Fitness And Fun after 50 (Partha63): DEPRESSION - An Insight & How To Overcome.

DEPRESSION - An Insight & How To Overcome.

Each year more than three million people are diagnosed with depression. Doctors say depression can be serious if left untreated but there are symptoms to look for it. As per psychiatrists, the clinical definition of depression is unnatural sadness. Patients often feel lonely, hopeless. and have a loss of interest. It is more severe in terms of intensity, it is more impactful, in terms of a person's quality of life and their ability to meet their roles and responsibilities and it is longer in duration. So, this is sadness, tearfulness, hopelessness, life isn't worth living, going on for days, weeks, and sometimes months.

Doctors say depression is a common diagnosis affecting one in six adults. Women are more affected than men by a two to one ratio and that might have 25% of women experiencing depression at some point in their lifetime and about 12% of men.

Those going through depression experience difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, a change in appetite, lack of concentration, and difficulty thinking. Initial symptoms are - the person either becomes abnormally calm, stays secluded , or suddenly becomes agitated on petty issues, gets hyper suddenly and screams on family members with no major reason, starts doubting on near and dear ones. Depression has significant impact on the ability for people to care for themselves, take care of other chronic medical conditions, so ignoring has a lot of consequences.

Depression is something that is becoming more and more common. A lot of us are under impression that it is a form of mental disease that just happens to people. This is far from the truth. Depression is clearly a sign of the fast-changing environment around us. The whole world is changing so fast and our bodies can't keep up with it. In most cases of depression a person is simply generating intense thoughts and emotions in the wrong direction that are working against them and that in many ways, 70% of all illness are self-created.

If you don't have very strong emotions, very intense thought , attachment about something or someone, you can not get depressed , thus you become strong enough to cause depression to yourself . The line between sanity and insanity is very thin. When you get angry you are pushing the line .... you are mad on somebody, no.... you are not mad on somebody , actually you are mad, that is the reason of your such anger expression. You are just pushing the boundary line of sanity towards insanity for a certain period of time and then coming back . If you frequently go on pushing this line and come back, then one day you will you see that you are not being able to come back, then you become clinically ill. Even if you get angry for a moment , then also for that moment you are ill. You think it's your right to throw tantrums on others, is it your right to get angry on people , do you think it is your privilege to get angry or get depressed so that you get attention from somebody, if you keep playing this , one day you will not be able to turn back, keep crossing the line every day.. one day you will see you can not cross back. That day you need a doctor.

Another instance is , when your child makes an insistent noise or rhythm continuously for a long time to get something he wants which you are not giving or do not want to give , and thus tries to hold your attention till you give him, then he knows by doing such action it is easy to get anything that he wants or can get attention, he will do that often till he grows, first with his parents , then friends , then his or her partner or loved ones. Now when by doing this when he does not get the thing or attention , then he becomes agitated and ultimately becomes victim to depression, as the feeling then gets in his mind that he is no longer loved and is an unwanted being. But, if in the initial stage he is deprived of in response to his such action, then he wont repeat it.

In a professional life also when you get a name, fame, social recognition, money , lots of attention , and one fine day you find any one of these is no longer with you, suddenly you fail to cope with such a situation, making you get agitating, getting in some sort of vices or turn suicidal to keep that feeling away from your thinking or trying to run away from such a situation , and ultimately slide towards depression. So, we see that, in most cases of depression a person is simply generating intense thoughts and emotions in the wrong direction that are working against them, it is basically self created and is actually a sign of a mentally weak person who can not face an unwanted or undesired situation.

Depression is basically a modern age disease . The average age of depression for the generation of people over the age of 60 is 10%, which when you think of it is pretty high. If you look at the generation who are 45 is just doubly at 20%. Now, if you see the generation who are around 25 years of age is 25%. If we assume this then at this rate it will be 50% or one in two people have experienced the state of depression when you reach the age of 60. This issue is caused by massive change in society today, because the generation of people who are currently 60 yrs old lived a very different life than those around 25 yrs old. They had no access to internet, smartphones , no instant services , no social media, instagram, facebook. It is certain that depression is caused by sudden change in environment .

So, what can we do to cure a depression ?

Researchers all over the world conducted dozens of studies and came to conclusion that there are 7 factors that will determine whether or not someone will have depression throughout their life. These 7 things are the results of the massive amount of change that we have undergone in the last century.

1. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY - this is what we used to do a lot of, our body and mind are built to do such activity. Not so long ago , we were busy in the fields growing crops, in the woods hunting for food, on an average we used to exercise for at least 4 hours a day. Now think about your own life, how many hours are you exercising per day, most people have office jobs with actually no exercise, this creates a huge difference , this is how important is exercise in regards to treating depression.

How EFFECTIVE IS EXERCISE ?

The best is Aerobic Exercise and Breathing exercises , it is not even lot of exercise you need to do initially, only about 30 minutes of brisk walking at least 3 times a week (Read my Blogs : Daily Walking; blog dated: 14-7-'20, & Daily Walking Or Jogging; blog dated: 15-11-'20) . In a study it was found that those who did aerobic exercise did much better than those who were prescribed Antidepressants .

If your general fitness level permits, can also do some advance physical exercises (Read my Blogs : Must Do- Basic Morning Home Workout Routine For Men & Women Of All Age Groups; blog dated: 25-10-'20; & Best Cardio Home Exercises -Beginners ; blog dated:16-8-'20).

Few very effective Yogic Breathing techniques (Pranayama), like ANULOM-VILOM Pranayama (Alternate nostril breathing), SURYABHEDHAN Pranayama (Right nostril breathing) if practised regularly work wonders on those in the state of depression (For Anulom-Vilom Pranayama Read my Blog: PRANAYAMA; blog dated: 4-6-'20).

Suryabhedan Pranayama : This is one of the important pranayamas described in the classical yogic texts. ‘Surya' means ‘Sun’, ‘Bhedan’ refers to ‘Piercing’ or ‘awakening’, thereby, stimulating and awakening energy within the physical and pranic bodies.

In its simplest form, Suryabhedana Pranayama is inhaling fully through the right nostril, holding the breath and then exhaling through the left nostril.

Sit in any comfortable posture- preferably cross legged , with your spine in neutral position, Take a few deep breaths, now using right hand, thumb out, next two fingers (index & middle fingers) folded and last two fingers (ring & little fingers) stretched, Left palm can simply rest on your left knee with palm facing upwards. Then, Very softly block your left nostril with the right ring finger (the aim is to block the air flow and not to push the nose to the other side with force), slowly inhale through your right nostril. Inhale gradually with the count of 4 (4 seconds of inhalation time) and without any force to the maximum. Then, Block your right nostril with the right thumb; release the lock on the left nostril & Exhale rhythmically with the count of 5 or 6 (exhalation time 5-6 seconds) from the left nostril -This is one round . Gradually, with extended practice, you should try to double your exhalation time (count or seconds) to your inhalation ( if inhalation count is 4 seconds , then exhalation count to be 8 seconds).

To start with , you can do 10 rounds, over time, practice can be extended to 10-15 minutes. But should not exceed 20 minutes of practice at one stretch as can cause imbalance in the breathing cycle. The preferable time of practice is on an empty stomach in the morning.

It makes your mind alert, perceptive and thereby, preparing you towards the path of meditation. Your Nervous System especially Sympathetic Nervous System is revitalized and blockages in the pathway of energy channels are removed. As it is energizing in nature, it is also recommended during stress & depression, to change the flow of tamasic energy to a vibrant one by increasing your alertness, concentration & bringing about changes for ‘Readiness for Action’.

Slow Deep Breathing with light Weight Dumbbells: This is another excellent breathing exercise for those suffering from depression.

Take 2 light weight dumbbells (about 1 kg or One Ltr. / half Ltr. filled water bottles) as per your capacity in both your hands, bring both your arms sideways in line of your shoulders,with your wrists facing front, bend your arms in a way that both the dumbbells are in line with your chin (as shown in pic given below), then inhaling very slowly and gently raise both your arms just above your head, but do not straighten your arms above your head, hold your arms & your breath in that position for about 3 seconds, and then slowly bring both your arms down to the starting position while gently effortlessly exhaling with no noise. Always keep in mind to maintain a very slow rhythm.

Those who took Antidepressants were 3 times more likely to become depressed after one year followup. Exercise is so effective because of what it does to your brain , when you exercise , important nerve transmitters (hormone) like Dopamine and Serotonin have increased activity level , these are the same nerve transmitters cause depression when they are at low level. Also, these are the same nerve transmitters those the antidepressant drugs are targeting, these drugs also have other potential negative side effects . So, why to take such drugs when you can just exercise , look better and feel healthier .

2. MEDITATION:

A general guideline for better results for all those who intend to practice meditation:

a) Preferably in early morning or evening (Sandhya Kala).

b) Practice in a particular place facing East or North.

c) Have your own ASANA (small sitting mattress) , no one else to use it.

d) Wear a fresh washed loose dress.

e) Before you start , Chant some Divine Mantra for 3-5 minutes of your like, for example : Aum Namaha Shivaya , Hare Ram Hare Krishna, or any of your choice , or can even do a GURU VANDANA if you are initiated. If you have nothing to chant then just chant AOM in very slow pace : Aaaa, Oooo, Mmmmmmmmm (Mmm to be stretched).

f) Doing a BHAMRI Pranayam before start of meditation helps in mental calmness. This Pranayama also known as ad Humming Bee Breath, is a calming breathing practice that soothes the nervous system and helps to connect us our truest inner nature.

Sit in a cross-legged position, close your eyes and breath deeply.Now close your ears with your thumbs, place your index finger just above your eyebrows and the rest of your fingers over your eyes, with your middle fingers of both hands apply very gentle pressure to the sides of your nose. Now concentrate your mind on the area between your eyebrows. Keep your mouth closed , breath out slowly through your nose with making a humming sound of "AAOOMMMMMMM". Repeat this process for 5 times. Important thing is that while doing this PRANAYAMA assume that you are being connected to all the positive energies of the cosmos.

g) Maha Sambhavi Mudra : Sitting in a cross-legged position, your back should be comfortably straight, whole body to be lose , with palms on your knees facing upwards in Gyana / Vishnu Mudra (where in both hands, the tip of your index finger touches the tip of your thumb forming a ring 👌). Then slightly raise your head upwards, focus both your eyes at a centre point between your both eyebrows (gazing point) & close your eyes, then slowly inhale (count of 6-8) & exhale (count of 8-10) through your nostrils, this should be very smooth and with no sound. You should fully concentrate on the air going in & going out , in other words fully concentrate on your inhalation and exhalation, so that your mind do not get engaged in some other thoughts. Maha Sambhavi Mudra is said to be one of the ideal posture for meditating.

3. OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS :

This comes in the form of fish oil is a must have supplement .

Why is this so beneficial ?

To understand this we need to understand our body's relationship with these essential fats (OMEGA-3, OMEGA-6). These are called essential fats because our body is unable to produce on its own , we must get them from outside sources.

OMEGA-6 fats are pro-inflammatory, found in grains and seeds , animals that eat them, or are fed them , or in foods cooked in them. While OMEGA-3 fats are anti-inflammatory, found in grasses, plants, algae, animals that eat them, fish, free range meat.

The ideal balance for humans for OMEGA-6 to OMEGA-3 should be anywhere from 1:1 to 3:1 , most of our ancestors were able to maintain this with there natural based diets. But when researchers tried to look into modern day diet , they find out the ratio to be 17:1, that is modern generation is heavy on the inflammatory side , that is never a good thing because if we look at all the major diseases that pick the modern world like - cancer, heart disease, allergies , all these are inflammatory diseases. That is the reason scientist hypothesised that may be if we prescribed OMEGA-3 then the ratio can be fixed and combat all these problems, they conducted dozens of studies and found that not only those suffered depression feel better , but helped is helping those with variety of other diseases.

Something very important to note is , if you do purchase fish oil supplements , you must refrigerate it or will oxidize and become toxic for your body. Also, make sure the brand you are purchasing use some method to purify the oil, as now majority of fish are farm bred and contain many toxins.

4. SUNLIGHT-

This is very important for 2 reasons - a) it deals with a special vitamin called vitamin D, it comes from your skin when it is exposed to sunlight , it is responsible for your bone health, immunity , and your muscle health. A lack of vitamin D will cause a variety of problems such as cancer, diabetes, and especially mental health. Vitamin D is actually becoming a very big problem now a days because most of us are spending more and more time indoors , in fact over 40% of people now have vitamin D deficiency to some degree, that is lot of people. b) it is something that you wouldn't expect , there is something very special about sunlight that normal indoor lights can not provide for us, sunlight is many many times brighter than indoor lights , it turns out that our body needs sunlight in order to set our body's internal clock right , what it does is make sure that you feel tired at the right time and make sure you get the right hormones at the right time (hormone regulation) , and make sure you feel sleepy at the right time (sleep regulation). All of these problems have shown in studies that these bears direct link to depression. We need natural and bright sunlight at least once a day to set this clock right. Research suggest just 10 minutes of natural sunlight is enough to be ok.

5. Healthy Sleep -

Researchers found that disrupted sleep is one of the most potent triggers for depression. They found that people who slept at extremely abnormal times that deferred every single day were more prone to developing depression. This means if you are one of those who stays up whole night watching shows, playing video games, busy with your phone, working on laptops or computers , you fall into this category. Healthy sleep that translates about 7-8 hours of sleep . (Read my Blog :How to get a QUALITY SLEEP; blog dated 21-8-'20).

6. ANTI - RUMINATIVE ACTIVITY -

Researchers found that the more you ruminate , which is essentially thinking about the past , the more likely you are to get depressed. In quantities it is fine, but with up rise of technology and internet more and more people are spending alone. The problem with spending time alone is you tend to ruminate a lot ... you think about something embarrassing that happened over a year ago, or how you were bullied when at 6th standard, or how your loved one behaved with you causing a fight , these types of thoughts get you in a state of depression., if repeated enough. In order to combat these it is suggested to find ENGAGING ACTIVITIES which covers wide spread of things like - group activities like sports and games, events , or solo activities like working on your art / hobby/ crafts/ projects. The main thing about finding these activities is that they should be exciting enough , so that you do not have time to think about the past. If you are engaging enough then at the end of the day when you are about to go for sleep then you wont spend an hour rolling on the bed thinking about so and so said something mean to you, you should be tired enough that your mind will be calm and you will quickly fall asleep.

7. SOCIAL CONNECTION -

This is the most important factor. We humans are social creatures, we always stuck in groups, ability to work as a team and overcoming any obstacle , this level of team work we spend majority of the day with other humans. This is not the case any more, most people now have no close friends , studies have shown that having close social network is vital for a healthy life . Bonding with humans releases certain hormones that reduces stress and anxiety. Social isolation will literally cause your brain to shrink . Socialising is simply that important. One of the main reason I believe social connection is a big problem now a days is due to lack of face to face interaction, you spend so much time on social media communicating that we barely spend any time face to face, the hormones produced in a online media communication is significantly different than the ones produced during face to face , humans need to be face to face in order to build long lasting trust and deep relationship, socialising and making friends requires tons of practise and tons of calibration. Now a days we can hide behind screens and talk or text , so the ability to interact with somebody face to face is a skill that is rarely ever practised.

These are the 7 factors you have to keep in mind in order to combat your depression , these have really shown results time and time over, it is my advise to take these very seriously and move towards a healthy and joyful life.