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Depression and Fast Food: An Overlooked Cause

With almost 16 million adults in the U.S. experiencing at least one major depressive episode over the course of a year, depression is one of the most common mental health disorders diagnosed in this country. The Anxiety and Depression Association (ADAA) report that approximately 7% of all American adults experience a major form of depression every year. More than 50% or more than 8 million adults may be struggling with depression because they are eating a fast food diet.

Fast Food and Depression

While most will agree a diet of fast food is not good for a healthy lifestyle; it is a quick, easy and tasty fix to grabbing a fast meal that also fills you up. Two different university studies, with an initial study starting in 2011 analyzed data from almost 9,000 participants who had never been diagnosed with depression or taken antidepressants. The data results showed that those who did eat fast food were 51% more likely to develop depression than those that ate little to no fast food.

Link Between Fast Food and Depression

Both previously mentioned research studies also demonstrated that there was a link between fast food and depression which was dose responsive; greater quantities of fast food eaten resulted in a greater risk for the development and diagnosis of depression. Even eating small amounts of fast food was linked to a significantly higher chance of developing depression.

Drive Through Versus Sit Down Food

In our fast paced society, we may find it almost impossible to follow a strict holistic or organic diet. Even those restaurants that we feel provide a more nutritious menu still offer “fast food” entrees and side dishes such as fries, hash browns, subs, specialty desserts, and pizza. The University of Illinois reported in a study that the total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium intake were substantially larger when full-service restaurant food was consumed away from home.

Depression Treatment Recommended

No matter what kind of diet you are eating, getting help for your depression is the best choice and recommended option for living your life to the fullest. A comprehensive mental health evaluation will provide an accurate diagnosis of the type of depression you have and allow treatment to begin immediately. Nutrition plays a big role. Changing your eating habits and lifestyle can be addressed throughout your depression treatment. Call the office for a confidential appointment.

Holiday Depression Dampens the Spirit

During this time of good cheer, bright and colorful decorations, advertisements and commercials showing happy times seemingly enjoyed by all except for maybe you, makes being depressed all that more noticeable to others and to one’s self.  Signs of holiday depression or sadness may bring comments like “Don’t be a Grinch,” or being called “Scrooge,” which certainly do not help cheer you up at all.

Holidays Not Always A Happy Time

The months of November and December may not be in reality so cheerful. The store window dressings, magazine decorating articles, food ads, and holiday shows belie what may really be going on in people’s lives. The end of the year is often extremely stressful trying to plan for the holidays with limited finances, end of year deadlines and responsibilities. In addition, social work events, poor eating and drinking habits, or dealing with increased family stress also occur. Add holiday stress on top of dealing with the loss of a loved one during increasingly cold and dark winter days, and holiday depression finds its way into thousands of lives.

Sadness or Depression

It can be normal to be sad or depressed at any time of the year. The stress of the holidays may trigger sadness or depression for many. Seeing others happy and cheerful, full of generous spirit, may make one feel there is something wrong with them if they do not feel that way. During the months of November and December the stress and anxiety experienced may cause those who are normally content with their lives to experience loneliness, a lack of fulfillment, sadness or depression.

Signs of Holiday Depression

The most common signs of depression are crying, loss of interest in usual activities, fatigue, social withdrawal, feelings of sadness, thoughts of being worthless; additionally, irritability, changes in sleep, weight, appetite, blaming oneself or feeling guilty about a situation or event are commonly seen. These symptoms can come and go during the year. If they become severe or last for more than a couple weeks, it may be more than the holidays causing this. It is time to get professional help, turn your life around letting some joy back into your life.

Statistics of Holiday Depression

Part of feeling depressed can come from being alone, or from having limited support of family and friends. In the U.S. 43% of adults are single and 27% live alone. With senior citizens 17% are single, divorced or widowed over the age of 65 often with health and mobility issues. Women have twice the risk as men for depression. After development of heart disease, depression is the next most debilitating illness for women, 10th for men.

Holiday Depression Help

Holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and celebration, but some people find them anything but happy times. Call the office for a confidential appointment to determine if you have seasonal affective depression, a bout of the blues, or are clinically depressed. Help is available. Call today.

Hidden Depression: 6 Concealed Signs

Many people struggle through life with hidden depression, hiding their depression from others and even from themselves. While help is readily available, many keep their depression concealed, masking their symptoms and putting on a “happy face” or always responding with “I’m fine” when asked how they are.

Reasons for Hiding Your Depression

There can be so many individual reasons for hiding personal depression; however, one reason may be that they do not want to admit or acknowledge the severity of their depression. Other reasons may be that they believe their depression will go away on its own, or may think, “We don’t talk about feeling sad, but push on through life.” It can be a common plight for thousands to believe that having a hidden depression makes them weak and asking for help is the last thing that they should do.

Signs of Hidden Depression

  • Unusual sleep, eating, or drinking habits. When a change in the way a person sleeps or eats occurs, it can be a sign that something is not right in their world. For example: they cannot sleep or they sleep far beyond normal every day; overeating may help someone feel less emotionally empty by “stuffing” themselves; drinking may be used as a means to help cover up the feelings of sadness and loneliness. Others may lose all interest in food or drinking.
  • Wear a “happy face” or “all is well face” so that others may think that indeed all is fine. In addition to the “mask of happiness,” they may avoid or give excuses why they cannot hangout, go out to dinner, go to a get-together, etc.
  • Conversation may turn to topics the person does not normally talk about, with topics tending to focus on what their life has amounted to so far, what the meaning of life is, is life really worth living, would death be a better choice than the life they currently have, is there happiness out there for them, can they change the course their life is on. Hidden depression can change one’s entire outlook on life.
  • Put out an attempted “cry for help” by making that appointment to see a specialist, or by letting some of their hidden feelings out to friends and family. These are attempted cries for help however as they tend to not keep that medical appointment, or they just blow off what they had said as having a bad day and that they did not really mean it.
  • Those with a hidden depression who are keeping all of their emotions bottled up may find “leakage” of emotion, crying during a movie, commercial, or at family event, where they normally would not reveal that side of themselves. Other emotions may come out unexpectedly like flashes of anger, or becoming overly demonstrative with feelings of love and endearment toward others.
  • Exhibit Depressive Realism where they have a more realistic and less optimistic view of world around them. For the most part, it is harder to cover up depressive realism as their viewpoints lack expectation that they will succeed or do well – they may look toward an outcome with a negative foundation that does not fare well for them – for example, they may have applied for a job promotion but say, “I doubt that I’ll get it, let alone be anywhere in the running for it.”

Help for Hidden Depression

Call a local psychiatrist with decades of experience who is ready to help you from taking the first step to recovery to reclaiming the happiness in your life that you deserve.

10 Behaviors that Indicate a Mental Health Problem

People with quirky or eccentric personalities may be more interesting or fun to be around, but when their behaviors become too extreme or negatively impact their lives, there may be something else at play, including the possibility of a mental health disorder. In the U.S., about one in five adults, or almost 44 million people exhibit the occurrence of a mental illness every year.

Signs and Behaviors of Mental Health Issues

You may feel that you are unique and different, or even having a personality that is often misunderstood – when do those thoughts change over to questioning if you need to see a psychiatrist? There are certain behaviors and signs that do signal a need to see a mental health practitioner – if you recognize any of the following in yourself it does not mean you are disturbed or crazy, but rather that your life may be able to benefit from an aspect of mental health guidance and treatment.

  • Difficulty coping with life on a day to day basis, having irrational fears
  • Intense anxiety where every worry is “super-sized” and worst case scenario is expected
  • Feeling overcome with sadness, or feeling down or hopeless on a regular basis that affects your ability to function
  • Unexplained and recurrent headaches, stomach-aches or a rundown immune system
  • Using a substance to cope with daily life; use of alcohol, illegal or prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications or other illicit activities to numb emotional pain
  • Have impulsive or obvious mood swings
  • Cannot shake the impact of recent or past traumatic events
  • Thinking about suicide or hurting one self
  • Serious anger issues, significant irritability, hostility, rage and frequent outbursts of anger
  • Distorted body image along with a highly troubled relationship with food and eating

Help is a Phone Call Away

While the list above does not cover all the mental health issues or concerns a person may have, it does highlight some of the most common behaviors and signs that a comprehensive evaluation by a skilled psychiatrist may provide a diagnosis for. Mental health disorders are treatable. Call for an appointment.

Empty Nest Depression

For thousands of parents, the end of summer also brings the arrival of “the empty nest syndrome,” when one or more children leave home for college. Middle age brings many life changes one of which is having to discover living a new lifestyle – an “empty nest” one.  A parent may experience sadness, grief, loss, and loneliness when the children leave home; for many, these negative feelings may linger on, developing into depression.

Treatment for Empty Nest Depression

It is normal to feel sadness, grief and loss when a child leaves home; however, when those emotions interfere with your daily life it is imperative to seek professional help. Empty nest syndrome’s emotions, fears and depression are treatable. This can be a time to enjoy new freedom in your life as well as realizing that without having a child at home there are new adventures waiting just ahead.

Seek Help with Severe Symptoms

Painful emotions and feelings that become stronger and more severe signal that it is time to seek professional help. Following is a list of symptoms that may occur during empty nest syndrome depression – if you recognize any of these symptoms in yourself, call for mental health help:

  • Excessive crying
  • Feeling that your life is now useless with nothing left to live for
  • Avoidance of friends; relationships damaged
  • Calling in at work; job performance impaired
  • Losing your sense of identity
  • Mood related changes in appetite
  • Constant worry and anxiety over child’s welfare
  • Insomnia, low energy and poor concentration
  • Finding no joy in life any longer
  • Looking for solace in alcohol and drugs
  • Thoughts of suicide or of harming yourself

Empty Nest Syndrome Help

If you experience symptoms of depression that are interfering with your life, call the office to set up a confidential appointment. Learn to manage your symptoms to begin enjoying life once again.

 

Depression is More Than a Mental Disorder

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 6.7 percent of adults in the United States have depression. Major depression is also called major depressive illness or clinical depression. Major depression is a serious medical condition that has a dramatic effect on your quality of life. Depression is more than a mental disorder as it affects the whole body, affecting one’s physical health and well-being.

Research Shows Depression as Systemic Disease

Science Daily reports in a research article released March 2016 that depression causes alterations in the body’s reaction to stress with such wide ranging effects that it needs to be considered a systemic disease that affects the whole person’s physical health and mental health. Research has shown the significant association depression has with cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and early mortality. Research may also be useful in finding new therapeutic means for the prevention and treatment of the disorder and disease.

Treatment Lowers Risk of Systemic Disease

Harvard Medical School’s study of depression and the link to physical health concerns show that recurrence of cardiovascular problems is linked more closely to depression than to smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. Left untreated, depression raises the risk of dying after a heart attack. In addition, depression and stress may affect one’s immune system making your body more vulnerable to development of infections and other diseases. Treatment does bring health issues back into normal ranges.

Effects on the Body

While depression is a mental disorder, but it can also impact on your physical health in the following ways:

  • Cognitive Changes (inability to concentrate, memory issues, decision making issues)
  • Weight Problems (over-eating, binging, poor appetite, digestive problems, cramps)
  • Constricted Blood Vessels (increased blood pressure and cardiovascular stress)
  • Weakened Immune System (increased susceptibility to infections and diseases)
  • Aches and Pains (headaches, chronic body aches, pain that does not respond to meds)
  • Heart Attack Outcome
  • Overwhelming Fatigue
  • Insomnia (altered sleeping patterns)

Health Evaluation

Call the area’s psychiatrist who not only has decades of experience in treating depression, but the psychiatrist who is up-to-date on new research data and in treating the body as a whole. Treat your depression and health issues to bring good health and happiness back into your life. Call the office for a confidential appointment.

Empty Nest Syndrome, Depression, and Anxiety

Empty nest syndrome typically refers to the feelings of depression, grief, sadness or anxiety experienced by parents when their children, especially their last child leaves home for college, a job or marriage. While women predominantly make up the majority of those dealing with empty nest syndrome, men can also experience similar feelings of loss when their children leave home.

Empty Nest Syndrome and Depression or Anxiety Disorder

Empty nest syndrome may be responsible for feeling sad or depressed. These feelings are normal during this time of change. Feeling anxious as your child moves on to start their life away from home is also a normal reaction to experience. It is not normal however to let those feelings interfere with your daily life. Men and women who find themselves weighed down by loneliness, sadness, and negative emotions may develop depression which requires professional help.

Effects of Additional Life Changes

While dealing with the symptoms and depression associated with empty nest syndrome other factors can come into play that makes a parent even more vulnerable to developing clinical depression. Additional life changes include grieving for loss of a loved one, caring for an elderly frail parent, coming to terms with their place in the changing workforce, or facing retirement and any financial constraints that go along with that. Women have an additional strain as the empty nest syndrome often occurs along with perimenopause and menopause and their own challenge of living with fluctuating hormones.

Monitor Empty Nest Symptoms

It is important to keep track of your reactions and how long they may last. If you find yourself crying excessively, unable to function at work or with your daily routine, fearful and anxious about not knowing what your child is doing or if they are safe, or find yourself withdrawing from friends or family, please seek professional help. Depression and anxiety are treatable.

Empty Nest Psychiatrist

Making an appointment with a qualified psychiatrist will help you change the overwhelming sadness into excitement for your child’s new life adventures, and how you can continue to be an active part of their lives now and into the future. Call for a confidential appointment today.

Hidden Depression: Common Cold of Mental Illness

National statistics show that depression affects one out of every 10 U.S. adults, however those numbers are argued to be way off the real mark. Besides the adults who do not admit to being depressed, will not report their depression or seek help, there are large segments of the U.S. population that do not even realize they are going through life suffering from depression. These people have hidden depression or concealed depression. In fact, depression affects so many adults that it has been coined the common cold of mental illness.

Hidden Depression May be Different for Everyone

Depression is something that everyone may experience at one or several points in their life. Depression is part of a normal process when dealing with a loss, changes in life, sadness, loneliness, or any number of stressful situations or events. Hidden depression for one is not the same depression for another. Hidden depression may have different levels of severity and may be exhibited in a variety of ways – often subtle changes that may not be recognized as depression.

Signs and Symptoms of Hidden Depression

Becoming aware of hidden depression is as important as becoming aware of your individual signs and symptoms that signal the occurrence or recurrence of depression. Seeking out help once you understand how hidden depression is affecting not only your life, but how it impacts on your relationships, social groups, job performance, and plans for the future. Untreated depression does not “just go away” with time. The signs and symptoms may decrease, but may come back with even more life disruption at any time.

Hidden Depression’s Small Signs Very Individual

Hidden depression symptoms or signs do not have to include crying episodes, feelings of extreme sadness, lethargy, or the inability to get up and go to work every day. Very often adults with hidden depression may just feel they are having an “off” or “bad” day that may last for weeks or longer.

Examples of some small signs could include not getting your hair cut for months, no longer bothering to color the gray hair, no longer caring to make your bed, eating foods you normally avoid, wearing old sweat pants out to dinner and other “small personal signs” that are a change from what you would normally do or never do.

More Noticeable Signs of Hidden Depression

While many hidden depression signs and symptoms are easy to miss, with small changes in behavior from what was “normal,” the following signs may be more recognizable as a symptom of depression:

  • Unusual sleep, eating or drinking habits from what would be considered normal for you: not sleeping enough, over-sleeping, overeating, avoiding foods with loss of weight, drinking too much, no longer drinking, or loss of interest in social activities and hobbies may all signal a depressed mood.
  • Living life behind a constant smile or “mask” of happiness. Hidden depression signs may include avoiding spending time with family and friends, making excuses for not meeting friends out, or not participating in previously loved pursuits. Avoidance is related to the amount of effort it takes to appear happy – spending time with those that know you makes “wearing the mask of happiness” harder and harder to do.
  • Admitting they are depressed, making an appointment for help, or sharing their sometimes dark thoughts, only to have the feelings taken back, appointments cancelled, and telling others it was all a joke or was not real. Those with hidden depression struggle with these “lapses” in letting other see their “weakness” so they close up again.
  • Exhibit their emotions strongly when they normally do not behave in that manner. This could include uncharacteristic behaviors such as road rage, crying over commercials or emotional parts of a movie, or freely expressing their love or caring for others when this would be considered “strange” behavior by those who know you.

There are numerous other examples of hidden depression and its effect on your life. Working with an experienced depression psychiatrist is the best first step to take to make the change in your life that will leave you feeling more fulfilled, hopeful for the future, and truly happy for maybe the first time in your life.

Contact Us

If you or someone you care about has suspected depression, call the office for a confidential appointment.

Seasonal Affective Disorder: Winter Blues

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a subtype of major depression that comes and goes based on seasons. SAD typically begins to affect people as early as September as fall develops and can continue on through early April. There is also an opposite pattern where seasonal affective disorder symptoms begin in the spring or summer. No matter when the seasonal pattern begins, the symptoms start out mild and become more and more disruptive as the season continues.

Statistics of Seasonal Affective Disorder

SAD affects an estimated 10 million Americans, with another 2-million who have mild seasonal affective disorder. SAD is about four times more common in women than men. While people of all ages can develop seasonal affective disorder, the average age when this illness first develops is 23 years of age.

SAD and Major Depression

Since seasonal affective disorder is a subtype of major depression that tends to “follow the seasons,” the symptoms of major depression that may also be a part of SAD include:

  • Being depressed most of the day, generally most every day
  • Feeling hopeless or worthless
  • Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
  • Problems with sleeping
  • Appetite or weight changes
  • Feeling sluggish or agitated, having low energy
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Frequent thoughts of death or suicide

Fall and Winter Seasonal Affective Disorder

Winter onset SAD is also called winter depression. Symptoms can include:

  • Fatigue, tiredness
  • Crying spells
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Body aches
  • Irritability and problems getting along with others
  • Loss of sex drive
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Feeling like your body is weighing you down
  • Overeating and weight gain with cravings for carbohydrates
  • Being hypersensitive to rejection or criticism

Spring and Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder

Summer onset SAD is sometimes called summer depression. Symptoms reported for this subtype of major depression include:

  • Insomnia
  • Poor appetite and weight loss
  • Irritability, agitation, or anxiety
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Depression
  • Crying spells

Seasonal Affective Disorder Help 

Feeling “blue” can happen to anyone, however, if you find your “blue” day extending into a longer period of time with other symptoms mentioned above, it could very well be time to seek out help from a qualified mental health professional.

Dr. Hege, an Atlanta based seasonal affective disorder psychiatrist is just a phone call away from the help you need. Put an end to SAD and call the office today.

The Picture of Depression

The picture you may have in your head when hearing someone is depressed, or has been diagnosed with depression is typically not a true “picture.” People are often surprised to hear that a friend or family member is depressed as they do not “act the way a depressed person should act.”

Depression Facts versus Depression Truths

So just what is the real truth about depression? Having a better handle on what depression looks like may let you give help and support where it truly is needed. Being able to come to terms with one’s own depression with the help of friends and family is the first step in seeking treatment.

  • Depressed people are usually miserable and prefer to be left alone.” Fact? Truth? Very often people with depression feel their best when they are socializing, being the “life of the party,” attending events and activities and staying very active within their community of friends and family. Party goers are seldom viewed as depressed and may go their entire lives without the treatment they so desperately need.
  • Depression and life’s problems fade into the background of living the high life.” Fact? Truth? Staying fun loving and in the lime-light keeps the sadness, fear and panic away — at least for a short while. Moods may change and there may be times when you feel better alone and miserable around friends, however these mood swings may just occur at random times with no discernible pattern.
  • Depression really just means that you are sad.” Fact? Truth? While being depressed may feel like a heavy weight of sadness is weighing down your every thought and move, depression may also take on other less recognizable forms. Depression may make itself known through making one irritable and easy to anger – often to make others feel bad so you can feel better about yourself.
  • Depression makes you sleepy.” Fact? Truth? Contradictory symptoms often makes depression so hard to detect. Depression may affect your sleeping patterns – you may find you have trouble falling asleep, waking up on time or sleeping away most of the day. Loss of weight may be a welcome change, but not because you become so fidgety and anxious you find you can’t sit still long enough to enjoy a meal. Memory issues may develop where you find you are not able to remember simple or routine events on a week to week basis. Your libido or sex drive may dwindle away to nothing or you may become super active sexually. Depression has so many faces that it really is a diagnosis that can go undiagnosed for years and years.
  • Antidepressants will not work.”Fact? Truth? Many people believe that taking antidepressants will not work for them as they may have known friends who took them to no avail, or watched news reports on the millions of people on antidepressants that may or may not make a difference in their lives. It is true that depression rates are rising; however this needs to viewed in the light of mental health professionals becoming better at making the correct diagnosis than in previous years, rather than people being diagnosed with depression for the lack of a better diagnosis. It is true that some antidepressants are not effective for everyone. Individual treatment plans make for better strategies and regimens in a multifaceted treatment process.

Depression – Help a Phone Call Away

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