Symptoms of depression in older people are often overlooked and untreated. Increased fatigue, irritability, and confusion caused by depression may appear to be a “normal” response to the challenges of aging. However, depression is never a normal part of life at any age. The good news is that there are treatments that can help older people feel better.

The study included 641 participants, 80% of whom were over 60 years old. All had been diagnosed with depression, and screening excluded individuals with dementia. Participants were assigned to a control group or to a group who exercised for at least 20 minutes three times a week. Follow up occurred immediately after treatment, 3-12 months afterwards, and more than a year later.

Those who exercised experienced a significant reduction in depressive symptoms. Additionally, exercisers were more likely to achieve a complete remission from depression at 12 months. Because exercise occurred in a group format, however, it’s possible that a social or group effect influenced results. The researchers say more studies are needed to measure the effectiveness of different types of exercise and their long-term impact on depression.

It’s difficult to start exercising when you just feel like hiding under the covers, or when you’re stuck in a sedentary routine. Set some realistic goals with your doctor to begin with. The key to staying active is finding something physical you enjoy doing. You don’t have to be a marathon runner; just walking with a grandchild or doing a little gardening can be beneficial.

For other healthy aging strategies, visit the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry’s page.

So-Mai Brown

The ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have shed light on the unfortunate reality of war’s effect on the mind. Studies have shown that upon returning from battle the number of soldiers afflicted by post-traumatic stress disorder, commonly referred to by its acronym PTSD, is steadily increasing. For those struggling with trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, EMDR may be an effective treatment to reduce the distressing affect and memories, allowing for a fuller life. More and more clinicians are being trained in EMDR and if you are suffering from a traumatic event, this technique may be able to help.

But PTSD isn’t isolated to veterans and those exposed to combat zones.  PTSD has been shown to be caused by any trauma that threatens one’s life or emotional well-being and or an event that causes intense fear. A car accident, assault, natural disaster or being a victim of abuse can all be stimuli that see the onset of PTSD. Victims can experience vivid memories or flashbacks of the trauma, avoid certain places that remind them of the trauma and show symptoms of hyperarousal, such as irritability, sleeping problems and being easily startled.

There are many accessible routes to treating PTSD, such as medication and psychotherapy, but great results have been achieved with eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing, EMDR. EMDR began in 1987 when Francine Shapiro, a Senior Research Fellow at the Mental Research Institute, made a startling observation whilst she was walking in the woods. Dr. Shapiro was focusing on a distressing event and noticed she felt relief as here eyes moved back and forth looking amongst the trees. Her rather simple observation has evolved in to a field that has been deeply researched, which has proven that lateral eye movement, audio sound or hand tapping techniques employed whilst the client focuses on the past trauma or disturbing material. The detailed mechanisms for how EMDR works is still under investigation, but it is hypothesized to increase the ability to process the event, reduce the distress and may be related to rapid eye movements (REM) in sleep.

A 2007 study in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry compared EMDR, medication (Prozac) and a placebo to determine their efficacy during treatment and 6 months later. The results showed EMDR created “substantial and sustained reduction of PTSD and depression in most victims of adult-onset trauma.” Compared to placebo, both medication and EMDR were equally superior, however at 6 months 58% of EMDR subjects were asymptomatic compared to none in the medication group.

If you or someone you know suffers from PTSD, EMDR may be a way to help ease depressive symptoms and start your healing process.

So-Mai Brown M.F.T.I #58368 *Under the Supervision of Catherine Auman, M.F.T

Researchers in Australia tracked 99 people who received treatment at one of two pain clinics.  The majority of these subjects suffered from pain in their lower backs or limbs.  Both before and after their treatment, participants filled out surveys by answering questions with numerical ratings.  These questions were derived from previous studies and are considered accurate ways to measure pain, depression, and relationships security.  While pain and depression had previously been linked, the data on personal relationships added a new element to the study.

The findings were clear: those who indicated they were in secure relationships and felt supported in their social life were less likely to suffer from depression. Furthermore, those who did not have adequate social support were prime candidates to experience depression.  Simply being a relationship was not adequate enough; although 66% of the subjects were married or in serious relationships, their self-assessment of the quality of these relationships proved more telling in predicting depression.

Ultimately, the researchers concluded that rehabilitation programs should take relationship status into account when treating patients.  People without strong interpersonal attachments may need a more specialized intervention in order to alleviate feelings of depression.

Nurturing relationships can improve our mental health, despite the presence of chronic pain.  Ultimately, having healthy emotional support at home can go a long way toward alleviating depression.

So, according to these results, increased chocolate consumption could actually cause depression in some — a different scenario than using chocolate as a “reward” or pacifier for depressed feelings. For the chocolate lovers amongst us, the results of this study seem troubling. Take heed the researchers are quick to point out that more research between chocolate and our emotional state is needed; especially because of the potential cause-effect relationship. Natalie Rose, M.D., the lead researcher on the team explains, “depression could stimulate chocolate cravings a self-treatment.” She also points to artificial elements like trans fats added to the chocolate may be a reason for post-chocolate eating blues.

Some say depression may lead to chocolate cravings, because we are seeking a short term sugar high. The problem with a sugar high, is the sugar crash (and guilt and weight gain). In the short run, we may get the pleasure of the sensation, flavor and quick energy rush of chocolate.  In the longer run, however, eating too much chocolate may be ruining our mood.

Many self-help groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, are based around the “helper therapy” principle. People within the group sponsor and coach new members in the program to provide support, comfort and guidance. Why? Helpers who become mentors have less of a chance of relapsing themselves.

Furthermore, volunteering boosts your mood.  MRI tests prove that people that volunteer get a “helper’s” high. “Doing good” does good for your brain too.

When it comes to volunteering, remember to pick something that fits you and your lifestyle.

Here are some ideas:

• Want to start walking, but can’t find the motivation? Contact your local animal shelter and become a dog walker. These pups are cooped up in a tiny space just itching for exercise. It would make their day to have a special long walk with a human friend
• If you like to play cards, maybe you could volunteer to start a poker game at a local nursing home. Don’t be fooled, there are some card sharks with years of experience under their belt looking to win.
• If you like photography, painting, dancing, or writing but haven’t found the time to work on your hobbies. Put your passion for the arts to good use by finding an after school program and become an art mentor.

For other ideas, check out Volunteer Match or One Brick, these websites help match volunteers with various organizations looking for helping hands.

Volunteering will not cure your depression, but it may help alleviate your symptoms. By focusing your energy and time helping someone else, you may be helping yourself.

The boogie monster that haunts women is real, and it’s called cellulite. The fear of getting fat plagues even healthy normal-weight women. It is a fear, apparently, that men do not share. Psychologists at Brigham Young University discovered women who project healthy body images may have a hidden fear of becoming overweight. As part of their research on improving treatment for eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, Mark Allen and Diane Spangler scanned the brains of women with eating disorders against a control group of normal-weight women with a healthy body image and made a surprising discovery.

Study participants were hooked up to a tiny device that tracked their conversations every 30 seconds for 12.5 minutes over the course of four days. Then researchers sorted the thousands of hours of recording by conversational style: either deep talk versus small talk. Subjects were also asked to take various psychological personality tests to assess their temperament and mood.

The happiest people talked a whopping 70% more then their quiet counterparts. Further, the happy people were more social and spent 25% less time alone. Plus, the chatters weren’t just talking idle gossip, they engaged in double the amount of meaningful and deep conversations.

If you’ve ever been told you talk too much, have a long, deep talk about it with someone. The upside of being a social butterfly is you connect with others to connect with yourself.

Disheartening, yes, but not in light of the fact that depression is not a terminal illness. It is treatable. Unfortunately, many people allow it to go on for far too long, or even worse, ignore it altogether. The big tragedy is that only 2 out of 3 sufferers will seek medical advice.  This is a very dangerous proposition, as two thirds of all suicides are due to depression, accounting for 30,000 of the reported suicides in the US every year.

Not addressing depression until it becomes out of control can and does result in many people of all ages taking their own lives. In fact, US suicide rates are higher than homicide rates. Suicide and depression statistics are horrifying, yet not when we look at the hopefulness of this statistic: 80% of depression cases can be properly resolved with medication and/or a support group or therapy, within 4 to 6 weeks of treatment. Of those who do not respond to depression treatment, 50% of those subjects fail to improve because of medical non-compliance. This is why once therapy has begun, it’s imperative for those with depression to follow their doctor’s instructions carefully regarding treatment.  Stopping medications too soon can result in a relapse of depression and/or unwanted side effects.

Who is at risk?

Certain people have a greater disposition for depression and suicide, including women (although men are at a disadvantage too, as they tend to seek treatment less often than women), children, and the elderly. Depression in women is twice as likely as in men. While men are more likely to successfully take their own lives in depression, women are twice as likely to attempt suicide. Additionally, postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis are two other disorders of depression that women are prone to after child birth. There is also a strong link between eating disorders and depression.

As for children and the elderly, depression statistics are just as prevalent and unfortunate for them. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for children ages 15 to 24 years old and the fourth leading cause of death for children aged 10 to 14 with as many as 1 in 33 children having clinical depression and 1 in 8 adolescents having it as well. For the elderly, the Center for Disease Control reported in 2004 that those 65 and older accounted for 16% of suicide deaths in that year.

Statistics: what’s helping?

According to many current studies, cognitive behavioral therapy has resulted in a 50% improvement in suicide attempts from previous suicide behavior.  Another therapy that has proved successful in studies has been dialectical behavioral therapy, a form of therapy that is particularly helpful for people with borderline personality disorder. Medication has also proven to be a line of defense, particularly an antipsychotic called clozapine, a drug approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration for suicide prevention in people with schizophrenia.

There are many statistical charts on depression that one can refer to, from statistics on depression in college students to statistical data from all kinds of demographic perspectives. There is no shortage of information about depression, but what is most valuable about these statistics, of course, is the awareness that they can bring to people suffering from depression or to those who love someone who is affected by it.

• Personal blogs and websites: These are a great resource for finding empathy or someone to relate to. If you suffer from depression or are a relative or friend of someone who does, it’s nice to know that there are other people going through the same thing. Sometimes, these blogs and websites will even offer treatment suggestions or coping ideas that come from personal experience.
• Clinical websites: Websites like WebMD offer all the medical information that you need to know about depression. They are lacking in resources beyond urging contact with a doctor, but give you all the facts. If you’re looking for empathy or support, you’re not going to find much here. These sites are all about medical and technical details.
• Psychology websites: Again, these are going to be very to-the-point resources. You’ll find information on counseling for depression, depression hotlines, and how to meet or interact with support groups and others affected by depression. You won’t, however, find much personal interaction.
• Other resources: If you’re considering options for depression help or you just don’t know what is out there, these websites can be useful. They include sites that are informational, yet empathic and social networking forums or other places where you can not only find help, but also find hope and understanding. They’re a great starting point to find more resources that can offer free help for depression.

Positive Resources vs. Negative Resources

Finding depression help, rather than finding general information, is going to be the more challenging part of your quest. While a lot of resources can offer assistance in a variety of ways, there are some negative websites and links that people will find along the way. The main difference is that positive resources will offer productive information, coping solutions, and treatment options for people. Ultimately, the goal of a positive resource will be to help people who are living with depression and those around them.

A negative resource usually comes in the form of a personal website. While there are some misinformed professional websites out there, most of the negativity that you will find will come from other sufferers and their loved ones. For example, if you’re looking for depression help, you aren’t going to find it in a blog that is dedicated to describing the bad times as a depression sufferer without any real resources or tools. This type of resource will generally only make things worse. Try to avoid these when you can.

Depression Hotlines and Other Free Help

The internet has many great resources for people who need depression help. Whether you are looking for hope and understanding or even counseling for depression for yourself or someone close to you, there is something to be found. And, if you need to talk to someone right away, try calling one of these hotlines:

1-800-SUICIDE: Suicide Hotline

1-800-273 TALK: National Suicide Prevention Helpline

1-800-PPD-MOMS: Post-Partum Depression Hotline

1-877-YOUTHLINE (877-968-8454): Youth America Hotline

1-800-233-HELP: United Way Helpline