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Could Your Child’s Diet Be Affecting Their Depression?

picjumbo.com_HNCK5665 — freestockphoto from picjumbo

What foods may influence mood, and what can you and your child eat to incorporate these nutrients into your diet? There is not a ton of research on this but we found some information about the following:

Omega 3 Fats:
- Oily fish (Salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, and fresh, not out of the can, tuna)
- Flaxseeds and walnuts
Vitamin B
- B6: poultry, seafood, bananas, and leafy green vegetables
- B12: animal foods (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and milk) and shellfish, such as clams, mussels, and crab
- And you can supplement vitamin B6 or B12!
Folate
- Dark leafy greens, beans and legumes, citrus fruits and juices
Amino acids
- The chemical Serotonin is made in your body from an amino acid produced from Tryptophan
- Find Tryptophan in protein rich foods such as meat, eggs, fish, beans, seeds, and nuts
Chromium
- Broccoli, oats, green beans, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, black pepper
Selenium: One of the minerals that help antioxidant balance
- Cod, Brazil nuts, walnuts, poultry

You should…

Balance your blood sugar!
- Avoid, as much as you can, refined sugar and processed or refined foods, eating instead whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and regular meals.
Get some sun!
- Get your dose of Vitamin D from the sunlight.

“Bad Mood Foods” to avoid:

Refined sugar and refined foods
Alcohol
Caffeine

Read more at: Food for the Brain: Depression

What do you think? Have you noticed that your diet can affect your mood? Share with us below!

Emotional First Aid

By taking action when you’re lonely, by changing your responses to failure, by protecting your self-esteem, by battling negative thinking, you won’t just heal your psychological wounds, you will build emotional resilience, you will thrive. A hundred years ago, people began practicing personal hygiene, and life expectancy rates rose by over 50 percent in just a matter of decades. I believe our quality of life could rise just as dramatically if we all began practicing emotional hygiene.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone was psychologically healthier? If there were less loneliness and less depression? If people knew how to overcome failure? If they felt better about themselves and more empowered? If they were happier and more fulfilled? I can, because that’s the world I want to live in, and that’s the world my brother wants to live in as well. And if you just become informed and change a few simple habits, well, that’s the world we can all live in.

While this TED talk is about 17 minutes long, we think that it has some great stuff in it! What do you think? How can you think about your emotional health the same as your physical health? What are some strategies addressed in this TED talk that you could use?

What you say is important

It can be tough to talk to your teen about sensitive subjects, especially sex. Sometimes teens who have problems with mental health can be more likely to be involved in a risky sexual situation.

What you say is important. Its important for parents to know that teens really do care about what their parents think about sex and place their opinion higher than that of media. Take a look at these short videos from planned parenthood which show some examples and tips about what to say.

Holiday Stress

Holiday stress. What does it come down to really? When you have anxiety, you worry about everything. For many people, those worries increase when they feel like something is expected of them in social situations. A lot of us might have ideas about what is expected out of us during the holidays…

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I’m supposed to be happy
I’m supposed to be doing things with friends
I’m supposed to be having fun
I’m supposed to be giving gifts to people
People expect me to be social
People expect me to get them a gift they like

Wow and then when you have anxiety it doesn’t stop there. There are worries about the worries even. Let’s take one above.

People expect me to show up to social things.
- What will I wear?
- Should I be a little late or show up on time?
- Am I supposed to bring a gift?
- Was I supposed to help out and I forgot?
- Who will be there?
- Will I run into someone who makes me nervous?
- How will I act?
- Will people think I look/act ridiculous?

If parents express their anxiety about the holidays – their kids can pick up on it too. If your child has anxiety, you might not think things like social events matter to them, but they will feel the stress too.

It helps to remember that there are plenty of holiday activities which you can do with your child that also relieve stress! Like enjoying a hot cup of cocoa, sitting by a fire, playing with pets, building a snow man, throwing snowballs, acting like a kid, holiday music, holiday movies, vacation, decorations.

Being mindful and enjoying the moment without jumping ahead to expectations and “supposed to” can help.

Another thing that can help is giving to those who really have no expectations that they will receive anything!

Volunteering and giving to others can help with stress and anxiety. These opportunities abound over the holidays. If your child seems sad or lonely during the holidays, try visiting a nursing home or senior center together. Or if older family members are visiting over the holidays, your child can reach out to them and capture their stories. Here is a neat project from dosomething.org about swapping stories with a senior.

And if all else fails, I am always cheered up by the Chipmunks on Christmas!

Do you have any other ideas about how to beat holiday stress?

Say it out loud

Our articles on wiseSOVA try to give you information on mental illness in adolescents and young adults in small pieces that is easy to understand. Sometimes, though, its best to learn about it through their own voices.

This video below from NAMI, Ok2talk.org, and SAMSHA – shares the story of a few young adults about what its like to live with mental illness, and how its not something that defines them, but something which makes them stronger. NAMI, or the National Alliance on Mental Illness, also has an easy to understand guide for families on what they need to know about adolescent depression.

Say It Out Loud from Emily Cepla on Vimeo.

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How did this video make you feel? Did it make you want to make some changes in your life? Or remind you of something you or someone else went through? Share below.

What to Expect on Your First Day of Therapy

Many people are reluctant about starting therapy or counseling. There are a number of unknowns and reasons that can create this hesitation. Therefore, we thought it would be good to address some common parts of a first therapy session such as the assessment.

Usually, therapists will do an assessment during the first session in an effort to help them get to know the client and to better understand the client’s goals for therapy. This assessment can be different among therapists because every therapist has their preferred way of handling the first session.

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In a Huffington Post article titled “Going To Therapy For The First Time? Here’s What To Expect,” Jeannie Bertoli, Ph.D., a counselor, was asked about what to expect in the first session. She said, “Some therapists do a first session by getting an assessment of the current problem. Some will do background, so they’ll understand your childhood and any medical issues. Some will just listen and say ‘Uh huh’ a lot, and will be a more passive therapist, and some will really engage with you about what’s going on right now, and get to the depth of it.”

Continue reading What to Expect on Your First Day of Therapy

I’m Not Clicking with My Therapist

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Your adolescent/young adult has decided to get professional help for the depression and anxiety they’ve been dealing with these last couple of months. After a few appointments with their new therapist, they feel like things just aren’t going well- maybe they don’t feel heard or understood, or they don’t feel like they’re getting the help they need, or maybe they sense a disconnect between themselves and the helping professional. Where do you and your adolescent/young adult go from here? Continue reading I’m Not Clicking with My Therapist

The Winter Blues

Now that we are in the midst of the winter season, it is important to think of ways to deal with the stress surrounding this time of year. For adolescents and young adults in school, the semester is wrapping up meaning there’s finals and papers to worry about before break. Stress can also be brought on by the various commitments many people have during the winter months. Sometimes, this time of year can be hard on the wallet as well. The wintertime can bring

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on feelings of loneliness and depression for some. Other factors like Seasonal Affective Disorder can lead some to feel stressed and depressed during the shorter, winter days. All of these things can add up to create what some refer to as the “winter blues.” By planning ahead, it is easier to prevent and lessen the stress and negative emotions that comes during this season for many. Here are some tips to do just that: Continue reading The Winter Blues

Mindfulness

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Mindfulness is defined by PsychologyToday as a state of active, open attention to the present moment. When one is practicing mindfulness, there is a focus on present thoughts and feelings, but without judging them as good or bad. Mindfulness is a type of meditation that promotes living in the moment, rather than letting life pass by. Continue reading Mindfulness

The Mental Health Reform Act of 2016

The Mental Health Reform Act of 2016 is a bill recently created by United States Senate that makes great strides to strengthen the mental health system. The bill has not yet been voted on by Senate, but will hopefully get the chance to go to vote in fall 2016.

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (PRNewsFoto/National Alliance on Mental Illness)

Here are some of the key changes the bill would make to benefit the mental health field: Continue reading The Mental Health Reform Act of 2016