Mental health disorders are on the rise in Australia and here are the statistics to prove it.
- 1 in 5 Australians will experience mental illness in any year
- 1 in 7 Australians will get depression in their lifetime
- 69.4% of all mental health related prescriptions from 2016 to 2017 were antidepressants
- Australian youth (18-24) have the highest prevalence of mental illness
- 4 million people got mental health related prescriptions in 2016-2017
- 6 Australians die (on average) from suicide every day
https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/default-source/factsheets/facts_figures.pdf?sfvrsn=8
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/about-us/research-projects/statistics-and-references
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/mental-health-services-in-australia/report-contents/mental-health-related-prescriptions
So what can we do to feel better? We can start with paying more attention to our diet. Eat your Rainbow, meaning is to have two pieces of fruit or vegetables of each colour of the rainbow every day to get all the antioxidants we need. One of those antioxidants is Vitamin C which has been shown to possess antidepressant like effects and it has synergistic effect with common conventional medications.
Getting rid of sugar will help as sugar suppresses activity of hormone called BDNF that is low in people with depression and schizophrenia. Sugar also causes chronic inflammation that has effect on the Immune system, the brain and other systems that are involved in depression.
Getting out in fresh air and doing something we enjoy will help, giving our liver a break and having alcohol free days, drinking 2 litres of water daily and cutting down on stimulants such as coffee, black tea and soft drink.
Start with small steps as they will make a big difference.