Mental Health Depression – Why A Lot Of Modern People Have It?

Depression is one of the most common problems to have affected our present generation. It is a strange fact that the present generation i.e. people between the age group of 15-40 are the victims of mental depression but this is not the same with our grandfathers or great grandfathers!

Does this mean that our grandfathers were shielded from such problem just because of the simple life they led? Maybe; one fact that we all would have to agree with is that our modern lifestyle has made us more and more vulnerable to mental disorders like depression. Our modern lifestyle is full of stress and unhealthy habits where we do not know the limits to the pressure that we handle or the unhealthy habits that we have adopted.

On the other hand our grandfathers led a very simple and normal life; they never really overindulged themselves into eating unhealthy foods or leading a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise and food are two of the major things that can affect our mental health to a great extent; hence, if we too want to get rid of our depressing thoughts then it is time that we check what we eat and how we live.

We need to understand that our professional lives open us up to various forms of stress, thus we need to take care of our eating habits to save the body from further stress. It is better to avoid the junk foods and take in as much green vegetables and fruits as possible. Provide the body with the most needed nutrients and stuff it with the wellness of nature. This would automatically allow you to get over your depressive feelings.

Physical exercise is another important thing that one needs to inculcate into one’s life so that your body and mind remains fit and filled with enough oxygen to let the depression ebb away without any fuss.

Do you want to know more about some types of depression?

Mental Health Depression – Why A Lot Of Modern People Have It?

Depression is one of the most common problems to have affected our present generation. It is a strange fact that the present generation i.e. people between the age group of 15-40 are the victims of mental depression but this is not the same with our grandfathers or great grandfathers!

Does this mean that our grandfathers were shielded from such problem just because of the simple life they led? Maybe; one fact that we all would have to agree with is that our modern lifestyle has made us more and more vulnerable to mental disorders like depression. Our modern lifestyle is full of stress and unhealthy habits where we do not know the limits to the pressure that we handle or the unhealthy habits that we have adopted.

On the other hand our grandfathers led a very simple and normal life; they never really overindulged themselves into eating unhealthy foods or leading a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise and food are two of the major things that can affect our mental health to a great extent; hence, if we too want to get rid of our depressing thoughts then it is time that we check what we eat and how we live.

We need to understand that our professional lives open us up to various forms of stress, thus we need to take care of our eating habits to save the body from further stress. It is better to avoid the junk foods and take in as much green vegetables and fruits as possible. Provide the body with the most needed nutrients and stuff it with the wellness of nature. This would automatically allow you to get over your depressive feelings.

Physical exercise is another important thing that one needs to inculcate into one’s life so that your body and mind remains fit and filled with enough oxygen to let the depression ebb away without any fuss.

Do you want to know more about some types of depression?

Medicare Coverage and Mental Health – Depression in Seniors Soon Covered by Medicare Insurance

Medicare Hopes to Increase Coverage for Depression

Depression is a very real issue for seniors (and other Americans) all over the country. However, in many seniors the disease has gone undetected, because even with Medicare, preventative measures were not covered for mental health needs. Seniors with depression, especially white, older males, have a much higher chance of being diagnosed, because patients typically present physical, tangible complaints rather than symptoms of their mood.

Already, some Medicare beneficiaries are being treated for depression, although those who are, encounter very high out-of-pocket expenses. Those with Medicare Supplemental Plans (or Medigap Insurance) were able to handle more of the costs, but those without supplemental insurance often went without treatment.

Medicare hopes to rectify that situation with new policies that focus on early detection and preventative measures as opposed to just treatment after the disease has already taken hold:

“Medicare always has covered treatment of mental illness. But starting Jan. 1, 2012, the program also will cover preventive screenings for depression and, in a separate policy proposal, alcohol misuse.” (from American Medical News)

It’s impossible to ignore the growing number of seniors dealing with depression. It’s also foolish to think that all those who are dealing with depression are receiving the proper treatment:

“‘Among persons older than 65 years, one in six suffers from depression,’ and the condition is higher in those with co-morbidities including cancer, arthritis, stroke, chronic lung disease and cardiovascular disease, and when stressful events are more frequent.” (from Health Leaders Media)

Another study has linked insomnia to depression, and while it is usually of symptom of depression, doctors have found that it can also be a risk factor for depression onset and reoccurring depression.
Also, depression amongst seniors tend to last longer than the general population suffering from depression. Depression has also been known to double the risk of cardiac diseases in seniors, and has been linked to the increased percentage of deaths from illness. Often times depression can reduce the ambition, or even ability to rehabilitate from a sickness or injury.

The hope is that adding Medicare coverage for screenings and early-detection practices, the number of undiagnosed seniors will decrease and that those suffering from depression will receive the help they need.

Medicare Coverage Can Only Get Better with Your Help

If you have questions about Medicare or Medicare supplement insurance coverage for mental health issues, you should be able to speak with a Medigap provider or other professional in the field who can lay out exactly what the coverage is and what the costs are.

Healthcare continues to be a major topic of discussion on Capitol Hill, across the 24-hour news channels, and in homes all over the country. Unfortunately, a lot of these conversations and debates turn into political attacks, and some of the basic concerns get lost in the mix. Concerns like, “Does Medicare provide the coverage I need right now, or do I need to look into Medigap coverage?”

As the focus of the Medicare debate remains, for the most part, in the future tense, we try our best to focus on the here and now (at least from time to time). The fact is that as of right now, Medicare coverage doesn’t provide the full range of care that some seniors need. In fact, according to a recent report “about 1 in 6 Medicare beneficiaries purchased [Medigap policies] in 2008. (from Philly Burbs and Partnership to Protect Medigap)

Not everyone (seniors or otherwise) has the same healthcare needs or is in the same economic situation. However, everyone has the right to get all of the information on all of the options out there. As talks about the future of Medicare heat up as we approach the next Presidential election, don’t lose sight of the present state of Medicare. Does it offer you all of the coverage you need? What options could Medigap coverage provide? Does Medigap coverage make financial sense for my specific situation? These are just a few of the questions you need to ask yourself and an expert in the field, even if the politicians and pundits aren’t asking them

Mental Health Depression

Mental health is really about how we think and feel about ourselves and the world around us, and about how we behave and interact with others in our day to day lives. It isn’t easy to define exactly what it means to have good mental health as people will interpret what it means to be mentally healthy in different ways. On the other hand, there are some signs and symptoms that can indicate when someone has a mental health problem, when their mental functions are not performing as well as they could, and we see evidence of alternations in their thinking and behaviour.

Take depression for example, even though there is no set pattern and each person will be affected differently; there are some simple clues that we can look out for.

What it means to be depressed

Depression is a lot more than feeling a bit fed up and down in the dumps, which is something we all experience from time to time and is a natural part of the ups and downs of life. To be clinically depressed means that we cannot just shake off our low mood and get on with our lives, the depression persists and starts to interfere with our normal daily routines and we can no longer enjoy activities and pastimes that used to be pleasurable.

o We may find it hard to get up in the morning to go to work or school, and we may have difficulty getting to sleep at night and when we do get to sleep, our sleep might be disturbed

o Our relationships with family, friends and work colleagues can suffer and our self esteem may be low and we don’t feel good enough

o We could find ourselves worrying constantly and feeling anxious and panicky for no particular reason

o Our eating patterns can change and we could see fluctuations in our weight as we may eat a lot more or lose our appetite

o Maybe we are tearful and cry a lot, or we may find we cannot get in touch with our emotions and feel numb and unable to express our emotion

o Some of us may become more aggressive and hostile or irritable for no real reason

o Life may seem too difficult and so we struggle to cope with even minor tasks

o We may feel guilty and worthy of blame and punishment

o Our memory and concentration might not be as good as it was and we find it more and more difficult to make decisions

o Other physical symptoms such as headaches, and various other aches and pains may convince us that we have something else wrong with us

Regardless of the different ways that some of these symptoms can affect us, the main factors that point to depression are the same. Major depression is likely to be diagnosed if the symptoms of depression have persisted for more than two weeks accompanied by low moods and a lack of pleasure in pursuits that were once enjoyed and the symptoms are severe enough to interfere with normal daily routines and activities.

Who gets depressed?

No one knows why some people become depressed and not others and there is no single known cause of depression either. Depressive episodes can be triggered by biochemical, genetic, psychological, environmental and social factors or a combination of these. What is known is that certain groups of people appear more at risk of developing depression than others. These include the long term sick and disabled, those in poor living conditions, those with a history of depression in the family, the homeless, ethnic minorities and people in prison. Sometimes life circumstances can trigger an episode of depression such as redundancy, retirement, divorce, bereavement, problems at work or financial difficulties.

However, no one is immune to depression and someone can develop a depressive disorder even if they are not considered at greater risk. The reality is that any kind of mental health problem and depression can strike any one of us at any time of our lives.

Getting well again

One of the biggest barriers to recovery for someone suffering from depression or indeed any mental health problem is a reluctance to seek help. Many people are afraid of admitting that they cannot cope and so try and deal with it on their own but the symptoms are unlikely to just disappear and will continue possibly for years without appropriate help and treatment.

Any kind of mental health problem can be an intensely isolating experience as the individual concerned cannot help how they are feeling so the understanding and support of family and friends can be of enormous help for someone struggling to cope with their depression. However, the most important thing to remember is that depression is treatable and it is also fairly common.

Your doctor is the best person to advise you on what treatment options are available as he or she will be able to make full medical assessment in order to obtain a correct diagnosis and can take into account any other contributory factors that might need dealt with. Usually, treatment will consist of medication and perhaps some form of talking therapy or a combination of both.

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