Exercise may help teens dealing with depression

The teenage years can be challenging enough, but even more so when depression is thrown into the mix. Depression is common, especially among teenagers. It’s been estimated that approximately 20 percent of teens experience depression before they reach adulthood. But there may be a natural solution to help teens who are dealing with depression.

Try this “MAP” for depression relief: Meditation plus exercise

Many people have experienced depression. Around 6.7 percent of U.S. adults have had a major depressive episode within the last year, the National Institute of Mental Health reports. This disorder can be debilitating, and it goes beyond simply feeling sad and lethargic. Symptoms may include an inability to focus, concentrate or make decisions. But how can you get relief from depression symptoms?

Get to the root cause of anxiety

Generalized anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental health problems in the United States. It can negatively impact a person’s quality of life and disrupt important activities of daily living, and it may sometimes overlap with panic disorder and depression.

Let’s talk about mental health: Bipolar disorder

October recently brought us World Mental Health Day. So let's look at a commonly misunderstood mental disorder -- bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is characterized by prolonged "highs" and "lows" in mood. During "highs," or manic states, people with bipolar disorder might be talking a mile a minute and have many ideas. They may seem to be tripping over their own words, sleep very little and spend large amounts of money. They may have high confidence and experience interpersonal problems.

Stopping your antidepressants? Be proactive and communicate with your doctor

Your doctor prescribes antidepressants. It’s been a few weeks, and so far, no improvements. You’re experiencing side effects, there seems to be no benefit, and you figure you can probably do better on your own with a little research and experimentation with at-home remedies. Perhaps this describes you, or the way you've been feeling. In fact, this is quite common.

Emotional health? There’s an app for that

Emotions play a key role in decision-making, productivity, relationships and overall quality of life. Your emotions can affect your health, and your health can affect your emotions. So it’s no surprise that as technology advances, people are looking for new ways to track and improve their emotional health. And yes, there’s an app for that – in fact, quite a few!

A dangerous link: Toxic chemicals and depression

Depression is a serious mental illness associated with decreased work productivity, greater risk of suicide and physical health conditions such as heart disease and low thyroid functioning. An estimated 1 in 10 U.S. adults suffers from depression, and no one knows what exactly causes it, with theories ranging from biochemical imbalance, to stress, to genetic predisposition.

Are your meds creating your depression? Be proactive!

When your doctor recommends that you take a new medication, you probably check out a few of the side effects online or on the information sheet you get at the pharmacy. You may even focus on the side effects that might make you look bad (such as weight gain or rash) or feel bad right away (like nausea or diarrhea). However, did you know that a depressed mood is a common side effect of medications? It is important to watch out for it, especially because it might not be obvious right away.

Be proactive: Depression can have a crippling effect on your health

Depression can cast a shadow over every facet of your life – from your social life to sleep routine, eating habits to memory. Each day can be a struggle. And it’s more common than you may realize.

Tattoo safety: Health precautions every ink-seeker should know

It is no longer a stigma of prison inmates, sailors or bikers. Your health care provider may even have one! Whether it’s for personal expression or group affiliation, seems more and more people are getting a tattoo, from celebrities to the “average Joe.” One poll shows that 21% of Americans are inked.