Stress Causes Depression – a New Study

I am sure that we have all been there, utterly and completely stressed out. Whether it was because of school, work or the horrible combination of the two – with a little family mixed in – we all know what it is like to be stressed. There is nothing in this world that can take care of the anxiety/stress ball that you get in the gut of you stomach. This proverbial “ball” is nagging and sometimes painful. However, have you ever thought that stress could be bad for your health? Have you ever thought that stress could cause depression?

There has been a study of young rats, who were threatened by older rats, and there was a very strange reaction. The rats who were bullied were able to still generate new nerve cells which focused in key memory and emotion regions of the brain, however, most of these cells later on died. Throughout this research, there was a very important discovery that was made. And that was that stress kills young nerve cells. But what does this mean? Daniel Peterson, who is a researcher, and leader of this study, at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago. He was quoted saying, “if we can keep these new nerve cells alive, we might be ale to forestall or prevent the types of depressive symptoms that might normally occur.”

This is a very interesting concept, could your depression be based upon your stress level? Well, throughout their research, they have found that elevated stress hormone levels would prevent the development of young nerve cells or kill them off immediately. But how can we get rid of stress, and thus, aiding in the release of depression?

There are several different suggestions for getting rid of stress. Some of them include getting a pet, as interactions with pets are relaxing and may therefore aid in stress management. Another way to get rid of stress is to go get a massage, when one goes to message therapy, one can effectively relax muscles, ease muscle spasms and pain, increase blood flow in the skin and muscles, relieve mental and emotional stress, and induce relaxation. One way that I find helps me deal with my stress is writing about my troubles. While I know, writing is no substitute for professional consultation, it does help when I need to ventilate my feelings. I have noticed by doing this, I have discovered solutions to my problems and have had many important insights into my life.

No matter what causes you stress, you must find a counterbalance to that cause – in order to keep stress and depression far away.