self help for depression

By: Dr. Lawrence Nash

Every year, 18.8 million North Americans over the age of 18 are absorbed by a self esteem destroying gloom which can not be willed away or ignored. Depression affects all people regardless of age, geographic location, or social position. Research shows we can do something about it.
Isn't depression just part of aging?
Depressive disorder is not a normal part of aging. Emotional experiences of sadness, grief, response to loss, and temporary "blue" moods are normal. Persistent depression that interferes significantly with ability to function is not.
In a given year approximately 18.8 million North American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the population age 18 and older, have a depressive disorder. When applied to the 2003 Census residential population estimate, this figure translates to 44.3 million people in the US and Canada.
The risk of depression in the elderly increases with other illnesses and when ability to function becomes limited. Estimates of major depression in older people living in the community range from less than 1 percent to about 5 percent, but rises dramatically and significantly to 13.5 percent in those who lose their independent lifestyle.
What to Do
The recent Pew Internet and American Life Project shows that internet use ranges from a high of 92 after age 65.
Data from the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal & Economic Public Policy Studies, a non-profit think-tank in Washington, DC, shows that online time reduces depression. Additionally, the Phoenix Centre recommends computer-based brain fitness training for the elderly, since it can slow or even reverse age-related declines in perception and cognition.
Additional research tells us that participants who engage in computerized brain exercises designed to improve visual speed, accuracy and expanse of processing, are 30 less likely to experience clinically significant worsening of depressive symptoms over a one and two year follow up, than those not so engaged.

Effective brain training creates a wholesome rhythm of brain exercise, challenge, reward and cell growth that helps combat and reduce the impact of depression. It has also been shown that depression can be related to the inhibition of new neural growth and that anti depressants need new nerve cells to be effective.

Targeted and incrementally growing training improves the speed of both auditory processing and visual processing as well as aural memory and visual working memory. It also gives a sense of well being and confidence from growing success that is remarkable.

Sophisticated and effective brain training protocols are available to be done on your home computer. They are graduated step by step training for the most part, nurturing our innate brain plasticity. Gains and growth come by stretching what we have thought previously were our limits, producing neurogenesis and changes in our dopamine receptor density. This means that we are not stuck with the brain we were born with. These changes enhance memory, focus, fluid intelligence and an overall sense of well being. The degree of gain has been shown to be dose dependent, or, the more you train, the more you gain.

With modern training protocols one can increases working memory capacity 50 - 80. Fluid intelligence enhances the ability to find meaning in confusion and solve new problems, and understand the relationships of various concepts, independent of acquired knowledge.

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