Show Me Health - Holiday Travel

Many of us travel for the holidays, be it ten miles or a thousand.  Just like any time of the year, we should all keep our safety and the safety of others in mind.  This, as you probably know, can be challenging, especially if you’re transporting a carload, preoccupied with holiday stress or otherwise distracted from driving. 

The months and weeks leading up to Christmas are often a time of great excitement, but also more activities to attend, presents to buy, grocery lists to add to, cards to fill out, pictures to take, cookies to deliver and so on.  All this stress on our minds can sometimes cause us to go on autopilot. 

That being said, any time you are on the road, you should be vigilant about your own driving-as well as looking out for dangers you might encounter.   Keep these tips in mind to deliver your family safely to its destination and back:

Whenever you're on the road this holiday season, remember to always buckle up. Wearing your seat belt can reduce your risk of dying in a crash by about half. Also, make sure your young passengers are buckled into appropriate safety seats. The safest place for children of any age to ride is properly restrained in the back seat. Data show that child safety seats reduce the risk of death in car crashes by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers ages one to four.

During the holiday season, and year-round, take steps to make sure that you and everyone you celebrate with avoids driving under the influence of alcohol. Following these tips can help you stay safe:

   Plan ahead. Always designate a non-drinking driver before any holiday party or celebration begins.

    Take the keys. Don't let friends drive if they are impaired.

    Be a helpful host. If you're hosting a party this holiday season, remind your guests to plan ahead and designate their sober driver; offer alcohol-free beverages; and make sure all of your guests leave with a sober driver.

Each day in the United States, more than 9 people are killed and more than 1,153 people are injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver.  Distracted driving is driving while doing another activity that takes your attention away from driving. Distracted driving can increase the chance of a motor vehicle crash.

There are three main types of distraction:

    Visual: taking your eyes off the road;

    Manual: taking your hands off the wheel; and

    Cognitive: taking your mind off of driving.

Distracted driving activities include things like using a cell phone, texting, and eating. Using in-vehicle technologies (such as navigation systems) can also be sources of distraction. While any of these distractions can endanger the driver and others, texting while driving is especially dangerous because it combines all three types of distraction.

I seriously can’t figure out why any auto interior designers would put a DVD player in the front seat of a car, but I’ve seen them.  I’ve also passed drivers on the interstate holding their smart phone at the top of the steering wheel and watching a movie.   This would probably be an okay plan if there were no other cars on the road, but then again, probably not.

This past week, I followed a car texting and driving on Hwy 65 from Trenton.  To give you an idea of how horrible this person’s driving was: she spent more time on the rumble strips of the road than in between them, tailgated, regularly slammed on her brakes and so on.  If it hadn’t been around 8 in the morning, I would have presumed she was snot-slinging drunk. 

It definitely wasn’t the first time I’ve followed just such a person, and I’m sure you have, too.  Maybe you can explain to me why this type of driver isn’t as dangerous as a drunk driver?  Or why our state texting law only applies to teenagers.  (I would guess 99% of teenagers are much more proficient at texting than any adult I know.  Years of driving experience just doesn’t bridge that gap.)  We all know people who do this, and probably think they do it well.   If you are one of these people… give the world a gift and put your phone down.  You are very likely going to kill someone one day.   On that note…

Merry Christmas and safe travels to you and yours!

Source: CDC

Show Me Health - Depression

Depression.  To say it’s a real drag is the understatement of the century.   Most people have periods in their lives where they feel overwhelmed, sad, grouchy and despondent—but they usually pass when the circumstances of life improve.

This is not true of clinical depression.  With depression, the black cloud hanging over your head follows you everywhere and doesn’t go away on its own.  Sometimes you are bombarded by an emotional downpour of epic proportions that makes you wonder if you really are going to survive this black period in your life. 

I say this because I know firsthand.  I have struggled with periods of depression--first diagnosed in my twenties-- throughout my life.  The depression hasn’t been constant since that age, but it has reared its ugly head more than once in the past twenty years.

I would like to share a couple of things with you from my experience.  First of all, having depression doesn’t mean you are ‘weak-minded,’ or a ‘cry baby’ or seeking attention.  It is a serious illness caused by changes in brain chemistry.  Second, don’t ignore or brush off treating the disorder because of some stigma attached. Imagine if you were diagnosed with high blood pressure.  You wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) ignore doctor’s advice to control that condition with medicine or other treatment would you?  While you may be resentful or feel so bad you don’t even care if you get better or not, you just have to take the steps to care for yourself.  You owe that to the people in your life, and you owe it to yourself.

Clinical depression keeps a person from leading a normal life, and can interfere with sleep, appetite, and energy. The depression symptoms include:

•     Feeling extremely sad or empty
•     Feeling hopeless, worthless, or guilty
•     Feeling very fatigued and slow or anxious and irritable
•     Loss of enjoyment in things, which were once pleasurable
•     Lack of energy
•     Difficulty concentrating, thinking, or making decisions
•     Changes in appetite that lead to changes in weight
•     An increase or decrease in the need for sleep
•     Thoughts of death or suicide, or attempting suicide (if you are thinking of acting on ideas about suicide, it is important to get help or call your local 24-hour suicide hotline right away).

Depression is classified as major if the person has at least five of these symptoms for two weeks or more. However, there are several types of depressive disorders. Someone with fewer than five of these symptoms who is having difficulty functioning should still seek treatment for his or her symptoms. Tell your doctor how you are feeling. He or she may refer you to a mental health care specialist.

No one knows for sure what causes depression, but research tells us several factors contribute to the onset of depression, including genetics, changes in hormone levels, certain medical conditions, stress, grief or difficult life circumstances. 

Treatment choices for depression depend on how serious the illness is. Major depressive disorder is treated with psychotherapy (counseling, or talk therapy with a psychologist, psychiatrist, or licensed counselor), medications, or a combination of the two.

The most effective treatment for depression is often a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Drugs tend to work more quickly to decrease symptoms while psychotherapy helps people learn coping strategies to prevent the onset of future depressive symptoms.

Some of the most effective types of psychotherapy for depression are cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy. With cognitive-behavioral therapy, patients learn to change negative thinking patterns that are related to feelings of depression. Interpersonal therapy helps people to understand how relationship problems, losses, or changes affect feelings of depression. This therapy involves working to improve relationships with others or building new relationships.

If you’ve made it to the bottom of this article and think you or someone you love may be suffering from depression, give yourself the gift of self-care.  This is your one shot at life, and you deserve to be in a mental place where you can experience and enjoy it.  It may take awhile to get better, but things will improve with treatment.  Trust me.

Source: Mayo Clinic