A depression relapse is the disheartening experience of having your depression symptoms return just when you think you’ve beaten them. With depression, relapse is frustratingly common. At least half of all people who have overcome depression experience another depressive episode, and of those, 80 percent will experience depression yet again; among people with a history of depression, the average number of recurrences ranges from five to nine across their lifespan (Levine, 2017). The good news is that depression relapse isn’t guaranteed. Read on to learn about depression relapse so you can minimize or prevent it altogether.

Depression can return at any time, even years after you left your first episode of depression behind. When it happens in the first four months after a depressive episode, it’s called relapse, and after that the official term is recurrence. Here, we’ll use the term “relapse” to refer to the reappearance of depression regardless of the timeframe.

Depression Relapse Triggers

It can be upsetting when depression relapse happens, and many people want to know why they’re once again living with depression. There isn’t a single definitive answer, but researchers do know that certain things can trigger the return of depression symptoms.

The most common trigger for depression relapse is stopping treatment, whatever your treatment may be. Doing so can prematurely halt the healing process and resume the depression. Ending depression treatment too soon is the most common trigger, but it’s not the only one.

The following list of depression relapse triggers can help you know what to watch for and avoid. It’s important to keep in mind that everyone is unique and what leads to renewed symptoms for one person might not affect the next person at all. Know yourself and your experience with depression so you can consider what might be triggering for you.

Common depression relapse triggers include:

• Medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity
• Life-changing events such as a move, divorce, empty nest syndrome, losing a job, and others
• Death of someone close to you
• Personal trauma
• Traumatic events locally, nationally, or internationally
• Hormonal fluctuations in women, especially in puberty, pregnancy and afterward, and perimenopause
• Addictive behaviors, including, perhaps surprisingly, binge-watching TV (it increases stress and anxiety hormones and creates a sense of loss when the show is over)
• Poor social support

The more of these triggers you experience, the greater your chance of depression relapse. If you’ve had one or more triggers, how do you know if you’re relapsing? Certain signs indicate that your depression may be returning.

Depression Relapse Signs

When your depression begins to relapse, symptoms will begin to insidiously slither their way back into your life. When you notice any of these signs, it can be very helpful to see your doctor or therapist:

• Feeling down much of the time
• Feeling irritable, anxious, or both
• Lack of energy
• Disinterest in things you typically like
• Withdrawal or even complete isolation
• Avoiding people, places, and activities
• Feelings of worthlessness
• A strong sense of guilt
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory problems
• Sleep problems
• Persistent aches and pains

With relapse, the depression symptoms you experience might be the same as those you had with your previous episode of depression, or they might be different. For example, perhaps you originally had insomnia but now you notice that you are sleeping excessively. That’s why being aware of the general depression relapse signs will help you know when you need to see your doctor.

Depression Relapse Prevention

A depression relapse can be treated, just like your previous episode of depression. Sometimes, it’s even possible to prevent a relapse from happening in the first place.

Preventing depression relapse is a matter of lifestyle and perspective: think in terms of continued wellness, or maintenance. When you embrace a depression prevention lifestyle, making mentally healthy choices and actively taking charge of your wellbeing become second nature.

It can be very effective to make a plan with your doctor, therapist, or both. Delineate things you will do to prevent a depression relapse, and commit to sticking to it (remember that stopping treatment is the most common relapse trigger). Whether it’s continuing antidepressants for maintenance, working with a therapist, or implementing a self-care and stress management program, following an intentional plan can help keep depression away.

These tips for preventing depression relapse can help you keep triggers from restarting depression:

• Make and keep social connections for support
• Develop a positive outlook to replace negative perceptions and thoughts
• Engage in activities for fun and to build self-confidence
• Do some physical activity every day
• Develop or maintain a sleep routine
• Practice mindfulness to quiet negative thoughts

Having depression return is disappointing. Depression relapse isn’t guaranteed, though. The most powerful aspects of depression relapse prevention are knowing the signs and triggers, noticing them within yourself, and taking action to diminish them.

article references

When helping depression, food is important, and nutrition is becoming one of the major treatments for depression. While even the best foods for fighting depression don’t necessarily replace medication or therapy, they are an important healing tool because diet is such a significant part of brain health and functioning. Foods for depression can be an essential part of someone’s treatment plan.

When it comes to brain functioning in general and depression in particular, food is a lot like pharmaceutical treatments in that its chemical structure communicates and interacts with the brain, impacting our thought, emotions, moods, decisions, and more (Serani, 2011). The old adage “you are what you eat” seems to be quite relevant. Specific foods to help depression work with the brain on a neurochemical level to make positive changes in mood.

How Food Helps Your Depression

The foods that help depression are the ones that counteract the symptoms and effects of depression. Depression zaps energy and motivation as well as the ability to feel joy and pleasure. It disrupts sleep, making people sleep too much or too little. Depression brings on an often crushing sadness or low mood, and it can cause irritability. Major depressive disorder disrupts appetite and can cause someone to eat too much or too little. It makes it hard to think or concentrate (unless someone is thinking of their perceived worthlessness and guilt).

Any one of these things can make eating well difficult. Planning, shopping, preparing, and dealing with food at all can become gargantuan tasks. Ironically, though, all of these things can be helped with proper nutrition.

Foods good for depression are things such as lean protein, fish, complex carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables (more on diet and depression). Here’s why:

• Proteins are our source of amino acids, which build neurotransmitters like serotonin; people with depression have low serotonin levels, and protein can increase serotonin, clear the mind, and boost energy
• Carbohydrates supply glucose (energy) to the brain; in depression, people lack the energy to live well
• Good fats build cell membranes for healthy brain structure
• Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients that turn glucose into energy, help the amino create neurotransmitters, convert simple essential fats into complex fats, and more

Specific Foods for Depression

Proteins that help depression include poultry like chicken and turkey, lean beef, tuna, and chickpeas. Interestingly enough, all of these, even turkey, provide energy. If you’ve heard of tryptophan, you might associate it with both turkey and sleepiness. As an amino acid that is a precursor to serotonin, tryptophan’s big picture is actually to help increase energy.

Carbohydrates also are linked to increasing serotonin and providing energy. Whole grains, legumes,  fruits and vegetables are healthy sources of this essential brain food.

To be healthy, the brain needs vitamins and minerals. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are excellent sources of a wide range of the vitamins and minerals the brain needs to function depression-free (see vegan diet and depression).

Good fats, like Omega-3 fatty acids, are necessary to prevent or treat depression. Fatty fish, flaxseed, canola oil, soybean oil, nuts (especially walnuts), and dark green, leafy vegetables are good sources of important healthy fats.

All of the above foods are mood-boosting foods for depression because of how they interact with the brain. They go beyond simple mood-enhancement, though, to counteract most or even all of the symptoms of depression.

Having a rich and varied diet of these depression-fighting foods will help ensure that you give your brain a range of helpful nutrients. No single food contains everything your brain needs to stave off depression, but the more of these nutrient-rich foods you eat, the better your brain and your mental health will be.

Head to the store, or ask someone to go for you, grab these foods, and feel how eating foods that help your depression makes a very positive difference in your life.

article references

The classification of female sexual disorders has undergone several revisions and continues to evolve as knowledge expands. Several useful classification systems have been created, but no one system stands as the hard-and-fast rule or gold standard. The following section discusses two of the most widely known and used classifications.

DSM-IV Classification

The American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IV: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th edition, published in 1994, as well as the World Health Organization's International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-10 (ICD-10), published in 1992, contains a classification system for female sexual disorders that is based on the Masters and Johnson and Kaplan linear model of the female sexual response.^(1,2) The DSM-IV, which focuses on psychiatric disorders, defines a female sexual disorder as a "disturbance in sexual desire and in the psychophysiological changes that characterize the sexual response cycle and cause marked distress and interpersonal difficulty." This classification system has increasingly come under scrutiny and criticism, not the least of which is because it focuses only on the psychiatric component of sexual disorders. ^(3,4)

The DSM-IV categorizes female sexual disorders as follows:

• Sexual desire disorders
  a. Hypoactive sexual desire
  b. Sexual aversion disorder

• Sexual arousal disorders - Orgasmic disorders

• Sexual pain disorders
  a. Dyspareunia
  b. Vaginismus

• Sexual dysfunction due to a general medical condition

• Substance-induced sexual dysfunction

• Sexual dysfunction not otherwise specified

The psychiatric diagnostic manual also provides subtypes to assist in diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders: whether the disorder is lifelong or acquired, generalized or situational, and due to psychological factors or combined psychological/medical factors.

American Foundation for Urologic Disease Consensus-Based Classification of Female Sexual Dysfunction (CCFSD)

In 1, an international multidisciplinary panel of 19 experts in female sexual disorders was convened by the Sexual Function Health Council of the American Foundation for Urologic Disease to evaluate and revise the existing definitions for female sexual disorders from the DSM-IV and the ICD-10 in an attempt to provide a well-defined, broadly accepted diagnostic framework for clinical research and the treatment of female sexual problems.⁽⁵⁾ The conference was supported by educational grants from several pharmaceutical companies. ( Affiliated Research Centers, Eli Lilly/ICOS Pharmaceuticals, Pentech Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Inc., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Schering-Plough, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, TAP Pharmaceuticals, and Zonagen.)

Like previous classifications, the Consensus-Based Classification of Female Sexual Dysfunction (CCFSD) is based on the Masters and Johnson and Kaplan linear model of the female sexual response, which is problematic. However, the CCFSD classification represents an advance over the older systems because it incorporates both psychogenic and organic causes of desire, arousal, orgasm, and sexual pain disorders (see Table 7). The diagnostic system also has a "personal distress"  criterion, indicating that a condition is considered a disorder only if a woman is distressed by it.

The four general categories from the DSM-IV and ICD-10 classifications were used to structure the CCFSD system, with definitions for diagnoses as described as follows.

• Sexual desire disorders are divided into two types. Hypoactive sexual desire disorder is the persistent or recurrent deficiency (or absence) of sexual fantasies/thoughts, and/or desire for or receptivity to sexual activity, which causes personal distress. Sexual aversion disorder is the persistent or recurrent phobic aversion to and avoidance of sexual contact with a sexual partner, which causes personal distress.

• Sexual arousal disorder is the persistent or recurrent inability to attain or maintain sufficient sexual excitement, causing personal distress, which may be expressed as a lack of subjective excitement, or genital (lubrication/swelling) or other somatic responses.

• Orgasmic disorder is the persistent or recurrent difficulty, delay in, or absence of attaining orgasm following sufficient sexual stimulation and arousal, which causes personal distress.

• Sexual pain disorders are also divided into three categories: Dyspareunia is the recurrent or persistent genital pain associated with sexual intercourse. Vaginismus is the recurrent or persistent involuntary spasm of the musculature of the outer third of the vagina that interferes with vaginal penetration, which causes personal distress. Non-coital sexual pain disorder is recurrent or persistent genital pain induced by non-coital sexual stimulation.

Disorders are further subtyped according to medical history, laboratory tests, and physical examination as lifelong versus acquired, generalized versus situational, and of organic, psychogenic, mixed, or unknown origin.

RESOURCES:

1. American Psychiatric Association. DSM IV: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press; 1994.
2. World Health Organization. ICD 10: International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1992.
3. Sugrue DP, Whipple B. The consensus-based classification of female sexual dysfunction: barriers to universal acceptance. J Sex Marital Ther 2001;27:221-226.
4. Working Group on A New View of Women's Sexual Problems. A new view of women's sexual problems. Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality 2000;3. Available at www.ejhs.org/volume 3/newview.htm. Accessed 3/21/05.
5. Basson R, Berman J, Burnett A, et al. Report of the International Consensus Development Conference on female sexual dysfunction: definitions and classifications. J Urol 2000;163:888-893.

Emotionally healthy relationships are vital to our mental wellbeing and emotional health. Positive psychologist, Christopher Peterson, referring love and relationship research, asserts that “good relationships with others may be the single most important source of life satisfaction and emotional well-being.”

We are social creatures (yes, even introverts), and we need relationships and social support to thrive. Supportive relationships—those that involve trust, empathy, caring, and nurturing—are linked to good health, including emotional health, because they are protective factors against stress and problems big and small.

Emotionally healthy relationships can happen with anyone in our lives, from romantic partners to family members to friends to coworkers or others with whom we associate regularly.  Emotionally healthy relationships are those relationships in our lives that are positive and boost both people. Such relationships make people feel glad for the connection.

Qualities of Emotionally Healthy Relationships

What is it about these good relationships that make them emotionally healthy? Emotionally healthy relationships possess certain defining qualities. Not every single quality has to be present in order for a relationship to be healthy, but a significant number of them should be. The more positive traits a relationship has, the stronger and healthier it is.

This list highlights what an emotionally healthy relationship is. These relationships are marked by:

• A sense of “us” rather than “me”
• Working toward common goals
• Emotional understanding (one’s one as well as his/her partner’s)
• Empathy
• Mutual trust
• Loyalty
• Honesty
• Mutual respect
• Commitment
• Healthy interdependence (needing each other, but not in an enmeshed, over-dependent way)
• A sense of boundaries, personal space
• A focus on the positive (emotions, thoughts, behaviors, situations)
• Communication
• Emotional security
• Intimacy
• Reciprocal, giving and taking equally
• Kindness and caring
• A sense of playfulness
• Opportunities for fun
• Humor, shared laughter
• Affection
• Compromise

Conflict in Emotionally Healthy Relationships

Emotionally healthy relationships aren’t perfect and problem-free. An emotionally healthy person in a positive relationship will experience conflict. Not only is that part of being human, but conflict is also actually a component of healthy relationships.

It’s inevitable. People are going to disagree sometimes. People become angry, upset, irritable. In emotionally healthy relationships, people respond rather than react. They don’t lose sight of their greater goal: a loving, caring, respectful relationship with each other. As such, they focus on the issue at hand rather than on all of the personal shortcomings of each other.

People in healthy relationships use impulse control. Rather than snapping at another person with a scathing comeback or acting on negative emotions, they make their points and respond rationally to the other person.

Some emotionally unhealthy relationship behaviors, during conflict or outside of conflict, include:

• Avoidance (of conflict, of compromise, of the other person)
• Being more critical than positive and supportive
• Stubbornness, inflexibility
• Whining, demanding
• Defensiveness
• Forming unhealthy boundaries (too needy or too distant)
• Creating more conflict than connection
• Speaking more negatively than positively
• Using more criticisms than compliments

In contrast, conflict in healthy relationships looks like a negotiation rather than a shouting match. Conflict is unpleasant, but it happens as a result of two distinct people working out a life together. As such, the people involved listen to each other and make each other feel heard and valued. They ask questions rather than make assumptions. Above all, they treat each other with kindness and respect.

An emotionally healthy relationship is one where the people are valued above anything else.

How to Have Emotionally Healthy Relationships

All human beings have the capacity to form and enjoy healthy relationships. The surest way to do so is to pay attention to and nurture your own emotional health. Your own state of emotional health will impact your relationships.

In your relationships, think in terms of moving forward together, toward whatever it is you mutually value. Hone the qualities of a healthy relationship listed above.

Quality relationships look easy, but in truth, they take work and dedication. The work that you put into your relationships blossoms into an important aspect of your emotional and mental wellbeing and quality life. Emotionally healthy relationships have powerful effects on our overall wellbeing throughout life.

article references

Depression can be difficult to deeply understand. Expressing what it’s like is tough because when you have major depression symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, lethargy, apathy, and thinking and concentration problems (that’s right—depression is much more than feeling sad) impede your ability to communicate. However, being able to express depression in words is valuable. It can help you reach out to others for support and connection, and it can help you understand yourself when you’re experiencing an illness that seems beyond understanding.

Turning to descriptions of depression’s symptoms is important and provides necessary insight. However, this provides a somewhat limited explanation of depression. Symptoms tell us what depression is clinically and provide an intellectual understanding. They fall short of describing what depression feels like, an emotional understanding of this debilitating illness.

To truly know depression requires us to tune into each other and listen to words that convey the depth of the experience. If you’re having difficulty putting your own experience into words or are interested in understanding what depression is like for others, settle in comfortably and read through these snippets of insight written by people suffering from depression. They come from various online public forums and discussions, such as Reddit, Facebook pages, and Twitter. Perhaps you might recognize your own feelings and experiences in some of these, and maybe others will help you realize what you don’t experience with your own depression. These words expressing depression might also help you express your own.

How Others Express Depression in Words

“It's like trying to build a sandcastle. At the bottom of the ocean.”

“Imagine you're a cellphone. You're charged for the day. 85% goes to battle depression. 12% goes to your daily events, leaving you 3% to function!”

“Physically, it feels like I have the flu. Body aches, chest pain, upset stomach. Mentally, I feel like I deserve the flu.”

“After suffering in silence for so long, I'm just an invisible shell.”

“I get so frustrated with myself when I see how many great supportive people I have in my life, but that lingering empty feeling of having nobody always remains.”

“I didn't want to die, and I most certainly didn't want to kill myself. I just wanted everything and everyone to just go away. I wished I could just curl up in a corner and disappear. More than that, I wished I had never existed in the first place because then no one I love would miss me or be hurt by my loss.”

“Feelings seem so hard to put into words and when I do, nobody comprehends. Becoming more and more internalized.”

“There's this tightness in my brain, around what I know to be the amygdala, and then tears start streaming out of nowhere.”

“Plus the irritation and anger spikes. Makes me feel dangerous and undeserving to be around anyone. Sometimes I'll withdraw for weeks or months. The self-loathing is very intense.”

“The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality. And it was vitality that seemed to seep away from me at that moment. Everything there was to do seemed like too much work. I would come home and I would see the red light flashing on my answering machine, and instead of being thrilled to hear from my friends, I would think, 'What a lot of people that is, to have to call back.'"

“It’s like I’m watching life on TV instead of living in it, and all I want to do is change the channel.”

“There are times where it absolutely cripples me because I just want to go back to being the younger me who was able to love life. Back when every experience could be new and exciting, and when things were just more simple and easy.

“When you keep on saying to yourself that everything will be okay but deep down there, it's getting uncontrollable.”

“My therapist wants me to quit saying "I'm a terrible person", but I literally don't know how to express how hard it is to talk to myself nicely without feeling like I am the world's biggest liar, which then makes me feel like a terrible person.”

“Just hope my friends and family see how hard I am trying.”

“Depression is such a cruel punishment. There are no fevers, no rashes, no blood tests to send people scurrying in concern - just the slow erosion of self as insidious as cancer. And like cancer, it is essentially a solitary experience; a room in hell with only your name on the door.”

“I'm a burden to so many that being alone is the only way to survive.”

“To me, it feels like I'm walking around wearing a lead blanket that dentists put on you for x-rays. I feel like my limbs weigh 100 pounds each.”

Your experience with depression is entirely unique and simultaneously part of something shared by millions of people everywhere. How do you describe your depression?

Brain fog supplements augment a healthy lifestyle to help cure brain fog. The term “supplements” typically refers to nutritional enhancements such as vitamins, minerals, and other remedies to decrease brain fog. When brain fog supplements and remedies are used as they are intended—as extras that have the potential to boost your other efforts to fix brain fog—they can be the real deal and reduce symptoms of foggy brain. However, depending on what they are and how you use them, these brain fog supplements can be a hoax, ineffective at best and dangerous at worst.

Brain Fog Remedies

The world of supplements and other remedies can be confusing. Use this overview as an introduction to the topic as you consider whether you want to explore supplements and other remedies in more depth. Here, we’ll look at the basics of these brain fog remedies:

• Brain fog supplements
• Brain fog herbs
• Brain fog essential oils

An important fact to keep in mind is that supplements, herbs, and oils are not brain fog cures. They’re not intended to get to the root of the problem or to be a permanent fix; instead, they’re temporary treatments.

These remedies can ease the symptoms of brain fog so you can focus, concentrate, think more clearly, and improve your memory. This lets you do more of your self-care strategies to thoroughly treat brain fog.

Brain Fog Supplements

A healthy diet full of the nutrients the brain needs is imperative for combating brain fog. Even when you eat well, consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, protein, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and omega-3 fatty acids, it can be hard to take in all the vitamins and minerals that reduce focus. You can take certain supplements to increase focus, concentration, thought clarity, and memory.

The following vitamins and minerals are particularly useful for the brain in decreasing its fog. Look for supplements containing:

• B vitamins (folate, B-6, thiamin, niacin, b-12, and all others)
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Zinc

Each of these vitamins and minerals boosts brain function. For brain fog, vitamin D is effective in improving cognitive functioning and processing speeds. Supplementing what you get from your diet and the sun with vitamins that contain D might make a noticeable difference in your brain’s performance.

For brain fog, magnesium is another good example of a nutritional supplement that might be helpful. Magnesium is required for memory function, attention, and focus. It reduces many symptoms of brain fog.

All the vitamins and minerals listed above are available as supplements, and all target brain fog. If you are considering supplements, choose those made with natural ingredients, no additives, and with a certificate of analysis verifying third-party testing and verification.

Brain Fog Herbs

When seeking remedies that enhance mental functioning and reduce brain fog, herbs can be a good choice. Herbs are a form of nutritional supplement that supply the body and brain with nutrients that are hard to find in other sources.

Use herbs in different forms, such as powdered, dried, and fresh, and use them for teas, tinctures, infusions, or food seasonings. Numerous herbs purportedly combat symptoms of brain fog with anxiety and other illnesses. Lion’s mane and ginkgo biloba are two that are frequently used for this.

Herbs can be beneficial, but they can also be dangerous. If you are considering using herbs for brain fog reduction, it’s wise to consult your doctor, a naturopath, a nutritionist, or other such professional before using herbs to treat brain fog.

Brain Fog Essential Oils

Essential oils are another alternative brain fog remedy. Aromatic oils stimulate the olfactory system which in turn activates the limbic system. Structures in the limbic system are responsible for functions like long-term memory and attention—processes that are compromised during periods of brain fog.

Essential oils that are known to improve brain fog include:

• Lavender (for sleep)
• Frankincense (improves concentration and focus)
• Lemon and other citrus scents (boost energy)
• Peppermint (boosts memory, focus, and concentration)

The safest, most effective oils are for those that are therapeutic-grade with pure ingredients.

If you decide that any of these brain fog supplements, vitamins, and remedies are the real deal rather than a hoax, the next step is to consult your doctor to make sure supplements won’t interfere with any medications you are taking and are safe for you. Verify, too, that you will be taking the right amount—enough to be effective but not so much that it’s toxic. Taken correctly and in the spirit of supplementing rather than replacing regular treatment, these remedies just might help reduce brain fog.

article references

Two very common questions about brain fog are, “How long does brain fog last,” and “Can you clear it quickly.” Brain fog is a frustrating and draining experience that is all-encompassing. With brain fog, you can’t think clearly, remember things big and small, or focus and concentrate (Symptoms of Brain Fog: What Does Brain Fog Feel Like?).

It can seem like you’re trapped in a gauzy shroud, able to see the world around you but unable to fully join it or find the words to call out for help. Brain fog is not an enjoyable condition, and asking how long brain fog lasts and how you can clear it quickly are logical questions. Read on for some answers and the beginning of the end of your brain fog.

How Long Does Brain Fog Last?

Brain fog typically doesn’t persist indefinitely but instead comes and goes (Causes of Brain Fog: What are the Reasons for My Brain Fog?). When it strikes, it can stick around for just a few hours. Unfortunately, it can also linger for months. Both are extreme, though.

The duration of brain fog varies from person to person. In general, brain fog lingers between several days and several weeks.

You can do things to reduce the duration of brain fog. How long brain fog lasts depends largely on things that are under your control. This means, of course, that you can reduce the symptoms of brain fog and shorten their duration. Let’s look at how to clear brain fog quickly.

How Do You Clear Brain Fog Quickly?

You can clear brain fog. The fact that it lasts from hours to months and everything in-between, means that it’s not permanent brain damage. You can indeed do things to clear your brain fog. You can even unblock your brain fairly quickly by taking the right actions.

One caveat to solutions for how to clear brain fog quickly: there isn’t a magic wand or special elixir that will blow away the fog instantaneously. The steps you can take are actions that reduce the symptoms by working to help the brain heal itself and return to proper functioning. Clearing brain fog doesn’t have to take months, but it takes more than a couple of hours.

The overarching theme in how to clear brain fog quickly is self-care. Lifestyle has a big impact on brain health. Intentionally doing a thing that nurtures your brain will help brain fog go away and stay away. Important components for self-care for brain health include such things as:

• Proper sleep
  Most people need 7-9 hours each night to recharge the brain.
• Eating well
  Proper nutrition is essential for the brain to work and think clearly. Eat healthy foods and avoid processed junk foods to clear brain fog (Brain Fog Supplements, Vitamins, Remedies: Hoax or Real Deal?).
• Regulating blood sugar
  Avoid consuming lots of simple carbohydrates, including refined sugars, as these cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate drastically, taxing the brain.
• Hydration
  Drench your brain in water all day, every day. Sugary drinks can harm the brain and make it foggy, but water helps it. Sometimes, dehydration can induce brain fog, and drinking water is truly a quick fix.
• Oxygen
  Sometimes, we don’t give our brain enough oxygen. We hold our breath without realizing it, or we breathe in short, shallow breaths. Practice deep breathing. Take time out to take several slow, purposeful breaths. Train yourself, too, to breathe deeply from your belly all the time for a steady supply of oxygen for the brain.
• Exercise and movement
  Be purposeful about getting up and walking around or stretching for several minutes every hour. Also, make it a habit to exercise several times a week.
• Pursue passions
  Doing things you love stimulates the brain and keeps you focused and alert.
• Manage stress
  Meditate. Practice mindfulness. Take baths. Read. Learn a new skill. Keep a stress ball nearby. Find what lowers your stress levels and consistently do them. Your brain fog will leave and quite possibly stay away.
• Create an optimal environment.
  To better focus and concentrate, own your space. Remove distractions and add elements that are visually pleasing as well. This will help you concentrate. Consider what little things might be toxic in your environment. Strong scents like perfumes, lotions, and candles can make your brain foggy, as can excessive noise and lights. Manipulate your physical environment, and you might be surprised how much better you feel and function.

How long brain fog lasts can vary from person to person. A common duration is a range from several days to a few weeks. You can clear the fog sooner rather than later by making positive lifestyle changes and taking care of yourself, especially your brain. The added benefit of working to clear your brain fog quickly is that, if you continue to live with the changes you’ve made, brain fog won’t just go away, it will be prone to stay away.

article references

Risk factors for depression are elements in your life that increase your chances of developing depression. Numerous types of depression risk factors exist. Some are part of the world in which you live, while others are within you. Any single risk factor can make you more susceptible to depression, but the fewer you have, the smaller your chances for being diagnosed with depression. This illness becomes more likely as risk factors accumulate and eventually reach a tipping point. Knowing what the risk factors are for depression can help you avoid or minimize them to nurture your mental health.

A List of the Risk Factors for Depression

To make them easier to understand and manage, depression risk factors can be grouped together into different categories. They include:

• Medical and/or pharmaceutical risk factors
• Biochemical aspects
• Genetic components
• Personality traits
• Substance use or abuse issues
• Social and environmental aspects

Let’s explore each one further to understand how they relate to depression.

A Look at The Depression Risk Factors

Medical conditions sometimes put someone at risk for depression. Diseases such as Parkinson’s or Huntington’s Disease and conditions like stroke can cause chemical changes in the brain that have been linked to depressive disorders. Also, living with serious or chronic illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, cancer, chronic pain, cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or thyroid disease is stressful in a way that consumes thoughts and feelings and affects behaviors in a way that can give rise to depression. Sleep disorders put people at risk of depression, too.

Taking medications for these or other conditions can be a depression risk. For example, some high blood pressure or sleep medications have been found to increase the risk for depression. If you’re concerned about prescriptions you take, talk with your pharmacist or doctor about your depression risk and whether you need to switch medications. Never stop medication on your own, as doing so can be dangerous.

Biochemical risk factors for depression involve activity in the brain. Neurotransmitters, or chemicals that facilitate electrical signaling (communication) between neurons in the brain, are partially responsible for regulating mood. Having low levels of neurotransmitters, especially dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin is linked to depression.  

Genetics can play a role in depression. If you have a family history of depression, particularly in a first degree relative like a parent or sibling, your risk of developing depression increases. A genetic link doesn’t guarantee that you will get depression, and people without a family history can still develop the illness. Your genetics does influence your likelihood of developing depression when facing other risk factors.

Certain personality traits are considered to be risk factors for depression. First, an important caveat: This does not mean that depression is who you are, or that your nature is why you’re depressed. These are simply traits that have been associated with depression. They’re largely learned and thus can be unlearned. They include pessimism; sensitivity to change, loss, or rejection; low self-esteem; self-criticism; and over-dependence on others. Also, childhood anxiety has been linked to depression later in life.

Substance use or abuse is a risk factor for depression. It can also be an effect of depression. Alcohol and drugs, including prescription medications, affect the brain in ways that influence depression. Substance use or abuse also often negatively affects relationships in ways that might lead to depression. Help is available, and seeking help is a sign of strength and hope for the future.

Social and environmental risk factors are things that you are exposed to in your life. Some of the negative things you experience that sometimes contribute to depression include:

• Abuse (any type, at any age)
• Lack of support
• Stressful life events (death of a loved one, losing a job, divorce, bankruptcy, etc.)
• Trauma
• Chronic exposure to violence
• Long-term poverty

The good thing about depression risk factors is that they can be prevented or minimized. When you’re aware of what might increase your risk of depression, you can counter those risks by building protective factors.

While it’s true that you can’t control some things, there are many things you can. You can build resilience to stress to lessen its impact. You can also create coping skills and do things that deepen your involvement in your community, thus increasing social connection and support. Hone optimism, hope, and positivity. Working with a therapist or reading self-help books and articles can help you in the process of strengthening protective factors for depression.

If you have risk factors for depression, you’re not doomed. They don’t guarantee that you will develop depression.

article references

Good foods for depression, stress and anxiety can be elusive at times. If you’ve found yourself craving certain foods when you want to combat depression, stress, and anxiety, you’re in good company. It’s part of human nature to turn to food when our mental health isn’t in top shape. When we’re feeling stressed, anxious, and/or depressed, we gravitate toward food, and we do it for good reason. Food affects the brain and mental health. The brain and the body, in general, need specific foods to function well. When our mental health is suffering, we want to eat; unfortunately, however, many of the comfort foods we crave aren’t the best foods for depression, anxiety, and stress.

Foods for Depression and Stress: What’s Wrong with Comfort Foods?

Depression, anxiety, and stress have many symptoms. This partial list highlights some of the most bothersome:

• Deep fatigue and an almost complete lack of energy to do anything
• Emotional discomfort (crushing sadness, worry, irritability, mood swings, self-doubt, etc.)
• Tension (physical and mental)
• Negative thoughts
• Fear
• Dread

To deal with these miserable things, people often gravitate toward junk foods like ice cream, other processed desserts, and sweets, simple carbohydrates like refined pasta, saturated fats, salty chips, and more. Gooey mac and cheese, anyone? These foods do make us feel better because of the simple pleasure of eating these things as well as the surge of energy that comes with them.

Unfortunately, these aren’t foods that combat depression. The energy spike that comes with refined foods and sugars is temporary. We experience a brief increase in energy accompanied by improved emotional symptoms thanks to an increase in the production of serotonin. However, these burn through our system quickly, and we crash. We feel worse, so we seek out comfort foods. Spike. Crash. Repeat. And depression, anxiety, and stress don’t get better. Refined foods are not part of a good diet plan for depression.

Putting food into the body to power the brain is a great idea. We just must break the cycle of eat-spike-crash-repeat by replacing the junk foods that work against the brain with foods that supply the brain with what it needs to do its job. Replacing sugars, for example, is smart because one of the harmful things refined sugar does is decrease our brain’s supply of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This decrease has been implicated in the development of depression and anxiety. The good news is that there are foods that combat depression, anxiety, and stress by supporting the brain and body.

How Foods Work to Combat Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

Knowing why the foods for depression and stress work can help you choose these foods over the sugary, salty, processed stuff. Healthy foods for depression:

• Increase serotonin levels
  
  Serotonin is a neurotransmitter used in the brain, and too little leads to depression and other mental health problems. It’s made in the gut and in the brain, and certain proteins and amino acids (particularly tryptophan) are what manufacture serotonin.
   
• Increase positive emotions and decreases negative ones, largely through serotonin production
• Increase; blood flow to the brain
• Decrease cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones
• Decrease blood pressure, necessary to help stress and anxiety
• Boost the immune system to keep you feeling well and the body functioning properly

The Real Comfort Foods for Depression and Stress

The foods that combat depression, anxiety, and stress are the real comfort foods. These are the ones that take a while to digest so they can stay in the system to allow the brain to produce a steady supply of serotonin. They’re the ones that provide what the brain needs to function at its optimal level.

Look for complex carbohydrates, proteins, foods with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins (seek out B vitamins and antioxidants), and minerals (especially calcium, magnesium, and selenium). These are just some of the foods to eat for depression and anxiety:

• Whole-grain breads, pastas, cereals like oatmeal, etc.
• Turkey and other lean meats
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Fruits
• Vegetables (spinach and other dark green veggies are excellent but not the only vegetables that boost the brain)
• Nuts (walnuts, almonds, and pistachios are notable depression-fighters)
• Seeds
• Avocados
• Salmon
• Tuna
• Yogurt with probiotics

With the awareness of foods that combat depression, stress, and anxiety, you’re on your way to increased mental health and wellbeing. You can re-create your own comfort foods to help you feel better long-term.

This happy story has an even happier ending. There’s another food that research has shown to be excellent for depression and anxiety: dark chocolate, thanks to its flavonols (a type of antioxidant). Eating about 40g a day (approximately 1.5 ounces) of 74% cacao or higher:

• Increases blood flow to the brain, which improves our ability to handle stress and anxiety
• Decreases the stress hormones cortisol and catecholamines
• Increases serotonin

And, of course, the pleasure of eating dark chocolate decreases depression, anxiety, and stress. So have some dark chocolate with your turkey and spinach salad, and enjoy mental health.

article references

The history of depression is a long one. Throughout history, people have observed depression, experienced it, and tried to understand and treat it. The symptoms of depression were first described about 2500 years ago, and humans have been grappling with the concept ever since. The quest for understanding depression has been well-meaning but at times horribly misguided.

For insights into how we have understood and misunderstood this illness, here’s a glimpse into the history of depression in the Western world.

The History of Depression and How People Have Understood It

Despite depression’s long history, there are only three main ways in which people have conceptualized it.  At various times, we humans have seen depression as  

• Spiritual, rooted in demonic possessions, demonic forces, or punishment from the gods
• Biological/physical, marked by problems in the human body or brain
• Mental, involving psychological struggles

Originally, depression was called melancholia. It was Hippocrates—the ancient Greek father of medicine—who coined the term.  

Hippocrates had a decent understanding of this condition. He believed that having symptoms doesn’t mean that someone has melancholia but that symptoms must be disruptive and have lasted long enough to cause a significant problem.  These criteria are included in our modern depression diagnostic criteria found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) published by the American Psychiatric Association.

Hippocrates also knew that depression has a physical component. He was a bit off, though, in where or how depression was connected to the systems of the body. He identified four body fluids—yellow bile, black bile, blood, and phlegm—and implicated too much black bile in the spleen as a cause of melancholia.

The attitude toward melancholia was similar throughout ancient Greek and Roman histories. People largely took a scientific approach and understood it to be a physical illness that could be treated. When the Roman Empire collapsed, though, humanity plunged into (figurative) darkness and became superstitious and fearful. The understanding of depression fell to superstition and fear as well. While a small number of doctors continued to seek physical causes, most of society saw depression as something sinister and those who had it possessed by evil.  

As Europe began to emerge from the darkness, understanding of melancholia once again turned to the more scientific realm. In 1621, a man by the name of Robert Burton published a book about depression (The Anatomy of Melancholy), and he introduced the idea that melancholia has a physical, social and psychological basis.

From the 18th century through today, people have conceptualized depression in ways positive and negative, often at the same time by different groups of people. Depression, which has been the term since it replaced “melancholia” in the 19th century, has been viewed as a(n):

• Character weakness
• Result of repressed aggression and anger
• Internal conflicts between desire and morality
• Disease-based medical, biological disorder
• Psychological issue, originating in the mind
• Brain disorder
• Learned behavior
• Cognitive problem (thoughts)
• Result of learned helplessness
• Socially rooted problem

The way people have thought about depression throughout history affected the way they treated depression and those living with it.

Depression History: Treatment Through the Ages

During those periods of history when depression was associated with witchcraft, demonic possessions, and the devil, people with symptoms were treated cruelly. Many lost their lives during “treatment,” and others were locked away for life in asylums. Examples of what was done to cure people of their depression include:

• Beatings
• Restraining
• Starvation
• Exorcisms
• Drowning or near-drowning with water immersion
• Burnings at the stake
• Shunning

People with depression weren’t always treated badly, at least not on purpose. In Greco-Roman times, bloodletting was common to release bad humors (liquids). This was unpleasant but not punitive. Other ways someone might have been treated for depression in the ancient world:

• Exercise
• Diet
• Music therapy
• Massage
• Time in a bathhouse
• Medication with poppy extract (an opiate)

After the Dark Ages through the 19th century, depression treatment was like treatment in ancient times but with some new additions:

• Use of enemas or vomiting to purge toxins from the body
• Spinning rapidly on a stool to reset the brain
• Medication
• Herbs
• Psychotherapy
• Electric shock therapy

By the 20th century, treatment of depression began to improve, but it started out horribly with a procedure known as the lobotomy in which the neural connections in the brain’s frontal lobe are severed from the rest of the brain. Other treatments were and still are better. Medications target activity in the brain associated with depression. Many forms of therapy exist to address all aspects of depression: cognitive, behavioral, emotional, social, and more.

Thanks to our awareness of the history of depression, we can grow in the right direction as we continue to study and refine our knowledge of depression. One of the most valuable lessons is that depression is complex and not a weakness. When people in the future study our understanding of depression, may they see accuracy and compassion.

article references