Major depressive disorder or MDD is the number one cause of disability in the United States, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). It affects over 16.1 million adults every year, with women experiencing MDD more than men, with only about 61.7 percent receiving treatment.
While it's advisable to consult a doctor if a person shows signs and symptoms of depression, alternate options and adjunct treatments are also available, such as cannabidiol or CBD. Cannabidiol is a compound derived from hemp or cannabis, which promises to provide great health benefits, including treatment for depression.
Below are some affordable ways to help treat and manage depression.
CBD An Affordable Way to Manage Depression
CBD products are cheap alternatives to traditional antidepressants. It comes in different forms, like CBD oils and tinctures, CBD infused edibles, topicals or creams, and many more. Cannabidiol has natural antidepressant, analgesic, anti-seizure, and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce pain, muscle tension, and anxiety—all of which can aggravate or lead to depression.
CBD can help manage depression as an adjunct treatment to prescribed medication. You can take a tiny bottle of CBD tinctures when you travel and take a few drops sublingually or under the tongue for your daily dose of CBD.
Here are some tips and tricks to take CBD to help manage depression:
- Add CBD oil or CBD tincture to your favorite beverages, like juices, smoothies, coffee, or tea.
- Add a few drops of CBD oil or CBD tincture to your favorite food recipes, like soup, pasta, and beef stew.
- If you want a more discreet option, CBD gummies or CBD chocolates will definitely satisfy your sweet cravings and also help you experience a relaxed and positive mood. Take CBD gummies 30 minutes before flying if you have flight anxiety to avoid aggravating depression, or leading towards it.
Conquer Monotony: Get Physically Active
You can also get physically active to help fight depression, and it's an affordable option to get your daily boost of feel-good hormones. Exercise brings lots of health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, improved sleep, and cardiovascular or heart health. Through physical activity, like high-intensity exercise, the body releases endorphins, a hormone that usually leads to experiencing "runner's high" or euphoric effects.
In addition, low-intensity exercises prompt more production of growth factors or proteins, causing the new growth of nerve cells, which improves brain function to make you feel better. Experts have discovered that people who are depressed tend to have a smaller hippocampus, which is a region in the brain that helps regulate mood. Because exercise supports nerve cell growth, nerve cell connections in the hippocampus are improved, helping relieve depression.
Here are some examples of exercises you can try to kickstart your active lifestyle and reduce signs and symptoms of depression:
- Walking: Depressed people tend to be reluctant in doing intense exercise routines for the first time, so walking is a great startup exercise to warm up and increase motivation.
- Jogging: Once you start getting in the mood to exercise and upgrade your walking routine, try to go jogging or running so you can start feeling the benefits of this cardio exercise. As your heartbeat increases, so will your breathing and perspiration, which can give you a sense of accomplishment in some way.
- Push-ups and Pull-ups: As you advance in your simple exercise routine, strengthening your pull and push muscles—like your triceps, biceps, chest and shoulders, and your core—would greatly benefit you, giving you a boost, not just physically but also psychologically.
Get Help: Tell A Friend
Your "friend" can be your parents, siblings, close friends, or even a professional. Telling somebody your problem and what's causing your sadness can help you express yourself, making you feel better. Crying as a form of release often happens when you start telling your story to someone you can trust. Tears contain cortisol, which is a stress hormone released from the body when a person cries. That's why you'll feel better after crying and expressing your thoughts and emotions.
Also having a stronger support system can help you manage depression. This can be done by reaching out to your family and available community resources or social services for counseling and treatment. These services are free and helping a lot of depressed patients go through the process by providing a support system that they can feel safe with.
Conclusion
Depression should never be underestimated. People who have been depressed for over two weeks need professional help. Constant stress and intense worry or anxiety may cause depression, but CBD can help. Other affordable ways to help manage depression include physical activity and getting stronger family or community support.