A banana a day - will keep the depression away?
Well, maybe it's not quite that simple, but it is true that foods rich in serotonin can help to elevate your mood. But it doesn't stop at your diet, exercise is right up there, too. Try a 20-minute walk a day to help improve your mood. Get outside, and soak up the light, even if it's raining. Keep in touch with friends, and make sure you put the daily demands in their rightful place -a manageable one. Of course, these don't replace a trip to the Caribbean, during the wet and windy winter months, but they can give your mood a boost.
We would be remiss if we didn't point out that there's quite a distinction between having a low mood and having a depressive episode or a disorder. These are more serious conditions that manifest in a multitude of ways:
Feeling sad or empty
Loss of interest in activities that brought you pleasure in the past
A significant change in appetite (decrease or increase)
Insomnia or excessive sleep
Feelings of restlessness or slowing down
Fatigue or loss of energy
Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
Impaired concentration or decision-making ability
Pervasive thoughts of death
If you have five or more of these, and they've lasted for two weeks or more, you may be dealing with more than the blues.
If you're struggling with what you think might be depression, there is help here on the Coast. At Mental Health and Addictions Services, they are available to help you explore the best way to feel like yourself again. One way is by getting involved in a group like Mastering Depression. It provides you with the most current approaches to wellness, and it's starting up in November. So check out what services they have to offer. Call 604-885-6101 and ask for Eva or Erin.
-Submitted by Sunshine Coast Mental Health and Addictions/Vancouver Coastal Health.
