If I don’t, I might experience anxiety while I try to find another job that fits my talents and work experience.  Regardless of the type of situation we face on a daily basis, each of us should understand that our mental health is often at stake when we engage in daily activities.

Trying Too Hard – Stress and Anxiety

The common goal of human beings is to find happiness and peace in their lives, including that at home and at work.  Some people possess this natural ability to handle stress, whereas others easily crumble at the slightest hint of anxiety.  It is possible that each day consists of mental health exercises, allowing us to deal with different forms and levels of stress.

The Medical Report on Mental Health

According to a recent medical report, the attempt to be happy should not require tremendous effort because this may also result in more stress.  The report explained that some individuals fear the expression of sadness and anxiety because this may send signals to friends, family members, and co-workers of their difficulty in dealing with a certain situation.  These individuals thus often show a facial expression of happiness, constantly smiling and speaking in a well-regulated voice.  However, the report showed that these acts of covering up real emotions might induce more anxiety and stress, which may eventually result in an actual mental health disorder.

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The report explained that human beings are bound to feel anxiety every now and then and thus, it is natural to feel some level of anger or surprise every now and then.  Keeping a stance of happiness and calmness amid actual human emotions puts pressure on the brain, possibly affecting one’s mental health.  The authors of the article also defined psychopathy as a mental health condition that is characterized by the inability to show empathy, or to recognize certain emotions among other individuals, including blurring emotions towards another person.  The report discussed that people who try hard to be happy often project a smiling face, regardless of the anxiety that a friend is experiencing.  Extreme cases of psychopathy are thus strongly associated with criminals, who are often unaffected of the harm that they inflict on other people.

Stress, Anxiety and What This Report Means for it

The authors of the report emphasized that people should not spend much time and effort in making themselves happy.  It is expected that each day may be tinged with factors that induce stress and anxiety levels, yet it is also more important to understand that it is normal for an individual to react to these types of situations, as long as no other person or property is harmed.  Dealing with the actual problem based on one’s capacity is best and expressing the real emotions to specific situations is a good mental health activity.

Understanding Anxiety – The Key to Happiness

Each of us constantly wishes that every day in our lives would be uneventful and peaceful. However, we also know that this has a small chance of happening. The information provided by the recent medical report may significantly help readers in understanding that anxiety on a daily basis may occur and that reacting to stressful situations help release negative emotions. More importantly, the report explains that we don’t have to try hard to be happy because this artificial way of dealing with difficult situations may also lead to further mental disorders. Let us thus simply look forward to better days ahead!

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These unresolved anger issues which lead to dangerous states of mental health can cause so many problems, that when a new discovery was made that put a positive spin on anger, it has been met with some scrutiny.

Anger Isn’t Always Negative on Mental Health, and Overall Health

New research out of Germany is showing that it isn’t the emotion of anger, or the poorly painted mental health stigma that is associated with it that is considered to be positive. What is considered to be the positive in the anger equation is the idea that expressing it could lead you to live longer.

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The research is showing that those who express all negative emotions, from anger, through to other mental health concerns like stress and anxiety, live longer than those who internalize the emotion. The results of this research, and how anger can help you live longer was published in the journal Health Psychologies.

Expressing Anger – to Live Longer

The boiled down version of the researched showed, after careful analysis of several thousand patients, that those who pushed their anger down, had an elevated pulse, which is indicative of high blood pressure, and the domino effect can in turn, raise the risk of heart disease, and other issues which can negatively impact health.

So if expressing anger is considered to be a good thing, you might consider that while it could be great for your mental health, and lower stress to ‘get it all out’, it shouldn’t be overlooked that there is certain social stigma’s attached to people who just begin sounding off every single time something upsets them. And whether or not it could help you live longer aside, there could be a detrimental effect on your relationships, or workplace if this behavior is carried out, for good health or not.

Ways to Deal With Anger to Live Longer

Experts say it isn’t all about yelling and screaming and getting things off your chest that makes the aim to use anger to live longer successful. The best way to improve your mental health through expression is to not internalize feelings. This can include a whole variety of healthy ways to get the anger out. It can involve a civil discussion of feelings, getting more active to lower your stress or ‘get it out’. Or it could be something that involves no confrontation at all, such as writing or journaling.

Beginning these tactics to address anger and improve mental health, according to this new research, could be an invaluable and simple way to not only be happier, but add two years to your lifespan too.

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What is Causing the Mental Health Industry Strain

The poor economic climate in the United States has created a great deal of strain on people, and in turn an increase in depression, as well as other mental health issues. This, along with an aging population means that demands on the mental health system are growing at a faster rate than ever before. To add to the strain, health investigations in the United States reveal thousands of sick and wounded soldiers need psychological care. A report from New York’s Fort Drum back in 2009 showed health clinics were backed up on and off base for soldiers suffering from depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Boomers and Mental Health

The Institute of Medicine was asked by U.S Congress to look at health care needs expected in light of a growing population of aging citizens. The senior population will reach just over 72 million by 2030. The Institute reports that 20 per cent of seniors currently suffer from mental health problems including depression, dementia, and drinking related issues. The research by IOM did not take other brain related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease into consideration. They did however look at aging baby boomer’s use of illicit drugs, which have a big impact on brain function. As one New York geriatric psychiatrist has pointed out, “the Woodstock Generation has come of age.”

The Mental Health Workforce Shrinks

Reports out of the United States also seem to indicate that the number of health care providers in the country is shrinking. To add to the dilemma, the number of people with special training in aging and mental health is very low.

According to Pentagon documents there is a chronic shortage of psychologists and social workers to treat those who are suffering on bases across the U.S. At one Hawaii infantry division, it was determined that there was only one mental health officer for every 265 cases. The military standard is supposed to be one to 50.

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Long-term unemployment and foreclosure has led to widespread depression in the United States. For many Americans the pressure of not being able to pay the bills and take care of their families is just too much. The Centers for Disease Control states that the number of people who are clinically depressed has increased by at least 3 per cent since 2002. A 2011 study on long-term unemployment showed that 11 per cent of those who lost their jobs were seeking help for depression.  Over 1,500 additional people committed suicide annually in the United States between 2008 and 2010. These years were some of the worst in terms of economic decline in America.

The Institute of Medicine suggests that the health system needs a huge overhaul. The first step they say will be organizing a better health care workforce. The existing workforce needs to be trained in working with the elderly. In other words, if you already treat the brain or patients with depression, you need to learn how to care for seniors with these issues. The IOM is calling for better funding so primary care providers, such as nurses and nursing home attendants will be better equipped to help seniors with mental health problems. Closer attention also has to be paid to the care that is required on military bases; after all we owe so much to our soldiers.

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Sugar and Energy

Sugar may be oh so sweet, but after the initial energy boost that it provides you with, it will leave you zapped.  Treatment for this includes limiting your sugar intake which may be hard if you’re not prepared.  In order to avoid running for a sugary treat, be sure to have healthy snacks on hand.  Little dishes of fruits and veggies are packed full of vitamins and minerals.  Not only will they help to prevent hunger, the vitamins and minerals found in healthy snacks will also help to boost your energy.

Caffeine and Energy

Just like sugar, it will provide you with an initial energy boost but then you’ll crash and feel like you need to reach for another cup. Treatment involves limiting your caffeine consumption to no more than 400mg per day from all sources according to Health Canada.  Caffeine isn’t just found in coffee, it’s also in tea, soda and chocolate.  Also, if you find you’re reaching for caffeine instead of hitting the sack, treatment should involve kicking the habit and getting some rest.  Reaching for caffeine instead of sleeping is bound to throw your sleep cycle off track.

Exercise

Exercising regularly is a great treatment option for good health benefits, including increased stamina.  But, exercising excessively can actually be detrimental to your health.  Excessive exercise can zap your energy and actually decrease your immune system response making you more susceptible to infection.

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Nutrition, Vitamins and Minerals

Eating a poor diet that is high in fats and sugar can zap your energy without you even knowing it.  Treatment to increase your energy through your diet includes increasing healthy food options.  Healthy food contains vitamins and minerals that are needed for optimal health and energy levels. Another thing that can deplete your energy is cutting back on calories in order to lose weight.  To ensure that you’re getting all the calories that you need you must take into account your age, activity level and optimal weight.  Consulting a nutritionist may be beneficial to ensure that you’re getting the right amount of calories and an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals for optimal health.  Another important nutritional component that needs to be addressed is hydration.  In order to rid your body of toxins, keep your body tissues hydrated and maintain optimal energy levels your body needs to be hydrated.  Drinking water throughout your day will help to ensure your body is hydrated and keep your energy levels high.

Iron

A lack of certain vitamins and minerals, including iron, can make you feel drained. Speak with your doctor about having a blood test to make sure that your iron levels are optimal.  Treatment with iron supplements may be just what you need to increase you energy levels.

Medications

Certain medications can drain your energy. Common culprits include some anti-depressants and beta-blockers.  If you start taking a new medication and notice a change in your energy level, speak with your doctor about potentially switching treatment to include a different medication that may not take a toll on your energy levels.

Sleep

Not getting enough sleep can make you feel lethargic all day long.  Many things can negatively affect your sleep including stress, anxiety, depression, noise, sickness, etc.  Treatment to improve your sleep pattern involves determining what is causing disturbed sleep and addressing that issue appropriately.

Mental Health Treatment

Constant stress and anxiety can take an emotional and physical toll on you, depleting all of your energy, quickly.  Treatment for dealing with stress can involve engaging in activities that will help you to cope with stress including: yoga, meditation, speaking with a qualified health professional or something similar.  A major source of stress is agreeing to participate in too many activities.  Learn how to say no to activities that don’t really interest you or that you don’t have time with will help to keep you focused on things that you enjoy and keep your energy up.   You’ll be sure to notice an increase in you energy levels by making sure you keep your mental health in check.

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Seasonal Affective Disorder as a Mental Health Condition

In order to better understand the mental health condition of seasonal affective disorder, it is best to enumerate the symptoms of this psychiatric disorder.  The disorder generally presents with the common symptoms classified under depression, although these only occur on a seasonal basis.  For example, people with winter depression find it hard to get up in the morning, or often feel sick in the morning, possibly due to the later appearance of sunlight during this season.  This psychiatric disorder is also associated with overeating and oversleeping, thus affecting the quality and performance at work or at school.  Other symptoms of winter depression include difficulty in concentrating at work or school and an overwhelming feeling of inability to help one’s self.

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According to a recent medical report published in the journal Public Library of Science ONE (PLoS ONE), light therapy may be recommended for people suffering from winter depression.  The report explained that due to the shorter daylight hours during the winter, people tend to react to this seasonal change, often resulting in a mental health condition such as seasonal affective disorder.

The report presented findings on the effectiveness of light therapy as a substitute for the shortened length of day during the winter.  Some psychiatrists often suggest light therapy to patients with seasonal psychiatric disorder, instead of prescribing anti-depressants for treatment.  Their choice in using light therapy is mainly based on the length of depression being experienced by the patient, which in this case, only lasts for a season and thus, it is safer to recommend a treatment regimen that can easily be terminated at the end of the season, when their depression also subsides.

Depression and Mental Health

Interestingly, the report also showed that the chances of seasonal affective disorder to recur the next year after light therapy is comparable to those individuals with the same mental health condition that were treated with anti-depressants.  Although this finding may somehow be taken as a poor treatment outcome for the disorder, the report also found that other treatment regimens might help prevent the recurrence of seasonal affective disorder among patients who underwent light therapy.

The results of the research study showed that light therapy, coupled with social support, could be more effective in treating seasonal affective disorder, as compared with simple light therapy alone.  Follow-up studies on approximately 40 patients with the winter disorder and received light therapy disclosed that through increased interactions with their family and friends, the risk of recurrence of seasonal affective disorder decreased.  For most of the study participants in the study, light therapy was not required in the next winter season and that social support from loved ones was effective enough against combating this seasonal form of depression.

The Depression Research Report

This research report presents findings that may be helpful to psychiatrists and the general public, to better understand seasonal affective disorder, as well as its symptoms and possible treatments.  The shortened length of daylight hours during the winter serves as a main causative factor for this mood disorder, yet there are several ways that can correct this condition, including the use of light therapy and social support.  Seeking the advise of a physician on the best treatment may help in improving the general well being of an individual as he or she goes through the winter season.

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Environmental factors, including psychological stress, can have an impact on mental health but this study found that mental health issues such as stress and anxiety can actually change a man’s preference for their potential partner’s body type.   In fact, this study found that men who are under stress actually prefer curvier women over their slender counterparts.

The Effect of Men’s Mental Health on Body Type Preference

Researchers wanted to look at whether psychological stress impacted men’s judgement of a female’s body size.  Participants in the study included 81 white, heterosexual, British male undergraduate students that ranged in age from 18-42. The men were randomly assigned to either the control group or the stress group.  The men that were in the control group were taken to a room where they sat quietly for the same length of time that the stress group was participating in their stress tasks.

The Stress Group – Mental Health Research

The stress group took part in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) which is a 15 minute lab test that has been shown to be reliable to increase levels of acute psychological stress.  The TSST involved making the participants take part in an interview-like situation to begin.  After this, they were asked to stand at a microphone and count backwards by 13 from 1,022 as quickly and accurately as possible.  Both of these tasks can create acute stress and anxiety.

20 minutes after the TSST, the men were asked to rank 10 photographs of women for attractiveness.  The women in the pictures had body mass indexes (BMI) that ranged from underweight to obese.  The men were also asked to fill out additional measures to cover up the aim of the study.  The results showed that men that were in the control group (no stress) rated the underweight females as the most attractive. Participants in the stress group rated normal sized, overweight and one obese sized woman significantly more attractive than the control group.  There was no significant difference between the control and stress group for the highest BMI woman.

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The results from this study showed that men who were under psychological stress selected a significantly heavier woman as maximally attractive compared to their control group counterparts. It was also found that participants in the stress group had a wider range of body weights that they considered attractive.

Environmental Changes Stress and Mental Health

The results from this research provide support for the suggestion that when men experience environmental stressors, including stress and anxiety, they may prefer more mature morphological traits, including a heavier body weight.  While this study was small with only 81 participants, it is the first study that has shown experimental evidence that psychological stress and anxiety affects a man’s perception of the female body. The reasoning for this preference may be that more mature physical traits are often associated with an improved ability to handle environmental stress which may be appealing to men.

It would be interesting for future research to investigate whether stress and anxiety have an impact on women’s body type preferences for their partner’s as well.

While research has provided ample evidence into the health effects that mental health issues have, perhaps the effects reach even further.  This research provides insight into the fact that our preference for a sexual partner may change over time and may be influenced by environmental factors that create stress and anxiety.

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Meditation and the Calming Effect on Brain Health

Research is now saying that of particular benefit from meditation could be people who are suffering from a number of troubling events that affect mental health. Sometimes the individual might be using meditation as a way to get beyond troubling events from childhood, or just to deal with stressful events as they come up. But one thing appears to be showing great promise, a few minutes of quiet meditation a day can do wonders to boost brain health, especially mental health, leading you towards a much calmer and more collected existence overall.

The Yale Study on Brain Health and Mental Health

One study out of Yale University suggests that the brains of experienced meditators may not only be more calm and collected, but might actually work differently than brains of those who choose not to meditate. This study was of particular importance, because if gave some real insight into the science behind what makes the brain likely to change or “rewire” which gives those who meditate a considerable heads-up when it comes to taking back the control over mental health.

The study was small in nature, but big on results. The Yale Therapeutic Neuroscience Clinic asked 10 experienced meditators and 13 people with no experience to practice three basic meditation techniques so they could gauge the results.

The research team used functional magnetic resonance images to observe the participants’ brain health and activity when they were practicing the meditative techniques and compared this to when they were told not to think of anything in particular.

The Results and What it Could Mean for Brain Health (and Mental Health)

The research team reported that the experienced meditators had decreased activity in an area of the brain called the ‘default mode network’, also considered to be the part of the brain that “wanders”. Even when the meditators weren’t meditating, this part of the brain was considerably more quiet than their inexperienced meditation partners.

There are a lot of people who spend their time letting their mind wander, which is what makes these results of particular importance. Research is coming to light that shows the pros and cons on cognitive health and brain function when it comes to daydreaming.  While there is some science to back up the idea that daydreaming can be a great creative outlet, and a fantastic way to brain storm and you’re your mind, there is just as much science that shows how daydreaming can stall certain psychological processes and hinder social functioning.

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What might also interest people who meditate, as opposed to letting their minds simply wander is that some studies have suggested that a mind that wanders, is one that is lacking focus and eventually unhappy. They become less engaged in the task at hand, have difficulty concentrating and retaining outside information.

Researchers have a theory for this too, supporting the use of meditation further. They say that people who have minds that wander tend to be people who are worrying rather than living in the moment. And worrying as everyone knows is very hard on mental health and brain health, too.

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Mental health pertains to the emotional condition of an individual that allows him or her to function on a daily basis.  When a person does not feel emotionally stable, his or her capacity to perform at work or school may also be affected.

In addition, the interactions of a person suffering from a mental health condition may deteriorate due to the inability to express or accept what they see and feel.  Depression is a mental health condition that is strongly associated with negative thoughts and a generally low mood.  Previous studies have shown the depression is caused by a change in the brain function, in which certain molecules in the body are not produced at their normal levels, resulting in a depressed state.

Depression and How it Impacts Mental Health

The number of cases of depression around the world has increased, especially in the Western countries.  As a response to this increase in incidence, pharmaceutical companies have released a variety of drugs for the treatment of depression.  Each year, millions of people with depression take medications to hopefully correct their brain function and to combat this particular mental health condition.  On the part of pharmaceutical companies, the production of antidepressants has become a big source of revenue, allowing this industry to campaign for the use of these drugs to achieve the “normal” state of brain function.

A recent medical report has shown the results of an investigation on the linkage between the use of medications for depression and multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry.  The report has identified that these industries have focused on making the public aware of the mental health condition of depression, possibly oversimplifying its definition to increase its use by society.  One may watch television and see advertisements of anti-depressants, showing a person changing from sad to happy after taking their marketed drug.  These commercials are often designed to influence its viewers of the apparent immediate effect of the drug.

How Much Medication is Necessary for Brain Function

According to the recent medical report, the market for anti-depressants is strongly influenced not only by the need for treatment by individuals with depression, but also by the forces behind the pharmaceutical industries.  The report has explained that a pharmaceutical company that sells millions of dollars’ worth of antidepressants often results in an expansion of its industry and thus these companies would welcome more cases of depression from around the world.  At the same time, the authors of the report have shown that depression and other conditions associated with a change in brain function may also be due to the change in the world.  For example, daily life in the 19th century is much simpler than our routine activities today.  With the existence of cars, computers, and sophisticated equipment, people today are capable of performing multiple tasks.  However, this improvement is also associated with speed in completing tasks, and thus may also put some pressure on an individual to keep on going and going.

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The authors are also aware that there is a chance that drugs for the treatment of depression and other mental health conditions may actually not be needed, as seen in individuals who go on vacation in other parts of the world.  For example, people who go on hiking trips find ways of relaxing and restoring their energies in the absence of computers and cellular phones.  Other people go to the beach and find that the time spent outdoors is equally helpful than taking drug formulations for their anxiety.

The medical report did not ultimately identify whether the pharmaceutical industry has taken advantage of the situation of having depressed individuals in society.  However, the report allows the reader to take this issue with a grain of salt and be aware that nature has its own ways of curing certain health conditions and that not all illnesses could be simply treated with medications.

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Life may be busy, but you have 5 minutes here and there and what you do with these free minutes can have a significant impact on your mental health, by helping to reduce your stress and anxiety.

1.      First thing in the morning, make your bed – this may seem like a chore, but it will actually help you to create a stress free bedroom environment.  When you go to bed, you’ll have less anxiety walking into a neat and tidy room with a bed that’s made.  This will help you to get a better nights’ sleep.

Other Ways to Reduce Stress and Anxiety and Improve Your Day

2.     Prioritize your day – you have so much to do and you don’t know where to begin – does this sound familiar? This can create unwanted (and un-needed) stress!  So sit down with your morning coffee and make a list – what needs to get done today and what can wait until tomorrow? Number your tasks based on importance and tick them off as you complete them. By tackling the important tasks first, you will ease your mind and decrease your stress levels.

3.     Clean your desk – clutter can create unnecessary stress and anxiety.  De-cluttering can help to create a calm feeling which will help to keep your mental health in check.

4.     Listen to some music – play some tunes in your car, at your desk (quietly) or while you exercise.  According to WebMD, the effects of music can help to lower your blood pressure, decrease stress and improve your mood.

5.     Sniff a lemon – according to research from Tel Aviv University, citrus scents can help to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve your mood. Scents such as basil, juniper and lavender can also have a calming effect, helping to relieve stress.

Mental Health Tips to Improve Your Day

6.     Put your phone down and shut your computer off – simple, right? It should be. Putting down all of your gadgets that keep you in touch will help to settle your mind and decrease stress. This is especially true before bedtime.  Turning your phone off and answering your emails and text messages in the morning will help you to have a more restful sleep.

7.     Be thankful – stop and think about all of the little things that are great in your life (even if it was how delicious your morning coffee was).  If it makes you feel better, keep track of all the little positive things in your life in a diary and read it often. Being positive, even if it’s for a few minutes a day, will help to relieve the stress and anxiety that you may have from all of the things that don’t go just right throughout your day.

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8.      Take a breath – it may seem simple, but many of us don’t do it.  Sit and relax for a minute or two and meditate quietly to help decrease stress and anxiety levels.

9.      Give someone a hug – your spouse or a friend is the perfect hug partner.  You can even hug yourself by wrapping your arms around yourself.  A big hug can help relieve stress and anxiety because it can release your “feel good” hormones.

10.     Donate – according to Prevention giving money (even a fewer dollars) to a good cause can boost your mood and decrease stress.  So pick a charity or cause that you’re passionate about when you’re feeling down and donate a couple of bucks.

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What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a symptom meaning you have difficulty going to sleep, staying asleep or both. When symptoms last less than a week, it is called transient insomnia. When insomnia symptoms last between one and three weeks, it is called short-term insomnia. When symptoms last over three weeks, it is considered chronic insomnia.

Causes of Tiredness Sleep Problems & Insomnia

There are many things that can cause feelings of tiredness and insomnia, including:
Anemia – this is a very common cause of tiredness, especially in menstruating women. Determining if you’re anemic is simple; your doctor has to perform a simple blood test. If you are anemic, you can change up your diet to include more leafy greens and protein or add in an iron supplement as anemia is often caused by iron deficiency.

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Celiac disease – this condition occurs when your body is intolerant to gluten. In addition to feeling fatigued, you may notice other symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss and possibly anemia. If you are diagnosed with celiac disease, following a gluten free diet will ease your symptoms and help to increase your energy.

Thyroid problems – tiredness can be caused by an under-active thyroid. Again, your doctor can determine if this is the cause of your tiredness with a simple blood test. Medications to correct thyroid hormone levels can help to correct this problem. An underactive thyroid can also cause mental health symptoms such as difficulties with concentration and memory.

Diabetes – uncontrolled diabetes can have an array of symptoms, including fatigue. If you notice fatigue, in combination with vision change, excessive thirst and urination speak to your doctor to rule out diabetes.

Sleep apnea – if you think you get enough sleep yet you always feel tired, you may be suffering from sleep apnea and not even know it. Sleep apnea is a chronic disorder that can cause sleep problems because you have pauses in your breathing throughout your sleep. This means the quality of your sleep is decreased and you may feel tired during the day. If your doctor suspects that you may have sleep apnea, they may refer you to a sleep lab to get tested. If it turns out that sleep apnea is the cause of your sleep problems, there are treatment options available.

Mental Health & Your Sleep

While there are many physical problems that can cause tiredness and insomnia, your mental health status can also affect your sleep. Mental health conditions that could be the cause of your tiredness include:

Depression – usually your tiredness will be accompanied by feelings of sadness and loss of interest in activities that you once enjoyed. If these symptoms persist, speak to your doctor as you may be suffering from depression and referral to a mental health specialist may be warranted.

Stress & Anxiety – if you’re constantly stressed and anxious and worrying about life, you may suffer from short-term insomnia. However, if your stress isn’t dealt with, it can turn into chronic insomnia. Speaking to a mental health professional will help you learn how to deal with your anxiety in a healthy manner which will help to improve your sleep pattern.

Changes That You Can Make to Help Decrease Sleep Problems

Often times, simple changes to your lifestyle can have a significant impact on your sleeping pattern. Try making these simple changes to see if they have a positive effect on the quality of sleep that you experience.

Diet – you may be tempted to reach for coffee or candy to give you a boost throughout the day, but these dietary items can causes spikes in your blood sugar levels according to WebMD. If you want to have lasting energy throughout the day and fewer sleep problems, try eating a healthy balanced meal consisting of lots of fruits and veggies, lean meats, and whole grains. Additionally, eating a balance diet will help to keep your mental health in check.

Exercise – getting enough physical activity is important for a healthy lifestyle, but exercising in the hours before bedtime can actually create sleep problems. Avoid exercising for 3-4 hours before you intend to go to sleep, this will help your body unwind and relax in preparation for bed. Not only will exercise promote sleep, it will also help promote optimal mental health.

Sleep – may people just don’t get enough sleep. Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime, turn off the TV and make your bedroom a place that promotes sleep. Avoid using your bedroom as a multi-purpose room where you read, email, work, etc. Keeping the bedroom a place where you can get a good nights’ sleep will help to prevent sleep problems.

The post More Than a Sleep Problem, Why You’re So Tired appeared first on Natural Health care Products | Nutritional Health Supplements | Belmarra Health.

Overactive bladder syndrome is a condition that affects the storage function of your bladder and it leads to sudden, frequent and uncontrollable urges to urinate. In contrast to a healthy bladder, this condition can cause the urge to urinate when your bladder is not even close to full.    If you have an overactive bladder, you may find it hard to suppress the urge to urinate and experience incontinence, which is an involuntary loss of urine.  It is a rather common condition that affects approximately 15% of the overall population and 33% of the elderly population.  Despite the fact that it is common, you may feel embarrassed by it and it can harm your mental health and wellbeing in a variety of ways if you do not actively seek treatment for it.

Overactive Bladder, Stress and Anxiety

The condition can cause both stress and anxiety for a for a variety of reasons. You may worry about not having a bathroom accessible when the urge hits and the consequent pain of trying to hold it in. You may also worry that you will experiencing leakage or wetting accidents in public.  In addition, you may have ongoing anxiety when away from home because of the inconvenience and preoccupation of constantly looking for a bathroom.

Overactive Bladder and Sleep Problems

This condition can not only harm your mental health by causing you undue stress and anxiety it can also make it difficult for you to get a good night’s sleep, which is essential for mental health.  If you have an overactive bladder you may have to wake up multiple times throughout the night to empty your bladder. The more you wake up the more your sleep patterns get disrupted and this can result in daytime grogginess and escalating fatigue.  To make matters worse, you may begin to leak urine on the way to the bathroom at night, which only adds to your already heavy stress load.

Overactive Bladder and Depression

An overactive bladder can lead to a loss of self-esteem and social withdrawal.  You may fear leaving the security of your own home and avoid social situations at all costs. You may also limit you work life in order to avoid interaction with your workmates and questions about your frequent bathroom trips.  The anxiety, distress and exhaustion that an overactive bladder may cause you, in combination with social isolation, can all lead to feelings of depression.

Overactive Bladder and Sex

RELATED READING: Why Suffer in Silence When You Can Conquer Your Leaky Bladder

The impact that an overactive bladder can have on your sex life may also be harmful to your mental health. If you are a female, an overactive bladder can cause leakage during penetration because penetration moves your bladder and adds pressure to it.  Sex may also cause discomfort and the orgasm itself can cause leakage, all of which can make sex an uncomfortable and anxiety ridden experience.

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Energy Levels and Mental Health

Scientists fascinated with physiology have spent years researching issues associated with rising in the morning. They say to feel great first thing in the morning both physical and mental health have to be in good balance. Most experts agree that what happens in the morning begins with what you do at night. For instance, if you have a big meal shortly before going to bed it triggers your metabolism, making it more difficult for you to sleep. Being bloated can also make you uncomfortable. A lack of sleep at night naturally means you won’t feel very fresh when the alarm goes off in the morning. The best advice is, don’t eat within 2 or 3 hours of heading to bed. Sleep also becomes a problem if you consume lots of caffeine, sugar or alcohol throughout the day. Nutritionists recommend avoiding fatty foods if you want to get a good night’s rest as well.

Your evening mood is as much a factor as your eating habits. When you go to bed in a foul mood, chances are you won’t get a good sleep. Psychologists say it is a “perpetuating cycle” because lack of sleep itself leads to a bad mood. Once you get into this pattern it is hard to get out. Experts suggest calming yourself down with meditation or music prior to bedtime.

The Study – Mental Health Performance

A study outlined in “Nature Neuroscience” last year reported that music helps release mood-enhancing chemicals in the brain. Researchers at McGill University in Montreal tested dopamine in the brain and discovered those who listened to music had higher levels of the chemical. Dopamine has long been associated with feel good states in response to stimulants such as food, love, drugs, and money. The authors of the study say their work shows that humans gain a lot of pleasure from listening to music. Other studies have shown that listening to music can reduce pain and depression so many doctors suggest that listening to music in the morning will help you feel more alert, improve your performance, as well as  your mental health.

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How you slept, whether you are properly hydrated, what you ate the night before, will all determine how easy or difficult it is to lift yourself out of bed in the morning. Simple stretching can make a big difference in how alert and ready you will feel to start your day off.  According to the American Council on Exercise, stretching will increase your physical and mental relaxation, will eliminate the stiffness and subsequent soreness that has built up overnight, and will get the blood flowing so you can think more clearly. Some people like to do a full exercise program in the morning; however, fitness experts have mixed reactions to this idea.

Some studies including one conducted by Brigham and Young University, show that working out first thing in the morning reduces appetite. For years scientists have been telling us how important it is to start off the day with a good, healthy breakfast. If you want to start off your day alert and ready to give your best performance, you need to eat.

That magic button fondly known as “Snooze” was originally invented in 1959. Today a third of Americans hit it 3 times each morning; if they want to feel fresh in the a.m they should try to stop.  If you can’t stop, you might want to talk to your doctor about possible solutions.

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Bad tempers are a big part of society these days, they can break families apart and they can take a toll on your social relationships as a whole. You may find that as your temper increases, your core group of friends and family decreases, so getting a quick handle on that hair trigger becomes detrimentally important.

Here are a few tricks that can keep that temper in check, and address your stress and anxiety, for better overall mental health:

Mental Health Tip #1- Mind Over Matter

This first tip is mentioned at almost all anger management meetings. If you find yourself having a quick temper, and a tendency to lash out this one could be easier said than done, but it is absolutely vital to maintaining a cool state of mental health.

RELATED READING: The Effect of Gadgets on Sleep

The best way to put mind over matter into play is simply to get in the habit of repeating some encouraging words (silently, or at least quietly) to yourself. Try ‘this too shall pass’ or ‘I look forward to the cherished moment my stress will be gone’. Sometimes this self-calming talk can really do wonders for calming you down, calming your thoughts can calm your anger, which can in turn calm your breathing making you less stressed and angry overall.

Mental Health Tip #2 – Talk it Out

If there seems to be one constant offender who makes you angry more often than, letting yourself boil over to a breaking point is not exactly the ticket to sound temperament and mental health. And you might be thinking the last thing you want to do is sit across from the offender and discuss your problems, but in many cases, the simplest answer is the best one. Having a light chat with someone who quite often makes you angry can not only help you to resolve your issue, but also keep in mind their point of view for the next time you speak with them. Lessening the chances the same person, or the same issue will rile you up again in the future.

Mental Health Tip #3 – Get More Sleep and Avoid Sleep Problems

Likely the easiest, yet least likely to be heeded on this list is addressing sleep issues. If you are running on fumes and expecting to have the weight of the world roll off of your shoulders, you might have another thing coming. With the average adult needing 6-8 hours of sleep a night, it’s no wonder that you will feel your blood pressure rising after a night with no rest. Things that didn’t bother you before might just send you over the edge if your sleep tank is running on empty. Subsequently, if you are having a bad day, and find yourself snapping often, sometimes the best trick of the trade is just to end your day early and go to sleep. Turning in will hopefully have you wake up refreshed in a better frame of mind more likely to attack your problems with a clean slate, instead of an angry, tired and short-tempered viewpoint. Addressing your sleep problems is imperative to good mental health.

The post Most Unique Ways to Chill Out appeared first on Natural Health care Products | Nutritional Health Supplements | Belmarra Health.

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The bottom line is all of the new technology is taking a huge toll on sleep and causing a number of sleep problems. Every year the National Sleep Foundation does a survey that specializes in these electronics related sleep problems. You may have noticed that your quality of sleep is very poor, but if you are wondering why, these survey results could shed some light.

The Sleep Poll from 2011 Found:

-60% of Americans use their electronics prior to sleep.

-Gadget cause sleep problems in two ways:  One is behavioral and one is physiological.

Behavioral Sleep Problems

The impact in this category, according to the report is severe. Many people stay up late watching TV thinking they are using it to unwind. A lot of people are in the habit of relaxing after a stressful day to music. Or the very common culprit of falling asleep during a movie. You might think that the white noise is helping, but in fact it is really hindering you and causing you sleep trouble. Having your brain active during this sensitive phase of relaxation can really wreck havoc on your quality of sleep, not to mention the fact you could possibly be shortening the amount of time you do get shut-eye.

Physiological Sleep Problems

This idea is slightly more complex to explain. The physiological response to your cell phone, TV or work computer is severe. This is one of the harder ones to pin-point because it happens without you even realizing it. What ends up happening, is that the soft light from your phone, or even your alarm clock that you keep by the bed, can be a huge disruptive factor to how your brain processes melatonin. The soft light, while you may not think it is making a difference, is actually causing your brain to not “shut off” which could clearly be a contributing factor to your sleep problems.

It may be time to relocate your electronics, or chose what you do directly before sleep a little more wisely. But if you are having a hard time really seeing the effect on your sleep, other people might have noticed your behavior changes. Examples that you might be experiencing sleep related problems include irritability, low tolerance for stress, frequent infections due to lowered immune system, lowered or increased appetite, and social changes.

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While there are some naysayers who say sexual activity in nursing homes is a bad idea, namely because of the fact a lot of nursing home patients aren’t at the top of their game in terms of mental health, there is a team of researchers in Australia who see a great deal of merit in sexual activity amongst the aging populating and sex in nursing homes should by no means be discouraged.

Should Sexual Activity be Discouraged on the Basis of Mental Health?

An Australian report that was published in the Journal of Medical Ethics has made a case for human rights, saying that sexual freedoms are considered fundamental in society, and discouraging this type of activity would violate a number of human rights.

Many studies have shown that while many elderly folks tend to feel frisky, there are quite a few US nursing homes that lawfully prohibit sexual activity while on site at an aged care facility. The main issue, according to the JME, is the fact that coercion, consent and dementia need to be properly accounted for, which becomes very difficult.

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Those who support the cause say that sexual activity really helps to lessen feelings of loneliness, decrease isolation and stress, and that it has the same obvious mental health benefits that it does on younger people.

But the issue is a complex one, and those in care of the elderly person must assess the individual’s capability of expressing choice, consent and sexual preference. Many administrators of old aged homes say that the task of monitoring the rights of the elderly becomes extremely difficult, and the protection of the person becomes imperative. But with millions of people in the US reaching baby boomer age, and checking into nursing homes every day, this is an issue that needs to be brought fully to the front of the public eye.

Assessing Mental Health Capabilities

One of the best methods that administrators have been able to come up to monitor the consent and mental health capabilities of those in question is the passing of certain tests upon admission into the aged facility. But one thing people should remember is that the liability of said activity could be enormous. In one specific case a Seattle nursing home paid $475, 000 to the children of an elderly woman who said she was sexually assaulted in a nursing home by another resident.

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Eating is a habit, it is one that we need to survive, but it is also one that we participate in as part of being a social member of society. Eating is involved with many social activities, ones that trigger positive and negative responses, so it isn’t hard to see where this type of behavior can quickly get out of hand.  So what happens when a person begins to habitually turn to snacking or food in general when they need comfort, or as a way to buffer off certain emotions? That is when the trouble begins. Good mental health means finding healthy and positive ways to deal with pain, stress and depression, and food is considered to be a negative response to these feelings.

What’s even more shocking is that over 80% of people will admit to this type of behavior, which is a number that needs to be got under control when you weigh it next to the amount of obese and morbidly obese people in society.

Food and Mental Health are Strongly Connected

It may be cliché, and you may have heard it before and not paid much attention, but food, to some, can be considered an addiction. Below are a few steps that experts agree will help you gain some perspective and awareness over why you are reaching for that bag of chips, or ice cream cone, when you are feeling stressed or depressed.

One way to control your eating would be to ask yourself to be honest: Why are you eating? Asking yourself this simple question could help you make the decision on the feeling you are experiencing that may be causing the ‘hunger’. Are you upset, sad, or depressed, or eating because your body needs the nutrients?

RELATED READING: How Many People Actually Eat Healthy?

Another good way to keep tabs on your eating habits, is to track your consumption: Starting a food journal, even if it is for a brief period of time is a good way to notice patterns in your eating habits vs. your mental health state. If you notice that you tend to overeat on certain days or times of the week, like perhaps before that stressful Monday morning meeting at work, than it might be a good time to consider keeping your emotional eating in check.

Experts and researchers say that while emotional eating might be very common, it is very important to realize why it is happening, as a way to curb the behavior. Eating during certain times may give you an inside scoop into what you are feeling beneath the surface. If your journal tells you, for example, that you eat primarily when you are feeling stressed or depressed, finding alternative ways to address this specific avenue of overeating.

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Depression Runs Deep

Harvard Medical School reports that depression affects 19 million people every year and some of these people experience the symptoms for reasons other than trauma or stress such as divorce or job loss. A growing body of research suggests that the birth control pill can cause depression in some people.

According to a one study conducted at the Monash University in Melbourne Australia there is a distinct connection between birth control and symptoms of depression. The School of Psychological Medicine compared statistics of birth control users to non-birth control users and discovered the depression rating of women who took the pill was 17.6 compared to 9.8 among those who did not take the pill. None of the women participating in the study had a history of depression.

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The birth control pill contains synthetic estrogen and progesterone. Both of these are hormones so some doctors say it is possible the hormonal change can cause depression, especially in people who have a history of depression in their family.

The number of comprehensive studies on birth control and mental health are limited. We are more apt to find statistical data on the impact of stress and birth control but a number of non-medical based surveys do support the theory that birth control does have the potential to create the symptoms of depression is some women. One informal survey on the women’s health web site, Aphroditewomenhealth.com shows that 57 per cent of respondents report mood swings when taking birth control, 65 experienced “irrational crying”, and 68 per cent admitted being depressed.

Conflicting Data on Mental Health

Medical professionals in Finland listened with great interest to the results of the Australian study. Experts in Helsinki conducted their own study in 2011 and concluded that the impact of hormonal contraceptives on mental health was “modest” and that the birth control had very few side-effects.  Their final report went as far as to say in some cases the pill had a beneficial impact on mood.

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If you are a hoarder the floors, countertops, stairways, desks, stovetop, sinks, and every other surface in your house is probably covered in stuff. The Mayo Clinic describes the following as typical hoarding symptoms:

•              Cluttered living spaces

•              Stakes of papers, magazines and junk mail

•              Inability to throw anything out

•              Acquisition of useless items like used napkins

•              Difficulty making decisions

•              Limited social skills

•              Attachment to possessions

•              Difficulty organizing

•              Feelings of shame

Mental Health

Many doctors believe that hoarding is the result of anxiety disorder. The Mayo Clinic for instance associates the problem with OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The International OCD Foundation estimates that 1.4 million Americans display compulsive hoarding behavior; however, research shows that not all people who hoard have OCD. Some psychiatrists speculate that brain injuries, Attention Deficit Disorder, depression, extreme stress, as well as chronic pain and grief can cause hoarding.

Hoarding is a growing problem so more research is being conducted to unravel the mysteries behind what appears to be a mental health disorder.

Health Effect – Stress and Depression

Whether it is stress, depression or some other mental health issue that is triggering the hoarding, the problem is unhealthy. Hoarding creates unsanitary living conditions which puts more stress on your body. It can effect personal hygiene, cooking, and be a fire hazard.

People who hoard rarely store or cook food properly can expect food poisoning. The scraps of food lying around, as well as wet newspapers brought in from the rain or other items thrown in a pile can cause mold and mildew to accumulate. When mold and mildew are inhaled they increase your risk of asthma and allergies. Those with weak immune systems also run the risk of getting infections. Mold can produce a toxic substance called “mycotoxins”.  The Environmental Protection Agency states that some forms of “mycotoxins” when inhaled, can cause liver and lung cancer.

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The health repercussions don’t stop there. Some people are animal hoarders; they keep literally dozens of animals in their home and rarely let them outside. This means that the house is full of feces, dirt and animal hair. Animal waste can cover the interior surfaces including beds, countertops and cupboards. It is the perfect breeding ground for food-related illnesses and parasites. Atmospheric Ammonia levels tend to be high as well. Inhaling ammonia can lead to respiratory distress. To make matters worse, animal hoarding exposes people to Zoonosis disease.  These are diseases that pass from animals to humans. The animals often get ill from not being taken care of properly.

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The abuse has been statistically noted to happen in any number of places. It could be within the homes of the person, or perhaps at a relatives. In some cases elder abuse even happens within nursing home facilities. While panic, or accusations are never the best plan of attack, it might not be a bad idea to take an inventory.

Mental Health, Forgetfulness and Poor Memory Make Seniors Easy Targets

The sad truth is there are tens of thousands of seniors across the US that are being abused. A big part of the unspoken problem is that as elders become more weak, they have a much harder time fighting back. In many cases, the memory of the elder is going, or the forgetfulness begins to kick in, which also puts the individual at a disadvantage. Mental health or physical issues might make the individual an easy target.

What is even more sad is that more than half a million reports of abuse against elderly US citizens are reported to authorities every year, but there are millions of cases that do not go reported.

Authorities say because mental health issues, as well as forgetfulness and memory problems, make it difficult for the senior citizen to recall events, and this is exactly what the attacker’s hope for.

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There tend to be 3 different kinds of abuse on elderly people. As you can see below:

*Physical abuse
Physical force against an elderly person that results in pain or injury.

*Emotional abuse
People in a position of ‘care’ who speak to or treat older people in a way that causes them emotional pain or worry. This form of abuse can also include neglectful behavior.

*Verbal abuse
This can include yelling, or intimidation, humiliation or ridicule.

Authorities and experts alike recommend that if you or someone that you care about could be a victim of any of this kind of behavior, that you let someone know right away. Close monitoring of the individual could mean the difference of life or death, or at least some awareness over how the health of the person in question is being maintained in their golden years.

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There have been several studies on the effect of drinking on coupledom, but a new emerging study has shown that the effect on women is substantially heavier when it comes to consumption levels, but it’s not what you think.

One of the recent and notable mental health studies, which originated at the University of Cincinnati found that where drinking is concerned, men seem to have a bit more of a health benefit than women. The study was done by conducting interviews with several thousand married men and women (who were part of a heterosexual partnership) separately, and came to some rather interesting results when it came to drinking patterns and amounts.

The following results were found in the study on alcohol consumption:

- Married men tend to consume less alcohol while women are more likely to consume alcohol.

- Researchers say part of the reason this is happening is due to the effect married couples have on each other. For example, wives drinking habits rub off on their partners.

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- Men in the study group were more likely to have an alcohol problem than their partners.

- However of men who were single, divorced and widowed, the men in the married group had the lowest levels of alcohol consumption.

-Married women had more alcohol consumption than their divorced and widowed counterparts.

-Men who are divorced have higher levels of alcohol consumption.

The researchers took the information based on how much alcohol the participants said they consumed over the course of the month. What they mainly measured the alcohol consumption by was number of alcoholic drinks the participants said they drank per month. So there was a certain honors system to the responses.

Experts say that the next course of action is to ensure that the same results that are applied for gender can be applied when it comes to different races, environments and socioeconomic status, too.

Another study of the sort mentioned that not only do women drink more when married, they appear to drink more period. A concurrent study that took place at several US Universities has shown that married women, also drink more than single women.

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The reasoning for this is interesting and might sound familiar to you once you hear it. People who suffer from the common mental health disruption of loneliness tend to share and talk about their loneliness. What then happens is these feelings (which often include certain levels of depression and isolation) will rub off on those around them. This leads experts to believe that due to association loneliness can actually be “caught” so to speak.

The report which appeared in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology contained research from experts who followed 5,214 participants of the Framingham Heart Study from the years of 1971-2001.

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Researchers say the information was interesting, as what they noticed was a definitive pattern whereas people appear to slowly isolate and become lonely, which makes them lose ties with the people around them. People who are identified as “loners” appear to have less of a social circle to begin with, then their loneliness appears to lend itself to their overall mental health which means that they start to lose the social connections of friends and family that are left much more quickly.

Some other interesting mental health, isolation and depression information that was realized during the study.

-The average amount of lonely days spent per year are a whopping 48 (more than a month a half)

-People who are lonely tend to withdraw even further from their social circle, making the issue much worse.

-For each extra companion that you secure the frequency of loneliness or other related feelings of depression goes down by about 2 days a year.

-Those who have lonely friends, or friends suffering from depression are much more likely to become lonely themselves.

-People feel more lonely when they have few friends as opposed to few family members.

-Women feel the mental health impacts of loneliness more often than men.

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There are a few simple solutions that can help you enhance you quality of life significantly, and while they don’t mean you will have to blow the wad on expensive exercise plans, it will mean a dedication of time, and perhaps the reprioritizing of your day. Commitment is still necessary, but if there was an easy few steps to help you get the most out of life, you would want to make the time, wouldn’t you?

These are general wellness and mental health recommendations. But for the few moments they take to incorporate into your day, the mental health benefits could make a world of difference.

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Lower Your Stress and Anxiety With These Simple Happiness Tricks

Get Enough Sleep

According to statistics from the Institutes of Medicine, well over 1 million injuries and 50,000-100,000 deaths occur in hospitals annually, due to medical error. While fatigue isn’t always the cause, an article by Harvard’s Sleep Medicine Department has anestimation that these errors could be reduced by at least 36% if interns and physicians worked 16 hour shifts instead of the traditional 24-36 hour shifts.

Get Outside and Into the Sun

Everyone knows how vitamin D plays an important role in your body’s proper function. Lack of sunshine can lead to low amounts of vitamin D. This results in an increase in the occurrence of a variety of serious ailments like diabetes, osteoporosis and autoimmune disorders. What some even find interesting, if not ironic, is that even skin cancer rates increase with lack of sunshine and low levels of vitamin D.

Breathe – Getting Air in Your Lungs is Important

The benefits for stress, anxiety and mental health is tremendous. The act of breathing, and deep breathing and breathing exercises in general can do a lot for making sure you get the most out of your life. Getting lots of clean air, is important for many reasons, including:

*Conditioning of the heart and lungs

*Increasing the capacity of the lungs

*Relaxing the blood vessels

*Maintaining healthy blood pressure

*… and of course, the reduction of stress and anxiety

It may look easy, but some of these steps will take a conscious effort and some added time and effort on your part. It is always possible to be in full control over your future, and as you get older, you want to be the healthiest and happiest as you can possibly be, and as you have seen, it could be just that easy.

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Mental Health and Sleep – The New Report

According to a recent medical report published in the journal Nutrition Research, sleep problems due to stress or mental health problems may also result in a change in diet. A reduction in the number of hours of sleep, or simply known as poor sleep quality, has long been considered as the main cause of difficulty in concentrating at work or at school and while operating motor vehicles and machines. Sleep problems associated with stress and mental health issues have often been linked with poor calculations with machines, resulting in physical injuries and possibly, death. However, a recent medical report showed that aside from dysfunctional motor activities, sleep problems also influence food choices, thus affecting the amount of available energy that can be used by an individual on a daily basis.

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The report explains that sleep problems due to stress or mental health issues is often associated with poor food choices, thus resulting in weight issues, including obesity. On the other hand, getting enough sleep has been associated with a more positive type of diet and the absence of stress and mental health issues. The association between sleep problems and poor food choices has been observed in various age levels, thus suggesting that stress and mental health issues may occur at any point in one’s life. People with sleep problems tend to eat food items that can give them that instant boost in energy, and unfortunately, these are also rich in either sugars or fats. Furthermore, individuals with sleep problems due to stress and mental health conditions tend to eat lower amounts of fruits and vegetables, which are good sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Getting Enough Sleep for Energy

The recent medical report thus emphasizes that the simple act of getting enough sleep may help in boosting one’s energy. Sleeping for approximately eight hours each day may influence an individual’s meal pattern, thus preventing a person from skipping meals. Getting enough sleep also prevents a person from experiencing food cravings, thus instilling the regular time for meals and the normal amount of food consumed at each meal. Individuals with sleep problems due to stress are often low in energy and thus, would binge on any particular food of their choice to feel energized.

Getting enough sleep also prevents a person from adopting a nocturnal habit, in which he or she is often awake all night. It is important to understand that being up all night is strongly associated with consuming snacks and other types of junk food. Upon waking up the next morning, these individuals are generally full from the junk food they consumed that past evening and thus would often skip eating breakfast. Regular consumption of snacks during the rest of the day to fill in the need for energy may thus actually result in poor energy stores.

The medical report thus presents a simple way of boosting energy and to some individuals who are not avid fans of sleep— this easy solution may sound quirky. Some people feel that sleeping is actually a waste of time and if they could get away for the least number of hours of sleep each day, they would actually run away with it. Sleep can be a valuable activity that can improve one’s general health, including increasing the total amount of energy and improving one’s daily activities.

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Experts are saying that women who are infected Toxoplasma gondii, which can be seen taking residence in cat litter boxes, may suffer mental illness which can lead to an increased risk of suicide. This information comes from a new study out of Denmark that involved more than 45, 000 Danish women was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

The Mental Health Study on Cat Litter Poisons

The study has shown that the parasite, which is carried via cat feces, has also been seen traditionally in undercooked meat and vegetables that haven’t been washed properly.

There have been many other studies that have shown the dangers of cat litter with pregnant women, however this is one of the first times, a normal cat-owner has been targeted as the source of such an interesting study.  Researchers found that women infected by T. gondii were one and a half times more likely attempt suicide, and show mental decline that those not affected. What was likely even more shocking, was that the women in question were more likely to use methods of suicide that were considerably more violent (using a sharp object, or even a gun).

RELATED READING: How Telling the Truth Keeps You Healthy

Increased Suicide Risk – A Scary Thought

Researchers say that the suicide risk increased with the levels of T. gondii antibodies found, but were also quick to say that they were unwilling to make a direct tie between the antibodies and the risk of suicide, or declining mental health. The researchers did say that the fact that there was a tie at all warrants further studies due to the sheer numbers of pet owners in the world.

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The researcher investigated 110 participants, ranging in age from 18-71 from a variety of backgrounds. Half of these participants were told to refrain from telling lies (both major and minor) for 10 weeks. The other half weren’t given any instructions specific to lying. Participants were evaluated each week in the lab with health and relationship questionnaires as well as polygraph testing to assess the number of minor and major lies that they had told each week. When individuals in the no-lie group told three fewer minor lies than in previous weeks they reported less headaches, sore throats, tension, stress and anxiety, and other health problems than those that were in the control group.

The Stress on Your Mental Health

Not only did the participants who lied less experience less mental health and physical health problems, they also reported improvements in their close personal relationships and social interactions. Lying can have a significant impact on your mental health as it can cause an unwanted increase in stress. Stress can lead to a number of physical and mental health problems including: headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, stomach and sleep problems, anxiety, irritability, and depression among many others. Additionally, stress can lead to adopting unhealthy behaviours such as drinking, smoking and drug use. Reducing stress is an important step towards living a healthy life. Being as honest as possible and refraining from telling lies, even minor ones, may have a direct impact on your stress level.

Previous research has shown that Americans, on average, lie approximately 11 times per week. The severity of the lies ranges from “white” lies such as excuses for being late, to major lies that involve serious matters such as fidelity and finances. This research shows that cutting back on the lies that you tell on a daily basis can have a profound positive effect on your mental health so it’s in your best interest to be honest

In addition to eating healthy and exercising regularly for optimal health, you may want to start applying this new health trend by reducing the number of lies you tell. The goal doesn’t have to be to never tell a lie, you just need to significantly reduce the number of lies you tell to experience the physical and mental health benefits of this new health trend.

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What makes music such a good influence on your good health is that it is an activity that involves the use of your entire brain. Some experts say that if it is too loud, music can be distracting, or even painful on your eyes, but the benefits are many, and music does, indeed have many health benefits as well.

Positive Effects for Pain
For the same reasons that music can be considered to be negative because it might be seen as distracting, it can also be very beneficial if one is in pain. By distracting the mind from the pain, many people say that stress and anxiety levels are lower, which can also lead to less pain as well.

Reducing Stress and Anxiety Levels

Many people report that playing relaxing music in the evening prior to going to bed can play an imperative role in calming the brain enough to sleep. While the jury is out on the validity on the idea, this lowered stress can even be tied back to blood pressure, which is a serious problem in North America.  According to research that was presented at the American Society of Hypertension meeting listening to just 30 minutes of softer music every day may help with healthy blood sugar levels, through the lowering of stress and anxiety.

Music and the Effect on Your Heart

When it comes to heart health, there is speculation that it’s not the style of music, but rather the tempo that makes it so good for your heart health. In one European study, participants listened to music as the researchers monitored their breathing, heart rates and blood pressure. Interestingly, the participants had faster heart and breathing rates when they listened to more upbeat music. On the other hand, when the music slowed, so did participants stress and anxiety levels, the effects on heart rates appeared to follow suit.

How Music and Mental Health Might Have an Effect Immune System

This idea is one that is a little more off-the-wall but still has scientific backing. There are many scientists and researchers that claim that some individuals have very emotional reactions to certain types of music which can create a highly emotional experience.

The researchers say that this feeling could lead to the secretion of hormones which could, in turn boost the immune system. This helps contribute to a reduction in the factors responsible for illness. Other information also says that listening to music or even singing your heart out also can also decrease levels of certain hormones which are related to stress, which is good for your overall heart health as well.

The implications on mental health and overall well-being for this study really are impressive, but there is a whole array of other health issues that turning up the radio could be beneficial for, which is what makes music so very valuable.

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In fact experts are saying that even low levels of stress can heighten the risk of deadly heart attack or stroke by a whopping 20%. Researchers say that these numbers are very alarming because of the fact that a lot of the people who suffer from only low levels of stress would not even be considered for mental health services, so they fly virtually under the radar.

Previous Studies on Mental Health

Previous studies have investigated the association between stress and anxiety and mortality but these studies tend to focus mainly on those with diagnosed mental health disorders, or those who fall in the “heavy stress” categories.

For this study, researchers looked at the data from approximately 68,000 people who took part in a survey in the UK from the years of 1994 to 2004. That information was then used to measure the role of stress and anxiety in deaths from a variety of causes including heart disease and cancer.

The mental health, stress and anxiety of the participants was then put on a scale ranging from no symptoms to severe symptoms, and then death certificates were used to record the actual cause of death.  The results showed that increased mortality is not just the result of people with higher levels of stress and anxiety.

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When a person is temperamental it means that they are very emotional. This normally leads to arguments, verbal attacks, and sometimes even physical abuse. In many cases the temperamental person ends up hurting the people he/she loves the most. The uncontrolled anger can cause a lot of tension and health problems. Studies show that the stress and anxiety associated with temperamental behavior can lead to the following:

• Headaches
• High blood pressure
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Insomnia
• Digestion problems
• Skin irritation

Physical Response to Stress and Anxiety

When the stress and anxiety kick into high gear, you can start to shake; the heart starts beating faster and pumps much more oxygen, adrenaline, and sugar into the bloodstream. Suddenly your muscles and arteries tense up, and your blood pressure rises. It is as if your body is preparing for action. At this point people bottle things up inside or they yell, scream or throw things. Your mental health is at a low point.

Countless studies have shown that a quick jog is a good natural approach if you are feeling temperamental. Sounds simple, but there are two effects from the exercise; it burns up stress and anxiety building chemicals, and researchers believe that it boosts the production of mood-altering neurotransmitters in the brain, known as endorphins and catecholamines.

Psychologists at both Southern Methodist University in Dallas and Boston University have conducted detailed studies on stress and anxiety and the impact it has on mental health. Their findings have led to a lot of discussion in the medical community. It has also led to the publishing of a book to deal with temperamental behavior and depression. “Exercise for Mood and Anxiety“ was co-authored by professors Jasper Smits and Michael Otto who believe that exercise is a “magic drug” for some people who are temperamental. Smits has said many times that just a fast 25 minute exercise like a quick jog, can make a person who is anxious feel better. Smits and Otto explain that the exercise effects neurotransmitters in the brain and help re-establish positive behavior. They say that mental health care providers should serve as their patient’s exercise motivators. They do contend; however, that in extreme cases of mental illness, more medical intervention, including natural supplements and/or prescription medications may also be required.

The Physical Approach to Stress and Anxiety

The University of Essex seems to support the notion that physical activity is good for the human spirit. Researchers at the world-renown university located in the United Kingdom compiled results from ten different studies on outdoor exercise and the impact it has on mood and anxiety. They concluded that even 5 minutes of physical exertion can boost mental health.

Although many forms of exercise can generate good results, a quick jog is highly recommended because it gives the temperamental person an opportunity to go outdoors, get some fresh air, and as some psychologists suggest, it gives them a chance to be stimulated by scents and scenes around them that can alter their mood.

If you think you are feeling temperamental try a quick jog and talk to your doctor about ways to deal with the stress and anxiety in your life. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

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The Study on Stress and Cardiovascular Disease

The research study conducted by investigators of Michigan Technological University involved the application of 24-hour sleep deprivation to approximately 28 young individuals, of which 14 were men and 14 were women.  The study was conducted in order to determine the impact of stress to cardiovascular disease.  The researchers hypothesized that sleep deprivation directly affects mental health, which in turn may affect the heart health of the individuals.  The heart health of the study participants was monitored in terms of blood pressure, heart rate, and reactivity of specific nerves after the experimental period of sleep deprivation.

The results of the study showed that the heart rate of the subjects without sleep for 24 hours was higher as compared to the control sleep group.  This observation suggested that stress, as represented by sleep deprivation and poor mental health, negatively affects the cardiovascular system.  The results also suggest the importance of natural sleep aids in alleviating stress and in preventing the deterioration of mental health.  There are currently several natural sleep aids that may be used by people who are suffering from sleep problems that are related to employment.  Some natural sleep aids include melatonin, which is often used by people traveling to places of a different time zone.  Other natural sleep aids include the use of thick window curtains that prevent the entry of sunlight and other bright sources of illumination.

Stress, Sleep and Mental Health

The study also showed that no differences were observed between the male and female study participants who were subjected to stress, suggesting that sleep deprivation and stress may have the same impact on both genders.  This observation also suggested that the application of natural sleep aids may be equally effective to men and women who experience high levels of stress and find difficulty in getting enough sleep at night.

The information generated from this sleep deprivation study on the cardiovascular system may be helpful in the design of treatment schemes for individuals experiencing difficulty in sleeping.  Natural sleep aids may decrease the discomfort due to the intensity of the demands at work and unless a form of relaxation is identified, an individual’s mental health may suffer.  The study showed that even a 24-hour period of sleep deprivation can immediately result in a change in the heart rate and thus it may be alarming to find out the extent of damage stress may impart on one’s heart and mental health.

Sleep is often considered as a time to rest and recharge the body for the next workday, yet it is also important to realize that this nocturnal activity may also influence the quality of mental health and cardiovascular condition of an individual.  Natural sleep aids were designed to improve the quality of sleep each night, in the hope of helping the body to repair tissues and replenish proteins and other essential molecules of the body.  Natural sleep aids also relatively safe to use and are minimally interactive with other medications and food items.

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The Effect on Mental Health

Researchers studied blood samples of over 5,200 women aged 42-69 years and analyzed questionnaires that the participants had filled out regarding their phobias and anxiety. The results showed that individuals who had higher anxiety levels had significantly shorter telomere lengths. Telomeres are at the ends of chromosomes and they help to protect the genetic material carried in chromosomes from being damaged. Telomeres are considered markers for both biological and cellular aging. Shorter telomeres have been associated with an increased risk of cancers, heart disease, dementia and death. The difference in telomere length that was seen in women who reported high anxiety levels was equivalent to an additional six years of aging! The researchers point out that this study does not show a cause and effect relationship; it does not show what came first – the anxiety and stress or the shorter telomere length. Future research should investigate the relationship between stress and anxiety and telomere length change to determine if there is a cause and effect relationship.

Stress Management Tips

Learning how to manage your stress levels will help to protect your mental health and may even prevent premature aging. There are a number of effective strategies to help you cope with stress and anxiety, and improve your mental health, including:

1. Exercise – physical activity will help to promote overall health and well-being and will help you to manage emotional stress and anxiety. Physical activity will also help to promote good sleep habits which can also help to decrease stress levels.

2. Relaxation and meditation – there are many different techniques that can be utilized to help manage stress and improve your mental health. Some of the techniques that can be performed in a class setting or on your own include: yoga, thai chi, progressive muscle relaxation, transcendental meditation, imagery, and biofeedback among others.

3. Stay connected to the ones you love – people that have strong relationships with family, friends and neighbors tend to have lower physical and emotional stress than those without strong social connections.

If you find that you are not able to manage your stress levels on your own, speak to your doctor. They may recommend counseling to help improve your mental health. Maintaining good mental health will help you to enjoy life to the fullest and may even help prevent premature aging.

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The Mental Health of Seniors Hangs in the Balance

Internet usage is very commonplace in today’s society, and it is used by people of all age groups all around the world. But while using the internet too much has actually shown increases in anxiety and depression levels in the younger population, there has been significant gains when it comes to decreasing it for older people (specifically those over age 50).

The researchers at the Phoenix Center gave impressive numbers, saying the internet eased depression and anxiety by up to 20% in the over 50 population. And the implications on the healthcare system are equally as impressive. Supporters of the research say, that by easing depression and anxiety, and improving mental health, healthcare expenses of the elderly population could be headed in the right direction.

The basis of the research study was mainly to provide the social ramifications of internet usage. Most elderly people don’t have good social lives, and speak to very few people in a day, which can impact them in a negative or isolating way – ultimately making their mental health take a dive. By utilizing the social capacity of the internet, seniors can begin to feel connected to the outside world, and make new friends, without the having to leave their home.

The Internet Offers Depression Relief Through Mental Stimulation

The same goes for hobbies. With such a wide variety of mentally stimulating activities available online, seniors are able to stay engaged, and with brain health exercises, their minds stay active. Reports showed an improvement in the mood and mental health of those in the 55 and over age range.

As mentioned, the results from the survey are especially useful since health care costs of Americans over 55 is about $100 million dollars per year. These high costs are mainly due to suicide and medical expenses. This puts a very high value on the social and mental health benefits of the internet on the senior population.

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Keeping a Positive Attitude to Lower Stress

The researchers followed approximately 10,000 participants in the United Kingdom between 1991 and 2008 and measured annual job satisfaction levels. The findings from this study show that there is a boost in job satisfaction just prior to a first marriage and again prior to the birth of a first child. The researchers state that job satisfaction is often influenced by outside factors. This may be due to a positive attitude that an individual has in anticipation of these major life events, despite the stress that they may be experiencing. The positive attitude that individuals have before a major life event may spill over into their work environment, creating a positive attitude in the workplace, thereby increasing job satisfaction. However, once the life event happens, a person’s priorities may shift creating a work-home conflict which can have a detrimental effect on mental health. This is especially true when a couple decides to start a family. A new mother may feel enormous stress when leaving her baby to return to work. This may have a negative impact on her mental health and may cause her to be unhappy with her workplace situation.

The birth of a first child seems to have the most lasting negative effect on job satisfaction levels. People may remain unhappy in the workplace for up to five years after their first child is born. The negative effect is stronger in women than in men, especially for those working in the public sector.

The Positive Attitude Study…and the Results

The study also found that individuals who had higher earnings also had a more positive attitude and reported higher satisfaction levels (this isn’t that surprising, is it?). The exception to this finding was women working in the public sector; their satisfaction levels were not influenced by higher earnings. This shows that they may be motivated by other types of job perks. Not surprisingly, individuals who worked longer hours reported decreased satisfaction with their job, especially those working in the private sector. What may be surprising is that individuals who had recently switched jobs reported increased satisfaction levels. This may be due to the positive attitude that many individuals have when starting a new position.

This study provides some insight into the possible need to extend maternity and possibly paternity leaves for new parents in an effort to reduce the stress that new parents feel when returning to work. By allowing new parents extended time with their children, mental health issues may be less likely and job satisfaction levels may increase. Future research should look at job satisfaction levels between individuals that have regular maternity/paternity leaves compared to those that have extended leaves. This may provide evidence to re-evaluate the laws that we currently have in place and adapt them if necessary.

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1. You Use Alcohol to Boost Feelings of Mental Health

If you rely on alcohol as your primary means for unwinding, releasing stress, reducing anxiety, and/or self-soothing, it may be a sign that your relationship with alcohol has become unhealthy.

2. You Feel Ashamed or Guilty About Your Drinking

If you feel bad about your drinking or you feel the need to lie to, or hide your drinking from others, it is a clear sign that you have an alcohol problem and should seek professional treatment. Experiencing guilt due to behaviors that are caused by your drinking such as neglecting school, work or family obligations also indicates the need for treatment.

3. Your Family or Friends are Concerned

If the people who are close to you are worried about your drinking, and you continue to do so despite their concerns, it is usually a pretty good indication that your drinking has become a problem.

4. You Regularly Have Memory Gaps When You Drink

“Black outs” from drinking are not normal, and they indicate a consumption that is far too high for your body to handle. Drinking that is this excessive can result in mental health ramifications such as a reduced ability to form new, long-term memories. Black-out drinking also causes damage to your liver and it increases your risk for death by encouraging you to partake in risky behaviors such as drinking and driving.

5. You Drink to Mask Signs of Depression

Alcohol and substance abuse are both common signs of depression, along with a reduced interest in other activities, feelings of intense sadness, irritability or hopelessness, unexplainable exhaustion, and thoughts of suicide. Although drinking may seems to numb out these feelings, it actually works as a depressant and it ultimately increases depressive feelings. It is therefore imperative that you seek treatment from a healthcare professional immediately if you drink often and experience any of the above mentioned signs of depression.

6. You Experience Physical Indications of Alcohol Addiction

If you have an increased tolerance to alcohol or if you experience withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, sweating, nausea, insomnia, depression, fatigue, irritability, headache, loss of appetite and shakiness, you should consider seeking treatment for alcohol dependency.

Additional Indications of an Alcohol Problem:

- You want to quit but just can’t seem to

- You often drink more than you intend to

- Your life has begun to revolve around alcohol and you’ve given up activities you previously enjoyed because of it

- You recognize that alcohol is causing physical, social or mental health problems and you continue to consume it anyways.

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The Real Mental Health Issues – Eating Disorders

Recently, Dr. Cynthia Bulik, director of the University of North Carolina Eating Disorders Program and her colleagues conducted a nation-wide survey on 1,849 women aged 50 and older. “We know very little about how women aged 50 and above feel about their bodies,” said Bulik. “An unfortunate assumption is that they ‘grow out of’ body dissatisfaction and eating disorders, but no one has really bothered to ask. Since most research focuses on younger women, our goal was to capture the concerns of women in this age range to inform future research and service planning.”

The Mental Health Study

The survey was titled ‘Body Image in Women 50 and Over — Tell Us What You Think and Feel,’ and the results were published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders. The average participant was white and 59 years old. Of the 1,849 participants, 27% were obese, 20% were overweight, 42% were at a healthy weight and 2% were underweight.

According to the survey, more than 70% of the participants were currently trying to lose weight and 62% of the participants felt that their weight and/or shape negatively impacted their lives. The survey also revealed that full blown eating disorders are a common type of psychiatric disorder even amongst the over 50 population. In fact, 3.5% of the participants reported binge eating in the past month, and almost 8% reported purging in the past five years. Other eating disorder behaviors that the women reported resorting to included: using diet pills (7.5%), excessively exercising (7%), taking diuretics (2.5%), using laxatives (2%) and vomiting (1%). Although these behaviors were most common amongst women in their early 50s, women over the age of 75 were not impervious to them.

More Statistics:

- 36 % of the women had spent at least half of the past five years on a diet

- 41% of the women scrutinized their bodies daily

- 40% of the women weighed themselves at least two times per week

- 66% of the women disliked the overall appearance of their bodies

- 79% said that their weight negatively affected their self-perception

Unfortunately, people with eating disorders often go to extreme lengths to avoid treatment and most often it is the parents, family, friends and healthcare practitioners who convince them to receive the necessary treatment. The misconception that older women do not suffer with eating disorders likely prevents many older women from receiving the help that they need in order to prevent serious physical and mental health ramifications. “The bottom line is that eating disorders and weight and shape concerns don’t discriminate on the basis of age,” says Bulik. “Healthcare providers should remain alert for eating disorder symptoms and weight and shape concerns that may adversely influence women’s physical and psychological wellbeing as they mature.”

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New research has identified something within angry mice that also exists in humans, and as a result have found away to shut it off. There is a receptor that has been shown to malfunction in mice who behave in hostile ways, and this could mean big news when it comes to the potential for treatment of severe aggressive behavior.

Treatment of Mental Health Based on the Study

The breakthrough was brought to the forefront by University of Southern California’s Marco Bortolato and Jean Shih from the School of Pharmacy, who were able to identify a specific gene disposition which meant low levels of an enzyme (monoamine oxidase A, or MAO A). This discovery is really giving people something to think about as the lower the levels of MAO A the higher the chances of violent behavior.

The researchers found that the mice with this enzyme deficiency were much more likely to respond to stress with aggressive or violent behavior. Bortolato was quoted as saying, “The same type of mutation that we study in mice is associated with criminal, very violent behavior in humans, but we really didn’t understand why that it is.”

The extremely violent and aggressive mice (also the ones that are lacking in MAO A) required high levels of electric shocks to activate a specific brain receptor in the pre-frontal cortex known as NMDA. And even when the NMDA does manage to work, it remains active for only a short period of time. Research authors continue that, “The fact that blocking this receptor moderates aggression is why this discovery has so much potential. It may have important applications in therapy.”

Treatment of Mental Health in the Future

Not only is this kind of aggressive part and parcel with a series of mental health issues, it is also consistently common in psychological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and autism.

These new findings become very important because the research can show ways that certain preventative measures put in place for aggression. As a result, the next step in hopefully curbing aggressive or angry behavior is studying the potential side effects of drugs that reduce the activity of the aggression receptor in question.

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What This Means For Mental Health – and Anxiety, Too

The study was conducted on mice by researchers at the University of California. Unlike many rodents, California mice have a tendency to form lifelong monogamous relationships and the males have strong paternal instincts. The male rats help to deliver the pups, they cuddle and keep the pups warm at night, and they lick them clean, and the father rats will even take on these paternal tasks when in the presence of  pups that are not their own.   According to Trynke de Jong, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of California, Riverside “If we place a male California mouse in a test cage and present it with an unknown pup, experienced fathers will quickly start to lick and huddle with it.”  On the other hand, males rats who have not fathered a pup show more variability, some act paternally, some ignore the pup and others actually attack the pup.  Prior to the study, the researchers at California University suspected that the variability in paternal response amongst virgin male rats was caused by a variance in social status, however the study revealed that anxiety levels actually determined whether or not the rats acted paternally.

Stress Tests on Rats

In order to test the rats, the researchers paired together 12 virgin male rats in six separate cages and performed a variety of tests on them. The scientists noticed that the male rats who were too shy to urinate in the middle of a new enclosure, were also more reluctant to approach a pup. This observation was significant because shying away from urinating in the middle of an enclosure is a behavior that signifies anxiety in rats. Additional tests revealed that the rats who acted less paternally, also had higher levels of the hormone vasopressin in their brains.

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This research has shown that there is a neural mechanism that actually connects repeated stress with impaired memory.

The study which can be seen in the March issue of Cell Press and was published in the journal Neuron shows the effect this can have on mental health.  According to the research, the same hormones that can trigger stress also influence the same area that controls memory.

What This Means for Your Mental Health

There has been earlier research that showed how stress hormones influenced the prefrontal cortex, which is also the same area of the brain associated with memory. But lead author Dr. Zhen Yan says it isn’t a definitive science. He says, “little is known about the physiological consequences and molecular targets of long-term stress in PFC, especially during the adolescent period when the brain is more sensitive to stressors.”

While the study wasn’t conducted on humans, it gives some good insight. Through the study of the mice, researchers were able to see that exposure to stress led to a significant loss in the glutamate receptors in young rats. Glutamate assists how the prefrontal cortex functions. So what researchers were able to notice is that by blocking the same mechanisms that decreased the glutamate receptors, they also decreased memory loss that is caused by stress.

Watching Your Mental Health – Warning Signs of Chronic Stress

*Memory problems

*Inability to Concentrate

*Negative Feelings

*Consistent Amounts of Worry

*Agitation

*Feeling Overwhelmed

*Temper Problems

*Anxious Feelings and Depression

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But experts also say there is a number of bad sleep problems and habits that will ruin the potential of getting your day off to a good start, and could lead to mental health problems like stress or anxiety down the road. Here are a few of the more common bad sleep habits that you should be avoiding:

Sleep Problems That Could Lead to Poor Mental Health

1. Do not lie awake waiting to fall asleep.
If this sleep problem is something that occurs often you could be dealing with insomnia. Be careful of this bad sleep habit because you could begin to associate night hours with stress and anxiety, rather than being asleep. Try a relaxing activity to calm your brain before bet to combat this behavior.

2.  If you need to urinate – do it.
If there you are uncomfortable in any way, you are going to have sleep problems. But there is very little that is more disruptive to sleep, not to mention a source of anxiety and stress than having the urgent need to urinate. Not only this but being overfull from too large of dinner is bad news as well, further adding to the discomfort.

3. Keep distractions to a minimum.
Like so many people you may have any number of electronic devices in your bedroom. If you have the lights, TV, and stereo on, it will become very difficult to sleep. Keeping your bedroom calm and quiet will help you associate it with good sleep, rather than being a source of stress and anxiety.

4. Drinking to try and relax
While drinking alcohol might help you to feel a little drowsy which can help with your sleep problems in the short term, it can ultimately lead to disrupted sleep patterns. Naturally, the opposite is also true in terms of anything that has caffeine in it. Things like coffee, tea and chocolate will do wonders towards keeping you awake. Experts say you should try to avoid this type of food and drink up to 6 hours before you turn in.

As expected, ridding yourself of daily stress and anxiety will ultimately lead you to a better sleep and a reduction in sleep problems. Keep in mind that any sudden change will also disrupt your sleep and cause you to feel unwell the next day. Taking a warm bath and any quiet sleep ritual that you can incorporate could really help in the fight against insomnia.

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The new study, published May 16 in the journal Psychological Science says that men who are under stress are not only more sociable, but they are more trusting and sharing, too.

Other research has historically said that males tend to act aggressively when they are under pressure, and feeling stress or anxiety. This has also been referred to as the “fight-or-flight” approach. The same research has shown that women tend to behave in a more nurturing fashion when they feel the heat. But the recent research has shown that men are taking on these nurturing qualities as well.

Stress and Anxiety – The Effect on Mental Health isn’t What You Think

It could be a sign of a more progressive time for the mental health of men, with the previous research showing the “fight or flight” response to be heavily favored among men. “Fight or flight” response is a well known physiological reaction in response to stress and sudden anxiety. It usually means a spike in heart rate and blood pressure. This leads to the body preparing itself to either challenge or flee from a threat.

The recent mental health study was small with only a total of 67 male students being used as a test group from the University of Zurich to test their responses to stress or sudden anxiety levels. Roughly half the men were put under stress being told to speak in a public place, and the other were told they needed to compete in a challenging math test. The other test group was put in more relaxed atmospheres, where they were told to participate in a read-along and a simple math task.

What Stress Does to a Man

After being given enough time to either feel stress, or not feel stress, the study groups respectively were told to participate in trust and sharing activities. The results were measured by how much trust they had in the partner they were with, and how much (real) money they shared throughout the course of the study.

Regardless of the stigma of the stressed out angry man, the men actually responded in a more kind and nurturing way than was originally anticipated. Researchers found that the higher the men’s heart rate, the more trusting, generous and nurturing they acted.

Risk taking levels remained more or less the same between the high-stress men and the relaxed men. Researchers say that while this study was limited to men, future research could be done regarding how men and women cope with stress and anxiety together in social situations. The effect on mental health could be extensive.

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And now there is plenty of research to back the theories that these furry critters provide some help with your levels of anxiety and overall mental health, too – not to mention a number of other health benefits.  For over 25 years, research has shown that cohabitating with a furry friend can lower blood pressure, lessen anxiety, get people out moving in the fresh air, and boost the immune system. They can even help when it comes to your social life, by helping to get you outside and staying active.

Here are some of the ways that a pet can do wonders for your mental health, and overall health, too.

Studies have shown that with a dog living in the home, infants were less likely to show evidence of pet allergies: 19% as opposed to 33%. Not only that but, but children involved in the study were also less likely to have eczema, and also had higher levels of some immune system chemicals, which healthcare practitioners say is a sign of stronger immune system activation.

From a social standpoint, getting out with an animal to enjoy some fresh air can mean a fantastic social impact as well. For example, taking your dog for a walk can be a natural conversation starter.

Walking a dog or just caring for a pet, can provide exercise and companionship for those in their later years.

There are great natural ways to boost your mental health. Studies say it can take as little as 15 to 30 minutes with a dog or cat or watching fish swim to feel less anxiety and depression. Your body actually goes through physical changes in that length of time that can help make a difference in your overall mental health. Doctors say that reducing stress saves your body unnecessary wear and tear.

It’s certainly not the only method, but having a pet can help you manage your blood pressure as well. In one study of 240 married couples, results showed that dog and cat owners had lower blood pressure and heart rates during rest than people who did not own a pet. In a similar study involving children, it was shown that kids with hypertension lowered their blood pressure while petting the family pet.

So whether it’s getting outside with a pet, or staying inside and sitting on the couch, the benefits on your mental health, and your overall health, are worthy of a mention.

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According to a science called Attention Restoration Theory, those who spend time in peaceful natural settings and therefore not bombarded with loud distractions, can allow their brains to fully relax which can drastically improve mental health.

A Walk for Better Mental Health

For this small study, 20 people with clinical depression (which included 12 women and eight men with an average age of 26) took part in a walk that involved taking an hour long stroll in a quiet natural setting, and then an hour long walk in a noisy, higher populated area. Prior to each walk, participants completed testing to determine their mental health at the time, and were asked to think about a painful memory.

RELATED READING: Ingredients For Optimum Mood Health

Following both walks, participants were to take part in a series of mental health tests to measure their attention levels, and short-term and working memory. The results were interesting to say the least. Researchers found that overall, nature walks meant a 16 per cent increase in attention and working memory compared to walks in the more noisy metropolitan areas, but the mood of the study participants improved in both types of walks.

This isn’t difficult to imagine, considering those suffering from depression are often noted to have high levels negative thinking, but that doesn’t mean that researchers weren’t skeptical that a simple “walk in the park” or anywhere else for that matter could provide any real relief from such a serious and well documented series of symptoms.

Sunlight and Exercise for Mental Health

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The Hidden Factors: Alcohol Consumption

According to a recent report, the incidence of alcohol drinking among adolescents at least doubled in the last two years. The study, which involved more than 6,000 North American adolescents between the ages of 10 to 14 years old were monitored for two years through telephone interviews. These adolescents were interviewed for four times each year and asked about alcohol consumption and other social, demographic, mental health, performance, and environmental factors that were surrounding these study participants. The data gathered from these interviews were also employed in inferring the factors that influenced the performance and mental health of the study participants.

Alcohol Consumption and Media Influence

The results of the study showed that after two years, the number of adolescents consuming alcoholic drinks increased from 11% to 25%. In addition, adolescents participating in binge drinking rose from 4% to 13%. The study participants were also shown to watch a huge number of movies on television, of which generally include scenes of alcohol consumption. This type of TV exposure may have influenced their mental health— training the brain to accept the idea that alcohol consumption is a common activity in society. Based on the study, the adolescents admitted that they spend approximately 1 to 2 hours each day watching television and thus are also exposed to alcohol use through commercials and drinking scenes in movies. The constant exposure to alcohol use through watching TV may have trained the brain to include this activity in their daily performance. To some extent, the mental health of these adolescents may thus have been influenced to consider alcohol consumption as a normal activity of society.

Interestingly, the study also showed that only 2% of these adolescents watch television with their parents and thus the choice and control of programs to watch are mainly based on the adolescents’ discretion. The study also showed that the general performance of the study participants deteriorated, as based on the quality of grades that they receive in school. This poor performance may be directly or indirectly due to their exposure to alcohol drinks at an early age.

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Mental Health and Rebellion

An alarming observation mentioned in the report involves the association of alcohol use and the increase in rebelliousness of these adolescents toward their parents. The researchers who conducted the study are thus suggesting that alcohol consumption at an early age could also affect performance, the brain, and mental health, as indicated by the increase in conflict between parents and their adolescent children. Rebelling against parents is a common mental health feature among adolescents, yet the increase in frequency and degree of rebelliousness in this study also suggests an association with the exposure to alcohol commercials and scenes in certain movies aired on TV. It is thus possible that the brain, mental health and performance of these adolescents have been influenced by constant exposure to inappropriate videos in the media. The brain may have been trained to seeing alcohol consumption as a routine activity in daily life, thus prompting the adolescents to adapt a similar behavior.

The study also showed that despite the absence of alcohol drinking in the homes of these adolescents, these individuals tend to engage in drinking, thus indicating the influence of television exposure on the brain, as indicated by their current alcohol consumption. The brain of an adolescent is very receptive to the surrounding environment, of which the TV appears to be a prominent fixture in homes. In order to maintain good mental health and performance, it is thus essential that to include the performance of parents as a major source of guidance for these children, even in the simplest activity of watching TV. It is also most likely that at a young age, children have to be constantly exposed to appropriate TV programs, such as those that extending positive lessons and attitudes.

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More researchers are reporting that certain kinds of foods consumed in excess can create the feeling of depression. It turns out that foods that are low in cholesterol, sugars and fat, but are high in protein at the same time, can reduce the production of serotonin, which is best described as our brain’s happy transmitter. If the happy transmitter is low, naturally you will be depressed. Studies also indicate that people with blood sugar problems, low vitamin D, and food intolerance issues can also battle depression.

The Effect of Food on Mental Health

If you suffer from depression and can’t seem to figure out why, you might consider looking at your eating habits. Below is a list of some of the top foods that trigger depression.

• Alcohol

Some people think of this as a stimulant, but overindulging is not only hard on your liver; it can put you in a bad mood. If you already have a tendency to suffer from bouts of depression or have other psychological disorders, alcohol consumption is not recommended.

• Deep fried starches

French fries and donuts fall into this category. Before they even hit the frying machine, they are simple sugars and they have very little nutritional value.

• Canned and pre-packaged hydrated food

This category of food tends to be packed with sodium and sugar which can drag you down.

• Chocolates

While the caffeine may initially give you a high, the rest of the chocolate, including the sugar is known as a big depression trigger.

• High fat dairy products

In most cases high fat, including diary means low nutrient deficiency. Studies in both the Unites States and Europe have shown that nutrient deficiency can lead to depression.

• Processed meat

This tends to have a lot of sodium, oil and sugar added.

• Refined grains

Most refined grains like white rice, pasta and bread are nutritionally imbalanced, are starchy, enriched with synthetic vitamins, devoid of fiber

and often have added chemicals.

• Tea and Coffee

Like chocolate, it is the caffeine that can trigger the depression.

• Potato Chips

One is rarely enough; however, they are full of salt and saturated fats.

• Fast Food

Hamburgers, hotdogs and Pizza all contain high amounts of sodium and fat. A lot of the sauces and condiments such as ketchup have large amounts of sugar in them as well.

Researchers at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain and the University of Granada concluded that depression is 51 per cent more likely to occur in people who consume large amounts of fast food. They also included junk food like donuts and other deep fried items in their study. The research team also indicated that people who eat fast food on a regular basis tend to have other unhealthy habits, such as sedentary behavior, which are linked to a higher risk of depression.

Fatty foods are also associated with gas, bloating, indigestion and heartburn — factors that can, like depression, interfere with sleep, moods and positive energy levels.

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Negative Emotions Damage Your Mental Health

Chronic negative emotions and stress in particular, can increase your chances of developing depression. This may not come as a big surprise, but did you know that hormones which are released during stress can contribute to a gradual decline in mental health and chronic high stress levels can increase your risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia? In addition, some scientists speculate that high stress levels can lead to hallucinations, delusions and a worsening of Schizophrenic symptoms. Negative emotions can also affect your mental capacity and lead to an inability to concentrate and marked forgetfulness.

Emotions Affect Your Immune System

In addition to impacting your mental health, your emotions also have a profound impact on your immune system. Scientists have found that negative emotions reduce antibody levels and lower the ability of your immune system to ward-off sickness and disease. Conversely, optimistic people who regularly experience positive emotions have stronger immune systems and are better able to resist infections such as the flu.

RELATED ARTICLE: Is Red Meat Affecting Your Mood?

Emotions Are Often the Root Cause of Sleep Problems

Negative emotions such as those caused by stress, worrying, fear, tension and depression, are arguably the biggest cause of short-term or intermittent sleep problems. These emotions cause anxiety and anxiety leads to a hyperarousal of the nervous system, which leads to restlessness, excessive brain chatter and an inability to fall asleep. Not surprisingly, negative emotions are also the cause of at least 50 percent of all chronic sleep problem cases, otherwise referred to as insomnia.

Emotions Help Determine the Expression of Your DNA

In 1990 a 13 yearlong study was launched in effort to identify all human genes and how they interact; this was meant to serve as the basis for developing cures for all human disease. This project, referred to as the Human Genome Project yielded some surprising results- the scientists discovered that the human body is made up of far fewer genes then previously suspected, and that the genes we do have operate quite differently then we previously believed. More specifically, the scientists discovered that DNA is not static, it is constantly changing in response to your environment, meaning just because you have an ‘Alzheimer’s’ or ‘obesity’ gene for instance, it does not mean you cannot proactively prevent it from being expressed. If this hypothesize is correct then your emotions are at the root of cancer, mental health problems, blood pressure, headaches, forgetfulness, immune system disorders, sleep problems, and indeed every other type of human ailment.

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According to the World Health Organization close to 36 million people around the globe live with dementia. Dementia is a brain disorder that is characterized by loss of memory, reasoning, judgment, as well as changes in mood and behavior. In severe cases the brain is affected to the point where it is impossible to carry out normal daily functions such as driving a car, working or maintaining relationships.

Age is the biggest risk factor, and the wave of baby boomers approaching the retirement years will be a big contributor to the rise in cases.

Dementia and the Effect on Mental Health

Doctors say early diagnosis is difficult, but crucial. In the early stages of the disease it is easy for the patient to pass the symptoms off as simple forgetfulness. Others are too afraid to come forward with what they are experiencing. They are worried about the repercussions; about losing their independence. They try to hide their problem from family, friends and physicians until it becomes impossible to cover up.

Early diagnosis allows doctors to work with patients to administer care and medications that could potentially slow down the progression of the disease. Doctors remind patients that there is no shame is bringing up mental health issues. They also point out that what seems like early signs of dementia could actually be Alzheimer’s disease, a condition which requires constant medical attention.

Discovering Dementia

Since mental health disorders like dementia are difficult to diagnose, doctors use a number of methods during examinations. Below are steps they go through if they suspect dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

• Patient history (this includes current and past medical issues, as well as what symptoms are being experienced)

• Physical examination (this can help rule out treatable causes of memory loss and issues such as stroke. It can also help determine whether medication is causing your symptoms)

• Cognitive tests (measuring of your language, math and other mental skills)

• Neurological tests (this includes balance, reflexes, and sensory function)

• Brain scans (degeneration of the brain’s cortex is a sign of dementia and can show up on a brain scan)

There is no cure for dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. There are some medications that appear to slow the progression of the disease; however, in many cases doctors recommend a combination of medications, and physical and psychological exercise. Studies have shown that keeping active, engaging in conversation, reading and exercising your brain, can all help ease the severity of symptoms.

Drug therapies have to be monitored closely by doctors because they can often have unpleasant side-effects. A great deal of research continues into treatment therapies for both dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This research includes in depth studies on nutrients and how they can increase blood flow to the brain, thus slowing down disease progression. According to the University of Maryland Medical Centre vitamin E has already been linked to slowing cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease. The University’s researchers also state that some studies show zinc improves memory in elderly people.

The person suffering from dementia has no control over the disease. Sufferers require patience and understanding from their care-takers, and often that starts with family members. Many dementia sufferers do well in their own homes if they have good support from family and friends. Others get to the point where they have to be housed in special care facilities. Mental Health experts say understanding the disease and the treatment options available will make life a lot easier for both the patient and care-giver.

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Sleep problems develop when an individual changes activities with respect to his or her routine schedule. For example, a nurse who has been working on the dayshift has been reassigned to the night shift for the next three months. This person will thus feel sleepy during the first few days of the new shift, an indication that the body is not used to this change in work schedule. It is important to address methods in solving sleep problems related to work because this can affect one’s mental health. Lack of sleep can result in poor judgment and thus may result in lower quality of performance. Sleep problems also result in poor motor coordination, resulting in accidents while driving or operating a machine.

Related Article: How Sleep Affects Sports Performance

Sleep problems also affect mental health, resulting in extreme sensitivity and irritability to things, events, and people surrounding a person. Sudden outbursts of anger and other kinds of emotions are signs of mental health problems caused by lack of sleep. Poor social interactions with members of the family and co-workers are also related to mental health issues generated by disrupted sleep patterns. Aside from mental health problems, the general health of a person with sleep problems could deteriorate, resulting in an individual with lower stamina and weakened immune system. Another mental health effect of lack of sleep is depression.

According to sleep experts at the Mayo Clinic, sleep problems caused by changes in the circadian rhythm can be resolved by adapting certain activities or natural sleep aids that can enhance sleep. One of the most common natural sleeps aids for insomnia is the control the amount of light when a person is about to go to bed. For a person working on the nightshift and sleeping during the daytime, this will entail using dark curtains to prevent sunlight to come into the bedroom. This setting will “trick” the brain to feel that it is indeed bedtime and allow the body to rest. Another example of natural sleep aids for insomnia is melatonin, which is a nutritional supplement that helps in attaining sleep. Melatonin also helps decrease the grogginess and other mental health issues related to shifts in the work schedule or jetlag after traveling to another time zone.

Aside from natural sleep aids, there are also other prescription drugs that can help resolve sleep problems. However, these drugs may have side effects and could also interact with other medications that are routinely being taken by an individual. Research has also shown that natural sleep aids serve as the safest method in treating sleep problems and mental health issues due to shifts in work time and traveling through time zones.

The use of natural sleep aids such as melatonin is quite straightforward. According to studies mentioned by the Mayo Clinic sleep experts, natural sleep aids can be taken a few days before a scheduled trip to another country with a significant time difference. The time of intake of natural sleep aids before the flight should, however, coincide with the evening hours of the country of destination. It is also possible to take natural sleep aids upon arrival at the country of destination and continued for another five days. Natural sleep aids such as melatonin are available in a variety of doses. Several reports have described melatonin as a highly effective natural remedy for certain sleep problems, thus preventing mental health issues related to insomnia.

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What is “good” mental health?

The definition of good mental health is not absolute. The Canadian Mental Health Association suggestions that you should evaluate your own mental health by looking at the following characteristics:

1. Ability to enjoy life – can you appreciate what’s going on in your life right now?

2. Resilience – do you have the ability to bounce back when things aren’t going well?

3. Balance – are you able to handle everything that’s going on in your life? Do you have a good work/life balance? Are you able to make changes if needed to restore balance?

4. Self-actualization – are you able to identify and use your strengths to maximize your performance?

5. Flexibility – are you able to adapt to changes and change your expectations if needed?

By asking yourself the above questions, you will be able to identify if your mental health is good or if you need to make changes in order to improve it. Improvements made to your brain health will lead to better performance of your brain and body.

In addition to healthy eating, physical activity as well as stress control will help you to maintain your mental health and improve your brain performance.

Nutrition and Mental Health

The food that you put into your body has a direct impact on your energy levels, your physical performance and your mood. The food that you eat supplies your body with the nutrients and vitamins that it needs for survival and for proper brain performance. Incorporate the following foods into your diet for improved brain performance:

- Fresh fruits and vegetables

- Whole grains

- Protein

- Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (seeds, nuts, fish and eggs)

Nutrition and Depression

Depression is a mental health problem where a person experiences feelings of worthlessness, helplessness or hopelessness. Many people that suffer from depression also have sleep disturbances as well as changes in appetite. People who have depression often have difficulty concentrating and making decisions. Losing interest in activities that an individual used to enjoy is also a symptom of depression. Decreased sex drive as well as feeling overly tired can also signal depression. People with extreme cases of depression may even have thoughts of death or suicide.

No research has shown that a specific diet can treat depression. However, a healthy diet may support a complete treatment plan for depression. If you are suffering from depression, following the diet below may help in addition to other treatment that you are receiving.

- Eat a diet rich in nutrients – including vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and a small amount of fat

- Add in foods containing antioxidants – your brain is susceptible to damage from free radicals. Antioxidants protect your brain from this damage. Many fruits and vegetables as well as nuts, seeds and vegetable oil are sources of antioxidants.

- Eat a protein rich diet – turkey, tuna and chicken all contain tyrosine which is an amino acid that helps boost dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the brain. This boost helps you to concentrate and be more alert.

- Follow a Mediterranean diet – this diet includes plenty of fruits and veggies, nuts, cereals, legumes and fish. This diet is high in folate and Vitamin B12.

- Add in selenium rich foods – adding beans, legumes, lean mean, low fat dairy, nuts, seed, grains and seafood with provide you with selenium which is essential to good health.

- Be sure to include omega-3 fatty acids – a deficiency of omega-3 has been found in those suffering from depression. Try adding fatty fish, nuts and flaxseed into your diet.

Following some of the diet recommendations, in addition to traditional medical treatment for depression will help to ease some of the symptoms of depression. Even if you don’t suffer from depression, following the above diet recommendations may have a positive impact on your brain health.

What is quite interesting is that some experts are starting to look at whether a lack of certain nutrients, including: folate, Vitamin B12, calcium, iron, selenium, zinc and omega-3 may have an impact on mothers that are suffering from postpartum depression. The addition of these nutrients into the diets of new mothers may help to prevent postpartum depression.

It is important to take care of your mental health through diet, as well as exercise and stress management. Having good mental health will allow you to enjoy the little things in life.

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1. Alcohol drinking reduces sleep quality. A recent controlled trial showed that alcohol results in poor sleep quality, also known as insomnia. This generally results in tossing and turning for hours each night, and eventually catching sleep only during the early morning hours.

2. Alcohol consumption increases the risk for diseases. Alcohol drinking often results in insomnia, which decreases the number of hours of quality sleep and reduces the body’s chance to recharge or recuperate from the activities performed in the past days. Insomnia also reduces the chance for the body to produce essential hormones that are important in fighting infection, thus making you prone to illness.

3. Alcohol can affect short- and long-term memory. During sleep, the brain is allowed to process information gained from the past days. When insomnia due to alcohol consumption sets in, the brain is not given enough time to classify and retain information gathered during the day and thus will result in a loss of memory. In more severe cases of alcohol dependence, the person can suffer from a deterioration of mental health, thus affected even long-term memory.

4. Drinking alcohol results in poor physical health. Alcohol can affect various systems of the body, often resulting in a lower quality of general health. Aside from the risk of frequent sickness, alcohol drinkers suffering from insomnia often lose the strength and stamina to perform the regular tasks.

5. Alcohol results in a lower performance at work. The combination of excessive alcohol drinking and insomnia often results in loss of memory, which can also affect a person’s performance at work. Missing appointments and forgetting names of clients can affect the total quality of work. Loss of memory can also be in the form of forgetting how to perform a regular task at work and this can be quite frustrating not only to the alcohol drinker but to co-workers, too.

6. People who frequently drink alcohol have a higher risk of suffering from mental health disorders. Alcohol drinkers have been reported to suffer from psychological issues, showing that the mental health condition of these people has deteriorated. These individuals tend to get upset easily, often showing anger outbursts at work and at home.

7. Alcohol induces behavioral problems. Drinking alcohol also results in a change in a person’s behavior, especially when one’s memory and mental health have been affected. In turn, an alcohol drinker’s behavior will change in response to these mental health developments. Family members can also be affected by this change in mental health.

8. Excessive alcohol intake increases the risk for accidents. Since excessive alcohol results in an affected memory, insomnia, and poor general mental health, an individual will suffer from poor coordination in driving or operating machines, thus making it more likely that accidents and death to occur. Poor memory can result in pressing the wrong pedal while driving or forgetting to stop a machine when one is about to get hurt.

9. Alcohol can induce mental distress. Excessive alcohol drinking not only results in a loss of memory and sleep but also induces an individual to experience high levels of anxiety. The mental health condition of an alcohol drinker has definitely changed and this often results in a decrease in self-esteem, making the person feel less capable and deserving of good things in life. Challenging tasks will now seem to be impossible to perform, making the person feel that he or she is worthless and unimportant.

10. Drinking too much alcohol can make a person become delusional. Have you talked to a person who just had too much to drink? This person often brags about his or her capabilities, often to the extent of being delusional. This change in mental health can be destructive, especially when the person attempts to show his or her claim of grandeur while under the influence of alcohol. Excessive drinking changes one’s general mental health condition because it desensitizes the nerves and thus makes the drinker feel that nothing can harm him or her.

So before you take the next glass of your favorite drink tonight, remember that excessive alcohol drinking affects mental health. It will not be surprising if you are currently suffering from insomnia and never realized that there was a connection between insomnia and alcohol. We usually don’t give much importance to sleep but once insomnia sets in, it is best to reduce the amount of alcohol we consume each day.

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Although roughly 30% of Americans claim to have sleeping problems, only about 10% suffer from persistent issues or chronic insomnia. However, the data does point out that for the most part, a people aren’t getting the sleep they need. This data includes many of the people whose work requires them to make important, life and death decisions every day.

Using information gathered by the CDC’s (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) National Health Survey, the mattress retailer, “Sleepy’s” put together a list to illustrate the careers in which most workers are sleep deprived. Here are the top 6 (all are sleep deprived):

1. Home Health Aides (least deprived)

2. Lawyers

3. Police

4. Physicians/Paramedics

5. Economists

6. Social Workers (most deprived)

What makes these findings rather scary is the impact that people in such professions have on others. Furthermore, sleep deprivation caused by insomnia and other sleeping problems is closely tied to mental health.

Dr. Philip Becker, Medical Director of the Sleep Medicine Institute of the Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, illustrates the close correlation between sleep deprivation and depression by pointing out that the ratio of women to men with insomnia is almost on par with those who’ve been diagnosed with clinical depression, at 2:1.

In fact, he said that 6 of the 9 criteria required to diagnose a patient with a major depressive disorder are impacted by sleep problems. He also said that only 5 of the 9 criteria must be met for a patient to be diagnosed with such a mental disorder.

Sleep problems and insomnia have a number of impacts on one’s mental health, and findings published in a Harvard Mental Health Letter showed that chronic sleep problems (including insomnia) affect 50-80% of the patients in a typical psychiatric practice, compared with 10-18% of the general American population.

Insomnia and other sleeping problems were found to be particularly common with patients exhibiting the following mental health disorders:

- Depression

- Anxiety

- Bipolar Disorder

- ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)

The Mental Health Foundation in Great Britain used data from the Great British Sleep Survey to make even more connections between sleep and a person’s mental health. Using data from 5,328 respondents, people claiming to have sleep problems were four times as likely to have relationship problems, and three times as likely to lack concentration and be in a bad mood. The study also found that that 30% of the population suffers from some form of sleeping problem or insomnia.

Senior Researchers at the Mental Health Foundation said that “poor sleep can lead to mental health problems, and mental health problems can lead to poor sleep.” He said that as a result, people who experience insomnia can quite quickly find themselves in a “downward spiral” of mental health.

Serious mental health issues aren’t the only impacts a lack of sleep can have on an individual. Research has also shown that people short on sleep have had difficulty remembering things, being attentive and being able to concentrate on the tasks they are performing.

Correlations between sleep and a persons’ mental fitness has proven to be quite strong, and it is cause for concern that some of the most needed and trusted workers are also the most sleep deprived. However, it is unlikely many of these worker actually experience insomnia. The respondents in the 2011 report averaged between 6 hours and 57 minutes per night and 7 hours and 8 minutes, far more than what would be classified as insomnia.

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There are two sides to the argument of the inclusion of grief/bereavement in the DSM-V.  Those against the inclusion of grief state that it will lead to too many individuals being diagnosed with an inaccurate or unnecessary psychiatric disorder.  Being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder can cause people to become stigmatized.  This will, in turn, make people feel that their grieving of a loved one is not a normal process because their behaviour is classified as pathological. Additionally, when an individual is diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder they are usually treated with prescribed medication.  A major cause for concern is that individuals may be treated with unnecessary medications that have serious side effects and complications.

Then there are those that feel grief should be included in the DSM-V.  They argue that depression is under-diagnosed in society.  As a result of this, many people suffering from depression are not getting the treatment that they need. The inclusion of grief in the DSM-V will allow people that need treatment to obtain it much sooner than they would have if it wasn’t included. Additionally, treatments for disorders that are included in the DSM-V will be covered by insurance carriers.

There are compelling reasons on both sides of the argument with each medical professional making their own decision as to what side of the fence to be on.  It is vital that people remember that grief is a universal response to loss; however, there is not one “right” way to grieve.  Each culture has their own rituals when it comes to loss and every person has their own individual emotions and behaviours during the grieving process.  In additional to an individualized response to loss, the length of the grieving process for each person is different.  The degree of impairment on a person’s life is also differs from person to person.  There is no distinct line separating those that are experiencing normal grief and those that are stuck with complicated depression and grief.  This is why doctors have to look at the whole picture before labelling a patient with a psychiatric disorder.

It is important to remember is that even if grief is included as a disorder in the next version of the DSM, the criteria are not set in stone.  In a few years, the criteria will once again be looked at and adjusted accordingly.

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Back in the mid 1800’s a British born doctor helped develop the practice of gathering medical statistics. He did this by showing more unmarried people died from disease than married people did. Doctor William Farr was one of the first medical professionals to suggest that there is a health advantage to marriage. Numerous studies claiming that marriage is good for your health have been published in the world’s leading health journals in the centuries that have followed.

Statistics gathered by the University of Chicago indicate that married men live an average 10 years longer than unmarried men and that married women live 4 years longer than unmarried women. The list below covers some of the reasons outlined in the Chicago study.

Married men engage in less risky behavior
Married couples have twice the resources, which equals less stress
Husbands and wives tend to eat out less/ cook healthier meals
Couples encourage each other to see physicians
Married men and women consume less alcohol and drugs
Married men and women suffer less depression

Reaction

From 2006 to 2010 the US Department of Health and Human Services ran a national marriage promotion in response to the overwhelming data. The initiative received $150 million each year for projects that focused on reducing divorce and promoting the health benefits of staying married.

Marriage relationship workshops, special counseling sessions and other pro-marriage programs have been developed in the United States, Canada and Europe that uphold the belief that marriage is healthy.

Divorce and Death

The Journal of Health and Social Behavior published a study in 2010 that monitored the marriage and health of 9 thousand men and women in their 50’s and 60’s. When these married people became single again due to divorce or the death of a spouse, they suffered declining health. Twenty per-cent more chronic health problems such as heart disease and diabetes were reported compared to those who were still married. Those who were divorced reported aging less gracefully. They seemed to find it harder walking long distances, exercising and getting up and down stairs.

Some research is now underway to find ways to lower the impact of divorce and death on the body. Researchers are even looking at the connection between nutrition and the stress caused by these types of events.

Challenging the theory

Many psychologists will argue that marriage itself is not a recipe for good health but a “good marriage” is. They‘re theory is that a “bad marriage”; one filled with chaos, arguing and constant stress can lead to more health problems. The idea is that a “happy marriage” is the key to a healthy life.

A study by researchers at the University of Rochester supports this notion. The findings published in the journal, ‘Health Psychology’ suggests marital satisfaction has an impact on survival rates. One example cited in the report involved patients with heart problems. The researchers discovered that happily married men who undergo coronary bypass surgery are 3 times more likely to be living 15 years later, while their unmarried counter- parts are not.

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There is not a single cause of depression.  Causes of depression are not fully understood by the medical community although it is believed that there are certain triggers that can lead to a depressive state, including:

-          Stressful events in a person’s life (a death, job loss, etc.)
-          Certain medical conditions
-          Chemical imbalances in the brain
-          Social factors (finances, lack of a support system, loneliness, etc.)
-          Genetics

Perhaps the most shocking, is the recent correlation between wealth and depression.

A recent study conducted by the WHO found that wealthier nations such as the United States and France have higher rates of depression than poorer countries such as Mexico and China.  The highest rate of depression was found in France, with a rate of 21%; while the lowest rate was found in China at 6.5%.

Researchers from the WHO study found that if you live in a wealthy nation, you are more likely to experience at least one depressive episode than if you live in a middle to low income nation. Approximately 15% of people living in the 10 richest countries included in the study experienced a depressive episode, while only 11% of people living in poorer countries experienced depressive episode. One thing that did remain consistent in wealthy and poor nations was that depression causes impairment in a person’s life – personal and work lives are both affected negatively.

Researchers suggest a number of different theories as to why a discrepancy in the depression rates between wealthy and poorer countries exists.  Individuals living in wealthier nations tend to rely less on social support for marital or work-related problems when compared to individuals living in lower income nations.  It is known that there is a strong link between depression and lack of a support system.  One researcher even suggests that individuals living in poorer nations tend to have stronger religious beliefs which provide additional support and protection from experiencing depression.

In wealthier nations there is also a heightened expectation to achieve financial success.  If an individual does not reach this expectation, it could result in a depressive episode because they feel like a failure when compared to societal norms.  Additionally, stress is also prominent in wealthier nations where incomes are higher.  Stress can lead to depressive episodes as well. Furthermore, in wealthier nations, there tends to be more income-inequality which can lead to depression among other health conditions.

Another reason why this discrepancy may exist is that mental illness, such as depression, is much more recognized and diagnosed in wealthier nations.  Some people say that depression is perhaps over-diagnosed in wealthier nations.  Individuals living in poorer countries may not even know or recognize signs of depression and as a result potential depressive episodes may have not been reported in the WHO study.

While the reason(s) for the difference in depression levels between wealthy and poor nations remains unknown, it does exist.  Future research should focus on why these differences are seen and nation-specific ways to diagnose and treat the condition.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression

There is an array of signs and symptoms associated with depression, common ones include:

-          Feelings of hopelessness
-          Loss of interest in activities that you used to enjoy
-          Appetite or weight changes
-          Sleep difficulties
-          Irritability
-          Loss of energy / lethargy
-          Engaging in dangerous behaviour (drinking, drug use, etc.)
-          Difficulty concentrating
-          Experiencing unexplained aches and pains

Treatment for Depression

Just as there is no single cause of depression, there is not a single treatment for depression.  There are many effective treatment options so it is best to discuss your condition with your healthcare provider and come up with an individualized treatment plan so you experience the best results.  Some treatment options include:

-          Medication (there are many antidepressants available)
-          Therapy (talk therapy, psychotherapy, individual and/or group therapy, etc.)
-          Lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, nutrition, etc.)
-          Nutritional supplementation
-          Relaxation techniques (yoga, meditation, acupuncture, etc.)

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