Immunizing against Depression
Over the past two months, we looked at the warning signs and risk factors, once you have put that column in its archived location] of depression. This month we look at how you can prevent becoming depressed.
Regardless of your risk, depression is not inevitable. As is the case with many illnesses that plague us in the 21st century, you can take action to reduce your likelihood of becoming depressed.
An alarming percentage of people who suffer from depression are never diagnosed, are diagnosed incorrectly or never seek help. You have already started down the right path by reading this series of articles. You are more likely to seek help if symptoms of depression appear and you are more likely to receive the kind of help that you need…two big steps in the right direction.
Understand your risk
It is important to understand your risk of depression. If you recognize yourself in Knowing Your Risk, it is especially important to learn as much as you can about staying healthy and reducing your risk of depression.
Understand your stress
Chronic, unchecked stress, regardless of the cause, inevitably contributes to depression. It is vital that you understand stress and its warning signs which, not surprisingly, have a lot in common with the warning signs of depression.
Once you understand stress and its impacts, you take action to manage and reduce its presence in your life.
Understand your thoughts
How we think can have an enormous impact on whether or not we become depressed. Perfectionists, over-achievers and the shy and oversensitive are especially at risk.
It is vital that you understand how your thinking may add to the stress in your life. Be aware of the expectations and pressures that you impose upon yourself.
Understand the times
It can be very overwhelming to live in today's world. The pace of life seems only to speed up as we run from one commitment to another - work, home, children, spouses, parents, grandparents, grandchildren...
All the while, we are besieged by phone calls, emails, text messages and every other imaginable type of communication that requires our IMMEDIATE attention.
When we aren't taking care of - or communicating with - someone else, we are bombarded with endless news bytes from around the world. Hitting us 24 hours a day - from our radios, televisions, computers, telephones and other personal devices - the news is rarely good. Unlike in the good old days, we now have up-to-the-minute access to the mostly awful things that are happening all around the world and hear endless feed about how our planet is well on its way to disaster.
Despite how overwhelming living in 2008 can seem, there is hope. Our lives don't have to be crazy. There are things we can do to make our own world a little more manageable. Prepare for stressful times. Embrace your sense of humour. Incorporate balance. Connect with nature. In short, Take Care of yourself.
What is Take Care?
"Health and wellness" is one of those phrases that, while popular, is becoming a bit of a cliché these days. While overused, "health and wellness" is often misunderstood and can have different meanings for different people.
I like to simplify things. So rather than calling this just a "health and wellness column," I have decided to call it, Take Care. I have chosen Take Care because that is what I will be writing about - how you can take care of yourself.
Don't worry. I won't be throwing facts and statistics at you - although I may occasionally share the title of a great book or the link to an awesome website. Neither do I claim to be a great guru with all of life's answers. What I can offer is the experience that I have gained from 43 years as a human being, 20 years in human services and almost a decade of living with chronic illness.
Let's face it; we live in a crazy world these days. We are constantly barraged by the demands on our time, attention and energy. Many of us are working full-time, managing a home, raising children and taking care of our parents … in some cases even our grandparents (or grandchildren…). We never seem to get away from the ringing of cell phones, the beeping of text messages and the growing pile of email messages in our inboxes - not to mention the old fashioned paper way of communicating.
Just when we think we are on top of it all, we decide to do something crazy like take a vacation … and we have to work twice as hard to get ready before we go away and three times as hard to catch up when we get back.
The body isn't made to be under constant stress. Constant stress leads to physical changes in the body and the mind that can contribute to serious illness. So don't tell me you can't afford the time to take care of yourself because I'll tell you that you can't afford NOT to take care.
Think of "Take Care" as a place to start … a place to start thinking about some very basic ways that you can take better care of yourself.
Why not start by visiting our website each month and reading this column?
Take care,
Kristin
About the author
Kristin has two decades of experience in the not-for-profit and social services sector, ten of those years spent running her own business - KDM Program & Management Services. Through KDM, Kristin provides contract, short-term and recurring program and management support to the not-for-profit sector. Services include - but are not limited to - public relations and marketing, website planning and content development, proposal writing, program evaluation and development, and project management and coordination. To reach Kristin, click here.
Copyright
The column, Take Care, and its contents are copyright, Kristin Duare McKinnon, all rights reserved. You may download, display, print and / or reproduce this material in single, unaltered form only - retaining copyright notice and author information - for your personal, non-commercial use. You must not change any of the material or remove any part of the article or notices that follow. For further information or to use the information contained in any Take Care column outside of the parameters indicated here, please contact Kristin.
Disclaimers
The information provided in the Take Care column is of a general nature only and is not intended as a substitute for professional health advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any personal medical and health questions that you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website or any other website.
We have made reasonable efforts to ensure that the information contained in the Take Care column is accurate and up-to-date. To the extent permitted by law, Kristin Duare McKinnon and Community Living Kawartha Lakes accept no liability for any injury, loss or damage caused by reliance on any part of this information.
Please also read our external website disclaimer.
