What is the reverse of the coin? There isn’t any! The abundant evidence of research activities have shown that exercises, which improve oxygen exchange (dancing, basketball, jogging, cycling, swimming, walking, etc.), as well as exercises which do not belong to this category (such as weightlifting), can relieve depression, if it is determined as mild or middle. They also can reinforce treatment rates by heavy depression. Even such inoffensive activity like walking does its part. The observance of stable regime in case of melancholy may be a powerful restorative remedy. It is not inconceivable that it is all that need a person.

The exercises are so efficacious, that if person will do them in combination with psychotherapy or/and with medication taking, he rather approaches his recovery, than if he restricts himself with only course of treatment.

Exercise’s effects may be long-term. One research, that included among 5 000 college students in course of mental health, has shown that students who regularly did morning exercises (even during seven years after course ending), had weak depression and anxiety. The exercises, along with others methods, may be a powerful weapon in arms of your beloved.

Why are these exercises so efficient?

There are some theories which can explain this phenomenon. On the psychological level these exercises divert person from pains and bereavement. Winning round in tennis he may become sensation of reached mastery, which can help to conquer a feeling of hopelessness and despair. Exercises which are realized in the form of playing kinds of sports, like dancing or aerobics, may also slacken the feeling of solitude. Moreover, we should remember, that with the purpose of exercises like walking, skiing or jogging, we go to the open air, that is important for our soul.

Positive effects may also come from biological sources. The scientists have discovered that strenuous activity releases in brain chemical agents called endorphins. They act like morphine – they relieve sensations of pain and
revive our spirits. Besides, physical activity improves effect and metabolism of mediators, such as noradrenaline and serotonin. They are very important to regulate our spirits.

How many exercises should be enough?

Do a complex of aerobic exercises just 2-5 times a week by 30-40 minutes. Provide 5-10 minutes at the beginning for warming-up and at the end for relaxation. These exercises should demand efforts, but they must not be too difficult. The person should be able to perform them and be sure that they are not doomed to failure. No one set of exercises will not work if person believes that they are too difficult for him. In this case it is better to start with simple exercises and while its development to increase the load.

The failures may be a reason of psychological stresses and may intensify the feeling of inferiority. That is why he must see his goals. A friendly game in tennis, which does not contain competition, may be more useful than game on points. If person likes it, he will probably want to play more.

It stands to reason that no one combined movements will not be effective if person does not want to do it. The person suffering from depression may be of sluggish disposition. That is why it will be better to start with joint short walks. As they say, half a loaf is better than no bread. Concentrate on little steps which approach you to the aim. In addition, the person will be disposed to exercises, if they are convenient for him and do not disturb the daily routine.

There is only one insignificant risk by physical exercises: some people may be too accustomed to the changes of their state. The sign of such adaptation is a necessity to increase the «dose» of exercises in order to achieve positive effect. The training becomes the main thing. The family relations pale into insignificance. Furthermore, the person is disposed to put such well-doing before all else. That is a bit too thick. Sometimes excessive keenness on exercises may be a sign of impulsive obsession. Such circumstances must be discussed with a doctor. In old time, a Greek philosopher Aristotle advised us be moderate in everything. It includes exercises which help us to cope with depression.

The most influence on our mood has carbohydrates. Getting into the body, they start a range of chemical reactions, at which point a great number of tryptophan gets the brain. The tryptophan turns to serotonin, which improves our mood. But not all carbohydrates have the same effect. For example fruit does not have such influence. The fructose does not start a range of chemical reactions, which lead to serotonin development.

What has an influence?

Household bread. Imagine yourselves sportsmen who want to win a relay race. The most foodstuffs have one or more amino acids which molecules contain in animal or vegetable albumens. They are necessary for our health. Like sportsmen, amino acids engage in competition with each other, trying as fast as possible getting a brain. Here tryptophan makes serotonin level more active. This substance assuages and improves the cerebration. But you should eat bread before meat or cheese, which are enriched with albumen. That allows the tryptophan getting into the brain before it will be filled with other amino acids.

The turkey meat is reach in tyrosine. The tyrosine – is an amino acid which increases a level of dopamine and noradrenaline in the brain that in its turn raises energy and rate of a reaction. The good substitutes are meat of tunny-fish and chicken.

Beef. The people, who keep to a diet and have a low cholesterol level, may have an iron deficit. It can cause a sensation of weariness and bad mood. The iron supports the saturation of cells with an oxygen and in such a way inspires with energy.

Water. By dehydration we have decreased blood supply to body organs and slowed body working. If you will drink enough water every day, it helps you to get rid of drowse. The adults should drink 8-10 glasses of water every day. The drinks which contain caffeine can not be replaced by water. They usually act as diuretic and redouble the dehydration.

Bananas. The magnesium deficit and stress are interdependent. That is why some doctors and dietitians advise people, who is leading intensive life, add to their food ration such products like bananas. The scientists have also determined that increased magnesium consumption decreases excitability and promotes sleep improvement. If you do not like bananas, remember, that another magnesium source you can find in nuts, haricots, greens, germinated wheat grains.

Oranges and grapefruits. Lack of vitamin C reduces body’s capacity to iron assimilation, which is necessary for struggle against tiredness.

Chocolate. Some specialists believe that, like many sweet carbohydrates, chocolate can benefit our moods. Other think that caffeine and similar to it substances, play a part of stimulants.

Hot pepper. Capsaicin, is a substance which gives a pepper spicy taste and stimulates nerve endings, provoking a burning sensation. In response, brain excretes endorphins – natural substances, which elevate mood.

According to statistics, about 15% of Americans suffer from one or another form of depression, and it costs the nation 89 billion dollars every year (it includes not only cost for treatment and medicines, but also production loss, work absences and suicidal thoughts). Each year in the U.S. occur about 30 thousand attempted suicides, resulting in the death of a considerable number of people. Depression – is one of the main reasons of employability’s lost among people aged 15-44. Doctors called it «emotional cancer», the same malignant disease disposed to relapses.

Nowadays they used more than two tens of antidepressants with different mechanisms of action. Some of them are not so efficacious as it was expected. Others had tendency to suicidal actions by teenagers, and perhaps by adults.

Today the most popular are medicines which belong to the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The reason – is simplicity of application (one pill per day).

Some time ago, with a help of government budgeting, there was a wide trial after the medicine called Celexa (citalopram). The studies included 3 thousands of patients suffering from depression, from which this antidepressant has helped only a third people, despite the fact that they were given in higher doses than usual.

The next stage of research were conducted with those people who are not helped Celexa. Among those patients were people who suffered from depression more than one year. These patients were prescribed other antidepressants of different classes – Zoloft (from the same group as Celexa), Wellbutrin (other class than SSRI), or Effexor (which has another point of application in brain). It turned out that such simple medicine change has helped at least a quarter of patients do not experience depression attacks during 3-4 months.

Another group of similar patients have continued to give Celexa, but in addition was appointed a Wellbutrin or sedative BuSpar. Among these patients, one third had a calm period during the same term, however, the combination with Wellbutrin was more effective.

The doctors were very interested in these studies, consider it as a new hope for people suffering from depression. Indeed, such a simple procedure, like substitution one medicine with another or addition of a new therapeutic agent allows you to help more patients, especially with severe and long-term recurrent forms of depression. But it is known that the suicidal inducements often occur with a medicine change, so patients and their surroundings should be especially attentive during these periods, to avoid trouble.

Very often depression is accompanied by chronic diseases. It is considered, that one third of all patients with serious medical problems suffers from a depression. Thus after infarction it is observed by 40 – 65% of the patients, by ischemic disease – 20%, after the stroke – from 10 to 27%, by diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis – from 20 to 30 %.

It is natural, that chronic diseases cause the disturbance of daily routine, especially if there is no possibility to continue the work. In this case symptoms` appearance may be imperceptible for others and patient itself, that’s why it is necessary to know such symptoms in order to take appropriate measures. There are some of them.

• The constant state of depression, sadness, anxiety, nervousness or indifference.
• The inability to enjoy life or its positive moments.
• Loss of weight and appetite
• Insomnia, early awakening or on the contrary, drowse in the morning
• Impatience
• Reduction of vital power and chronic tiredness
• Feeling of helplessness and pessimism
• Feeling of own otioseness and unjustified guilt
• Difficulties with concentration, memory and with taking decisions
• Recurrent suicidal thoughts

If you notice some of these symptoms by your relatives, discuss with a doctor what measures can be taken. The specialist in fundamental illness (for example in diabetes or arthritis) can not often to diagnose the depression himself, but he should connect the patient with a psychiatrist. In many cases qualified treatment of depression can relieve clinical the course of arthritis or recover health after infarction.

In case of unimportant depression doctors recommend psychotherapy like a first stage of the treatment. Among them the most efficient is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, CBT. It helps the patient to recognize negative ideas and some behavioral reactions and replace them with positive. Usually the course of treatment is not very long – about 10-20 weeks, and is defrayed by medical insurance. Quite often psychotherapy goes with drug therapy, which yields tangible results, especially by acute form of a depression.

The most commonly are used the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). This group includes:

• citalopram (Celexa)
• escitalopram (Lexapro)
• fluvoxamine (Luvox)
• fluoxetine (Prozac)
• paroxetine (Paxil)
• sertraline (Zoloft)

An other class of antidepressants (SNRI) is also connected with a heightened content of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain – venlafaxine (Effexor) and duloxetine (Cymbalta). So-called tricyclic antidepressant, previously widely used for depression treatment, now are not recommended for people elder 65 because of their side effects, particularly their abilities to cause cardiac arrhythmias.

If do not go into details, antidepressants are able to correct the work of some mechanisms of the brain. Our brain includes a lot of nerve cells – neurons. Although there is a communication between neurons, they do not adjoin each other – there is a chink between them, which is called synaptic cleft or synapse.

The task of information transfer from one neutron to another and transfer it through the synapse is the chemical mediator – the mediator (lat. mediator). According to the theory of depression – by disease the concentration of some mediators in synapse is falling. The biochemical processes of our brain are very difficult, and a lot of mediators take here part. Nowadays there are only thirty of them, and only three are directly related to depression. These are noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine. They are called biogenic amines. Antidepressants, regulating a concentration of one or several biogenic amines, correct mechanisms of brain’s activity, which were broken following the depression.

Seasonal affective disorder can have the same symptoms as a depression, which are not connected with the certain season. It may be depressed mood, melancholy, anxious feeling, apathy, joylessness or hopelessness. Rarely these symptoms are more pronounced in the first half of the day, whereas to the evening the state becomes better.

More typical for seasonal affective disorder are considered other symptoms. Patients, suffering from seasonal depressions, parallel with depressed mood, anxious feeling and decreased activity, experience drowse and keen appetite during the whole day. During depression they consume more food which is rich in carbohydrates. They can also put on weight. As a rule, reduces the overall tone, but appears weakness and variety of unpleasant sensations in the body.

Asthenic symptomatology of seasonal affective disorder is following: feeling of weakness, flabbiness, souse and all-overishness. It may be different pains and unpleasant feelings in the body. The mental work decreases, the memory and attention worsen. It is significant that intensity of these symptoms practically do not depend on outside force and quite often they are more pronounced in the morning hours after awakening.

In development of seasonal affective disorder the important role plays metabolic serotonin – biologically active substance, which regulate mood.
Experimental researches have shown that in winter the content of serotonin lower than in summer. The significant regulator of serotonin is melatonin – an active material, which production depends on light quantity.

The classical approach of seasonal affective disorder treatment is light therapy. Besides, it has been proved high efficiency of antidepressants with a specific action on the exchange of serotonin in the brain. Prolonged use of these medicines allows not only cure developed depressive state, but also to prevent their future development. As by other depressions, the essential element of effective treatment is psychotherapy