Play

Episode 63: Play, by host, Laura Milkins. Our guest, Amy Una, tells the story of her depression and social anxiety, and how going out in nature helps her feel grounded. She explains how expressing herself in a blog helps with both the anxiety and depression. Sunday, June 18, 2017.

To read Amy Una’s blog: https://memyselfanixty.wordpress.com/

Go Out and Play! Why You Shouldn’t Stop Acting Like a Kid

By Therese Borchard

http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/therese-borchard-sanity-break/why-play-is-important-for-mental-health/

(Excerpts)

Evolutionary biologist and animal behavioral specialist Marc Bekoff, PhD, once said that “play is training for the unexpected.” And psychiatrist and play expert Stuart Brown, MD, said, “Those who play rarely become brittle in the face of stress or lose the healing capacity for humor.”

I’m beginning to think that playing can even access parts of our brain that are blocked to mindfulness, meditation, and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

In an article published in the spring 2011 issue of the American Journal of Play, Boston College research professor Peter Gray, PhD, wrote:

Over the past half century or so, in the United States and in some other developed nations, opportunities for children to play, especially to play outdoors with other children, have continually declined. Over this same period, measures of psychopathology in children and adolescents — including indices of anxiety, depression, feelings of helplessness, and narcissism — have continually increased.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Gray, author of Free to Learn, about the importance of play not only for kids, but for adults.

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Money

Episode 62: Money, by host, Laura Milkins. Our guest, Serena Freewomyn, tells the story of her depression and living with brain cancer, and how giving to others allows her to keep a positive perspective and the strength to choose her own path through life. Sunday, June 11, 2017.

7 Steps to Defeat Money Depression – Geoff Williams, U.S News
http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2014/08/06/7-steps-to-defeat-money-depression

(Except)

Feeling blue because you’re broke?

When you’re overwhelmed by money problems, it can be frightening and even ulcer-inducing, but it may make you feel better to know that you aren’t alone. Wade through enough surveys about depression and stress, and you start to see a main culprit: Money, or lack of it, is one of the top reasons many people feel they’re at the bottom. If you’re depressed about money, especially at a time when the economy is rebounding and your friends and family appear to be faring better than you financially, here are some ideas to help brighten your outlook.

Do what happy, healthy people do. It’s the fake-it-until-you-make-it approach. Stay away from alcohol. If you’re sleeping far more than the seven to eight hours a night doctors recommend, get out of bed. If you’re eating every time you feel low, put away the knife and fork. This is all easier said than done when you’re depressed, but once you start eating better, exercising and taking better care of yourself, “[you begin] to feel a level of control, and that can bring forth solutions that may have not been apparent with the depression,” says Lisa Bahar, a licensed professional clinical counselor based in Dana Point, California.

Bahar also points out that taking concrete steps to feel better “is doing the opposite of what the depression is asking you to do.”

Summertime

Episode 61: Summertime, by host, Laura Milkins. Our guest, Suzy Murphy, tells the story of her depression and suicidal ideation, and how a combination of therapy, peer support, medication and persistence has gotten her through the worst struggles. Sunday, June 4, 2017.

Excerpts from Smithsonian Magazine:

People Get Seasonal Depression in the Summer, Too

By Brian Handwerk

smithsonian.com
June 22, 2015

Other symptoms are opposites, like the seasons themselves. Winter sufferers often feel sluggish, sleep more than usual and tend to overeat and gain weight. By contrast, summertime depression often brings insomnia, loss of appetite, weight loss and feelings of agitation or anxiety. Summertime SAD can also create an increased feeling of isolation. If misery loves company, SAD sufferers can find plenty of other people to commiserate with during the dreary winter months. But during summer, most everyone else seems to be having a great time.

It remains a puzzle why some people experience SAD during the months of fun in the sun. Some research suggests that it can be triggered by too much sun exposure or oppressive heat. Other scientists have theorized that allergies play a roll, or that people are responding to shifts in sleeping habits during summer’s lighter nights and bright early mornings.

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/people-get-seasonal-depression-summer-too-180955673/#IlX4voSG8EEbff4g.99

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