Just Want to be Happy

      There are countless numbers of individuals dealing with depression on a day to day basis.  Many of us go without realizing what depression actually is.  Dr. Rebecca Stilton states in her presentation, "Depression: How Neuroscience is Slowly Informing Research," that depression is the world's leading cause of disability and that 17% of adults suffer from a Major Depressive Episode (MDE).  She further states 50-90% of individuals who commit suicide do so during MDE. Its shocking to hear such a thing. But what can we do to change these stats? 
      Aside from genetic or other uncontrollable effectors of depression, George Mammen a Ph.D candidate states exercise can help prevent depression.  As little ad 20-30 minutes of low level physical exercise can help prevent depression.  For individuals with highly busy lives taking 20-30 minutes might just help keep them happy.  Low level exercise, as Mammen states, is as simple as taking a walk or gardening.  Thats not to bad now is it?

      The other method as many people know is through prescription drugs.  In an article published in the Times titled "The Antidepressant Generation" claims that this generation might be more dependent on drugs than we thought.  For some the drug might be a daily prescription lasting a lifetime.  But even individuals with a less severe form of depression often become reliant on drugs.  This cannot be healthy for the body, but with new research simple healthy alternatives like exercise may prove quite beneficial in the long run.  
         Exercise is one of the simplest yet beneficial activities a person can do.  Lifting weights, running laps, swimming, or even a stroll around the block get your heart rate up flowing blood to your brain.  This gives your brain the nutrient it needs to keep you happy and fully functional.  To see that chances of getting depression can be lowered by 20 minutes of activity is actually quite phenomenal.  This means lower percentages in suicide and lower Major Depression Episodes. 

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Works Cited

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131028163003.htm
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/17/the-antidepressant-generation/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0