Pilbara Health

Christmas can be a tough time of year especially when you are away from friends and family. It is a time when many people experience intensified feelings of depression and anxiety and in fact is so common, mental health experts have dubbed it SAD, or seasonal anxiety disorder.

SAD is a form of clinical depression, which is extremely common and affects up to one in four females and one in six males over their lifetime. Clinical depression can be caused by a number of factors including stress, genetics, nutritional and chemical imbalances. Clinical depression is distinctly different from melancholic and psychotic depression, which both tend to stem from biological factors and affect less than 2% of the population.

One of the main problems with depression is the social stigma. There is confusion about what it is and how it can be treated and common agreement that men are less likely to admit to feelings of depression than women, accounting for the imbalance in figures reported in the amount of sufferers in Australia. The good news is that all types of depression can be treated and many sufferers make a full recovery with assistance.

Some common symptoms to look out for:

• An unusually sad mood that does not go away, usually lasting 2 weeks or more.
• Feeling isolated and withdrawing from social activities.
• Tiredness, lack of energy or feeling exhausted.
• Loss of confidence or low self-esteem.
• Difficulty concentrating and loss of memory.
• Loss of interest in food or overeating resulting in weight loss or weight gain.

Nutrition is a key element in the prevention and treatment of depression. It is believed that vitamins and nutrients play a vital role in increasing depleted chemicals such as serotonin, which keeps our neurotransmitters working properly.

Physical exercise also plays an important part. It can help release endorphins, which are mood enhancing chemicals that provide distraction to some of the issues affecting us and prevent us from becoming too out of touch with what is really going on around us.

Always consult a health professional if you believe you or someone you know is experiencing signs of depression. For more information, go to Beyond Blue’s website at www.beyondblue.org.au.