A plan of attack to discard depression
Q: So many of my friends — and their teenage kids — are depressed. It’s depressing me! What can we do to break out of this cycle? — Sheryl J., Providence, Rhode Island
A: A recent study in JAMA Pediatrics found that in 2021, 20 percent of adolescents were contending with a major depressive disorder — and less than half of them received treatment. And an ongoing Gallup poll on depression in America reports that this year almost 18 percent of adults are being treated for depression and almost 30 percent have received treatment at some point over their lifetime. That’s a 7 percent increase since 2015. And a truly upsetting statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the suicide rate in 2022 was the highest ever recorded — up 16 percent since 2011.
Kids and adults need support and treatment to manage or shed their depression. That includes talk therapy, medication (for some), and a wide variety of self-help habits including interacting with your posse of friends and family, finding a passion, getting physical activity (150-300 minutes a week), and enjoying yoga, meditation, moderate-to-no alcohol consumption, and identifying what you have to be grateful for.
Q: I have high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol (I take meds) and was a smoker. My doctor has said that I am at risk for a stroke. What can I do to lower my risk? — Andy T., Mobile, Alabama
A: An ischemic stroke is caused when something (a blood clot, for example) blocks the blood flow in your brain. Every year, around 795,000 folks in the U.S. have a stroke and 85 percent of those are ischemic. If treated very quickly, its worst repercussions may be avoided. The drug Alteplase IV r-tpa, if administered within three hours, can dissolve the clot and improve blood flow, enhancing recovery. The other form of stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, happens when a blood vessel in your brain leaks or ruptures. It requires immediate treatment using medications and sometimes surgery.
Lifestyle upgrades that help protect you from a stroke: regular stress management, walking, aerobic and strength-training exercise; a plant-based diet high in fiber and phytonutrients, low in saturated fat, red and processed meats and highly processed foods; quitting smoking (anything); weight reduction and management; control of glucose levels; and moderation in drinking.