Top 7 Tips To Treat And Prevent Depression

Chronic illness, loss of family members and friends, social isolation, and financial worries all contribute to late-life depression. Though depression is one of the most common psychological disorders among those over 60 – affecting up to 15 percent of the population over 60 years of age – it is not a normal part of aging. To bolster your resilience, here are a few suggestions that can help you.

1. Brew Up Herbal Relief
   
   One herb, hypericin has been found to cause significant reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety. Several of its constituents all contribute, perhaps, synergistically to the increase in compounds that relieve depression. To try it, it is recommended using tinctures, or evening primrose infusions, in which the flowering tops have been steeped. Or use just plain old teas. Suggests steeping one to two teaspoons of the dried herb in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes and drinking one or two cups of the tea daily for four to six weeks.
   
   
2. Try Déjà Vu All Over Again
   
   One terrific antidote for the blues is doing an activity you used to enjoy but have not participated in for many years. Bowling, camping, fly-fishing, and other long-dormant hobbies can spark fond memories that will actually uplift your spirits. But if you just sit at home, none of these positive things are going to occur.
   
   
3. Try Seafood
   
   Eating tuna, salmon, and other fish loaded with omega-3, a type of polyunsaturated fat, may help bolster your mood. The low levels of omega-3 in your nervous system may increase your vulnerability to depression. So regular consumption of fish once or twice a week may prevent the blues. Lobster, crab, shrimp, and other shellfish also contain some omega-3.
   
   
4. Keep Yourself Busy
   
   If you keep yourself absorbed in gardening, woodworking, traveling, and other projects, it will prevent you from dwelling on whatever is making you feel unhappy. Write down a list of goals you want to accomplish in the next week or month and dive into them. Always have something to look forward to, and you will be less susceptible to the blues.
   
   
5. Try Writing
   
   If you are uncomfortable talking about your depression with others or have no one whom you can share your thoughts with, write down your feelings in a journal. Writing will help you organize your thoughts and provide an outlet for your feelings that can help you organize your thoughts and provide an outlet for your feelings that can help dissolve unpleasant emotions. Set aside 20 to 30 minutes daily to jot down your thoughts, feelings, and observations about life.
   
   
6. Exercise Regularly
   
   Regular aerobic exercise like walking, swimming, and dancing increases the production of mood-enhancing chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, that can help pull you out of a funk. Try exercising for at least 20 minutes a day three times a week.
   
   
7. Share Your Feelings
   
   Share your feelings with one or two close friends or relatives. More than likely, you have helped them through many upheavals in the past, and if you allow it, they will let you lean on them for emotional support for a while now. This does not mean you are asking them to solve the problem for you. It simply means you are asking them to listen, allow you to get things off your chest, and be supportive.

Raymond Lee is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is the Founder of Bodyfixes Group specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.