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I’m afraid you’re about to make your neighbors very jealous. They will smell this cooking as they walk up to, and then pass by, your door — forced to smell those aromas of garlic, chicken, and cumin, all without getting a single bite.

You, and only you, will get to come home from work, take a bowl from the cupboard, and proceed immediately to the table without even needing to turn on the stove. It’s white chicken chili for dinner tonight, my friends! Inviting the neighbors is up to you.

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As a private coach, fitness trainer and writer, I realize that depression can be masked. The first time I knew, and I mean knew in my bones that something was really wrong, I was less than half a mile into a run. At the time, I ran 30–50 miles a week. But on that day, I couldn’t shake out the stiffness. The heaviness in my feet and legs made it feel like I was running with wet shoes in the sand. I found myself, standing alongside the road, hands on my knees, trying desperately to will myself on for the rest of the run. Yet, physically, it was all I could do to even get back to my house. And once I got there, I spent the rest of the day on the couch.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nearly one in 12 adults report having depression [1]. Of that total, the prevalence of depression among women is almost double of that seen in men.

It’s very likely that someone that you work with, run with, or go to book club with is facing their own battle with depression.

Not long after that failed run, I was diagnosed persistent depressive disorder (PPD), also called dysthymia, which manifests as episodes of major depression in between long periods of mild to moderate depression.

The Mayo Clinic describes PPD as “a continuous long-term (chronic) form of depression. You may lose interest in normal daily activities, feel hopeless, lack productivity, and have low self-esteem and an overall feeling of inadequacy. These feelings last for years and may significantly interfere with your relationships, school, work and daily activities [2].”

It took me a long time to realize that I didn’t have to feel that way.

The Physical Effects of Depression

In retrospect, it’s not surprising that it was the physical symptoms I experienced that finally led me to a diagnosis of depression. I’d been experiencing the mental effects of depression for years — sadness, worthlessness, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating — but I always managed to remain physically active, which helped me to cope with my depression, while also masking some of what was really going on.

I assumed that because I could function well enough to at least go for a run every day, nothing was wrong. I also assumed that it was always up to me to try harder. This led me to berate myself for not trying hard enough whenever I struggled. With the onset of a major depressive episode however, it was the physical effects that finally pushed me to consult a doctor.

Depression affects people in different ways, and according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a high percentage of patients with depression who seek treatment in a primary care setting report only physical symptoms [3]. Some of those symptoms might include joint pain, limb pain, back pain, and gastrointestinal problems, among others.

As a coach, it’s helpful to remember that there are ways in which depression makes the physical things we ask of our clients that much harder. The strong mind-body connection makes the body feel heavier, the mind feel heavier, and the body hurt. People’s experience of pain increases and it’s important to take these factors into consideration when coaching.

Easing the Stigma to Help People Get Treatment

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, PDD specifically affects approximately 1.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year (about 3.3 million American adults). Only 61.7 percent of adults with PDD are receiving treatment [4].

Fortunately for me, at the time of my failed run, I was already working with a therapist. Anytime she had asked me if I thought I was depressed, my answer was the same: I was in a funk. “What’s the difference between a funk and depression?” she asked. “Well,” I said. “I function.”

“And how’s that working for you?” she asked.

I had always thought that my ability to plod on with my life meant that I wasn’t depressed. I knew from the media and some other people what depression could look like, and I didn’t think it looked like me. I got up every day, showered, exercised, and showed up to work. Sure, I often wished I were dead, so I wouldn’t have to deal with life some days, but didn’t everyone think that? (The answer to this is no — wishing I was dead is a form of suicide ideation — another symptom of depression.)

Like many of us, I grew up in a time and environment where mental health was never talked about — or if it was, the discussion was in whispers. I grew up in Western Pennsylvania, the descendant of coal miners, steel mill workers and farmers who carried a strong blue collar work ethic. To me, that work ethic meant grinding through everything on your own. Go to work when you’re sick, and if you don’t feel like doing something well you just pull yourself up by the bootstraps and do it anyway. We grind through physical pain and never talk about emotional pain.

I believe a big part of reducing the stigma of any mental health struggle is to give those struggles a voice. I decided to tell my story and I’m glad I did. Because if helped even one person to open up and share her story, or better yet, reach out for help, then it is worth the vulnerability of sharing.

What You Can Do to Support Your Clients

Depression is a lonely thing to experience. The trouble is, the more depressed you become, the harder it is to reach out. Anything we can do to make reaching out more accessible will help. As coaches, there are a few things we can implement that fall squarely within our scope of practice.

Create a Safe Space

When I worked in a college environment, faculty and staff members placed rainbow stickers on their office doors so that students could more easily identify a safe space. I often feel like the rest of the world would benefit from similar practices for mental health concerns.

If we are working with a client with an acute injury — a broken foot, a sprained ankle, or plantar fasciitis — we make a plan to work with them around that injury. As coaches, we honor our scope of practice — we refer our clients to a doctor and we work with physical therapists and chiropractors and other professionals in a team effort to provide the best care possible for a client.

In many ways, depression is no different — except that in our society, the stigma of talking about our mental health is so strong.

“The stigma of mental health in our culture and the internal resistance to reach out for help are two of the primary ways that depression continues to progress and really take hold,” says Dr. Lisa Lewis, a licensed psychologist who teaches at Northeastern University in Boston.

A client might feel comfortable enough with you as their coach to tell you that their back is bothering them, but they’re much less likely to mention that they also struggle with chronic depression and anxiety. Unless we make the space safe enough for them to acknowledge that depression.

The most important step I took as a coach was opening up about my own experience with depression — because it allows clients to feel comfortable acknowledging their own struggles to me. This does not mean that I step outside of my scope of practice — but it does mean that clients know that I’ve been there too, and that they can feel free to acknowledge depression or anxiety as part of their overall health, the same way they might acknowledge back pain.

Check In

If you are around a friend or a client whom you know struggles with depression, remember that depression literally “hurts.” If you know that a client is depressed because they have shared this with you, take that into account when you’re working with them. Some days 10 pounds feels like 50, and two minutes on the treadmill feels like a marathon. Keep the lines of communication open and reinforce the fact that your client showed up and that any movement is good movement. Remind them that everything they feel is OK.

Remember that you can be supportive without going into a “counselor” role.

“Don’t be afraid to check in,” says Dr. Lewis. “But also don’t hesitate to turn the attention back to a workout. That is the best way you can help your depressed client and you can be supportive and caring in a boundaried, time-limited way and then keep it moving to the reason why they’re there.”

Someone who suffers from depression often can feel less alone just by a simple check in, and the reminder that they are not walking this wellness journey alone.

Have Some Resources on Hand

I have the business card of at least two therapists that I keep on hand at the gym. It’s a very delicate process to hand someone who is struggling the business card of a therapist, and I don’t always do it. Often, in telling my own story, I’m open about working with a therapist. This self-disclosure alone can lead a client to ask if I know anyone they can contact.

Let Them Know There Is Help Available

If I had one message to share with anyone reading this, it’s that you’re not alone, even though it feels that way. It can feel as if no one understands. It can feel hopeless.

If you or someone you knows needs immediate help or support, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour resource; call, chat, or text at 1-800-273-TALK. The Lifeline can also refer you to resources and counseling in your area.

There is help. There is hope. And there is a light that can shine through that darkness.

Read Also

• A Sound Mind in a Sound Body
• Why Therapy Can Be Beneficial for Everyone

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Prevalence of Depression Among Adults Aged 20 and Over: United States, 2013–2016. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db303.htm
2. Mayo Clinic, Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/persistent-depressive-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20350929
3. National Institute of Mental Health, Depression: What You Need to Know. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-what-you-need-to-know/index.shtml
4. Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Facts & Statistics, https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics

The post Understanding Depression to Better Support Your Clients appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.

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When I first started lifting at 16, my workout consisted of three exercises: bench press, standing barbell curls, and lying tricep extensions, also known as the French press. This routine helped me achieve my measurable goal of building some muscle, as well as my ultimate goal of garnering more favorable attention from the opposite sex. Yet, while looking back over 20 years worth of training, it’s comical how imbalanced and incomplete my routine was.

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Flow. We all know the feeling of time standing still when we are engrossed in what we are doing. During a set, we may feel like Neo in the Matrix “finessing” a deadlift or a bench press. We’ve yet to fully explain this phenomenon in a way so that others can share in this euphoric feeling.

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Sure, we all know the slow cooker is often the secret that makes feeding our families a little easier on busy nights (and, let’s be real, nights we don’t feel like cooking), but that just scratches the surface. This year, dear readers, you broke out your slow cookers to bring your favorite comfort foods your tables, help stock your freezers, make takeout favorites at home, and so much more. We shared a lot of slow cooker recipes with you this year, and these were your 10 favorites.

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If you don’t keep a case of wine in your car’s trunk, hostess gifts are among the biggest challenges of the holiday season. It is likely your host will be overrun with festive baked goods, so your plate of homemade cookies might go unnoticed. And even a bottle of bubbles or a sweet-smelling candle will probably end up being redundant.

But you need to hand something to your gracious host — something that is festive, simple, and practical. This token is a physical manifestation of your appreciation, and a little thoughtfulness goes a long way. Which brings me to my go-to gift that I’ve already given out a handful of times this year.

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I am always leery when I use public toilets. What is lurking on the seat, under the seat, and in the bowl? All those people in and out tracking bacteria all over the place make me cringe. One organization did a real-life study on the number of bacteria in a public bathroom. They swabbed the […]

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Although I do like the look, feel, and durability of the porcelain tile in our kitchen, bathrooms, and sunroom (I never had it before living in Florida), if I had my druthers, I would say goodbye to grout in my life. Especially the grout on the floor, which we’re constantly bathing in some manner of liquid dirt — from tomato sauce splatters to murky mop water.

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I was 13-years-old when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, I’m 31-years-old now. I was born and raised in a tiny northern California community, 75 miles from access to any specialist. Can you imagine my limitations to healthcare options?

It took the doctors 2 months to diagnose the disease, and by then I was extremely ill. Because of where I lived, I had to travel an hour and a half to see my Gastroenterologist. My GI doctor immediately put me on steroids and pharmaceuticals. The medications helped mask the symptoms, and I started feeling better.

I was eventually referred to a doctor in San Francisco who was up and coming with the latest medical research. That GI put me on a biologic drug called Remicade. For those of you who don’t know what biologics are, have you ever seen those TV commercials advertising for Humira or Remicade? Towards the end of the commercial the narrator spends about 2 minutes listing the scary possible side effects. Back then, there weren’t many of those commercials yet, at least not for this new type of medicine. In a moment of desperation, my parents agreed to give it a try. It would get my sick body into remission, right?

For a couple of years, every 6-8 weeks, I visited different hospitals and care facilities to get the drug. It’s given intravenously—through an IV—and it would take between 5 and 6 hours for the entire IV bag to drain into my blood vessels. It was painful and would sting. I was given Benadryl to knock me out (more drugs!), so I was able doze off uncomfortably while I waited for the medicine to finish draining.

Once I started college, I moved to another city and found a GI doctor there. I was in remission so my new GI took me off Remicade. Since the day I was diagnosed (up until 6 months ago), there have been certain medications I had never stopped taking. In the years to come, I battled with the disease. I would get sick, and my doctor would prescribe a new pharmaceutical or antibiotic for me to try or increase my dosages. Sometimes when I got well enough, I convinced my doctor to take me off the new meds and decrease my dosages. Throughout those years I was in-and-out of remission, and yet Crohn’s was always lingering like a computer virus waiting for its moment to attack.

I can’t tell you how often my family listened to my emotional pleas, crying and desperate for relief. It was messing with my mind and emotions. My moods were constantly up and down—tired, unmotivated, depressed…I had a mental fog hanging over me. And I was in physical pain. Have you ever had a constant pain that doesn’t go away? I was used to it, and I dealt with it, but I didn’t want to accept it. I frequently declined invitations to do things because I didn’t feel well. Furthermore, I was often physically incapable of doing what I desired and loved most: traveling. I worried in the back of my mind that I was becoming more and more socially isolated. Was this changing my friendly and outgoing personality? My mind craved to do things, but my body wouldn’t allow it.

Ever since I had been on medications, my liver showed early signs of sickness. During a check-up in college, a doctor found a nodule near my thyroid. A couple years ago, I suffered extreme headaches on either sides of my head. I had 3 surgeries in one year relating to Crohn’s. My wrist started squeaking and creaking one day, only to find out I had “arthritis.” I got a crazy rash attack on my face one summer. My hair and nails were fragile and weak, and my skin was dry. My weight was constantly up and down. And I was regularly sick with the common cold or flu. These were side effects and symptoms of imbalance in my body. My body was crying for help.

Eventually I got ill again, and the meds stopped working. My doctor’s only option was to put me on another biologic drug. I wasn’t going to allow that in my body again! So I became my own advocate. I found a Holistic Nutritionist, who I call my Angel. The minute I met her, I knew it felt right. After telling her my story, the first thing she said to me was, “I can help you.” I burst into tears. She was so positive of her abilities to help me, and I trusted her with my whole heart.

One year later, I’m happy to say I am in complete remission and off ALL pharmaceutical drugs! I’ve never in my life felt better—physically or mentally. I’m not going to lie and say it was a walk in the park. It took dedication, desire, and a strong will. But I did it—I dove head first into the Alternative World of Healing and haven’t looked back since. I absolutely love my new health protocol. And I feel GOOD about what I put into my body. I love the healthy food I eat, following a Paleo and Ketogenic diet. It has proven to work for me, without any terrible side effects. The only side effects I have are feeling better and better! And the side effects from the medications have since subsided and gone away. I took action, listened to my intuition and decided to do what felt right for me.

Why am I telling you my story? I want you to feel inspired, to take action and be your own health advocate! If you don’t like what your healthcare provider is telling you, get another opinion. Not all opinions are created equal. Not all health practitioners are created equal either. And not all practitioners listen and care about what you want. I want to stress this: IT IS IMPORTANT TO FIND A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER WHO MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. Who listens to you. Who will work with you. Who will try what you want. It’s important to find the right balance for you. Finding my go-to person has been extremely rewarding because I trust her and I have a special bond with her. She’s proven to me (as my current health status shows), that by following her advice, my natural health protocol is working. I have the capacity/ability to continue getting healthier…it’s only a matter of time.

There is a ton of information out there, and it can be difficult to navigate through everything. Which brand do I use? Which technique is best? Which product do I choose? It can be overwhelming, all of the information we sift through daily. I’m not here to tell you what you should do. I believe each body is different, and what your body is asking for may be different than what my body needs. Since meeting my Holistic Nutritionist, I’ve found other inspirational health coaches who I follow and get information from—such as Mark’s Daily Apple. I believe he is a valuable and knowledgeable source, and has lots of information, advice and recipes, which have helped and guided me.

Seventeen years ago, Crohn’s Disease changed my life. But I’ve chosen to listen to my gut instincts (no pun intended) and do what is right for me.

The readers featured in our success stories share their experiences in their own words. The Primal Blueprint and Keto Reset diets are not intended as medical intervention or diagnosis. Nor are they replacements for working with a qualified healthcare practitioner. It’s important to speak with your doctor before beginning any new dietary or lifestyle program, and please consult your physician before making any changes to medication or treatment protocols. Each individual’s results may vary.

The post The Only Side Effects I Have Are Feeling Better and Better! appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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With holiday shopping season now in full swing, we wanted to take a minute to remind everyone that Costco is good for more than just giant containers of peanut butter and party trays. It’s also a place to find lots of presents to wrap and put in a stocking or under a tree.

And with new sale prices valid now through December 24, you’ll find some extra-great bargains. Here are five of the best sales happening at Costco right now. (Note: They’re good for members only!) Compare this list to the list of names you’re shopping for and see how many people you can cross off.

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