Blogs

Depression Increases Risk of Common Arrhythmia
Depression affects an estimated 16 million Americans, and the mental health issue has been linked to an increasing number of physical ailments in recent years. The new study, conducted by the American Heart Association, revealed that those who were on antidepressants or scored in the highest category for depression symptoms were 30 percent more at risk for atrial fibrillation. Exactly how depression affects heart health remains unclear, researchers said, but several possibilities have been suggested.

“Depression can induce a variety of changes in the body [by] increasing the levels of inflammation in the body, activating the autonomic nervous system which increases the catecholamine levels in our body, activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis which increases the cortisol levels in our body, and activating the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system,” Garg told MD Magazine.

See also How Does Depression Affect the Heart for further evidence that treating depression is not something to be delayed, but rather should be addressed with urgency.

9 Bible Verses for Depression to Shine Light into Darkness
It’s not the only answer, but it’s usually part of it.

Food to feed your MIND: 7 diet tweaks that help fight depression and anxiety
“According to the Mental Health Foundation, those who reported a mental health problem of any degree also reported a less healthy diet, in terms of fresh fruit and vegetables and cooking from scratch but included more unhealthy foods such as crisps, chocolate, ready meals and takeaways.

A systematic review, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that high intakes of fruit, vegetables, fish and whole grains are associated with a reduced risk of depression.

It’s no coincidence that the rise in mental health problems in the last 50 years also accompanies a rise in the consumption of processed foods and less fresh fruits and vegetables.”

James Packer: Resignation puts focus on ‘high-flier’ mental health
Australian billionaire James Packer has received much public praise since quitting his gaming empire due to mental health reasons. His resignation has also prompted discussion about mental health at the top of business. In connection with that, here’s lots of good advice from the Harvard Business Review on When You Need to Take Time off Work for Mental Health Reasons

Just because you don’t know of anyone else at your company who has taken time off for mental health reasons doesn’t mean there isn’t precedent. Diagnosable mental health conditions impact one in five Americans in any given yearTreatment for the most common conditions (namely depression) is effective 80% of the time, but fewer than half of the people who need help get it, often because of social stigma, the fear of repercussions at work, or lack of access to quality, affordable care.

New Book

How to Break up with Your Phone by Catherine Price. The first half of the book delves into how phones and apps are designed to be addictive and the research regarding how the time we spend on them damages our abilities to focus, think deeply, and form new memories. The second half of the book then follows with the antidote – a 30-day guide to making customized changes to your settings, apps, environment, and mindset that will enable you to take back control of your life.

Kindle Books

Overcoming Sin and Temptation (Foreword by John Piper): Three Classic Works by John Owen $2.99.

The Mark of the Christian (IVP Classics) by Francis A. Schaeffer $2.99.

A Place for Weakness: Preparing Yourself for Suffering by Michael Horton $2.99.

Quote of the Day

I admire Jordan Peterson’s courage, I’m grateful for his stand against political correctness, and I’m deeply moved by his genuine and practical compassion for young men. But, in my humble opinion, his best-selling book, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos is largely gobbledegook. I’ve rarely seen so many words, and so much complexity, used to communicate such simple common sense ideas. There are gems here and there, but you have to dig long and hard to get to them underneath the amalgam of weird Scripture interpretation, evolutionary science, and psychological mumbo-jumbo. For example, one early paragraph on sleep resonated with my own experience of counseling people with depression:

I always ask my clinical clients first about sleep. Do they wake up in the morning at approximately the time the typical person wakes up, and at the same time every day? If the answer is no, fixing that is the first thing I recommend. It doesn’t matter so much if they go to bed at the same time each evening [I disagree with that. DPM], but waking up at a consistent hour is a necessity. Anxiety and depression cannot be easily treated if the sufferer had unpredictable daily routines. The systems that mediate negative emotions are tightly tied to the properly cyclical circadian rhythms.

I couldn’t agree more. Sleep is about the first area I ask about (it’s usually a mess), and fixing that and establishing a regular daily rhythm can pay quick and big dividends.

  • http://www.coramdeotheblog.com Bill Pence

    I agree with you, and tried the audiobook version of 12 Rules. Made it into the second rule before I gave up.