April 14, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

If you seem to be annoyed and irritable a lot of the time, know that there is a connection between depression and irritability.

A 2013 article in the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Psychiatry online begins:

“Although symptoms of irritability or anger are not central to the diagnosis of unipolar major depressive episodes (MDEs), these symptoms have been found, in cross-sectional studies, to be highly prevalent and associated with increased comorbidity and depressive illness burden.”

An article in a different online newsletter is entitled Irritable Depression: When Sadness Feels Like Anger.

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

April 13, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

With mental illness and several suicides in her family, including her famous grandfather and sister, Mariel Hemingway had some tough choices to make. She successfully chose to actively work at keeping depression at bay.

Check THIS insightful interview with the actress and author.

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

April 12, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

“Despite increased awareness of what bipolar disorder is and how it affects people's lives, often thanks to movies and shows like Silver Linings Playbook, Homeland, and Michael Clayton, there are still strong stereotypes that influence how we define and recognize the condition in ourselves and in loved ones.”

10 Signs of Bipolar Disorder

Decreased need for sleep
Racing thoughts and accelerated speech
Restlessness and agitation
Overconfidence
Impulsive and risky behavior
Hopelessness
Withdrawal from family and friends and lack of interest in activities
Change in appetite and sleep
Problems with memory, concentration and decision making
Preoccupation with death and thoughts of suicide

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

April 11, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

Get help.

When you're depressed, you're not necessarily thinking clearly, and the availability of help is easy to overlook.

Sometimes the most obvious things are too close to see. If you're miserable, change something! If you can't get motivated or move or don't know what to do, get help!

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has fantastic resources for finding the right help to conquer depression, including an interactive “Find a Therapist” directory.

Other resources from the ADAA can be found HERE.

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

April 10, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

Self-medicating:

Alcohol
Tobacco
Sex
Food
Sugar
Chocolate
Sleeping
Exercise
Cannabis
Drugs: Cocaine, Amphetamines, Opiates such as Codeine, Heroin, and Methadone

Any of these certainly may make you feel better, but in some circumstances they each may also be more harmful than helpful. Most can be addictive and all can create real physical, emotional and social problems, especially if overindulged. If you feel you have a problem, please seek help.

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

April 9, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

Some studies show a correlation between low salt intake and depression. However, the vast majority of people with Western diets get far more salt than they need, and research is inconclusive.

If you suffer from depression and are restricting your salt intake to below 6 grams per day for adults or 2 grams per day for children, ask your doctor to look into any possible connection between the two.

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

April 8, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

HERE is a nice, short, Buzzfeed video on the Things Nobody Told Me About Depression. With British accents, so that's a plus!

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

April 7, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

There is research showing a vegetarian diet causes or increases depression. There are also studies showing a vegetarian diet prevents or decreases depression. Respected scientists disagree.

However, Omega 3 Fatty Acids are fairly universally agreed by research scientists and doctors to be necessary for many bodily functions, including for staving off depression. Nutritional supplements are useful for vegetarians.

For pescatarians (people who eat a mostly plant-based diet but do include some seafood), studies suggest that just one serving per week of salmon can mitigate depression. You can manage that.

Nutritionally, wild and farmed salmon are comparable, though counter-intuitively some research shows that ocean salmon is better than farmed salmon regarding contaminants, pollutants and known carcinogens.

Lox, fresh salmon fillets, frozen salmon and even processed fish like Gorton's – wild or farmed – all are elements of an anti-depression diet.

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

April 6, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

New reports suggest binge-watching TV and movies may contribute to depression.

Nooooooo!

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com