Scientists at Melbourne’s Howard Florey Institute have shown that mental and physical exercise can improve behavioural deficits in schizophrenia and repair damaged chemical transmitter pathways in the brain.

“Pharmaceutical approaches may not be the sole answer for a given brain disease. People may still need optimal levels of physical and mental activity, as well as a healthy diet…”

Check out the full article here: Howard Florey Institute: Schizophrenia improved by mental and physical exercise

Here’s an interesting story from News-Medical.net

From the article;
An Australian psychiatrist has accused the medical profession of over-diagnosing depression, and says thousands of people are wrongly being prescribed drugs to treat it. According to Professor Gordon Parker of the University of New South Wales, the current threshold for what is considered to be “clinical depression” is too low and he warns that the condition is becoming less credible.

Get the full story here http://www.news-medical.net/?id=28914
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I think he makes an interesting point about the “exaggerated marketing claims” of drug companies being a contributing factor towards the escalating diagnosis of depression. And I do feel that mass-marketing is always ready to cash in on something, no matter how pitiful. Mass marketing is all about the art of lieing…. but I digress…

I think Modern society is not only a cause, but also a symptom of depression. Consider this fact; Nigerians have the lowest rate of global depression.

I’m very interested in how we can get through this unnatural modern environment without going completely mad, so here is my little list that helps me to keep the blues away;

• Bush Walking
• Exercising
• Being around warm people
• Hobbies
• Hot Chilli Thai food
• Talking to you on this forum

What are your tips for keep the blues away? (stuff you actually practise)

It’s not looking good according to the WHO (World Health Organisation)…

“Depression is the leading cause of disability, and the 4th leading contributor to the global burden of disease in 2000. By the year 2020, depression is projected to reach 2nd place for all ages, both sexes. Today, depression is already 2nd in the age category 15-44 years for both sexes combined.”

Quick facts from the WHO;

• Depression is common, affecting about 121 million people worldwide.
• Depression is among the leading causes of disability worldwide.

…and I am not surprised
By now you’re probably aware of my feelings towards modern society, therefore i’ll skip the rant about how society is making us sick… BUT, the above figures do prove a point; that modern society is an unnatural environment and is not conducive to overall contentment.

So what’s the problem?
I’m not 100% certain… but I do suspect that consumerism is deteriorating the fabric of society. And mass marketing is constantly telling us to buy more, get more, eat more, be more, etc.

Mass marketing is becoming increasingly clever and deviously surreptitious in it’s execution. I think mass marketing is an evil form of psychotherapy, constantly trying to get into our subconscious. Try and go one day without running into mass marketing – it’s not easy.

The vicious cycle
Here is the formula of modern society;

• Work 40 hours a week, and become time poor.
• Being time poor we have to buy ready made food, which is expensive.
• Being time poor we become stressed, we need to buy a holiday.
• Now there is less money so we have to work more.

Repeat the above steps and add more working hours (and stress) for each cycle. And for each cycle, you get a step closer to depression.

Obviously my example is a very generalised one. But the principle of “work more for less” stands true. I feel great sadness when I see people filling their shopping carts with overpriced processed foods – it saddens me because I know that some corporation has just cashed in on the sweat of their hard work. Not to mention the fact that the processed food is very likely to be unhealthy.

I realise that the consumer is responsible for their choices, but I can’t get away from feeling that somehow, even though there are 1000′s of products to choose from, there really is little choice, if any.

Time to fight back
If you’re are reading this article then you’re already taking affirmative action, because you’re seeking…. don’t stop seeking, learn the truth! Get informed and fight back!!!

Cathi Cohen, in her book, Raise Your Child’s Social IQ, offers the following list of characteristics of children with positive and negative self esteem:

Kids with High Self-Esteem

• Have fairly stable moods
• Set realistic goals and achieve them
• Have self-motivation and “stick-to-it-ness”
• Can accept rejection or critical feedback
• Can say “no” to peers
• Are realistically aware of their own strengths and weaknesses

Kids with Low Self-Esteem

• Often blame others for their actions
• Need to be liked by everyone
• See themselves as losers
• Are critical of others
• Get frustrated easily
• Have trouble accepting responsibility for their actions
• Make negative comments about themselves
• Tend to be quitters

Hmmmm… interesting. I can identify with points from both lists.