all the unknowns around depression – Depression Zone has produced a depression recovery map and guide that walks you through how depression occurs, the factors within each of the three variable that lead to breakdown when not managed, and how to treat each one.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE DEPRESSION RECOVERY MAP AND GUIDE

This article contains a detailed explanation of the roadmap with instructions on how to use it.

Intro to the Depression Recovery Map

So, here it is, the Depression Recovery Map:

SOURCES OF BREAKDOWN:

The minute you realize you have depression your state of health is already in a serious crisis mode. One or more of the actions you’ve taken or external factors in your life related to your body (state of physical health), your environment (environmental stressors) or the way you think and handle life (learned emotion-coping skills), is ineffective and has led to a malfunction in your mood.

People only get depression when one or more of the following variables (see image below) that contribute to overall wellbeing breakdown.

It may help to think about the human body as a car with many different components that allow the car to function when they all work together. But when one or more components of the car malfunction the entire car stops working effectively slowing it down — or all together, forcing it to stop.

So, when it comes to a person’s mood there are three variables that contribute your ability to feel good:

1) POOR PHYSICAL STATE CAN LEAD TO DEPRESSION:

If your body is not functioning at normal levels you may be experiencing a brain chemical issue that’s causing you an inability to be happy due a physical deficiency. There are many ways this can happen: Improper nutrition, another underlying medical condition, abuse of substances, a genetic pre-disposition (not fully understood yet, but there is significant supporting evidence).

The physical assessment checklist included with this infographic will help you understand if there are physical issues at play. All people suffering from depression should see a medical doctor for a thorough physical assessment.

2) ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS CAN CAUSE DEPRESSION:

The world around you – your environment – and what you deal with on a regular basis due to your lifestyle choices and as a result of things that happen spontaneously to you (i.e. like a loved one’s death) can affect your mental state. Prolonged stress that isn’t managed can cause a major breakdown in your mood and extract some of the joy that you experience life.

The environmental assessment checklist included with this infographic asks questions that allow you to review all areas of life to see if any lifestyle changes can be made to improve your mood.

In some cases, the depression you’re experiencing hasn’t reached the physical level and is simply a result of extreme stress due to environmental challenges. In cases like these some people simply need to make some serious lifestyle changes to improve their mood significantly. At Depression Zone we refer to this type of depression as “situational depression”.

All people suffering from depression should thoroughly assess their life to see if there are changes they can make to get closer to what they want for themselves in areas of career, relationships, self-love, finances, and purpose.

3) POOR EMOTIONAL COPING SKILLS CAN LEAD TO DEPRESSION:

If you’re not particularly trained on how to handle emotions and manage stress (most people are not well-trained to manage stress, because this isn’t something that is taught. It is often picked up from parents when kids are young), you may need to learn some new skills for dealing with life challenges. The way you choose to react when you’re dealing with a tough situation in life – aka your behavior – can cause more negative results.

The learned emotion-coping skills assessment checklist will help you identify areas to work on and improvements you can make to your behavior. All people suffering from depression to look at what behaviors they engage in that don’t serve them or that have major negative impacts on their life or other people.

ASSESSMENT PHASE:

The infographic has three accompanying checklists that help you delve deeper into each of the variables that can lead to depression. If you ask yourself the questions on the checklist you’ll be able to understand whether that variable needs work or is not a major issue.

After you go through the questions on each checklist, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of what’s causing your depression. The variables that are affected will dictate actions you need to take to seek effective treatment.

For example, if you have a physical issue you may realize that you need to make some diet changes to try and improve mood. If that doesn’t help, you may need to consider an antidepressant medication (if suggested by a doctor).

If you realize that there are issues in your life – like you’re struggling with finances regularly – you may need to make some lifestyle changes. These types of changes often require guidance and support from experts and/or learning new skills.

Most people find that they fall into the third variable, that they lack effective emotion-coping skills. Many people won’t even really understand what that means until they learn better ways of stress management and more productive behaviors. Emotional IQ skills are not formally taught. Most people learn as they go, which is not the most effective way of navigating life. If you need help in this area find a life coach or therapist that can work with you. Behaviors take time to retrain.

Depending on your core issues, the map will point you towards the actions you need to take to effectively treat and correct your concerns.

Keep in mind that making significant changes to any of the three variables of malfunction can take a great deal of time. The recovery process can last from weeks to years.

But putting in the work to correct issues of wellbeing is worth it. When you take the time to isolate the potential sources of depression, it will help you to take effective treatment actions and to eradicate the depression altogether (for some people) in the future.

Think of it this way: An obese person can go on a diet and lose weight, yes, but the diet only treats the weight issue not the food issue. So that person will still have an issue with food and is at a higher risk of becoming obese again.

It’s the same with depression.

Do the work now to get to the possible sources. Deal with the issues through therapy, medications or lifestyle changes, and later in life you’ll be mentally healthier than most people.

What that really means is FREEDOM. Life is great when you feel great and don’t have mental or physical issues dragging you down and know how to manage life challenges in positive ways when they arise.

CLICK HERE to download your FREE copy of the Depression Recovery Map& Guide

How music can boost your mood

January 5, 2016 By Andy Walker

how music boosts your mood — Research shows that music can boost your mood

There is research that shows that listening to music can boost your mood and that it can be an integral part of healthy living.

Researchers at the University of Missouri found that people can boost their mood by choosing upbeat music to listen to.

“Our work provides support for what many people already do – listen to music to improve their moods,” said lead author Yuna Ferguson, who performed the study while she was an Missouri University doctoral student in psychological science.

“Although pursuing personal happiness may be thought of as a self-centered venture, research suggests that happiness relates to a higher probability of socially beneficial behavior, better physical health, higher income and greater relationship satisfaction.”

In two studies conducted by Ferguson participants improved their moods in the short term and boosted their overall happiness over a two-week period.

Download this free MOOD BOOSTER: CLICK HERE

During the first study, participants boosted their mood after being told to try to do so, but only if they listened to upbeat music (by composer Aaron Copland as opposed to sadder music by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky).

Participants reported higher levels of happiness after two weeks of lab sessions in which they listened to positive music while trying to feel happier, compared to control participants who only listened to music.

If you’d like a free guided mood booster, download this Joyful Mood Booster, a guided and meditative mood boosting track featuring music and guided by Depression Expert Kay Walker.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD KAY WALKER’S FREE MOOD BOOSTER MP3

Natural mood boosters: Healthy ways to get an immediate boost of happy

December 16, 2015 By Kay Walker

Natural mood boosters The brain is in a constant state of trying to get away from pain and move towards pleasure. It’s a built in survival mechanism all humans possess. So when we feel depressed its natural to gravitate to unhealthy behaviors to feel good. This is not ideal long term. Behaviors such as indulging in drugs or alcohol, eating too much food, avoiding people and situations, shopping, may cause an immediate mood boost but it’s superficial.

Your brain powers your body and and controls everything you do. Doing the following activities will help you activate an immediate supply of positive brain chemicals. Stick to the list below for healthy activities you can engage in to help you feel better on-demand. They are all natural mood boosters!

Natural mood boosters for an immediate boost of happy

MOOD BOOSTER #1: PERFORM A HIGH INTENSITY AEROBIC ACTIVITY:

Why it works:

You’ve likely heard the term “endorphins” and that they get released when you exercise, which causes a positive mood. Well have you ever consider why this happens and how it all works? If you’ve ever wondered here is a quick explanation:

When you exercise your brain processes the information it receives from your body by recognizing it as a moment of stress. The brain does not delineate between good stress and bad stress it just sends a message to the brain that sounds like “I’m under attack. Time to deal with it”. The same built-in survival instincts humans have to cope with crisis (the fight or flight system) kick in to manage this moment of stress on the body.

Endorphins are stress fighting chemicals that are released in the brain when the body signals “threat”. So naturally they are released. The main role of endorphins is to counteract and minimize the pain so you can maintain function to deal with the situation. Endorphins are pain blockers, which means they do the opposite, activate feelings of euphoria.

In order to protect you from the “threat” your brain also releases a protein called Brain Derive Neurotrophic Factor, BDNF. It counteracts the body’s stress by sending more calming chemical signals to cope. This is why you often feel a high sense of clarity during and following exercise.

What to do:

Below are some high intensity aerobic activities to consider. If you don’t have the energy or fitness level to do some of these activities, start small with walking, yoga, tai chi, swimming, dance and other aerobic activities where you can gear up the intensity level when you feel like you can. Here are some activities to consider: Running, roller blading, ice skating, skiing, dance, swimming, plyometrics.

A minimum of 20 minutes a day is the magic number. This has been proven from many significant research studies. 20 minutes is all you need.

MOOD BOOSTER #2: SNIFF AN ESSENTIAL OIL:

Why it works:

The Olfactory system is the name for the chemical processes that carry information on smells in the environment to an individual’s cognitions. Their are many parts to how this system works. For the purposes of understanding how a human understands smell all you need to know is that nerve cells located in the nose carry information through a complex and speedy process to nerve cells in the brain.

Olfactory receptor sites send information to a part of your brain known as the limbic system. It is the oldest part of the human brain and a center for processing emotions. Information on smell sensations are driven to the limbic system first therefore they enact an automatic feeling response before being relayed to the cortex and entering a person’s level of comprehension. That means before you register what your smelling, cookies baking for example, you could be thinking about your grandma or feeling spontaneously happy.

This is also because the region of the brain that receives information about smell – called the olfactory bulbs – is linked to regions of the brain that process emotion and a correlated to associative learning. This is why smell is connect to memory. Smells are recognized, meaning you need to learn them to be able to recall and label hem later.

Because smell is so deeply linked to emotions, good smells can bring about positive mood states. And this is done simply and quickly by taking a whiff of your favorite scents.

What to do:

Purchase one or more essential oil sand take a whiff when you need a quick mood boost. Common positive mood enhancing scents are: Vanilla, Peppermint, Lavender, Lemon, Orange, Rosemary and Cinnamon. Whatever you choose make sure you associate the smell with happiness by taking a whiff before you purchase.

MOOD BOOSTER #3: INTERACT WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE

Read Montague, a behavioral neuroscientist and professor at Virginia Tech studies how the dopamine system works in humans. His lab has learned that the same system in the brain that gets deployed when someone takes an illegal and dangerous drug that makes them feel good momentarily also fires when people interact with other people. The system involves the stimulations of the chemical dopamine.

What that means is, the same affects you can get from drugs and alcohol can be caused from simply interacting with other humans.

What to do:

Spend time with family members and friends you enjoy spending time with. Decrease your level of time with people that don’t make you feel good. At minimum, and if you don’t particularly feel like socializing, go be around people. Go to public place. Sit in a coffee shop or a restaurant. Go to a park. Walk through your city. Go be with people in any way you can.

MOOD BOOSTER #4: HAVE AN ORGASM

The euphoric feeling produced by an orgasm is linked to the nerves sent to the brain’s pleasure center, or reward circuit. The sexual arousal felt in the body floods the brain with a surge of happy brain chemicals.

The areas of the brain impacted by sexual arousal include the amygdala, nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area (VTA), cerebellum, and the pituitary gland. These brain regions are all connected to emotional regulation and hormone secretion. Over 30 brain regions are stimulated during an orgasm.

Dopamine is also released during orgasm. It is a feel good chemical. It’s the same chemical that some antidepressants target.

During orgasm a brain region call the lateral orbitofrontal cortex gets turned off. It controls self evaluation, reason and self control. It momentarily stops the brain from thinking the thoughts that are running as a results of anxiety and depression. It shuts down fear and anxiety for a short period of time.

When a woman experiences as orgasm the amgydala brain goes it to a state of relaxation. For men, relaxation to the same area reduces aggression.

Overall, the body experiences deep relaxation and pleasure. The heart rate slows.

What to do:

Have sex with a loving and trusting partner or masturbate if you feel comfortable doing so.

MOOD BOOSTER #5: BE GRATEFUL

Being grateful is a positive mind state. And when you focus your awareness on a memory, person, or object that you are grateful for, your brain activates blood flow in brain regions that increase production of a crucial “happy” brain chemical called dopamine. This quick release sends your body a quick flood of feeling good emotions.

In 2009, the National Institutes of Health examined brains of subjects thinking thoughts of gratitude. They had higher levels of hypothalamus activity and increased dopamine levels.

What to do:

Many experts suggest keeping a gratitude journal and logging what you are grateful for each day to help you cultivate this type of positive thinking, so it comes more naturally. This can be a useful practice. A study from UC Davis (2003) reported that adults who keep gratitude journals are more determined, attentive, enthusiastic and have higher energy levels than those who don’t.

But, being grateful doesn’t have to be even this complicated. It’s as simple as thinking about a memory, person, or object for as little as five minutes a day.

Also want to learn about antidepressants? Download Kay Walker’s antidepressant cheatsheet

Is it adrenal fatigue or depression?

December 15, 2015 By Kay Walker

Adrenal fatigue is a lesser known syndrome that has similar symptoms to major depression. Some experts believe adrenal fatigue is misdiagnosed as depression often. It’s important to understand the differences because the treatment for adrenal fatigue does not require medication. It simply requires some changes to diet, time and sleep to rest and repair the adrenal glands. Read on for more information….

Is it adrenal fatigue or depression?

What is Adrenal Fatigue?

A syndrome that’s similar to major depression in many ways. It occurs when the adrenal glands begin to function below the necessary level. This is often a result of prolonged stress and the way it puts pressure on the cells and systems of the body, and in this case, the adrenal glands, which are located above the kidneys.

As the name of the syndrome suggests, extreme sleepiness is a prime symptom. This lack of energy disable an individual’s level to function physically and mentally. Many people report feeling sleepy, depressed, and physically unable to do what they used to do. In extreme cases, a sufferer will have trouble getting out of bed for more than a few hours.

With this malfunction at the adrenal level other systems are put under pressure. Common additional symptoms are changes in hunger and weight, fluid and electrolyte imbalance and lowered sex drive.

What causes adrenal fatigue?

The adrenal glands in your body sit on top of your kidney’s and they mobilize during stress. they secrete a hormone that manages your energy levels, immune system, and heart rate. When they undergo too much stress and for too long, they can’t keep up. The end result is an experience of adrenal fatigue.

During adrenal fatigue the glands still do function but not well enough.

Symptoms of adrenal fatigue:

Tired for no reason.
Trouble getting out of bed in the morning even if they’ve slept at least 6-10 hours.
Feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
Have trouble dealing with stress.
Craving salty and sweet food.
Feeling more awake after 6PM.

How is adrenal fatigue diagnosed?

Even though adrenal fatigue has been around for many years, it is less discussed and understood among doctors of Western medicine than doctors who use natural remedies. You’re loved one may need to see a naturopathic doctor for a diagnosis.

Physicians will use a simple saliva test, commonly known as the Cortisol/DHEAS Saliva Test, to measure the level of the stress hormones DHEAS and cortisol in a patient’s saliva.

Treatment for adrenal fatigue

Dietary changes, natural supplement, sleep and time are all the is needed to repair the adrenals to their optimum levels of function and get your loved one back to health.

Additional resource to check out for more information is the book: Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome™ by Dr. James L. Wilson