Tag Archives: depression

October 10 is World Mental Health Day

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Though it’s important every day, World Mental Health Day is marked annually on October 10. It was established in 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), an organization representing over 100 mental health associations in over 120 countries. Their goal is to educate the public about mental health and mobilize efforts to improve it.

To mark the day, we’ve rounded up some ways you can support your own mental health.

What Is Mental Health?

Mental health is a state of emotional well-being in which an individual can realize their own potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and contribute to their community. Mental health is an important part of overall health and wellness as it includes the ability to enjoy life and to develop a wide range of skills and interests. It affects all aspects of our lives, including our physical health, work performance, and connection with others.

Mental health can be impacted by many different factors, including:

  • Stressors
  • Trauma
  • Depression or anxiety disorders
  • Substance use disorders (including alcohol and drugs)
  • Chronic conditions like pain, fatigue, hormonal imbalance, autoimmune diseases, and anything that affects one’s ability to enjoy life

Our mental health affects what we think about ourselves, how we relate to others, and what choices we make.

What Are Some Ways to Improve Mental Health?

Mental health conditions can affect anyone. So, if you’re struggling with your mental health, or know someone who is, it’s important that you know you’re not alone. Here are some ways to take care of yourself:

  • Reach out for help, whether that be by talking to a friend or family member or going to see a therapist or health practitioner.
  • Practice self-care by taking time for yourself each day. This could mean taking a walk outside on your lunch break, practicing ten minutes or more of breath work or meditation, or doing some stretches or taking a soothing bath at the end of your day instead of immediately turning to the TV.
  • Eat healthy, brain-supportive foods like omega-3-rich nuts (walnuts are shaped like brains!), seeds, and fatty fish, as well as leafy greens, brightly coloured vegetables, and berries.
  • Keep your gut healthy by including fermented foods like sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, miso, and kimchi, as they provide good bacteria (probiotics) that are key to our emotions. The digestive system provides more feel-good serotonin than the brain.
  • Include movement activities. This might be going to the gym or playing a sport, but it can also be stretching, going for a hike in nature, walking your dog (or cat—getting to be more common!), doing some yoga or tai chi, and even just taking the stairs or parking your car a little further from where you need to be.
  • Get enough restorative sleep. Create a wind-down routine and shut off backlit screens a few hours before bedtime, address sleep disorders like sleep apnea, and make sure your bedroom is geared for a restful environment.
  • Seek joy. That doesn’t mean always being joyful, of course, but find activities, places, people, and animals where you can feel pleasure, awe, flow, peace, and comfort.
  • Express yourself. While we may not enjoy feeling angry, frustrated, sad, hurt, lonely, fearful, anxious, or worried, suppressing our emotions and pretending they aren’t happening doesn’t necessarily make them better. Of course, there’s a time and place for strong emotions, but stoicism isn’t always the best approach. What we feel is valid and important.
  • Practice gratitude. Some days this can be particularly difficult, but seeking and expressing gratitude for even the tiniest of things can help shine a bit of light.

Mental health concerns affect everyone, whether we realize it or not. The good news is that there are many ways we can help ourselves stay mentally healthy—not just during this special day, but every day of the year.

How Can Reishi Improve Mental Health?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), reishi mushroom is one of the top herbs for calming the nervous system. It is also recognized as a powerful adaptogen, meaning it helps the body adapt to stressors and can support the body’s natural defences against physical, chemical, and biological stressors. This makes reishi an excellent choice for people looking to improve their mental health as well as their physical health.

Reishi is known to have a very positive effect on the mind, and many people use it for mental health issues, including:

Depression: Reishi can help reduce depressive symptoms by balancing hormones and supporting neurotransmitters. The anti-inflammatory properties of reishi also help reduce the risk of developing depression in the first place.

Anxiety: Reishi can help reduce anxiety by regulating neurotransmitters, balancing hormones, and reducing inflammation.

Stress: Reishi has been shown to reduce stress levels by increasing serotonin production while decreasing cortisol production (the stress hormone).

Reishi may be a strong tool for improving mental health and stabilizing mood swings. It’s a great option for anyone suffering from depression or anxiety. And the best part is, you can use reishi to complement your existing treatment plan, not replace it. So, what are you waiting for?

The more we talk about mental health, the more others will realize they aren’t alone. And hopefully, they’ll feel comfortable reaching out to get help if they need it. Knowledge is power, after all.

Can Red Reishi help with Depression?

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Depression is a complex disease that accounts for nearly 40% of all psychiatric illness. Characterized primarily by a change in mood, consisting typically as feelings of sadness, anxiety/agitation, loss of interest, insomnia, loss of appetite, body pain, and in it’s extreme, thoughts of death and self-harm; depression for some, is more than just a ‘bad day’.

Because depression can vary in it’s cause and severity, how it presents often differs by individual. Post-partum, SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), bi-polar disorder, and major/clinical depression are all examples of depression and it’s spectrum.

Despite the numerous physiological and psychological factors that can contribute to the manifestation of depression, acute and/or chronic stress is reported to be the number one contributing factor in the exacerbation, or worsening of depressive symptoms.

The Stress Connection

Long-term or chronic stress leads to elevated levels of the primary stress hormone cortisol, as well as decreased levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, like serotonin and dopamine, which have been linked to depression.  Changes in these chemical systems affects the functioning of ‘normal’ biological processes related to sleep, appetite, energy, and sex drive, as well as the expression of mood and emotion.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, mental, physical and/or emotional stress effectively weakens (consumes), scatters or stagnates the Qi (chi) in various organ systems of the body, resulting in both mental/emotional problems (called “shen” disorders) and physiological disease.

How Red Reishi Can Help

Reishi (called Ling Zhi in Traditional Chinese herbal medicine) has been used to treat disorders of the mind or “shen” for thousands of years. To blend the concepts of Eastern and Western medicine, western science has proven that through specific immune regulating and anti-inflammatory agents (ganoderic acid A), the fruiting body of the Japanese Red Reishi acts as a powerful adaptogen, allowing the body to more easily cope with stress. Through this, a positive effect occurs on the bodily systems most affected by it (stress). A less ‘stressed out’ body translates to a less ‘stressed out’ nervous system, thereby assisting to improve a person’s overall physical and mental health. Additionally, western science has shown Reishi to have positive effects on the hepatic (liver) and cardiovascular (heart) systems, whose functions according to TCM theory, are strongly linked to depression.

The TCM view of mental illnesses such as depression is a holistic one. With a strong focus on prevention and lifestyle change, TCM practitioners take into account many different aspects of a person’s functioning when developing treatment plans. When applied this way, the addition of a high quality supplement like Japanese Red Reishi may be of great benefit for both prevention and treatment of depressive symptoms due to a diminished resistance stress.

Keep in mind, not all supplements are created equal. Natural, wood-log cultivation using hot water extraction (without the use of ethanol) is the best and most desirable.

Let’s Talk About Depression

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Emotional “ups and downs” are a normal part of life and are experienced by everyone. Most of us feel temporarily down when things aren’t going our way, such as in the case of the break-up of a relationship, or the loss of a job. True depression, or “major depression” describes the situation where feelings of hopelessness and/or worthlessness last for a period of more than 2 months.

It is the most commonly experienced mental health disorder among Canadians, and the most unfortunate thing is that it can have serious and sometimes fatal results. The good news is that for most people depression can be treated effectively.

Causes of Depression

There is no single cause of depression, but there are certain risk-factors that can predispose an individual to it. Things like the death or illness of a spouse, friend or family member, job or relationship dissatisfaction, addictions, financial stress, chronic medical conditions, or prior major depressive episodes have all shown to be factors in development of depression.

Recovery from Depression

Remember, depression is an illness that can be treated, and for many the first step in the recovery process is to recognize that it is an illness, not a sign of personal weakness. You are not alone, and help is available. Most importantly, if you or someone you know is having recurring thoughts of suicide, it’s very important that they get medical help immediately.

Talk to People

We are all fantastically individual and unique, and there are therefore many different approaches to recovery. One of the best? Talk. For depression, one of the most common and successful treatments is psychological counseling. But please TALK. Talk to family, friends, co-workers and others. There are also self-help groups that can make a big difference in how well and how quickly a person with depression recovers. Please. Just. Talk.

Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins in the blood stream. These are the “feel good” chemicals that can improve mood. A Harvard Medical School report found that “exercise can improve mood in people with mild to moderate depression, (and) may also play a supporting role in treating severe depression.”. There is no universally-agreed to level of exercise, but most agree that at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise such as a vigorous walk on most days will do wonders for our emotional health. Not only that, but moderate physical activity produces risk-free benefits for people with depression without harmful side-effects. It’s a total win!

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids (EFA), also known as omega-3 fatty acids, or simply fish oils, are highly concentrated in the brain and are important for cognitive and behavioral function. They are called “essential” which means your body can’t make them and you have to get them through your food such as salmon, halibut, anchovy, sardine, krill, some plants, and nut oils. While it’s true that research is inconclusive on whether taking omega-3 fatty acids can help relieve depression symptoms, we do know that symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include mood swings and depression. Several studies show that people who took omega-3 fatty acids in addition to prescription antidepressants had a greater improvement in symptoms than those who took antidepressants alone.

Japanese Red Reishi

One of the Superior Herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, red reishi is a mushroom that has sometimes been called the “Medicine of Kings” owing to the fact that in ancient China it was so rare and valuable that it’s use was reserved for the Emperor. It’s an extremely potent adaptogen. An adaptogen, by definition, is a non-toxic substance that normalizes physiologic function. Basically, it helps the body adapt naturally to the effects of stress, fatigue, trauma, and anxiety. In traditional Chinese medicine, red reishi has a strong ability to calm the mind, returning it to a more balanced state, and helps people to feel calm and happy. That’s one great mushroom!

Cordyceps

Another potent adaptogen (and another fungus), cordyceps also has a long-standing history of use in Chinese medicine, and can be another great herb to combat the effects of depression. Grief, in Chinese medicine, affects the lungs, and the cordyceps herb has a particular affinity to the lungs. Much like red reishi, cordyceps has a very calming, relaxing effect on the nervous system. A Chinese study found that cordyceps has an ability to inhibit the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MOA). Drugs that inhibit MOA are routinely employed to treat depression, which suggests that cordyceps could also be useful in treatment.

Depression is a very serious mental health issue that affects many of us. Persons having recurring thoughts of suicide need to seek immediate medical advice. In addition, TALK, exercise, essential fatty acids, and red reishi or cordyceps could be incredibly valuable on your road to recovery.