Category Archives: Mental Health

My elderly aunt, I’m afraid, is not doing well. She lost her husband almost a year ago and has been declining ever since, determined, however, to remain in her home alone. Her kids say she shouldn’t be living on her own. She’s forgetting things, she shouldn’t be driving and has no friends for support. But ...click here to read more

Sometimes it might seem like feeling blue or having a low mood is a regular part of your day as the colder weather and shorter days start to close in. Certainly there have been several studies that have shown that there are many lifestyle factors that can impact our mental health, too. But one that ...click here to read more

As a doctor, I see people with a wide variety of health issues every day. One that I have noticed is really prevalent is depression in seniors. As people get up in years, the risk of dementia and other degenerative diseases of the brain become much more likely. So that’s why this new information I ...click here to read more

I’m not the most high-tech person when it comes to carrying around a smartphone or iPad as if it was a life-support system (like some young people I know). But I do recognize the value of staying connected with friends, family and others, and using technology to your advantage. It turns out, whether you’re checking ...click here to read more

Depression has been tied to a variety of physical ailments, from sleep problems to weight loss and weight gain. But when was the last time you paid your dentist a visit? New research adds another potential link to depression: Dental trouble. Problems like cavities and gum disease often are associated with bio-social conditions like depression ...click here to read more

Eat breakfast. Drink water. Exercise. Healthy lifestyle habits do plenty to keep your heart strong. New research shows that heart-healthy habits will also help you respond better to treatment for depression. In today’s society, depression is very common, affecting more than 350 million people worldwide. Numerous studies have found that depression is a major risk ...click here to read more

Today, children with depression are more likely to show signs of heart disease as early as their teen years, a new study reveals. No question, depression hurts –and leads to further health problems. Depression experienced at an early age not only leads to obesity, smoking and inactivity, but can cause heart problems later in life, according ...click here to read more

Has your husband been acting a little odd lately? Driving too fast, changing car lanes aggressively and cutting people off more so than usual? Is he more openly hostile than ever before, while at the same time more sullen and introverted, cutting himself off from friends and family? It could be your cat. That’s right. ...click here to read more

Don’t call me crazy! There’s a stigma surrounding mental health issues, like depression, phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder, that prevents people from asking for help. That has to change. When it comes to people affected by cancer or heart disease, statistics are easy to find. Mental illness, though, is not so clear-cut, but numbers appear ...click here to read more

Feeling a little blue? Lonely, listless and in your pajamas until noon? I can’t blame you. In some parts of North America, we’re in a record-breaking deep freeze. The days are short, dark and pretty darn cold and I feel as though I need to take up ice fishing to make the most of the ...click here to read more

Waking up to a fresh pot of coffee is routine for many of us. We can’t get out of bed without it! Having an additional two or three cups to get through the day seems normal, but could your daily coffee intake be taking its toll on your health? Your dependency on coffee could mean ...click here to read more

Traditionally used in human and veterinary medicine, the drug, ketamine, now promises to be a fast, effective treatment of depression in patients unresponsive to other medications. New research conducted by Japan’s RIKENCenter for Life Science Technologies – and published in the journal Translational Psychiatry – reveals that ketamine works by boosting serotonin in the parts of the brain ...click here to read more

Holidays can be so joyful. They are full of celebration, beautiful décor, reunions with family and friends; not to mention the delicious variety of foods and gift-giving that comes along with them. However, when the music stops, the family and friends go home, and it’s time to put those festive decorations away and go on ...click here to read more

Vitamin D is known to increase bone strength by improving your body’s ability to absorb calcium. However, that isn’t the only trick up the sunshine vitamin’s sleeve. New research has shown that vitamin D can actually fight depression, and reduce pain in type 2 diabetic women experiencing depression. RELATED READING: Why your Multivitamin Isn’t Giving ...click here to read more