CWD Daily
Tips for Coping with Depression
1-800-273-8255.
Tip of the Day
“It's not uncommon for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity to report depression as one of their symptoms.
“Many studies have documented a link between symptoms of depression and celiac disease – even in people who have been following the gluten-free diet for a long time.” (from verywellhealth.com)
Here are some gluten-free holiday treats:
Pecan balls
Peanut brittle
Figs
Nuts
Peppermint bark
Popcorn
Egg nog
Fudge
Chex mix without the wheat Chex
Economic Stimulus and Mental Health
Way back in 2016, npr ran a story on the connection between poverty and depression:
"Despite high rates of both poverty and mental disorders around the world, researchers only started probing the possible links about 25 years ago... Since then, evidence has piled up to make the case that, at the very least, there is a connection. People who live in poverty appear to be at higher risk for mental illnesses. They also report lower levels of happiness... That seems to be true all over the globe."
In June of 2018, an article in Psychiatric Times stated:
"Definitions of poverty vary with social, cultural, and political systems. Attempts to understand poverty from poor people’s perspectives reveal that poverty is a multidimensional social phenomenon."
Economic stimulus allowing people to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads may directly effect their sense of empowerment and self-esteem. In addition, there was a direct impact on mental health services through the 2020 Stimulus Package:
"The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will receive $425 million to address mental health and substance use disorder needs as a result of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including $250 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics to increase access to mental health care services; $50 million for suicide prevention, to provide increased support for those most in need of intervention; and $100 million in emergency response grants, flexible funding to address mental health and substance use disorders, as well as to provide resources and support to youth and the homeless, throughout COVID-19." - article in openminds.com)
Poverty can effect physical health, self-esteem, feelings of failure, poor nutrition, educational opportunities, violence in the home, alcoholism and drug use in the home, and a plethora of other conditions that create and exacerbate depression.
And, in a chicken-egg twist, health problems, low self-esteem, feelings of failure, poor nutrition, lack of educational opportunities, violence in the home, alcoholism and drug use and depression can exacerbate poverty.
All this to say that the current world economic crisis coinciding with the pandemic sucks. That's a technical term. Not only does the world need economic stimulus to feed and house people and provide medical care, but economic stimulus is also crucial to taking the mental depression out of this economic depression.
NONE of this is your fault! Get help if you need it.
Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com
CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it.