Cost of Depression

In the spirit of National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month, here are some stats to think about as October comes to an end:

Costs associated with the days lost of work due to depression and anxiety are estimated at $ 1.15 trillion per year worldwide, and this amount is expected to increase twofold by 2030.

400% increased use of antidepressants between 1988–1994 and 2005–2008.

16,854 deaths # of deaths were caused by abuse of antidepressants like benzodiazepine in 2020.

Of the 17.3 million adults in the USA who suffer from depression, 6.2 million found NO relief using antidepressants.

About one in five women ages 40 to 59 and nearly one in four women ages 60 and over used antidepressants from 2015 to 2018, according to the latest National Center for Health Statistics data.

Study(s) suggests that a Western diet may have a negative effect on the brain, leading to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative issues.

More than 60% of U.S. women do not engage in the recommended amount of physical activity.

More than 25% of U.S. women are not active at all.

Physical inactivity is more common among women than men.

More women (11.5%) than men (6.9%) have severe obesity. Severe obesity was highest among people ages 40 to 59 (11.5%).

There are now more women battling alcoholism in the U.S. than in Russia!

And the most profound statistic of all? Most psychiatrists (74.2%) and psychologists (66.3%) reported having no training in nutrition.

While there is a movement for "mental health" parity, there is little talk about brain health, the foundation for optimal mental health which starts with diet and exercise.

Our "healthcare" insurance does not cover gym memberships and organic and non-GMO foods. Nor are my running shoes, my bike, my dog, or anything else I rely on for optimal mental health. 

As someone who has been put through extreme adversity for years now, including my hair being cut off now for half a decade, face messed, body messed with, divorce, IRONMAN delayed, other races canceled, no vacation in 3+ years, isolated, jobless, lived on food stamps, moved 4x in 3 years, broken elbow when I was hit by a car, car accidents, spent last few holidays alone, I am far from depressed. Nor am I obese. I have lost and kept off nearly 40lbs now going on 4+ years despite people trying to make me gain weight. I am 44 years old and weigh in at 133lbs at 5"10" tall with a V02 Max of 58.

Haven't touched alcohol since June 2020.

Don't do antidepressants.

I do, however, train daily, walk my dog outside, practice staying present and stress over anything I cannot control.

I also eat a minimally processed diet.

Races get delayed? Set bigger goals when I can race. Like a sub-13-hour IRONMAN.

Broken elbow? It changed my gait for the better when I ran with that splint for 8 long weeks. A gift I will think of fondly when I qualify for the Boston Marathon. At the hospital, nurses actually said all that training was wasted. Let's be clear, training is NEVER wasted. And my training was exactly why I could hit the pavement, stand up, find my phone, tell the driver where to go, and finish my run home. I drove myself to E.R., changed myself when the nurses were too busy to help, and went home the same day. Their faces were priceless when I walked out of my room fully dressed and demanded to check out. They couldn't hold me at the hospital since I refused all drugs.

What I accomplished in training is nothing short of incredible. And when I do race, watch out. P.S. wait until I get a tri-bike!!!!

The point of this blog isn't to brag, but to highlight how broken our approach to mental health is. We have doctors prescribing mind-altering drugs completely uneducated in nutrition and exercise. And not one single government agency tracks how many chemicals are safe for any one person to consume from food, skincare, occupation, etc. It would be crazy not to think these chemicals we ingest daily don't have mind-altering effects.