02 Jan Welcome to 2017
As we ring in the new year we typically focus on the new year and changes we want to make as we strive to have a better year ahead of us. The new year is a time of resolutions and fresh starts. Why not put your health as a top priority? We have an opportunity to be healthier. How does one start?
Searching online about how to improve our overall health will almost always address in some way how to improve our mental wellbeing too. Websites list dance, yoga, meditation, etc. as possible solutions. While such activities may help some people to feel better there are those with a true medical disorder affecting their brain health and wellbeing and for which more scientifically driven solutions are the better answer.
Ask yourself a simple question:
Are they taking a psychological or a medical approach to my problem?
We take your health seriously. That’s why we stay up to date on current medical science about what keeps you healthy and why. Here are some common tips with a medical science based explanation as to how they work:
- EXERCISE
Almost every source will tell you that exercising can help improve your mental health. We agree. How does exercise make you feel better? Endorphins! The body’s own natural opiates which are relevant to pain control but also to mood.
It works because exercising releases endorphins. Endorphins are known as the body’s own, natural antidepressants. In the brain, endorphins cause an excess production of dopamine, which is responsible for feelings of pleasure. That is what causes the euphoric feeling some people experience after going for a run. Dopamine is often found to be deficient in individuals with depression, among other disorders, so increasing the production of it can positively impact your mental health.
We recently completed participation in a depression clinical trial evaluating a combination pill that included an opiate along with an opiate blocker. The science here was based on information found in the writings from ancient Egypt, finds of poppy seeds in archaeological digs of Neolithic man, and more. The trial results were positive and additional clinical trials are planned. Until then, exercise and see if it helps. Mother nature and science tell us it should.
- EAT RIGHT
Again, eating right is one of those tips that you have probably heard more than once. However, it is not just hot air: it actually has a scientific basis as to how it can improve your mental health.
Eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatories may not only help you avoid cancer but may have a positive effect by minimizing chances of coming down with Alzheimer’s disease and minimizing symptoms of depression. Recent research indicates that many of the brain disorders that we study here at our clinic, depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s, etc., may actually be due to inflammation in the brain. Ingesting anti-inflammatories through foods like fruits and vegetables including foods such as blueberries and dark leafy greens and also omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is believed to reduce the damage that inflammation causes to the brain and therefore improve your short term and long term physical and brain health.
- SLEEP IS IMPORTANT
Getting regular sleep is important in maintaining your body’s circadian rhythms. Those predisposed to depression or other disorders who are not on a regular sleep cycle can accelerate the development of the disorder. A good sleep schedule can help keep these symptoms under control and keep you feeling your best.
Medical research findings indicate that individuals with insomnia have a more than double risk for depression over a 5-year follow-up period. Clinically we have known for years that insomnia has an impact on improvement and an impact of onset of depression.
Our own internal clinical experience which was supported by clinical trials reveals that individuals receiving treatment with an antidepressant do not achieve remission until insomnia resolves thus suggesting that lack of sleep had a stronger effect on recovery than initially thought.
Based on patient reports, the onset of insomnia typically precedes the start of a new depressive episode. Patients with good insight are keen to get into their physician’s office and get started on an antidepressant, have their antidepressant dose adjusted or have a sleep aid added to their current treatment in hopes to prevent that next episode of depression from starting.
We have been involved in the past in clinical trials testing and proving these hypotheses and are currently in a new program evaluating the impact on improved sleep on current antidepressant treatment. We know the effect but are in search of more data to help educate physicians on how best to treat their patients with depression and anxiety.
- SEE YOUR PHYSICIAN
Whether healthy or not, seeing your doctor on a regular basis is important. An annual wellness check with your physician helps them to help you. How? By making sure that you are well and to identify any problems that may not be symptomatic yet. Catching these problems early makes treatment significantly quicker and easier.
If you are not feeling your best, then going to your doctor becomes even more important. A well-trained physician that you knows you and your medical history is the only person who can tell you with relative certainty what may be the problem. Knowledge is the first step towards getting better. Listen to your body when something is wrong- there is no reason to put off getting checked.
- TAKE YOUR MEDICATION
The best thing you can do for your mental well-being is to take the medication prescribed to you by your doctor. Even if you start feeling better, it is important to continue taking your medication to ensure that you keep your symptoms under control and you can live your best quality of life. Stopping your medication too soon makes it more likely that your symptoms will return. Our clinical experience has also identified a loss of effect when the pharmacy switches from one brand of generic to another one. Although they have the same name and are the same dose, for reasons unbeknownst to us, some generics just do not work as well as others and patients may suffer. Dose regularly but let us know if you notice any changes within a few weeks of receiving a new generic brand of your medication.
We hope you find these tips helpful, and sincerely wish you a happy and healthy new year.
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