Depression

Q: How do I know if it’s just the baby blues, or if I have postpartum depression? A: It can be difficult to differentiate the “baby blues” from postpartum depression. I can give you some information below, but you really must meet with a mental health professional to be evaluated…

Depression Symptoms: What Are They? Am I Depressed? With depression, you might have trouble falling asleep, or you might find yourself going to bed right after dinner. You might skip meals, or you might overeat. You can lose interest in sex, or crave it addictively. You might get headaches or…

Intense feelings of despair. Anxiety. Hopelessness, Loss of interest. Mood swings. Irritability. Social isolation. What do all of these things have in common? They’re symptoms of depression—and well-known symptoms, at that. As we grow more comfortable talking about mental health and mental illness, depression is often a topic of interest…

New research suggests certain positions and longer careers increase an NFL player’s risk of developing cognitive and mental health issues.  Researchers analyzed career length, position history, head and neck injuries, concussion symptoms, depression and anxiety symptoms. They found that players with the longest careers were twice as likely to report…

Major depression is one of the most prevalent mental illnesses in our world today. According to Mental Health America (MHA), more than 16 million people in the US are affected by major depression in any given year. And while people all sexes can develop this condition, it is more widespread…

A cardinal feature of depression, like other mental health conditions such as anxiety or trauma, is difficulty with memory: remembering, recalling, and—sometimes in severe cases—recognizing people, things, tasks, memories, events, and to-dos. Often, people with depression will have great difficulty remembering where things in the house or at work may…

As our loved ones grow older, we tend to worry about physical ailments, such as an increased risk for heart attacks and memory problems like dementia. However, we often fail to recognize threats to their mental health—for example, the elderly often suffers from depression and anxiety. These are common illnesses…

Research supports that spirituality can help improve symptoms of depression and other mental health conditions. Engaging in spiritual practices changes the prefrontal region of the brain; additionally, it serves as a shield against stress. When we turn to our spiritual nature, or focus on a higher power, we become more…

A fast-acting psychedelic drug could help treat depression and anxiety. This, from a Johns Hopkins University study that surveyed 362 adults. Researchers found that the use of a synthetic psychedelic, 5-MeO-DMT, is associated with improvements in depression and anxiety when taken in a controlled setting. Approximately 80% of those surveyed…

Improving your diet, even slightly, can reduce depression symptoms. This, according to a study from University of Manchester that analyzed data from 46,000 people. Researchers investigated the effects of dietary interventions and found that making simple changes can benefit your mental health. For example, eating more vegetables and cutting back…

Sometimes, symptoms of depression are accompanied by signs of aggression, which can signify agitated depression. Agitated depression isn’t a distinct depression type, but rather a clearer explanation for cases of depression that also include acts of aggression. Symptoms include your normal depression symptoms, like depressed mood and lack of interest…

While some of us simply despise the cold weather characteristic of winter, others actually suffer significantly from a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder or SAD. This particular type of depression is thought to be caused by a lack of sunlight; symptoms include feelings of despair, difficulty sleeping, and…