Like much of the world, I lament the untimely deaths of fashion designer Kate Spade and television personality Anthony Bourdain. Their deaths by suicide highlight the role of depression in our lives. Certainly, as a practicing clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist, I frequently treat clinical depression in my patients. Estimates are that approximately 8% of people over the age of 12 suffer from moderate to severe depression. The signs of serious depression are many and include prolonged sadness or irritability, sleep and appetite disturbances, loss of energy, less interest in pleasurable activities, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, and occasionally thoughts of suicide. Signs of suicide include talking about feeling hopeless with no reason to live or about feeling trapped or being a burden to others, increasing the use of alcohol or drugs, sleeping too much or too little, withdrawing and isolating from others.
What are some of the causes of depression? Experts note multiple causes to include genetic vulnerability, stressful life events, medications, medical problems, neuronal transmission, faulty mood regulation by the brain, and one's view of the world. We discuss these aspects of depression in our book (I Can't Take it Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056. For more information, visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com. The influence of the brain on how you think and feel as well as how your thoughts (mindset) influence your brain is reciprocal. In depression, three brain systems are involved:
1. Hippocampus. This area of the brain is involved in memory and emotional processing. Neuroimaging studies have shown how the hippocampus is reduced in size in depressed individuals, possibly secondary to stressful life events resulting in reduced neuronal connections.
2. Amygdala. This structure is in the limbic system processing memory and emotional reactions. This is where, in conjunction with the hippocampus, we relive stressful and fearful events. The joint influence of the amygdala and hippocampus is where the colloquial phrase "once bitten, twice shy" arises.
3. Thalamus. This structure manages sensory input to and from the brain and serves as a relay station for many areas of the brain. Some research relates this area to manic depression as it links sensory input to pleasant and unpleasant feelings.
Our view of the world (mindset) further influences whether we react to events in a negative, self-blaming view versus a more growth/adaptive/positive view. These views in turn influence various brain structures to our benefit or not.
So, how might you deal with your own multiple life challenges to avoid a depressive episode? I would recommend six actions/strategies:
1. Make time for your loved ones. It reduces the psychological over reliance on other aspects of your life, e.g. job, as a source of emotional gratification.
2. Maintain social relationships. This is exactly what depressed individuals do not do and is one of the greatest risk factors for clinical depression.
3. Ask for help. This sometimes is difficult for people, often men, who are used to being in charge and value their independence. There is much help available. In fact, if you think that you may be suicidal, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. .
4. Get proper exercise and watch your diet.
5. Build an identify apart from your job. You are more than any one aspect of your life. Get involved in some other activity which you value, it reduces your risk for depression.
6. Reframe failure and loss. As I frequently discuss, how you explain setbacks has to do with your mindset. The idea is for you to identify, challenge, and avoid overgeneralizing statements about setbacks to include "I'm a failure", "I'm no good at business", "This always happens to me", among others.
There is much hope for all of us to avoid debilitating depression and you can enjoy your life both business and personal.
Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Results. Good luck on your journey.
Dr. Paul Longobardi
For more information on these and related topics, please also visit my website at www.successandmindset.com