l effects that can lead to depression.
Who does depression affect?
• Depression can affect anyone, but its severity can depend on your age and gender.
• Women are twice as likely as men to experience depression. This is partly due to hormone changes during puberty, menstruation, menopause and pregnancy.
• While the risk of depression for men is lower, they are more likely to allow the disease to go undiagnosed and untreated. They are also more likely to become angry and often try to hide the disease with substance abuse. Suicide is also a serious concern with men who suffer from depression. Men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women.
• The elderly are also at a higher risk of depression. Changes that occur during aging are often difficult to cope with. Similarly to men, the elderly tend to not receive help for their depression.
How can I combat depression?
Exercise is physically the best way to naturally improve your mood and lessen depressive feelings. A recent study assigned 202 adults with serious depression to four groups. One group took sertraline, one group exercised in a group setting, one group exercised at home, and one group took a placebo pill. After 16 weeks, 47 percent of the first group reported feeling better, as did 45 percent of the second group, 40 percent of the third group, and 31 percent of the fourth group. This shows that exercise works just as well as antidepressants, if not better and cheaper!
Exercise is effective in combating depression for a number of reasons :
• It increases the levels of serotonin and other mood-enhancing neurotransmitters in the brain.
• Exercise promotes a sense of accomplishment. This is helpful for people who don't feel in control of their moods and emotions.
• It helps to increase positive self-esteem.
• Exercising serves as a distraction from worries and problems.
• This helps lower stress levels and release muscle tension.
• It also
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