Depression Becoming An Epidemic Among Baby Boomers

If you're a baby boomer and feeling depressed, a Columbia study says that's not unusual. Depression has become far more prevalent among that specific age group than any other.

Among some 43,000 American adults (older than age 17) surveyed, more than 5 percent had experienced depression in the past year and some 13 percent suffered from it at some time during their lives.

And, if you think getting older is synonymous with depression, that's not true either, as its reach affects both older and younger folks and usually starts with the latter, says one Columbia professor.

Thankfully, many are turning to alternative medicine and staying far, far away from toxic antidepressants that can do great harm to your health. You also have access to an array of free resources on my Web site to get on the path toward better mental and physical health. Some of the safest, easiest and healthiest ways to do that, without taking a drug:

• Take a high quality fish or cod liver oil, chock full of beneficial omega-3 fats, daily.
• Learn an energy psychology tool like the Emotional Freedom Technique, one I use daily in my practice.
• Reduce, with the idea of eliminating, sugar and grains from your daily diet.
• Start an exercise program today!

Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 62, No. 10, October 2005: 1097-1106

Yahoo News October 3, 2005