Mental cold
There are days, weeks and even months when there is a desperate lack of light, warmth, participation, when we are constantly out of sorts and no more sense from us than from a burned out light bulb. Seasonal depression, which experts figuratively call a mental cold, begins with a feeling of inner coldness and unrest – as if the electricity was cut off in the shower.
The anguish virus
Almost all people experience emotional recession in the cold season. “Erased forms of seasonal depression are found in two out of five Russians,” warns Nina Ivanovna Andrienko, a neuropsychiatrist at the Medical Diagnostic Center of the Western District of Moscow. – And 6% of the population show such obvious symptoms of “mental cold” that they need the help of a specialist. The reason for the blues is a long winter with a typical vitamin deficiency and a short daylight hours, aggravated by eternal bad weather. Under conditions of light starvation, the brain does not have time to produce a sufficient amount of the hormone melatonin, which regulates the emotional tone and biorhythms of the body. But work capacity, endurance, sleep, mood and health of a person depend on this.
According to the Meteorological Observatory of the Moscow State University, in recent years, due to abnormally warm and rainy winters, sunlight in the capital region has become 4 times less than the seasonal norm. At the same time, the snow cover does not set for a long time, which reflects 70-90% of the rays, compensating for short days of light. So even mentally healthy people are depressed by the lack of sun and lack of snow.
FALSE MOOD
“Control your mood, – called on contemporaries Horace, – for it, if it does not obey, then commands you.” The English proverb says the same: “The events of your life directly depend on your mood.” Therefore, do not miss the first symptoms of mental bad weather!
The hallmark of seasonal depression is unreasonable sadness, depression, apathy, irritability, fatigue, drowsiness, and also “refrigerator syndrome” – constant hunger with all the ensuing consequences for the figure. True, only those who are already inclined to be overweight, accustomed to seizing troubles with sandwiches and cheering up with sweets, get fat from melancholy. But for thin victims of seasonal despondency, appetite can be lost.
A signal of the onset of depression often becomes pain – in the neck, back, abdomen, chest, arms, legs, but more often headache. Remember in Pushkin – “I don’t like spring – I’m sick in spring”? Quite a strange confession in the mouth of a poet who, according to the recollections of his contemporaries, was distinguished by enviable optimism! Yes, just in the spring, mental discomfort is easily transformed into physical: if the nerves are not put in order, the pathological condition will be fixed and the body will begin to fall apart. The test will help you distinguish depression from bad mood.
TEST: RULER FOR EMOTIONS
In front of each statement, put a letter corresponding to your feelings: A – no or very rarely, B – periodically, C – often, D – yes or constantly recently. Following the table, select the appropriate number of points for each letter and calculate them.
1st group of statements:
You are sad, sad, sad.
Sometimes you want to cry for no reason.
Sleep poorly.
Losing or, on the contrary, gaining weight.
Complain of constipation.
Disturbed by attacks of rapid heartbeat.
You get tired quickly.
Due to anxiety, you cannot sit still.
The nerves are strained to the limit.
We are convinced that if you suddenly disappear, no one will notice it.
2nd group of statements: You
feel good in the morning.
Eat the same amount as usual.
You will not deny yourself the pleasure of flirting with an attractive man.
Provide fresh ideas on demand.
Everyday life and office routine do not irritate you.
Look to the future with hope.
Easy to make decisions.
You feel that your family needs you, that you are irreplaceable at work.
The feeling of fullness of life does not leave you.
Everything that was pleasing before is enjoyable now.
Scoring
For the 1st group: A – 1 point, B – 2 points, C – 3 points, D – 4 points.
For the 2nd group: A – 4 points, B – 3 points, C – 2 points, D – 1 point.
Evaluation of the results
Add up the numbers obtained for both groups and estimate the level of depression.
From 20 to 49 points is the norm. You do not have depression, and that your mood periodically spoils – it’s not surprising. It’s natural to be sad, sad, and upset when difficulties arise.
From 50 to 60 points – borderline state. You try not to become limp because of troubles,
do not attach importance to them. But experiences driven into the subconscious lead to depression. You need to react to negative emotions! Do not hesitate to shed tears, consult a psychologist.
From 61 to 80 points – you have depression. This serious illness must be treated by a specialist. Such a state weakens and depletes, deprives one of working capacity, destroys relationships with others and ultimately breaks life. Seek help from a psychotherapist, neurologist or psychiatrist!
10 WAYS TO AVOID HANDRA
EAT FRUIT OF JOY. Prolonged bad weather depletes mental energy, and the fruits of sunny shades – yellow, red, bright orange – replenish it, feeding the brain with glucose, vitamins, magnesium (dark chocolate is also rich in them) and other essential substances. Just before you eat an orange, mango, banana or apple, admire them: this also lifts the mood!
LET’S ADD BRIGHT COLORS. And not only in the details of clothing, but also in the interior. Don’t skimp on electricity by choosing the right lighting. Lamps that spread a deathly white, bluish and greenish glow cause subconscious irritation. Artificial light should be soft, warm shades – in a yellowish range.
LOAD MUSCLES. Start your day jogging or exercising and end up in the pool or gym.
RELAX! Go to the movies, theaters, travel. Scientists explain the tendency to seasonal depression by the excessive activation of brain areas that receive information from the outside at this time of the year. But the zones responsible for making decisions and actions are inhibited. Because of this bias, the normal cycle “perception – activity” is disrupted, and emotions that do not find a way out begin to put pressure on the psyche, leading to depression.
RESTORE CONTACTS! “Companionship is one of the most effective drugs for depression,” says London-based physician Tyril Harris. He suggested that patients replace tranquilizers with communication with a friend. Her role was played by a female volunteer. She regularly visited her wards, drank tea with them, went to the cinema and to concerts. Within a year, 72% of women felt better, in contrast to the control group, where only 45% were cured with antidepressants. Thanks to communication, many patients were able to make peace with their lovers, relatives and friends, and found interesting jobs. “The recognition and respect made these women change their attitude to the world, to themselves and get rid of depression,
” says Dr. Harris.
NO – LOW CALORIE DIET! A lack of carbohydrates and the need for restriction make depression worse. Given the special seasonal circumstances, do not deny yourself the pleasures. When you really feel like it, eat a slice of cake. Just 150-200 grams of carbohydrate-rich food is enough to invigorate.
YES – TO PRODUCTS INCREASING MENTAL IMMUNITY. These are feijoa, irgi fruits, seaweed and fish, oysters, mussels, hazelnuts and almonds. Prepare a natural antidepressant by rubbing walnuts with honey (1: 1). Take the mixture in a teaspoon one hour before meals 3 times a day for 3 weeks.
LESS COFFEE AND BLACK TEA. They contain caffeine and theobromine – substances that sharpen emotions (including negative ones!). They displace adenosine from receptors in the brain, which the nervous system produces to calm down and get rid of depression.
SOOTHING NERVES. Drink green or herbal tea. To prepare the latter, take an equal amount of St. John’s wort, hawthorn flowers and chamomile. Pour a teaspoon of the collection with a glass of boiling water and leave under the lid for 15-20 minutes.
FRAGRANCES OF GOOD MOOD. To increase the body’s energy reserves, take a teaspoon of fragrant violet flowers and poplar buds, 2 teaspoons of rowan and strawberry leaves, 3 teaspoons of currant leaves. Brew 3 tablespoons of the mixture with 1 liter of boiling water overnight in a thermos. In the morning, spray a fragrant rain from a flower spray. Do this throughout the day.
SPRING OF LIVING WATER
Have you ever wondered why birds in early spring rush to our winter homeless lands from the fertile southern latitudes? Why can’t they stay warm? And they return to the first drop to drink melt water, without which the reproduction of birds is impossible. Having become interested in this problem, scientists have found that it is a universal antidepressant, given to us by nature.
In the streams spreading out from under the sagging snowdrifts, unlike tap water, there is no deuterium – a special isotope of hydrogen. The molecules of ordinary water weighted with it hardly pass into the openings of cell membranes and hinder metabolic processes, including in the cells of the brain. Considering that our body is 65% liquid, it becomes clear that by freeing the body from deuterium, you can increase the production of hormones of joy and adapt more easily to spring. Research shows that melt water effectively fights the manifestations of spring depression. And it is not necessary to substitute the cup under the March drops. You can prepare melt water at home.
METHOD FIRST. Fill a wide bowl with filtered raw water and place in the freezer. When it starts to freeze, remove the newly formed crust of ice from the surface – it is in it that harmful deuterium accumulates. After the bulk of the water has solidified, rinse a piece of ice under a cold tap from the tap to remove impurities that have floated to the surface – the ice will become completely transparent. Now melt without heating, and drink a glass of melt water 2-3 times a day, and also prepare meals and drinks on it.
METHOD SECOND. Heat 2-3 cups of filtered raw water in a saucepan over low heat to 94-96 °. In this state, the water does not boil yet, but it is already in full swing (bubbles rise from the bottom in streams). Remove the pan from heat and chill quickly on the balcony or outside the window. When the water has cooled, pour it into a wide bowl and place in the freezer. And then do everything in the same way as in the first recipe.
This method is more complicated, but its advantage is that water sequentially goes through all the phases of the usual cycle in nature: it evaporates, cools, freezes and melts. Experts believe that such water is especially useful – it has enormous internal energy, which is so necessary in case of a decline in mental strength.
POINTS OF GOOD MOOD
Massage them clockwise with the tip of your index finger several times a day. Knead paired points (they are marked with asterisks) at the same time, the rest – in turn.
YIN-TAN (“LBA LINE”) – above the bridge of the nose in the middle between the eyebrows.
SHEN-TING (“THE BODY OF THE SOUL”) – along the midline of the forehead 1 cm above the front border of hair growth.
TOU-WEI (“HEAD KEEPER”) – 1 cm above the angle of the front hairline (where the forehead passes into the temple).
TAI-YAN (“SUN”). Press the upper phalanx of the thumb to the outer edge of the eye socket – its pad will be on the “sunny” point.
Bai-huei (“superior connection”). Look for this point at the top of your head.
TSZU-SAN-LI (“POINT FROM A HUNDRED DISEASES”). Sit on a chair, place your palm on your knee, fingers relaxed and slightly apart. The nameless pad will indicate the desired point.