Depression is an isolating mental health condition which makes those who suffer from it feel low, alone, worthless and unable to get themselves out of their situation. For the many people who have it, depression can feel like a dead-end and it is difficult to overcome once you have it. While there are a number of medications available to help alleviate this condition, they don’t work for everyone. When the drugs don’t work, there is the option of therapy, but this is also sometimes ineffective. Researchers believe that they have developed a way to help combat depression without drugs – a six-step programme which could prove to be hugely beneficial to millions of people. The programme revolves around the concept of social connectedness, as it’s argued that the brain mistakenly interprets the symptoms of depression as an infection. As such, the natural reaction is to isolate the problem and for the brain to tell the body to avoid human contact and wait for the infection to pass. The opposite is actually the case in depressed people, though, as more human contact is needed – this means that this natural reflex could prove to be disastrous. Social connectedness forms one sixth of the programme.
The other five elements of the programme rely on lifestyle changes which will improve your outlook. Meaningful activities which stop the patient focusing too heavily on negative thoughts are advised, as these only serve to exacerbate the problem. Regular exercise is a good start as a way of not only keeping fit and taking care of your body, but also as a way to boost the levels of endorphins in the body. A diet which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids is also good, as these are beneficial to brain activity which can help your mental health. The programme suggests getting outdoors and getting exposure to natural sunlight, as sitting indoors all day is isolating and will make the problem worse. Lastly, good restorative sleep is vital for people with depression – sleep problems are one of the most common symptoms of depression. Medication only has a 50 percent success rate, meaning there are millions of people who still struggle with the condition even after having been on drugs. This is an even more astounding figure when we learn that half of the people who are cured by drugs then later relapse – this means the success rate is a mere 25 percent. There are negative side effects with antidepressants too, such as weight gain, sexual dysfunction and emotional numbing.
Depression has become an epidemic which has developed from our increasingly technological lifestyles – it means we have become sleep deprived, sedentary, socially isolated and poorly nourished. Put simply, the human body wasn’t designed to live in such a way, and the result is an impact on our mental health. Dr Ilardi, who developed the programme, says that there are hunter-gatherer tribes still in existence in more remote parts of the world who live more traditional lifestyles and depression is not a problem they suffer with. This is because they get plenty of outdoor exercise, eat a diet that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids and get ten hours of sleep. Dr Ilardi suggests that we should be aiming for around 8 hours of sleep a night, but we currently get 6.7 – this is having an effect on our health and our ability to navigate our emotions. The programme is controversial due to its lack of medication, but it seems that simply changing our lifestyles could improve our mental health exponentially. For the many people with depression, this six-step programme could be the answer to their condition.
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