Get moving. You no doubt know that exercise is good for the brain. But recent research has shown us that exercise can actually grow the hippocampus and improve brain function. Exercise is a also a tremendous mood booster and an invaluable tool in the treatment of depression.
Rewiring your brain with the help of hypnotherapy
Rewiring your brain is something you do unintentionally every day. When you add positive intent to your actions, you empower yourself to rewire your brain in a way that can reduce your symptoms of depression.
Coping skills can help you get through moments when you're feeling depressed. Whether you start a gratitude journal, practice meditation, or spend time with a funny friend, there are many ways to lift your spirits. Using coping skills is often only part of the process of recovering from depression.
Leading a Healthy Lifestyle
Nutrition and exercise have been found to protect against the appearance of mental health disorders, such as depression.
Antidepressants can cause changes in neurotransmitter levels and brain function; however, these changes are typically reversible once the medication is stopped.
The majority of changes and damage to the brain caused by untreated depression are not believed to be permanent, but more research is still needed. When depression is effectively treated, most people commonly experience an improvement in symptoms, and their brains return to typical function and structure.
For people with chronic or severe depression, medication may be needed on a long-term basis. In these cases, antidepressants are often taken indefinitely. That is, in part, because depression is not an illness that can be cured.
It can occur for a variety of reasons and it has many different triggers. For some people, an upsetting or stressful life event, such as bereavement, divorce, illness, redundancy and job or money worries, can be the cause. Different causes can often combine to trigger depression.
While the experience of depression is shared by many, the contributing factors will be different for each person with the condition. There are some factors, like genetics, that you don't have control over. However, there are others, such as your diet, that can be modified.
Things like stress, drinking alcohol, using drugs, and hormone changes can affect mood and the brain's chemistry. Some health conditions may also increase the likelihood of anger, irritability, or sadness. For example, low levels of thyroid hormones can cause a depressed mood in some people.
Each person's recovery is different. Some recover in a few weeks or months. But for others, depression is a long-term illness. In about 20% to 30% of people who have an episode of depression, the symptoms don't entirely go away.
There are recent findings regarding the effect of antidepressants on neuroplasticity, and specific findings that suggest that antidepressants reactivate the plasticity in the adult brain such that it is comparable to those of children.
Depression results from a complex interaction of social, psychological, and biological factors. People who have gone through adverse life events (unemployment, bereavement, traumatic events) are more likely to develop depression.
It's often said that depression results from a chemical imbalance, but that figure of speech doesn't capture how complex the disease is. Research suggests that depression doesn't spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals.
Persistent depressive disorder symptoms usually come and go over a period of years. The intensity of symptoms can change over time. But symptoms usually don't disappear for more than two months at a time. Also, major depression episodes may occur before or during persistent depressive disorder.
Not having rewarding experiences: This can take numerous forms. Sometimes people experience a significant loss, such as the loss of a loved one, or losing a valued role at work. Without replacing the old source of reward with something new, people are significantly more likely to become depressed.
Depression is linked to other health problems.
People with depression are also at higher risk of chronic inflammatory or autoimmune conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, or inflammatory bowel disease.
It's usually recommended that a course of antidepressants continues for at least 6 months after you feel better, to prevent your condition recurring when you stop. Some people with recurrent illness are advised to carry on taking medicine indefinitely.
There is new reason to be cautious about using popular antidepressants in people who are not really depressed. For the first time, research has shown that a widely used antidepressant may cause subtle changes in brain structure and function when taken by those who are not depressed.