Fish are taking antidepressants–at least they’re absorbing them in the water they’re swimming in. It turns out that fish exhibit abnormal behavior and lower levels of anxiety when exposed to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), which are common drugs used to treat depression. This has implications not only for the environment but for communities planning to begin wastewater reuse programs.
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Winter can be a depressing time of year. Gray days may keep you indoors, but if you’re gloomy, you may need to get out in the sun, because low levels of vitamin D (the vitamin you get from sunlight) have been linked to depression.
Psychiatrist . E. Sherwood Brown says, "Our findings suggest that screening for vitamin D levels in depressed patients–and perhaps screening for depression in people with low vitamin D levels–might be useful."
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It’s flu season, and if you neglected to get your flu shot this year (or maybe it didn’t work), you may be coughing or sneezing. Sickness can be depressing, but you can also THINK you’re depressed when what you REALLY are is sick. How can you tell the difference?
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We’ve advised you before to keep your brain and body healthy by walking to a coffee shop, and this is especially true for women. Since most anti-depressive medicines may be placebos, try a dose of caffeine instead.
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