A Psychologist's Observations

Surviving and Thriving During Stressful Times

The economy is tanking, people are working longer and harder to make ends meet, and people are stressed.  Unfortunately, it's during these stressful times that people have the most trouble taking care of themselves.  We all know the adage, "If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of anyone else," and mostly we believe it.  But it always seems the time for self-care is tomorrow, when all these other responsibilities have been taken care of.  Here are a few tips and resources for coping with these stressful times:

• Take some time each day to mentally and physically relax and reset.  It's important to reach a point where your mind is calm and your body is relaxed and tension-free.  If you don't reach this state of relaxation on a daily basis, your tension and stress levels continue to build and you're more reactive to stress.  Watching television and surfing the net generally don't accomplish this state of relaxation.  Try to find an activity in which your mind is calm and still, such as reading, meditating, listening to relaxing music, or gentle exercise such as walking or yoga. A good relaxation CD is:

• Speaking of exercise, please get some!  See my blog post on exercise:  Good Health To Mind: Exercise.
• Stay connected with family, friends, and your community.  Studies consistently show that people who have good social support fare better during times of stress.
• Get plenty of rest and proper nutrition.  If you neglect your body, it will catch up with you.  For an overview of the restorative properties of sleep, including memory consolidation, see this article:  "How Snoozing Makes You Smarter" by Scientific American Mind. 
• Take control of your time.  If you are over-committed to projects that are not central to your core values, consider dropping those commitments. 
• Stay informed and in control of your finances.  I know, easier said than done, but losing track of your finances and coping via consumerism will drain you in the long run.

Here's a recent study which explains some of the processes by which stress negatively affects our neurochemical and hormonal balances:  Chronic Stress Model Provides New Insights.  Take extra care of yourself during these tumultuous times so you can cope effectively with whatever life throws at you. 

Surviving Grief and Loss

Link to Author Interview on The Diane Rehm Show

This memoir by Christopher Lukas, an accomplished author, producer, and actor, details his own survival in the midst of a family history of depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide.  Mr. Lukas lost his mother to suicide at the age of six, which profoundly affected Mr. Lukas and his older brother, Pulitzer Prize Winner Tony Lukas.  Their genetic predisposition for depression, coupled with the loss of their mother at young ages, contributed to the debilitating depression both brothers suffered.  Fortunately, in college, Christopher Lukas enrolled in a psychology course and began to understand that grief and loss could be worked through by talking and writing.  He embraced this concept and, in his words, has been "talking and writing ever since."  Sadly, older brother Tony Lukas suicided in 1997.  While this book can be emotionally difficult reading, I think it is a testament to the power of talking and writing to work through grief and loss. 

If you have lost a loved one to suicide, you may also find this book by Christopher Lukas and Henry M. Seiden to be of comfort:

Another useful resource for grieving the loss of a loved one is:

Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

We all know that exercise is good for us physically and we know we generally feel better when we're comfortable with our weight.  But the benefits of exercise are even more compelling; randomized studies find exercise significantly decreases symptoms of depression for those who are mildly to moderately depressed.  One such study was conducted by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center, in collaboration with the Cooper Institute (an abstract for the source article is here:  TREAD: TReatment with Exercise Augmentation for Depression).   This study reported a 47% decline in depressive symptoms after participating in aerobic exercise for 30 minutes a day, at least three days per week, over the course of 12 weeks.  Those who participated in lower intensity exercise also experienced benefits, with an average of a 30% decline in depressive symptoms.  We believe these mood improvements are related to biochemical changes that occur as you exercise and improve your health.  Another recent study at UT Southwestern UTSW Study on Generation of Nerve Cells found that antidepressants and exercise both stimulate the growth of new nerve cells in the same part of the brain, the dentate gyrus (at least in mice). 

While exercise is often not the complete solution for those struggling with depression, particularly more severe depression, it offers an alternative treatment that is natural and accessible to most.  See this article for tips on starting and maintaining an exercise program when you're depressed:  Mayo Clinic article and Exercise and Depression/ Anxiety.   

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Fall is here and while many welcome the cooler weather, the shorter days can exact a toll on those suffering with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  SAD is a type of depression that manifests itself in the fall and winter months.  See this link for more information about SAD:

Seasonal Affective Disorder--Mayo Clinic Information

Research has shown that light therapy is effective in treating SAD, and surprisingly, ion therapy has also proven beneficial.  This article describes symptoms of and effective treatments for SAD:

APA Article: Promising New Treatments for SAD

If you know your mood becomes more depressed in the fall & winter months, please act proactively!  For milder cases, you may be able to offset the negative effects by spending more time outside.  If you have been diagnosed with SAD, please start your light treatment now.  If you get into the routine of your light therapy now, you have a much better chance of staving off the deeper depression that can become debilitating over the winter months. 

Happy Labor Day! 

Book Recommendation: The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook

This is a very helpful book for people coping with stress, anxiety, and panic attacks.  Edmund Bourne does a great job of explaining the types of situations that predispose a person to experiencing anxiety and panic, i.e., stress overload, not enough self care, feeling trapped in life, etc.  He explains the physiological feedback loop that self-reinforces anxiety and panic, and explains how to break this negative cycle.  The chapter on panic attacks is very informative and the techniques he suggests are quite effective.  Be sure to try some of the relaxation and visualization exercises he recommends.  Anxiety disorders are very responsive to psychotherapy, so if you don't get the relief you need from resources you find on your own, please get a mental health professional to help you.  If you've already started to learn some techniques on your own, you're already ahead of the curve.