Can your mental health be effected by the seasons changing?

Seasons can effect your mental health. It’s called SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), which is defined as a type of anxiety/depression that starts late fall and persists through the winter. In fact a study has shown that all mental illnesses worsen in the winter. 64% of people report worsening mental health issues at the onset of seasonal changes.

Air also plays a roll. The state of air molecules tightening in the winter make it more difficult to breathe normally. Contributing to feelings of claustrophobia in anxiety sufferers. Also triggering panic attacks. In effect increasing anxiety sufferers sensitivities.

A list of symptoms include heart and circulation irregularities, disorder in sleep, fatigue, lack of concentration, phantom and rheumatic pain, just to name a few.

Some things to help combat these symptoms are regular exercise, exercise releases endorphins which helps provide that feel good feeling and increases your energy. Also increasing social interactions. Even FaceTiming someone close to you can help alleviate symptoms especially with the distance caused by the pandemic.

Being proactive about your mental health during the change of seasons is crucial to helping you cope better.

Depression is NOT a chemical imbalance caused by the brain new study finds

Contrary to the idea pushed by certain pharmaceutical companies a recent study has found that depression is not a chemical imbalance.

In fact half of the population who suffers from depression report not seeing positive results after taking antidepressant medication. They also experienced negative side effects and a lack of improvement of the quality of their life.

Findings of FDA trials revealed an inflated publication bias of the efficiency of anti depressant drugs. Meaning that some pharmaceutical drug companies have exaggerated how well their product actually works.

There is inconsistency in evidence to prove that serotonin imbalance causes depression even after an extensive review. In effect invalidating that hypothesis.

Rather, traumatic life events have been linked to depression. This implies an environmental cause rather than a chemical imbalance.

In conclusion treating depression is not a one size fits all issue.

Black Children In Low Income Communities at RISK for LEAD POISONING in school

Recent research has shown that Black children in segregated/ low income communities are at high risk for led poisoning in school.

According to the CDC exposure to lead can cause damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth, and development, along with behavioral, learning, hearing, and speech problems. Prevent Children’s Exposure to Lead

For children there is no “safe” level of exposure to lead. A study has found that nearly 26,000 Black school children with increased blood lead levels living in low income communities scored lower than other race groups on the SAT test.

The lack of funding in/ for Black communities has had devastating health effects on the community for years. This remains a perverse issue.