Fighting Depression with Exercise

Depression is a fire breathing monster that can consume your life and those around you.

However, there are tools and strategies that you can use to fight depression, even in cases of treatment-resistant depression where medication cannot help.

In addition, any person who has been diagnosed with or believes that they have depression should make Hashi Mashi their first stop before the pharmacy to fill anti-depressant prescriptions.

There are lifestyle changes that you can make to help cope with depression before ingesting drugs that have many warning labels written all over them.

Do you want to take the chance of the known negative side effects of anti-depressants?

Do you want to take the chance of suicidal ideation, divorce, family estrangement, insomnia, career loss?

Before you take drugs, try real food and exercise to fight depression.

Of course, if the lifestyle changes suggested on Hashi Mashi and written about in detail in Zehhu: Crossing the Bridge from Depression to Life do not help, then it is time to consider medication as a last resort.

As always, speak with your Doctor about any and all treatment modifications.

How to Deal with Depression – Simple, Practical & Effective Strategies

By Rich Hashimashi, CPT on November 30, 2018Leave a Comment

How to Deal With Depression

12 Steps that You can Begin to Implement Today

At first glance, this site might not look like one that is dealing with depression.

Instead, it might look like one that is devoted to weight training, reducing weight, pseudo paleo nutrition, the benefits of deadlifts, squats, pushups, real food to help you lose body fat, gain muscle, transform your body.

There is definitely truth to that.

However, the primary purpose of this site is to help you, your friend or family member discover the simple, practical and effective strategies that they can implement to get out of depression.

How to deal with depression is a subject that is very close to my heart.

You see, many years ago I wanted to end my own life due to the perpetual shock of depression from family estrangement, career loss, home loss, crime, divorce and several other events I wish had never happened.

But they did for me and my guess is that you have experienced your own situations that might have left you in your own perpetual shock of depression.

The perpetual shock of depression has had catastrophic effects on my life of which I still grapple with today.

Back then, I wish I had a mentor who could have walked me through some of the steps that I am going to suggest for you.

Maybe I would not have listened, but I would have liked the opportunity to think about alternative methods for dealing with depression with or without medications.

I want to be that mentor today that I wish I had so many years ago.

No, I do not have a perfect life.

Yes, it is much much better than anything I could have imagined over a decade ago and yes, the strategies I am going to suggest for you have all been guinea tested on me.

If I can help even one learn how to deal with depression and move towards a better life, that alone will have made all the time and effort I have spent to deliver this information worthwhile.

I know the pain and it is real.

I wish you the best and please consult with your doctor before implementing my suggestions as I am not a doctor nor pretending to be one, just a person who was drowning from wave after wave of traumatic events and am now thankfully on dry land.

How common is Depression?

More than you think.

Believe it or not, the National Institute of Health has estimated the number of Americans with Depression at close to 7% of the US population age 18 and older.

See more statistics on Depression at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml .

Regarding depression, the NIH states that

Major Depressive Disorder

Major Depressive Disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15-44.3

Major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.1, 2

While major depressive disorder can develop at any age, the median age at onset is 32.5

Major depressive disorder is more prevalent in women than in men.6

Of course, the risks in depression are obvious, they all have one thing in common, injury to the self.

In the most destructive case, someone who needs to know how to deal with depression and is not winning the battle, might contemplate extreme measures to get relief from the pain in their mind.

Is it not ironic, that the great scourge of depression is essentially within our own mind?

Playing disabling scenes of the past, mulling over disappointments, wallowing in the troubles which are facing us in the present.

Coping methods for dealing with depression usually take the form of some type of self medication, food being a favorite as anyone can attest seeing countless movies where the victim of a romantic heartbreak is seen gorging on ice cream in the wee hours of the evening trying to dull the emotional pain.

Besides food, drugs can also become a crutch, as well as other behaviors which do not serve oneself well.

The pain is real, there is no doubt about that.

If the pain was not real, we would not have more than 30,000 americans opting out by suicide every year as is elaborated on in this list from https://save.org :

Many who attempt suicide never seek professional care.

There are twice as many deaths due to suicide than HIV/AIDS.

Between 1952 and 1995, suicide in young adults nearly tripled.

Over half of all suicides occur in adult men, ages 25-65.

In the month prior to their suicide, 75% of elderly persons had visited a physician.

Suicide rates in the United States are highest in the spring.

For young people 15-24 years old, suicide is the third leading cause of death.

Suicide rates among the elderly are highest for those who are divorced or widowed.

80% of people that seek treatment how to deal with depression are treated successfully.

15% of those who are clinically depressed die by suicide.

There are an estimated 8 to 25 attempted suicides to 1 completion.

The highest suicide rate is among men over 85 years old: 65 per 100,000 persons.

1 in 65,000 children ages 10 to 14 commit suicide each year.

Substance abuse is a risk factor for suicide.

The strongest risk factor for suicide is not dealing with depression.

By 2010, depression will be the #1 disability in the world. (World Health Organization)

In 2004, 32,439 people died by suicide. (CDC)

Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. (homicide is 15th). (CDC)

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-old Americans. (CDC)

It is estimated that there are at least 4.5 million survivors in this country. (AAS)

An average of one person dies by suicide every 16.2 minutes. (CDC, AAS)

There are four male suicides for every female suicide. (CDC, AAS)

Research has shown medications and therapy to be effective suicide prevention.

Suicide can be prevented through education and public awareness.

Last year SAVE educated 10,618 youth & parents how to deal with depression and suicide prevention.

Last year SAVE received 810 requests for information from 72 countries.

In 2004 it is estimated there were 811,000 suicide attempts in the US. (AAS)

There are three female suicide attempts for each male attempt. (CDC, AAS)

According to the Violent Death Reporting System, in 2004 73% of suicides also tested positive for at least one substance (alcohol, cocaine, heroin or marijuana).

So, we see that the strongest risk factor is depression.

That is because the pain of depression is a real pain.

It might not be a physical pain, but it has tremendous impact on the person who is living with it.

I speak about it, because I know what it feels like.

I also know what I have done to address that specific pain and hope that it might be useful to anyone else who is dealing with depression and struggling with trying to get out of the hole.

Here are the main tips that I would give today how to deal with depression.

For me, it has been an ongoing process, but I am thankful that I have stumbled upon a number of strategies which are most effective in fighting depression.

1. Leave the ROD, the ‘Room of Depression'

2. Lock the Door on the Room of Depression

3. Build new rooms in your metaphorical home which I will explain

4. Focus on those rooms

5. Strengthen those rooms as much as possible and do your best to not reenter the ROD

6. Eat real food

7. Get stronger with core strength exercises

8. Accept gradual improvement, progress, not perfection

9. Pick 10 – 15 healthy foods or meals that you enjoy and eat them consistently

10. Pick 3 – 5 core free weight exercises like pushups, deadlifts, squats, shoulder presses, pullups, and do them consistently

11. Eat healthy meals every 2 to 3 hours and stop eating by 7 or 8pm

I know, the room of depression might sound a bit unusual, but I think it is a metaphor that does have real life application and can work.

The metaphor is that the house, the home, the castle, this is your life, this is you.

The ROD, the room of depression is that space where you have been spending an inordinate amount of time, so much, that you might even cause distance between yourself, friends and family.

The distance that the ROD causes between you and yourself is the most severe.

By living in that room, whatever the scenes are that you are replaying, whatever the conversations are, whatever your thoughts are, that room , that space is causing you an enormous amount of pain.

And you are still sitting there?

For how long?

For how many years can you do that?

Of course, over time, if you do not leave that room, you will be saturated, marinated in depressive thoughts which could have egregious consequences.

Eleven years ago, I went through some very challenging times and out of respect for those involved, I am going to keep it private.

The experience felt like I had been hit by a virtual train, totally knocking me off of my equillibrium, as the events were very painful.

For too many years, I lived in that room. That room of depression.

I replayed many scenes and conversations in my mind.

Many should have, could have, would have scenarios.

The end result was that I lived in that room, focused on events that I had little to no control of, and grew more distant from myself.

I could not even recognize myself, I was just in that room, I felt no identity at all, other than being an occupant of the room of depression.

How did I deal with that depression, at least to leave the room long enough to make some progress to where the future became brighter and continues to do so now?

1. How to Deal with Depression Step 1 –

Leave the ROD. How do you do that?

In two ways, the first is to visually leave it, leave that room, close the door, let all the memories, videos, conversations, remain there.

For years, you have had no other room but that place. You have to move out.

The other way is physically. Stop sitting, stop moping, stop sulking. Physically, start walking, start moving, start taking action.

2. How to Deal with Depression Step 2 –

Lock the Door. It is tempting, especially after years of living there, to want to go back, to be accustomed to going back, that is natural. But you must lock the door. When you do lock it in your mind, you will have some space to create anew, which will enable you to do step 3.

3. How to Deal with Depression Step 3 –

Build new Rooms. What type of room?

Any room that will make you more productive.

Any room that will let you focus on yourself and what you can do to improve yourself.

For me, it was to focus on learning additional technical skills.

For you, it might be a language, music, losing weight, building strength, all are productive and valuable ‘home improvement projects'.

4. How to Deal with Depression Step 4 –

Focus on those rooms.

Now that you have left and locked the door of the ROD, now you can focus on building your new home.

Make it a palace, make it a mansion, make it spectacular, make it a paradise.

I know that at some point in this process, you will feel excited by whatever you are creating.

People want to be productive, by nature.

Just as the earth produces, we also want to produce, we also want to contribute to ourselves, our families, the world.

Once you get out of that ROD, you are going to be able to focus on your new home and love living in it.

5. How to Deal with Depression Step 5 –

Strengthen those rooms, do not go back to the ROD.

The more you strengthen your new rooms, the less likely it will be that you reenter the ROD.

6. How to Deal with Depression Step 6 –

Eat real food – you know, the good stuff, real food that grows, as unprocessed as possible, vegetables, berries, nuts, nutrient dense protein.

7. How to Deal with Depression Step 7 –

Get stronger with core strength exercises – squats, deadlifts, pushups, pullups, shoulder presses, rows.

For an excellent infographic on how to deal with depression without pills, see http://www.bestcounselingdegrees.net/exercise-antidepressants/

8. How to Deal with Depression Step 8 –

Accept gradual improvement, progress, not perfection – little by little, day by day, make gradual improvements, and over the long course of time, you will become a master of whatever you set your mind to accomplish

9. How to Deal with Depression Step 9 –

Pick 10 – 15 healthy foods or meals that you enjoy and eat them consistently

10. How to Deal with Depression Step 10 –

Pick 3 – 5 core free weight exercises like pushups, deadlifts, squats, shoulder presses, pullups, and do them consistently

11. How to Deal with Depression Step 11 –

Eat healthy meals every 2 to 3 hours and stop eating by 7 or 8pm

12. How to Deal with Depression Step 12 –

Go to Sleep on Time – staying up late, churning over your problems, will not solve them, get a good night sleep so you can be refreshed for a new day

What do you think?

Does this make sense to you?

Have you wondered how to deal with depression?

Do you know of anyone who is affected by depression?

I hope that these words and ideas can be helpful.

How to Fight Depression Without Pills

How to deal with depression was a goal of mine from my youth without knowing it and from my very dark days in 2002 and 2003 when I knew that I needed to find a way out of the abyss, otherwise I felt that my obsessive self flagellation would go beyond suicidal ideation.

From early childhood, pretty much as far back as I could remember, I always felt an undercurrent of depression, which I do not believe rose to the level of dysthymia, which as noted in wikipedia “has a number of typical characteristics: low energy and drive, low self-esteem, and a low capacity for pleasure in everyday life. Mild degrees of dysthymia may result in people withdrawing from stress and avoiding opportunities for failure. In more severe cases of dysthymia, people may even withdraw from daily activities. They will usually find little pleasure in usual activities and pastimes.”

When I was a kid, the concept or word of dysthymia had not yet been coined by Dr. Robert Spitzer. That would happen after I was already an adult in the late 1970s.

Is Depression Genetic or Environmental?

Depression is said to afflict close to 30 million people in the United States. Of that number, approximately 40% is believed to be genetic and 60% environmental. As reported in Healthline.com “in 2011, a British team isolated a gene that appears to be prevalent in multiple family members suffering from depression. The chromosome, 3p25-26, was found in more than 800 families with recurrent depression in the study. Scientists have said as many as 40 percent of those suffering from depression can be traced back to a genetic link, with environmental and other factors comprising the remaining 60 percent.”

In my case, I believe that my depression is rooted in enviromment.

About.com reports that “according to studies, the long-term effects of the Holocaust on the children of survivors suggest a ‘psychological profile.'

Their parents’ suffering may have affected their upbringing, personal relationships and perspective on life.

Eva Fogelman, a psychologist who treats Holocaust survivors and their children, suggests a second generation ‘complex' characterized by processes that affect identity, self-esteem, interpersonal interactions and worldview.

Psychological Vulnerability

Literature suggests that after the war many survivors quickly entered into loveless marriages in their desire to rebuild their family life as quickly as possible. And these survivors remained married even though the marriages may have lacked emotional intimacy. Children of these types of marriages may not have been given the nurturance needed to develop positive self-images.”

My parents were in the largest geographic concentration camp known as Transnistria. Over 800,000 Jews were murdered there with approximately 3,000 survivors. That would explain the palpable sense of fear, anxiety and insecurity that I sensed in my home environment. I am sure that one of the most precious memories of adults is how safe their home felt when they were children. I never felt that safety. I felt the guilt of the survivor and the dread of ominous events taking place, especially in the face of separation. In the concentration camps, separation from your family almost always meant certain death.

When I was about 12, I discovered that if I worked out really hard, then I would feel a sense of relief. I did not know much about depression, never heard the word mentioned and never wondered how to fight depression without pills. I did not know about endorphins, I just thought it was because I was so physically exhausted that I could not focus on the dread in my head. As a result, I began to exercise even harder, trying out for tennis, swimming, gymnastics and football, anything that would give me that surge of feeling even tempered, anything that pulled me out of the shallow pit of despair that I laid in for so long, without knowing why. I had intuitively realized how to fight depression without pills through being a kid and playing games and sports.

I continued to the tune of 8 – 10 hours a day, until I got injured at 18 and had to stop. Almost immediately after, my fears were realized when I was a cashier in a bakery for a summer job and ended up pistol whipped and face down on the smelly linoleum floor, being told that I was going to be shot because the robbers were pissed off that they did not find enough money in the register. I thought how it sucked that at only 18 years of age, I would be shot just like my entire family of over 100 human beings were slaughtered only 30 years earlier. After the robbery ended and I found myself still alive, I cried and sweated and swore not to tell my parents, which was not a great idea in retrospect. I did not want to worry them, but at the same time, they did not understand why I became somewhat of a recluse. I preferred to stay indoors and study, rather than risk walking or being outside in New York City, especially in a store. I was traumatized from the actual experience of being threatened to be killed, which only fed into the narrative I had sensed in my home my whole youth, which is the fear of being killed, the fear of starvation and the fear of separation.

The fear of venturing out into the City became so intense that I actually left the country. I felt that I would be safer in a war torn country than in the US. How sad was that. Even worse, my father suffered for many years the fear of separation from me. Any day that I did not call, he was terrified that something bad had happened. Only 10 years later from when I left the US, I myself experienced the same fear of separation from him on a pleasant weekend afternoon, sunny and mild. I kept missing a phone call and started to think it was from him, I did not have caller id. I imagined that if I called my mother, that she would be crying that he was hurt, which is exactly what happened. I called my mother and she told me that daddy had been in a car accident and was in critical condition in the Hospital.

Despite all our prayers and tears, he died.

I thought that was the biggest shock of my life, and it was up till that point. At that time though, I never thought about how to fight depression without pills or with pills, I thought it was natural to feel morose and down.

It was not until 15 years later that I needed to know how to fight depression without pills.

Those were the dark days of 2002 – 2003. Suffice it to say that a good diet and exercise program as well as support from family might have salvaged some remnant of my life. It was not to be and the only answer that medical professionals had for me was in a bottle of prozac, zoloff, effexor, neurontin and many others which just left me dazed and with very unwelcome side affects.

If you are suffering from trauma, if you have dysthymia, if you are battling events which are leaving you down, of course, follow the advice of your chosen medical professional. But, also consider that there are methods how to fight depression without pills which might enable you to climb out of your rut.

Too bad that as an adult of 45 , I did not have the intuition that I had when I was 12. Exercise and a good diet can do as much and possibly even more to give you the strength to fight depression and without the terrible side affects. For this reason, I am publishing this infographic mentioned below on how to fight depression without pills. I hope that it can help those in need.

HOW TO DEAL WITH DEPRESSION (WITHOUT THE PILLS)

https://www.bestcounselingdegrees.net/exercise-antidepressants/

Please Share this infographic on your site!

In Summary:

HOW TO DEAL WITH DEPRESSION (WITHOUT THE MEDICATIONS)

Exercise is better than antidepressants.

● 1 in 10 Americans now takes antidepressant medication

But there are other ways to fight depression:
■ Regular exercise can improve mood in people with mild to moderate depression
■ Exercise can also help treat severe depression

EXERCISE VS ANTIDEPRESSANTS STUDY:

■ 3 groups:
● Aerobic exercise
● Antidepressant medication
● Aerobic Exercise + Antidepressant medication

■ Results:
● After 16 weeks 65% of people in all 3 groups no longer had major depression
● Exercise and antidepressant results were essentially the same

■ Follow up:
● Exercise’s effects lasted longer than those of antidepressants.

HOW DOES EXERCISE RELIEVE DEPRESSION?

○ Exercise enhances the action of endorphins
■ Endorphins improve natural immunity
■ Reduce the perception of pain.
■ They may also serve to improve mood
○ Another theory is that exercise stimulates the neurotransmitter norepinephrine
■ This may directly improve mood

○ Besides lifting your mood exercise:
■ Lowers blood pressure
■ Protects against heart disease and cancer
■ Boosts self esteem

WHAT EXERCISES ARE THE BEST FOR DEALING WITH DEPRESSION?

○ Get runners high
■ When it comes to fighting depression, aerobic exercises have the edge
● 20-30 minutes most days a week
○ (Intensity level doesn’t matter, just get moving!)
■ When you cross a threshold while running, you get “runners high”
● A release of endorphins
○ Endorphins are the body’s natural morphine
○ Produce joy and decrease pain levels
○ Boost strength to boost your mood
■ Study of 45 stroke survivors with depression found that a 10-week strength training program helped reduced symptoms of depression

■ Benefits of strength training:
● Mastery and control
● Visible results
● Focus
○ Inhale, Exhale

■ Yoga
● Improves flexibility
● Involves mindfulness
○ (Which breaks up repetitive negative thoughts)
● Improves balance
● Is meditative

■ Study of 65 women with depression
● 34 women who took a yoga class twice a week for two months showed a significant decrease in depression
○ Compared to the 31 women who were not in the class

○ Take a hike
■ Simply walking his numerous benefits
● In one study, walking fast for about 35 minutes a day five times has a significant influence on mild to moderate depression symptoms
● Just getting outside can boost mood
○ Sunshine stimulates our serotonin levels
○ Many researchers believe that an imbalance in serotonin levels may influence mood in a way that leads to depression.

■ Benefits of walking include:
● Lowers disease risk
● Strengthening heart
● Gives you energy

Credit and Thanks to the Following Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/serotonin
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/a-glut-of-antidepressants/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Exercise-and-Depression-report-excerpt.htm
https://www.everydayhealth.com/depression-pictures/great-exercises-to-fight-depression.aspx#/slide-7
https://www.tescoliving.com/health-and-wellbeing/fitness/2013/october/top-10-health-benefits-of-walking-everyday Return to top of page

  
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Learn How to Overcome Depression from Raju the Elephant in India

By Rich Hashimashi, CPT on November 30, 2018Leave a Comment

Can we learn how to overcome depression from an elephant?

Nature is a great teacher. I think it is possible to learn how to overcome depression from reading the story of Raju the Elephant.

How careful are we about what we replay in our minds day after day?

For anyone who is struggling with the pain of depression, my guess is that there are specific stories, words, discussions, real and perceived offenses that play in their mind over and over.

Can we not learn from the following story of this abused elephant of how important it is for us to throw off our self imposed chains of depression?

Did you ever think of your depression as a chain that is shackling you to the ground, or even lower, keeping you in the pits?

When I became aware of the story of Raju, who welled up with tears in his eyes when he was released from his shackles, I immediately thought about all of the years that depression can coil around us like a python, sucking our life away.

Depression can lure us into constantly replaying the same scenarios in our mind, usually of past events, sometimes even from years ago, for which we have absolutely no control to change. Depression can tempt us into thinking that if we mourn about the behavior of others enough, then they might change their behavior towards us. Depression creates the illusion that depression can create change of the circumstances of our life which we hate. Come to think of it, there could be no greater deceiver than depression. All depression will do is to ensure that we remain in that pit of despair, paralyzed with inaction. If you did not think that you could ever find a way to overcome depression, think again.

Are we not as worthy as an elephant to be free from these chains of depression?

If Raju the Elephant could cry after having been abused by others, by his chains for 50 years, can we not stop abusing ourselves with the depression that we have held on to for days, weeks, months, years or decades?

How many years have you been depressed? Why? Do you think that you can release those chains?

Please let me know your thoughts.

How to Overcome Depression from Raju the Elephant

Natalie Groves / KVUE.com7:03 p.m. CDT July 9, 2014

ALLAHABAD, India — A London-based nonprofit rescued a 50-year-old abused working elephant from the streets of India on the Fourth of July. The non-profit posted a picture of Raju crying shortly after he was freed from the chains he had worn for decades.

“He [Raju] has spent almost 50 years in chains and most likely would have died never known freedom; however, on July 4th, Raju took his first steps as a ‘free' elephant,” the nonprofit wrote on their website.

The worn down animal was rescued by Wildlife S.O.S. after he was captured in the wild as a calf and kept as a working elephant on the streets of India for most of his life.

The nonprofit received a court order in June allowing them to rescue Raju after an Indian forest department alerted the non-profit of Raju's predicament nearly a year ago. Donations helped fund Raju's rescue and recovery.

A day before America's Independence Day, a team of wildlife experts and veterinarians traveled to India to save the elephant. Raju's owner didn't have the proper paperwork to keep him as a begging elephant, allowing the wildlife non-profit to complete their daylong rescue.

RELATED: Go here to see Raju's story

Veterinarians assisting the rescue said the elephant has deep scars after he spent years being tethered to chains. Raju's owner would beat the elephant to make him beg for money and food from tourists, the nonprofit said. Most of the food Raju received was not nutritious for an elephant, and he was half starved when rescuers found him. In order to gain his trust during the rescue, conservators fed him bananas and jackfruit, a native fruit of India.

“Let's all of us wish Happy Independence Day to Raju,” the nonprofit wrote on their Facebook page Friday.

Raju's first day of freedom was on July 4.

“Have you ever seen a grown elephant cry? This photo [pictured above] is a reminder to all that elephants have strong emotional lives, and they have the ability to suffer deeply. This photo was taken of Raju when the rescue mission first began. He had a flood of tears from his eyes when our team first moved in to secure his freedom. Some would question that Raju was truly weeping; however, our team that witnessed this moment know differently,” the nonprofit wrote Sunday.

Floods of well-wishers commented on Raju's rescue and recovery on the wildlife charity's Facebook page.

“Hope he has another 50 years to enjoy freedom. So precious, so majestic and now, so free!” one user wrote. “The comments after this story are massively supportive. So glad Raju's experience is touching many,” another user added.

Raju's new home will be at the Elephant Care and Conservation Center located in Central Florida.

Allahabad, India is located in Northern India.

Find the original story here:

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/features/2014/07/07/elephant-cries-after-non-profit-rescues-it-from-decades-long-enslavement/12278867/

  
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Coping with Loss – 5 Ways to Recover from Emotional Trauma

By Rich Hashimashi, CPT on November 25, 2018Leave a Comment

5 Strategies for Coping with Loss

Coping with loss is not easy. Change can be tough for many people. Coping with loss can be paralyzing.

How do you cope, especially when the change is one that involves loss?

Think about how we have experienced change in our lives, from childhood to adulthood, the change between the seasons, from being an athlete to a couch potato or vice versa.

Or the change that we have all experienced from having a competent and intelligent boss to finding that we are now being managed by a bipolar raptor. We all experience change, one way or the other, every day, every month and every year.

However, there is no question that abrupt change which hits you out of left field is shocking. Even traumatic. There is no anticipation and no prep time for this to happen.

coping with loss — Coping with Loss – How to Stop Being Depressed and Start Being Awesome.

Sudden Loss

A good and important friend of mine, who I shall refer to as ‘E' recently told me of such events.

E has experienced an incredible amount of change in just the span of a few short months.

It involved too much family loss, E's coping with loss of her father, brother and work colleague.

That is a lot of change to cope with in a short amount of time.

How do you cope with such traumatic change, how do you change yourself to meet the new challenges that you face every day? How do you make the changes that you need to make to survive and thrive?

Death of a Loved One, Car Accidents and Suicide

First, I want to focus on the challenge that “E” is facing, the challenge of losing a loved one, family or friend that changes your life dramatically. Especially when it is a sudden loss. I have experienced this personally on several levels and wish that I had the tools at the time with which to navigate this type of situation.

One specific moment of dramatic loss was when my Father was killed in a car crash. Actually, I had spoken to him just the day before and we made plans to meet together in the City for lunch so I could tell him about my promotion and show him my new office. On top of that, I had just moved into a new home, the down payment was provided by my Mom and Dad, and the world was looking great.

I remember walking up the path to the new house, seeing the kids inside and thinking how fortunate I was.

I did not have many opportunities to spend time with my Father as a kid because he worked three jobs. Now, I was looking forward to showing him that I was doing good as a young man. I do not think it is so uncommon to want to show your parents that you are being successful in life. We were going to meet on Monday at midday for lunch.

Always Honor the Present, Tomorrow Might Never Come

Those plans never materialized. The next day my Father was killed in a car crash on the New Jersey Turnpike. The accident was so frightful that it shut down the turnpike for over seven hours. I will write out the entire story in a different post, but the bottom line is that when I left the hospital after a night of praying that he would live through his terrible injuries, the sun was rising, and the world seemed like it had changed.

What was once clear, was now opaque, what was once bright, was now dim, a film of murky existence seemed to color my world.

In fact, my world had changed, I no longer had my Dad. It was sudden and gruesome, shocking and paralyzing.

(By the way, if any of you still have your folks around, please give them a call, assuming they want to hear from you).

At that time, I was in my twenties, married for five years, working for four and was for the most part able to weather the storm because of the huge anchors I had of my family and job. I focused more on my job which is what helped me to continue on more productively despite the loss of my Dad.

Don't Let Loss Paralyze You

But, I did make a fairly significant error, and that was that I stopped doing some previous basic habits that I was accustomed to, mainly because I was finding it so difficult to focus on anything, I wanted to make sure that at least I was present when at work.

Unfortunately, the practices that I dropped, were ones where I spent the most time with my kids, and they suffered because of that during their childhood and I am still feeling the effects of that for the last ten years.

It becomes even more important to hold onto your connections when you lose a parent or significant person in your life.

So, I wish that I had that awareness at that time. I did not and still live with the effects of those choices that I made in the past.

“E” is different, she is much more mature than I was at that time. She is not only holding on to her job, but she is also staying connected as much as possible to her friends, the people that support her and she is doing whatever she can to nurture herself.

5 Ways for Coping With Loss

If any of you have experienced loss out there, my condolences. If any of you are still suffering from the loss, I can only empathize and hope that you can take some of the following steps which might be helpful:

1. Keep up with your basic healthy routines. This means, do not devolve into bad habits, whether it be drinking, smoking, junk food to assuage the pain.

2. Get good sleep, every night, no matter what, turn off the lights, take melatonin, do whatever you have to do to get the best sleep possible.

3. Eat healthy foods, steer clear of the chocolate cake and reach better for the food that you know actually came from the earth, processed as little as possible, like fruit, vegetables, nuts, beans. Do not starve, Do not overeat. Take care of yourself.

4. Stay connected with your friends and family members who want to be there for you. Do not isolate.

5. Take on a new project or goal in memory of your loved one, something that you know they would be proud of. I think of the Leiby Kletzky Memorial Fund when I write this because the loss of that eight year old child was so horrific and traumatic, yet the parents have met this nightmare by coping with their grief by doing good here .

Some might say that it is not appropriate for me to write about handling grief on a blog site that is specifically dedicated to rebuilding life. Nobody wants to hear about loss, grief, tragedy or depression. My answer to that is if we know how to handle these storms, then we will be more effective all around, and as anyone who does suffer from depression and/or anxiety knows, they can always pinpoint certain events which have triggered their bouts on a more intense level.

So, while I definitely agree that we want to keep paying attention to what we have, these events cannot be avoided in life and we have to have a plan, a guide, a path on how to deal with this more effectively. This will enable us to recover faster and make the most of what we still have in our lives.

What are your strategies for coping with loss?

Please share with all of us.

  
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Major Depressive Disorder Statistics Around the World

By Rich Hashimashi, CPT on November 4, 2018

According to new major depressive disorder statistics, India suffers the most years of life lost due to disability or death caused by depression and anxiety. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)

Depression statistics show that the United States has failed in the area of mental health.

Depression has cut short the lives of many Americans.

How can the U.S. be among the most depressed countries in the world?

Don't we have the latest and greatest anti-depressants designed to relieve depression?

Are we not the most technologically advanced?

Aren't our living standards and access to food, medicine and entertainment sufficient to snuff out depression?

Only 40 percent of people in the U.S. who are struggling with a mental health crisis receive mental health care.

And there are only 13 psychiatrists per 100,000 people in the U.S.

Is the answer more psychiatrists?

Clearly, the answer is no.

The U.S. will keep getting the same sad results we see in these major depressive disorder statistics.

As long as we continue to rely on antidepressants and psychiatrists to heal mental illness.

depression statistics — Depression statistics world wide are out of control

U.S. Among Most Depressed Countries in the World

Mental health issues cut the most years off of life in Asia and the U.S.

By Deidre McPhillips | Data Reporter Sept. 14, 2016, at 10:05 a.m

The U.S. is one of the most depressed countries in the world, according to the World Health Organization.

In terms of quality years of life lost due to disability or death, the U.S. ranked third for depressive disorders.

India, China and the U.S. are the countries most affected by anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

What Percentage Receive Medical Care?

About one in five adults in the U.S. experiences some form of mental illness each year.

This is according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

But, only 41 percent of those affected received mental health care or services in the past year.

In August, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton released a plan to reform the mental health system in the U.S.

A favorable step for advocates who have cited issues such as an insufficient number of providers.

And the expensive costs of medication.

Closing the gap between mental health patients and providers is a global issue.

“In 2014, 45 percent of the world's population had less than one psychiatrist to serve 100,000 people,” according to WHO.

Psychiatric Care Availability

Asia has an especially low concentration of psychiatrists.

Perhaps the cause of the region's high overall burden of mental illness.

Europe has the highest, led by Monaco, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Each of the aforementioned countries, with between 20 and 40 psychiatrists per 100,000 people.

The U.S. and Canada have about 13 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, according to the World Health Organization.

According to WHO, here are the countries with the greatest burden of disease for mental and behavioral disorders.

Specifically, in terms of most years of life lost due to disability or death adjusted for population size.

Here are the 2016 worldwide major depressive disorder statistics:

Overall	Depression	Anxiety	Alcohol & Drug Use
China	India	India	China
India	China	China	India
U.S.	U.S.	U.S.	U.S.
Russia	Indonesia	Brazil	Russia
Brazil	Brazil	Indonesia	Brazil
Indonesia	Russia	Pakistan	U.K.
Pakistan	Pakistan	Bangladesh	Germany
Bangladesh	Bangladesh	Nigeria	Mexico
Nigeria	Nigeria	Turkey	Japan
Germany	Iran	Iran	France

The Good News about World Depression Statistics

The good news about mental health is that there are other options and alternative treatments for depression.

If you lose a tooth, there is no way to grow it back.

But, if you are struggling with depression, there are other ways to manage your depression.

Your physical health and thinking patterns can both affect your mental health.

With better quality food and exercise, we can improve the health of our physical brain, our cells, our body.

You can change your thoughts, despite the negative thinking which is rampant around the world.

But, we can practice thinking better and more productive thoughts.

We can choose to think thoughts that empower us instead of tearing ourselves down.

Improving our physical health and thought patterns is an effective way to tackle these alarming major depressive disorder statistics.

You can find an excellent system to diagnose and help clinical depression here.

Please share how you manage depression in your life.

  
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“SIG-E-CAPS” – 8 Powerful Questions to Diagnose and Treat Depression

By Rich Hashimashi, CPT on November 19, 2018

“SIG E CAPS” : A New Way to Help Depression

You can now use the SIG E CAPS acronym for depression symptoms to treat depression without medications. Historically, SIG E CAPS is used to diagnose depression, as a depression screening tool. To my knowledge, no one has suggested using SIG E CAPS as a guide to treat depression. But, that is what I aim to do in this post, explain how to use SIG E CAPS to treat depression naturally.

What do you do when antidepressants are not helping your depression?
Even worse, what if antidepressants are hurting you with negative side effects?
Or you are using drugs for years and are still depressed.

I faced the same problem after many years on a variety of antidepressants with catastrophic results:

Loss of feeling in lower extremities
Night sweats
Insomnia
Nightmares
Hallucinations
Suicidal ideation

Using the SIG E CAPS acronym in the way I suggest below might help you avoid such negative antidepressant side effects. Why should you suffer if there is another way to help you manage your depression?

If you have not yet begun antidepressants, please consider using this new SIG E CAPS roadmap I spell out below. And even if you are already on medications for depressed mood, consider implementing this new SIG E CAPS model. As always, consult with your primary care doctor.

What is the Meaning of “SIG E CAPS” ( also written as SIGECAPS, sig.e.caps, sigecaps )?

Physicians once used the abbreviation “sig” to mean directions on prescriptions. Energy capsules or “e” caps was the original name of antidepressants.¹⁾University of Nebraska Medical Center. This is how depression and SIG E CAPS became linked together.

Medical professionals use SIG E CAPS as an acronym for depression symptoms. During a psychiatric evaluation for major depressive disorder, the SIG E CAPS mnemonic is an effective screening test. However, instead of only using SIG E CAPS on a patient health questionnaire, you can use the new SIG E CAPS as a guide to treat depression without drugs or medications.

How to Use the SIG E CAPS Acronym for Depression Screening

S of “SIG E CAPS” stands for Sleep. The first SIG E CAPS question is:
- Are you sleeping more in the day?
- Or are you sleeping less at night?
- Excessive daytime sleep and/or insufficient nighttime sleep are both indicators of depression.

I stands for loss of interest in daily activities
- Have you experienced a loss of interest in activities that you once found enjoyable?
- A loss of interest in such activities is a sign of depression.

G is for questions about guilt
- Are you feeling guilty or unworthy?
- Do you have low self esteem and/or a sense of worthlessness?
- Depressed individuals struggle with guilt.

E Stands for Energy
- Do you feel fatigued or a lack of energy?
- Some people characterize the lack of energy as feeling “burnt out”.
- A common symptom of depression is fatigue, and a lack of energy.

C is to Assess Concentration
- Do you have difficulty concentrating?
- Reduced concentration is a hallmark of depression. Especially together with other depression symptoms.

A is for Appetite
- Have you lost your appetite?
- Have you lost enjoyment in food, or, are you bingeing on food?
- A loss or increase of appetite is another of the classic signs of depression.

P Stands for Psychomotor Agitation or Retardation
- Are you feeling more anxious and cannot sit still?
- Or, are you more lethargic and very slow in your movements?
- Increased agitation or much slower movements are signs of depression.

S Stands for Suicidal Ideation
- Are you preoccupied with thoughts of death?
- Do you have a plan to commit suicide?
- Suicidal ideation is the most urgent sign of depression and requires immediate treatment.

The Traditional SIG E CAPS Screening

Unless you're a medical student/practitioner, you probably never heard of SIG E CAPS ( which is also written as sig.e.caps, sig-e-caps or sig e caps ). The traditional sig e caps screening tool is in use now for close to a hundred years.

If you are treating individuals with depression, there is a new way you can use the sig e caps depression mnemonic. This method is based on my own experiences dealing with treatment-resistant depression.

It is worth your time to consider alternative methods of treating depression for yourself or your patients.

The New SIG E CAPS is the best help for depression that you never heard of. SIG E CAPS is so powerful that it can help depression better than antidepressant drugs. Shouldn't you know how to help yourself or a loved one if your doctor's only solution is antidepressants?

There is evidence that psychiatric drugs kill more than half a million people every year. The National Institute of Health reports that at any given time there are 14 million people who suffer from treatment-resistant depression. The New SIG E CAPS is the best solution to naturally boost your mood.

How many more people have to commit suicide before society looks for new depression treatment solutions?

Antidepressants are not the only solution for depression. If antidepressants are helping you, that is great. But if you have used antidepressants for a decade or two, and are still depressed, you owe it to yourself to try a new way. If you are still fighting depression, stop using what is not working and try the New SIG-E-CAPS.

How Can You Get Off of Antidepressants Naturally?

If you are struggling with depression, you must have alternative options to antidepressants. The negative side effects of antidepressants are too destructive. Antidepressants can lead to broken relationships, disability, estrangements, career loss and suicide.

If you have not yet started antidepressants, try the New “SIG E CAPS” for a 90 day trial first. SIG E CAPS will not cost you two hundred dollars a month or worse, your life. Plus, the only side effects of the New SIG-E-CAPS is a leaner and stronger you.

Antidepressants can destroy your life, especially if you have treatment-resistant depression. When you start taking antidepressants, it is hit or miss. Most people I know taking antidepressants for the last 20 years have seen no improvement. They are still anxious, depressed, dissatisfied, and feeling isolated.

In April of 2018, a divorced father who I knew for over a decade shockingly committed suicide. He had everything to live for. But he was highly medicated and was on antidepressants for over 30 years. When will we as a society say we have had enough of the depression solutions that do not work? You owe it to yourself, your family and children to try a new way, right?

SIG E CAPS Treats Depression Better Than Antidepressant Drugs — **8 SIG E CAPS Depression Solutions That Your Doctor Didn't Tell You**

The New “SIG-E-CAPS”

Sleep

Your first new habit to fight depression is to improve your sleep.

A study found that 87 percent of depression patients who resolved their insomnia had major improvements to their depression, with symptoms disappearing after eight weeks, whether the person took an antidepressant or a placebo pill.
The study’s lead author told the New York Times:²
“The way this story is unfolding, I think we need to start augmenting standard depression treatment with therapy focused on insomnia.”

Source Credit: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/19/sleep-therapy-depression-treatment.aspx

Work on improving your sleep.
Make a sleep schedule for yourself.
Commit to getting to sleep around 10 or 11 in the evening.
Do not watch TV in bed or surf the web.
Make your room as dark as possible.
When you lie down, pay attention to the sound of your breath.
Inhale and exhale.
Think good thoughts, everything you are grateful for, and imagine a better future in all areas.
Shoot to get a sleep of seven to eight hours.

Watch this Video on The Importance of Sleep and How it Affects your Brain:

Before using antidepressants like Zoloft which has side effects of insomnia, first improve your diet. Increase real food like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats in your diet. Real food floods your body with real nutrition.

This can help calm down your insomnia.

Feeding your body nutrients needed can stop the cravings for junk food that keep you awake. Read more of the surprising benefits of real food here.

Interest

I stands for new interests and investment in yourself. Getting interested in something productive is the second step to fighting depression. You need to take up a new or old interest, something that gets you out of your house and out of your head.

A new interest does not mean trying all the flavors of Ben & Jerry vanilla based ice creams.

Junk food is not entertainment and will never help you relieve depression. In fact, more junk food means more depression, as you watch the scale numbers climb. The new interest to take is in you, yourself.

Yes, you need to invest in yourself.

Stop investing in the stocks of Nabisco and Doritos. What are you getting out of the processed food horror show, besides fatter? And the more fat you get, the more depressed you will be.

Start investing in yourself. You are worth it, no?

A fuel oriented nutrition plan qualifies as a new interest. At least you will be feeding your body the best nutrition possible. All these great nutrients will not only flood your body, but your brain as well.

Find a new interest, such as; music, language, photography, and most important, exercise.

Why is exercise so critical?

Instead of Effexor which can exacerbate your loss of interest in life, first try exercise. When I took Effexor and other antidepressants, I felt tranquilized. My company no longer thought I had any interest in doing my job and I suffered the consequences.

The reason for exercise is to create momentum.

To fall into depression, some downward momentum is necessary. This is why people refer to those who are in depression, as having ‘fallen' into the rut of depression.

The best way to get momentum is to start moving.

A walk of thirty minutes to an hour a day is a great way to start.

It is important to establish a baseline of physical exercise. This creates the momentum necessary to get out of the pit of depression. Once you start to feel better, there is a better chance that you will regain interest in life.

Before using antidepressants, do squats, deadlifts and push ups to boost your mood and augment your self-confidence.

Weightlifting to lift your mood and self esteem is a much better solution than antidepressants.

Guilt

Your third New SIG E CAPS habit is G stands for give up the guilt. Non-stop guilt is a destructive force. Guilt is not action. When you are guilty, you are not helping anyone, including yourself.

Yes, guilt is an excellent tool to prevent bad behavior.

But, if you already committed the bad behavior, the guilt now is not going to rectify what you did. To rectify what you did, you need to have sincere remorse and vow to never do that again. If you need to apologize to someone, then do it. When a restitution of money is necessary, do it.

If they do not accept your apology, or forgive you, the matter is out of your hands.

Excessive guilt eats up your insides. There is no end in sight when you lock yourself in the prison of guilt. Let yourself out of prison. Or have another friend, family member or mentor tell you that they approve of you.

Of course, you must forgive, love and approve of yourself first.

11 affirmations to Dissolve Guilt

I release the need to blame anyone, including myself. We are all doing the best we can with the understanding, knowledge, and awareness we have.
Even though I struggle with guilt, I choose to love and accept myself anyway.
I am OK and it is safe for me to forgive myself.
Today, I choose to accept myself as I am and I choose to compliment myself and give myself credit for the good things I do.
I am learning and improving everyday, I am patient with myself, I love myself and accept myself as I am.
The best path is to release any self-blame or guilt, I don't need those feelings anymore, I can let them go.
I release and let go of all self-criticism.
I forgive myself for being so hard on myself.
You deserve the Best always.
Abundance and joy is my right. I am good enough, always been good enough, and I do my best.
I completely love and approve of myself as I am.
Source Credit: Based on the Teachings of Louise Hay

Energy

Antidepressants are the last thing that will help with energy. The best course of action to increase your energy is to improve your nutrition. Feed yourself high quality food, the best of the best.

Make sure that you have vegetables with most meals, at least twice a day, if not more.

Go for complex carbohydrates like brown rice, sweet potato and oatmeal. Instead of higher processed foods like wheat bread.

Identify Food Sensitivities

Before using drugs which have known side effects, identify potential food sensitivities. Wheat, eggs, peanuts and dairy can affect some individuals.

Wheat consumption can cause symptoms of depression in some individuals. First, remove all the toxic foods and habits from your life. And only then think of taking medications if you are still suffer from depression.

It goes without saying that you need to lay off of the junk food.

An excellent diet is going to help increase your energy more than antidepressants. Avoiding junk foods can boost your energy levels more than any antidepressant.

See how Ultra-Processed Junk Food can affect people. Obesity is no help for any person who wants to increase their energy levels.

Like the ‘soup nazi' said: “No More Snicker Bars for You!”

A Simple Meal Plan for Energy

Drink a tall glass of water with a real lemon wedge upon waking up.
Have half a grapefruit before or with breakfast.
Bowl of oatmeal, hot or cold, with water, 1% organic milk or cashew milk.
Add berries and peanut butter (if you like) to the oatmeal.
Boil a couple of eggs or sautee a vegetable omelete.
For lunch, have some brown rice, black beans, veggies and turkey (optional).
Have a fruit between breakfast and lunch and/or lunch and dinner if you are hungry.
For Dinner, sweet potato, salmon and a vegetable, like bok choy, cauliflower or broccoli.
If you are still hungry after all this food, have an apple.
Establish regular meal times to train your body when to expect fuel every day. This will prevent body distress that can lead to depression.

A Simple Workout Plan for Energy

Walk every day for 30 minutes.
Do some type of weight training or bodyweight training 3 days a week.
For example, pushups on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Add squats, jumping jacks and situps to the pushups if possible.
Or, add weight training with dumbbells or barbells.
On Tuesday and Thursday, relax, except for deadlifts.
Rest on the weekend.
Keep track of the number of repetitions and weight of each exercise.
Do 5 sets of at least 5 repetitions or 3 sets of 10 reps.
Rest between sets for one minute. The higher intensity produces more testosterone and endorphins which help to relieve depression.
When you can do between 6 and 12 repetitions, you can increase the weight.
Keep your weight training to no more than 45 minutes a day.
Or you might end up getting depressed from being in the gym too long.

Concentration

C stands for Concentration and Cardio

What can you do to improve your concentration? All the steps that you are implementing till now are going to help.

Better sleep, a new interest in yourself and investing in you. As well as dissolving your guilt, and a healthy meal and workout plan.

These previous steps will fuel and relieve your mind.

The fifth New Sigecaps Habit is to increase your concentration. Several other suggestions are to:

Focus on what it is that you must get done.
Limit distractions like radio or tv.
Work in a quiet atmosphere.
Break up your task into manageable pieces.
Establish a routine and stick to your calendar.
Start a cardio program to ensure that you get 30 minutes of daily exercise. This will help you think clearer, get healthier and fitter and help you fight depression. All at the same time.

Appetite

A is for Appetite

Follow the simple meal and workout plan above. This can help regulate your appetite.

Do not punish your body for the anxieties of your mind. Think of food as fuel for your body and eat when you are hungry.

Stop snacking on junk food and focus on high quality food.

The workout plan will help to keep you moving. Building muscle and exercise is going to help your appetite.

Proper Nutrition to Prevent Agitation and Sulking

How important is good nutrition for depression?

Let's examine the function of antidepressants.

Antidepressants increase serotonin levels. They block certain receptors from absorbing too much serotonin. This increases the availability of serotonin to your brain cells.

As a result, antidepressants are SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Because antidepressants prevent receptors from absorbing too much serotonin. Common SSRIs include:

Prozac
Celexa
Luvox
Zoloft
Paxil
Lexapro

Antidepressants are not the only way to increase serotonin in your body. Another way of getting more serotonin into your system is through food.

Particularly food that contains tryptophan.

In order for your body to manufacture serotonin, it needs a sufficient supply of the natural amino acid, tryptophan.

Tryptophan helps normalize levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters. This can help with both depression and increased aggression or slowness of movement.

Source Credit:http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2013/5/bette r-brain-chemistry-with-tryptophan/page-01

Which Foods are High in the Amino Acid Tryptophan?

Eggs. The protein in eggs can significantly boost your blood plasma levels of tryptophan, according to recent research.
Cheese. Cheese is another great source of tryptophan.
Pineapples.
Tofu.
Salmon. Have you ever noticed being in a better mood after good quality salmon? Now you know why.
Nuts and Seeds.
Turkey.

Source Credit: http://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/foods-that-could-boost-your-serotonin

Traditional milk products, yogurt and soy milk
Calf’s liver, chicken breast, turkey breast
Halibut, cod, tuna, salmon
Cheddar processed cheese, cottage cheese, tofu, gruyere cheese
Apples, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, avocados, pineapple, peaches
Spinach, mustard greens, asparagus, eggplant, winter squash, and green peas
Kelp, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, and cabbage
Cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumbers, potatoes
Walnuts, peanuts, cashews, pistachios, chestnuts, almonds
Ground flax, sesame, pumpkin, fenugreek, sunflower seeds (roasted)
Mung bean, soybeans, kidney beans, lima beans, chickpeas
Brown rice, red rice, barley, corn, oats

Source Credit: http://www.med-health.net/Foods-High-In-Tryptophan.html

P Stands for Psychomotor

P is for psychomotor agitation or retardation. Are you feeling more anxious and cannot sit still? Or, are you more lethargic and very slow in your movements?

Increased agitation or much slower movements are signs of depression.

S Stands for Suicidal Ideation

Antidepressants carry a warning label that their use might lead to suicidal ideation. You have as good a chance to prevent suicidal ideation with the New SIG E CAPS as you do with antidepressants. And the only side effect is getting leaner and stronger.

But, once you are at the stage of suicidal ideation, you need immediate help. Before calling the suicide hotline, there is one more suggestion, strength training.

Strength training? For depression?

Yes.

Besides cardio, start pushing yourself to get stronger in body.

Why?

How can strength training help depression?

Mens Sana in Corpore Sano

Strong body, Strong mind. Because improving the fitness of your body is going to help improve the fitness of your mind. Instead of meds which can only slow your movements, focus on getting leaner and stronger.

Start a strength training program. The HM FIT Plan to fight depression, especially suicidal ideation should consist of:

Squats

Deadlifts

Bench Press

Pushups

Walking/Running/Elliptical

And last but not least – Eat Real Food

Are You Sick and Tired of Using Antidepressants?

The most popular drugs to treat depression are Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil and Celexa. The most common side effects of these antidepressants include anxiety, restlessness, and agitation. Insomnia and sexual dysfunction are also negative side effects.

Wellbutrin is often prescribed for patients who also want to stop smoking. But the side effects for Wellbutrin include insomnia, dry mouth, dizziness, and constipation.

The negative side effects of Effexor include include sweating, nausea, and constipation. As well as anorexia, sexual dysfunction, and dream disturbance.¹

Do these antidepressants sound like a great idea to you? Pop a pill so you can rid yourself of your negative thoughts or compulsive behaviors? Plus you have to dig deep into your pocket for the privilege of ruining your life.

Prozac and Sarafem, at a dose of 10 mg or 20 mg a day, cost about $133 a month.
Celexa, at a dose of 20 mg, costs about $94 a month.
Wellbutrin, at dosages of 75 to 100 mg a day, ranges in cost from $108 to $177 a month.

Besides cost, some people experience catastrophic side effects in the following infographic.

sigecaps acronym and questions can help prevent antidepressant side effects — Image Credit: http://healthcentral.com

90 percent of people who take antidepressants have at least one side effect.

While most people can tolerate them, an estimated 20 percent to 30 percent stop taking the medication because they find the side effects intolerable.

The October Consumer Reports survey found that 40 percent of people who took antidepressants complained of adverse sexual side effects.

The FDA now requires antidepressants to carry warning labels indicating an increased risk of suicidal thinking in children and teens who take the drugs.

This warning came after Glaxosmithkline, the maker of paroxetine (Paxil), failed to make public three studies it conducted in 2003 showing an increase in suicidal thinking in children who took the drug compared to those taking dummy (placebo) pills.²⁾http://consumersunion.org/news/generic-antidepressants-can-save-consumers-1200-a-year/

The New “SIG-E-CAPS” Conclusion

We are a society that uses prescriptions of pills to cure disease. There is no question that modern medicine can save lives. And, there is no question that psychiatric drugs kill. The point is not to say that there is no place for medications when dealing with depression. The point is to explore alternative options to antidepressants. Antidepressants must be a last resort because of their potential catastrophic side effects.

The new sig e caps can help reduce depression and suicidal ideation. If not, you must take immediate action. Either calling the suicide hotline or check into a hospital for observation.

Antidepressants are not the only solution.

It is Time to Use the New SIG-E-CAPS.

If you want to get off antidepressants naturally, (or never start them in the first place), then you need a new understanding of the sig e caps acronym.

In this post, you will discover how to use the New SIG E CAPS to treat depression naturally.

Without resorting to antidepressants.

This is the information I wish I had eighteen years ago before starting on Zoloft, Effexor, Neurontin, Risperdal, Prozac among others based on doctor's recommendations.

Before using antidepressants, first try the New SIG E CAPS for at least 90 days. Every SIG E CAPS habit is a powerful way to help manage depression. Change your lifestyle, change your daily habits, improve the food that you eat.

See if you do not feel better in a few months. For example, by following the New SIG E CAPS, you can even lose 20 pounds in 3 months. Weight loss will help you gain confidence and energy to exercise. Exercise will help boost your mood, especially when you start doing deadlifts and squats.

The book ZEHHU: Crossing the Bridge from Depression to Life served as a model for the New SIG-E-CAPS.

I’d love it if you also came back later and let me know what your results are from the New “SIG-E-CAPS”. Did the New SIG-E-CAPS help relieve your depression, or that of a friend or loved one? Just leave me a comment below.

¹http://www.sh.lsuhsc.edu/fammed/outpatientmanual/depression.htm

  
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References [ + ]

1.	↑	University of Nebraska Medical Center
2.	↑	http://consumersunion.org/news/generic-antidepressants-can-save-consumers-1200-a-year/

How to Rebuild Your Life from Depression
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