A recent research shows that Turmeric (Curcumin) can be used effectively to treat depression. This made us think whether Indians suffer less from depression because we use of lot of turmeric in our food and also because we have strong family support system. Interestingly this research is also from India.
Photo Credit: Flickr-Ryan Melaugh
We decided to check our assumptions. Few things which can be argued are, we no more have the same family system as 20 years back. Today, it is predominantly nuclear families. The elder stay alone and have empty nest syndrome. The food habits have also changed with emergence of fad for fast and processed foods. But are these leading to increased depression among Indians?
1. A recent Times Of India article quotes research and mentions that one in 5 women and one in 10 men suffer from major depression at some point of time in their life.
2. An Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry in India (ASSOCHAM ) found that 42.5% of all corporate employees of India are suffering from depression or general anxiety disorder.
The above two articles may indicate that it is an urban problem restricted to young and middle aged. Unfortunately that is not true, depression is very common in rural areas also. The elderly with their own set of problems also have high incidence and prevalence of depression.
The reasons can vary for all these different group of people but they all struggle with the same depression.
The symptoms can be diverse like:
1. Persistent sad, anxious or empty mood
2. Loss of interest in hobbies or pleasure activities
3. Guilt feeling, Thoughts of pessimism and worthlessness
4. Chronic fatigue or loss of energy
5. Irritability and getting angry on others frequently
6. Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
7. Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
8. Overeating, or appetite los
9. Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
10. Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment
You can also check online whether you are having depression by taking these online tests
a. Depression Quiz
b. Depression Screening Test
Well, knowing and accepting that depression can be a problem among us is a beginning. The preventive measures need to be put in place depending on rural, urban, corporate, elderly environment.
We will cover prevention, helping others and helping self with regard to depression in another post.
Any questions get in touch with us. We will be happy to help you, now time to consume some Turmeric.
We decided to check our assumptions. Few things which can be argued are, we no more have the same family system as 20 years back. Today, it is predominantly nuclear families. The elder stay alone and have empty nest syndrome. The food habits have also changed with emergence of fad for fast and processed foods. But are these leading to increased depression among Indians?
1. A recent Times Of India article quotes research and mentions that one in 5 women and one in 10 men suffer from major depression at some point of time in their life.
2. An Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry in India (ASSOCHAM ) found that 42.5% of all corporate employees of India are suffering from depression or general anxiety disorder.
The above two articles may indicate that it is an urban problem restricted to young and middle aged. Unfortunately that is not true, depression is very common in rural areas also. The elderly with their own set of problems also have high incidence and prevalence of depression.
The reasons can vary for all these different group of people but they all struggle with the same depression.
The symptoms can be diverse like:
1. Persistent sad, anxious or empty mood
2. Loss of interest in hobbies or pleasure activities
3. Guilt feeling, Thoughts of pessimism and worthlessness
4. Chronic fatigue or loss of energy
5. Irritability and getting angry on others frequently
6. Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
7. Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
8. Overeating, or appetite los
9. Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
10. Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment
You can also check online whether you are having depression by taking these online tests
a. Depression Quiz
b. Depression Screening Test
Image Courtesy: kidsmatter.edu.au
Well, knowing and accepting that depression can be a problem among us is a beginning. The preventive measures need to be put in place depending on rural, urban, corporate, elderly environment.
We will cover prevention, helping others and helping self with regard to depression in another post.
Any questions get in touch with us. We will be happy to help you, now time to consume some Turmeric.
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