A Psychiatrist Teaches How To Live Without Depression

Dr. Hideki Wada, a psychiatrist, has been pointing this out for two years now. Dr. Wada, who has extensive experience in counseling and treatment, has long been complaining about the harmful effects of “corona self-restraint”.

“In Japan, I have been living like this for over two years. The elderly were the first to be damaged by the drastic decrease in opportunities to go out and interact with people. They stay at home and watch TV, which only tells them about the fear of infection, and their physical functions deteriorate rapidly and they become ‘frail’ by not going out.”

 

“Some of them have diseases other than coronas, so once they are hospitalized with such symptoms, they are unable to see their families. How many people have died in loneliness in the past two years? On the other hand, the families also suffered the pain of saying goodbye to their elderly loved ones without being able to take care of them.”

 

Isn’t this unreasonable?

Death comes to everyone at some point. However, they are “alive” until that moment, and what they do with that time is being questioned.

 The “natural reason” for the increase in depression among people in their 40s and 50s

And in this protracted situation, such psychological damage is spreading to the middle-aged and older generation as well. A string of celebrity suicides this month. The negative power cascading from this is immeasurable.

The Corona disaster is reportedly causing an increasing number of people to complain of depressive symptoms.

 

There are two main types of stress-related depressive symptoms that are often seen in psychiatric practice. The first is depression caused by relationship stress. This is a typical pattern of depression that has existed since before the Coronas. Like the so-called May illness, it is caused by difficulty in adjusting to a new environment or power harassment in the workplace.

Of course, there are many intertwined causes that lead to depression. “Stress related to people” is often a factor in depression.

 

Another factor that is more common today is “stress due to loss of opportunities to interact with others,” which is seen in coronal depression.

“As far as Ryuhei Ueshima’s news report is concerned, that is exactly what I think. Going out for a drink with people, having a chat. It is a rich time that is necessary for human beings. I think the sudden disappearance of these things has caused a great deal of stress.”

 

As most people age, the scope of their social activities gradually narrows as they reach retirement age and their children leave the nest. On the other hand, they also begin to engage in activities that are appropriate for their age, thus achieving a balance. The change is relatively gradual.

 

The Corona self-restraint, however, cut off human relationships without any preparation. For someone like Mr. Ueshima, who used to enjoy drinking with others, this is quite hard.

 

Even if you are not as comfortable as Mr. Ueshima, you need a little time to have lunch with your mother’s friends, for example, to stabilize your mind.

 

Peer counseling, for example, is a method in which people who are alcoholics talk to each other. Peer counseling is a very effective treatment method.

What is undermining mental health in this country

The daily routine of going out for a drink or chatting over lunch served exactly this role of peer counseling.

 

“What we lost with the Corona restraint was people’s feelings. It is slowly eroding the mental health of this country. The government’s expert councils are dominated by infectious disease researchers. They do not understand the human mind. We must take mental health into account in our corona policy. Psychiatrists should be involved.”

 

Here, various “restraints” are being lifted little by little.

 

“Mental illness does not always worsen immediately after something happens. I am concerned that the stress of the past two years will build up and cause symptoms in many people.”

 

“I am against wearing masks. What’s wrong with it is that people feel calmed down when they see smiling faces. Masks hide half of the face. You cannot catch that they are smiling.”

 

“And the more serious and rule-abiding people are, the more likely they are to become depressed. Observe self-restraint and stay home. ‘Drinking at home alone’ may increase the risk of addiction, but it won’t make you feel better.”

Do what you want to do and live out your life in good spirits.

However, you are still forced to “live with caution” for a while.

Many people who don’t feel well or who are depressed do so because they lack the substance serotonin. Most people have poor serotonin production due to their self-restraint. This leads to a state of nervous exhaustion. To increase serotonin, one should go out and eat a good amount of meat. It is absolutely useless to eat light foods because you are worried that you will gain weight.

 

In general, people are healthier and live longer if they are a little overweight. This is clearly shown in the data.

 

What does it mean to live a long life? We want to live a long and healthy life, don’t we? If possible, we do not want to be bedridden, but to live a long and healthy life until the time of death. Live with a happy feeling, not a depressed feeling. To achieve this, people should get out more, do what they want to do, and eat what they want to eat. I think so.

 

People should be happier. It’s time to stop unnecessary self-restraint and get out there. Live freely and independently. That is the most important thing.

 

Hideki Wada: Born in 1960. After graduating from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Medicine, he studied psychiatry and counseling in the United States. He has been involved in the medical field as a psychiatrist for more than 30 years. He is currently the director of the Hideki Wada Mind and Body Clinic and a professor at International University of Health and Welfare. He is also active as an exam advisor and film director. His recent book “The 80-Year-Old Wall” became a bestseller. He is the author of many books, including the newly published “Severe Crimes of Television.”