AUSTIN, Texas (PRWEB)
October 08, 2019

More recently, there has been a surge of people worldwide struggling with depression—not to mention the family, friends, and coworkers that are also impacted. According to the World Health Organization, depression is a common illness worldwide, with more than 300 million people affected.”

October 10 is National Depression Screening Day and World Mental Health Day.

“Chronic psychological or emotional stress—such as protracted loneliness, marital problems, or the death of a loved one—can lead to the inability of the body to compensate,” says Carter “unfortunately, this loss of functionality results in emotional trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”

“Stress and anxiety are highly prevalent in modern society and, if not managed, lead to various forms of PTSD and depression,” says Carter, co-author with his wife, Dr. Kirti Salwe Carter, of The Morning Mind: Use Your Brain to Master Your Day and Supercharge Your Life (http://www.themorningmind.com). “An estimated 80 to 90 percent of patients visit their doctors because of health issues that are traceable to chronic, unmanaged stress,” says Carter.

Carter offers 6 ways to help yourself through an episode of depression

1. Identify the life struggle, but don’t dwell on it. “Try to identify the situation that is contributing to your depression,” says Carter, “when you know what’s got you feeling blue and why, talk about it with a caring friend. Talking is a way to release the feelings and to receive some understanding,” says Carter, “pay attention and be aware of how you react when that life struggle into your mind.”

2. Aromatherapy. “Frankincense, rose, and lavender are successfully used by midwives to reduce postpartum anxiety and fear, increase feelings of well-being,” says Carter “lavender aromatherapy may help decrease stress, improve mood, and promote relaxation.” Carter says, “Lavender tincture might be a beneficial adjuvant therapy to treat mild to moderate depression.”

3. Exercise. “Take a 15 to 30 minute walk each morning — or yoga, swimming, dance or do yard work if you prefer,” Carter. “People who are depressed may not feel like being active, but make yourself do it anyway. Exercise supports nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, an area of the brain which is important for memory and mood,” says Carter, “practicing yoga has been shown to increase the size of the hippocampus and reduce symptoms of depression.”

4. Nurture yourself with good nutrition. “To grow the brain, we need wholesome conditions,” says Carter, “the significance of nutrition has been largely overlooked by the medical establishment.” Carter says, “we need to provide the body with the high quality, raw building materials.”

5. Visualize a happy memory. “The subconscious responds very powerfully to feeling, and the more of a sensory experience you can make your reflective memory, the more effective it will be,” says Carter “Utilize all your senses, can you see, hear, smell, touch, and taste that happy memory?” Carter says, “we should make every attempt to live in the present moment, but are times were we have to search in the past for the good stuff.”

6. Meditation helps disrupt feelings of fear and anxiety. “Meditation trains the brain to be in the present moment, and to return to that focus when negative thinking and emotions intrude,” says Carter. “Experiencing stress and anxiety over long periods of time can contribute to symptoms of depression,” says Carter “meditation helps breakdown the neural connections in the brain that induce feelings of fear or anxiety.”

How much of your life do you spend in the present moment? How much time do you spend daydreaming, ruminating about the past, or worrying about the future? “If you are one of the 40 million adults in the U.S. struggling with depression or anxiety, begin to take control over your life today.” says Carter

About Dr. Rob Carter III and Dr. Kirti Salwe Carter

Dr. Rob Carter III and Dr. Kirti Salwe Carter are co-authors of The Morning Mind: Use Your Brain to Master Your Day and Supercharge Your Life (http://www.themorningmind.com). Rob Carter is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, an expert in human performance, and has academic appointments in emergency medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, in public health at Azusa Pacific University, and in nutrition at the University of Maryland. He holds a PhD in biomedical sciences, is a Gates Scholar, and completed postgraduate studies at Harvard School of Public Health.

Kirti Carter was born in Pune, India, and received her medical education in India, where she practiced as an intensive-care physician at Breach Candy Hospital before moving to Texas to complete postgraduate training in public health. She is a Fellow of the American Institute of Stress (FAIS), has more than 18 years of experience in meditation and breathing techniques, and has been facilitating wellness seminars for the past decade.