The Healthy Brain

Dementia and mental health, have you ever thought that maybe these two could be linked? Well lets take a look.

In this post I am going to talk about the powerful connection between mental health and dementia risk. We will learn how to manage stress anxiety and depression and how this can significantly reduce cognitive decline. We will get into strategies that can positively impact mental well being offering mindfulness exercises, stress reduction techniques and resources for professional help

Understanding the link between mental health and dementia risk. It makes sense right? Mental health is important, as most would know. If you have ever battled depression, anxiety or any other of the countless mental health conditions that Australians face today . The statistics tell us that 1 in 5 Australians have experienced a mental disorder at a stage in their lifetime. Considering the prevalence of dementia in our population today these two (dementia) have to parallel in some way.

The reasons behind this connection are multifaceted, but it is believed that chronic stress, inflammation, and neurochemical imbalances play significant roles. Anxiety has been linked to an increased risk of developing dementia accelerating aging. Anxiety can put extra stressors on different parts of the brain. Anxiety induces stress increasing activity in the Emotional Brain, affecting memory (the hippocampus), and suppressing activity in the Rational Brain, the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Since chronic stress can cause ongoing suppression of the (PFC) and atrophy of the hippocampus, this combination could account for the increased risk of developing disorders, such as dementia.

No matter the specific cause, anxiety is linked to an increased risk of developing dementia, especially in older people.

So we are not saying that everyone that suffers from anxiety or depression will develop dementia but we are saying that it should be noted that it can increase your risk.

Anxiety, lets take a look at what it actually is. Well Anxiety is that feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It may cause you feel restless and tense. It can be confused with a heart attacks, as some of the other symptom’s of a panic attack or anxiety is shallow breathing, sweating and rapid heart beat. It can be a normal reaction to stress. For example, you might feel anxious when faced with a difficult problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision.

Depression

Depressive disorder (also known as depression) is a common mental disorder. It involves a depressed mood or loss of pleasure or interest in activities for long periods of time.

Depression is different from regular mood changes and feelings about everyday life. It can affect all aspects of life, including relationships with family, friends and community. It can result from or lead to problems at school and at work.

Depression can happen to anyone. People who have lived through abuse, severe losses or other stressful events are more likely to develop depression. Women are more likely to have depression than men.

An estimated 3.8% of the population experience depression, including 5% of adults (4% among men and 6% among women), and 5.7% of adults older than 60 years. Approximately 280 million people in the world have depression (1). Depression is about 50% more common among women than among men. Worldwide, more than 10% of pregnant women and women who have just given birth experience depression (2). More than 700 000 people die due to suicide every year. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in 15–29-year-olds.

Although there are known, effective treatments for mental disorders, more than 75% of people in low- and middle-income countries receive no treatment (3). Barriers to effective care include a lack of investment in mental health care, lack of trained health-care providers and social stigma associated with mental disorders.

What can we do?

So lets look at some ways that we can help with some of the more common mental health challenges we face today.

How do we reduce our anxiety levels. I can tell you from personal experience that anxiety can come from so many different places, my own has made itself at home in my forties. Why? Well I am not entirely sure but I can tell you what I think may be some of the causes: The unknown, starting something new, failure, relationships, kids, money, family, caring for sick family members uhm the list could go on but I wont bore you. Most of these situations are totally unavoidable, I mean LIFE CAN BE HARD and as we age all the fun stuff starts to happen (sarcasm insert here).

One of the aims of this post is to show you ways of dealing with or even resolving the issues that cause us anxiety.

Full disclosure I am not talking about full blown anxiety disorder or depression because that requires a lot more than deep breathing and an attitude change. It is a serious and debilitating disease which requires professional help.

One of the most effective and pain free ways to deal with anxiety and depression is mediation. Please no groaning, but meditation is a powerful tool to have in your arsenal. It can help you with anxiety with depression and as an a added bonus it is known to help you avoid developing dementia. Just type in “can mediation help you avoid dementia” there are so many results on the first page of google, from magazine articles to full Medical journals and studies. Mediation is the bomb, you can literally change your brain by meditating. Now practicing meditation is not as easy as you may think it is a mater of practicing, and developing your skill over time. The most important step to take is the first one just do it! yes just get on to it as early as possible. There are some meditation apps that you can use. I have a lifetime subscription to Breethe app (No Affiliation) but I do love it. It has a great variety of teachers and tracks to choose from and it is constantly being updated. There are others like Calm but Breethe app is the only one I have used consistently. Another great resource is You Tube, get on to you tube and type in mediation there are so many to choose from on there. Or you could go the old fashioned route, with no guided mediation and just try and be still and focus on the breath, work up to longer periods slowly over days and weeks. Start with a minute for 3 days then go up to two for the next 3 days until you work up to suitable amount of time. you will become addicted I am sure. It helps with your focus your mood and your sleep.

Another great way to help reduce anxiety and depressions is breathing exercises, breathing exercises can help you in the moment. When we say breathing we mean the deep diaphragmatic breathing. This type of breathing lets you use your lungs capacity at a 100 percent. This type of breathing can help with anxiety, it can also lower blood pressure, it helps with your your core as an added bonus. Start by putting one hand on your stomach just under ribs and one on your chest take deep breath in through your nose and then you should feel your stomach pushing out Exhale though your mouth while your stomach pushes down, you should do this for 5-10 minutes

Essential oils, I use them all the time for various things, like helping when the family sick. is use them in a vaporizer to help with breathing issues due to colds. I also use them for stomach aches, through the skin I rub a digestive blend on the stomach. There are so many great uses for good quality essential oils and they are and always have been a big part of my families everyday lives. But did you know that essential oils can help with anxiety?

I will list some of the best oils to use for anxiety . You can blend some of these together to make your own custom blend or use them individually

Lavender

Sandalwood

Frankincense

Lemon

Clary sage

Rose

Orange

Chamomile

By no means is that all in the list of oils for anxiety relief. There are many more and they can truly make a difference to your anxiety levels. Some of these will also help with dementia symptoms

Exercise: Okay I know what your thinking this is a no brainer right? You are right it is. Exercise like breathing is so important in the helping to avoid anxiety and depression. It has to do with the endorphins your brain releases when you exercises. To start with your exercise routine does not have to be too hardcore, you can just try to to build a healthy habit, something that sticks with you in the long term and becomes part of your everyday life. If anyone has read atomic habits the author says to start with even a minute a day and keep building on that. I am super impatient so that would not work for me but for some people it could be a really good way of starting off and getting past your mind blocks., Build up slowly, make it something that is not hard to achieve. Like walking a few times around your block or a few push ups to start, or even both of those activities. Strength training along with cardio is great for your body and mind. My suggestion is wake up an hour earlier and go for 30 minute walk before work and while your at it maybe add in a 5 minute meditation if you do this you have ticked 2 things off the list. Exercise is a proven way of reducing anxiety and depression and it is also great for helping you to avoid many other illnesses.

Laughter as Medicine:

Humor has a unique way of transcending boundaries and creating connections. In the face of dementia, laughter becomes a powerful tool for coping and finding joy amidst the challenges. Sharing funny stories, engaging in playful activities, or watching humorous movies can lighten the atmosphere and create positive memories. Laughter, they say, is contagious, and it can wonderfully uplift the spirits of both individuals living with dementia and their care givers.

Building Support Systems:

The importance of a strong support system cannot be overstated for individuals living with dementia, depression, or anxiety. Friends, family, and caregivers can provide a sense of security, love, and understanding, helping those affected navigate the difficulties that arise. Support groups, both in-person and online, offer a space for sharing experiences, exchanging advice, and finding solace in the company of others who truly understand. Some examples of what you can Include literacy and mental, join a Facebook support group, acuity tasks such as adult education classes, keeping a journal, and completing quizzes and crosswords, more passive activities such as keeping up with the news or reading, creative hobbies such as woodworking or knitting, and social activities such as meeting friends or going on planned excursions. I Also can recommend a brain training app called Lumosity, it has some great free games you can use.

Lastly I am a believer in calling on nature and her gifts for a helping hand. When I am feeling particularly anxious sad or depressed I get into nature. I am lucky where I live I have some of the most beautiful bushland and the beach just moments from my house. So I will go out and enjoy what nature has to offer as often as I can. I enjoy going to the beach and putting my feet in the sand. I will go for hikes and just wonder through lost in my thoughts or listening to a mediation app. I also use CBD oil, I am a big believer in its benefits and I use it when I can for sleep and anxiety. It helps to improve my sleep and eases my negative moods considerably. I originally looked into the benefits of CBD oil because of my mother’s dementia, she started taking it and was able to sleep through the night. It also helped calm her down on the days that she was particularly agitated. We tried a prescribed one with THC in it but she did not react well to it, it was too strong so I started experimenting and I developed my own formula. We happily give CBD oil to mum with no negative side effects. If you are interested please visit @earthsalcehmy which is the Instagram page.

I hope I have given you some good starting blocks on how you could help reduce your stress and anxiety. No-one wants to live in a constant state of anxiety it is a terrible feeling. Being proactive and taking some or all of the steps above can help you to avoid or even ease some of your symptoms. There are so many more ways you can help yourself avoid these conditions. There is a lot of information out there to find, I could not mention them all in this post. Oh one more thing Food it is one of the big ones. The reason I didn’t write about it in this post I wrote about it in depth in my last post, you can find the link here food KETO FLEX 12/3 is the diet of choice. If you get a chance go through the food it is titled “Unlock the Secrets to a Dementia-Proof Brain! Discover 10 Game-Changing Tips for Optimal Brain Health Today!” as that can help also. There is a strong link between anxiety, depression and dementia. So taking care of our mental well being is another piece of the avoiding dementia puzzle. Lets take steps today and arm ourselves with knowledge. Please comment below if there is anything you would like to add here. I am interested to hear from anyone who suffers from anxiety, depression or any other mental illness. Please subscribe so that you are made aware of when my latest posts come out. I hope I can help you in some way to live a healthy and happy dementia free life!!