How to Treat Stress and Depression Video

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How to Treat Stress and Depression

Susan Wilson Solovic: Chronic pain zaps the life out of its victims, often leaving them depressed and desperate. But it’s not the just the patient who suffers. Family members, friends and co-workers can also suffer from the stress, whether it’s from not knowing how to help or the added work load in the office. Well, pain relief coach and expert Rebecca Rengo understands both sides of this issue. Rebecca thanks so much for being here today. Rebecca Rengo: Thank you for having me Susan. Susan Wilson Solovic it really can be a serious problem for the other people around you when you’re suffering from chronic pain. But, I think the interesting part is the connection between the pain, the stress and depression, big link there. Rebecca Rengo: There’s a huge link. People who have chronic pain are three times as likely to also suffer with depression and people who have depression and people who have depression are three times as likely to have chronic pain. They are very co-related in the brain. They’re processed in the same region, the limbic region and they also rely in the same brain chemicals, neurotransmitters that are slight serotonin and epinephrine, both regulate mood and pain, so there a huge co-relation between the two that’s often missed. Susan Wilson Solovic: I was going to say serotonin, and you know, that’s a mood lifter and if I go shoe shopping, it seems to make me feel so much better because serotonin is going right? Rebecca Rengo: Yeah, that’s right. Susan Wilson Solovic: But, really I think that connection between the pain and the depression, I think that’s a lot of times when people just say, “Oh, it’s just on her head.” Rebecca Rengo: It’s so easy to say for other people that no one can judge someone else’s pain and it’s important to remember that depression is both the physical and an emotional disease. It causes actual physical symptoms as well as being very emotionally depressing with sadness and very isolating and decreasing functional ability. And then chronic pain is also a psychological and a physical respond. The pain perceptions are so varied because it’s a psychological component that goes into how we experience pain. And then we also feel the physical pain and so it is very important to realize that these two are enmeshed with each other. They can’t e separated and no one can judge them. Susan Wilson Solovic: How do that stress and that depression of the cycle affect people in the workplace? Rebecca Rengo: Stress aggravates those depression and chronic pain. And what happens is that a downward spiral starts where you have depression and that can trigger increased pain sensitivity. Increased pain sensitivity can cause more fatigue that can cause problem sleeping, that can increase isolation, decrease functional ability and its downward spiral just continues and less appropriate intervention and treatment is on Susan Wilson Solovic: So it is a real cycle. One feels the other, feel the other. Yeah? Rebecca Rengo: They absolutely do. Susan Wilson Solovic: One of that, are there certain other than stress, are there certain condition in the workplace that can trigger the pain and the depression? Rebecca Rengo: Yes there are. Feeling over worked and not having any control over your environment. So nurses are a good example as they’re one o f the professions that experience this co-relation at a high percentage rate because they have very demanding busy schedules, it’s very difficult for them to pace because so much of their schedule is out of their control and they have actually very little decision making in what they’re doing during the day. Susan Wilson Solovic: Well, also what you just described with the nurses is really sort of true with small business owners. Yes we do have a little bit of control but the customers really dictate often our schedules. Rebecca Rengo: You can feel that way and it often is that way. And what’s many small business owners get caught up in is the busyness of constantly multi-tasking. Having numerous responsibilities, doing multiple projects and they can’t afford to contract out for. And so they really do feel this work overload, a lot of stress, a feeling of little control, pushing the limits and that can cause exhaustion and fatigue and pain in anyone. When you have a chronic pain condition, that really causes the flare up and depression along with that really causes this downward spiral to go even faster. Susan Wilson Solovic: And if you’re not recognizing it and controlling it, and you’re not feeling well, you’re not going to be as productive and then that’s going to cause more problems. Rebecca Rengo: It really does cause more problems and it interferes with our cognitive ability. So, when we’re having these flare ups with chronic pain and stress and depression, all of them interfere with their ability to think clearly, make appropriate judgments and even make decision so you start to waffle, “Should I do this or that? I don’t know. I can’t prioritize.” You’re taking much longer to accomplish things. Susan Wilson Solovic: There’s something that with Fibromyalgia they call the Fibro fall. Which is your brain is just foggy. There’s no other way to put it. But typically that is also associated with fatigue. And one of the things now it’s probably true for all chronic pain condition is you don’t sleep well, so you never getting the restored sleep you need. So, do you see a co-relation there and how that fits in as well? Rebecca Rengo: It absolutely fits in. Lack of sleep actually can aggravate chronic pain. Unrelieved chronic pain has several health consequences and sleep is one of them and it also aggravates depression. So if you are suffering from both, you’re really putting yourself in a very difficult situation. Susan Wilson Solovic: So if you are not getting that restores sleep that you need, what strategies could you employ to make sure that you’re getting a goodnight sleep? Rebecca Rengo: I encourage people to be much disciplined about using good sleep hygiene, having the same routine, keeping your day on track as much as possible so that you eat meals about the same time; you have kind of— Susan Wilson Solovic: So you mean, cramming down something at your desk is probably not the right answer. Rebecca Rengo: It’s not the right answer. And actually, we get caught up in doing that and we think we’re saving time but when you look at it, taking half an hour to actually sit down in enjoy your causes you to eat less and obesity is a big problem in this country. Helps with controlling your pain, helps with pacing and in reality is it helps to keep you on track. So we think we’re shaving a few minutes here and there but what we’re doing is we’re increasing our stress level which then increases our chronic pain; which increases not being able to sleep well at night; which then makes the spiral go even faster. So taking the time to do these things in the long run helps us to be much more functional to think more clearly, make better decisions and to keep our mood up, because people with chronic pain are so at risk for depression. Susan Wilson Solovic: And what about, I wrote a blog recently about going out to lunch by the way. I said, “This is lunch Deb, because I’m one you just don’t like to go to lunch. I want to just grab something at my desk.” Anyway, that’s enough on that. I don’t want to criticize my self anymore so do as I say; not as I do, one of those things. But if you’re working with someone and you recognize these symptoms; not enough sleep, you know I think we talked about it in earlier segment, what can you do for that individual? Rebecca Rengo: It really is a matter of your perception is your reality. And so things can seem out of control, you can feel like you don’t have any options. But the reality is that being a small business owner gives you more control so that you can take time to practice good sleep hygiene and take responsibility for your own pain management by having healthy lifestyle practices throughout the day and pacing. You can have some light exercise because any activity increases pain also can aggravate depression. You can spend time to do some meaningful things for you and you can prioritize what you’re doing in your business so that these things fit in to your life and I’m here to say I do. I lived this way and I have for over twenty years. It can be done and it can be done successfully. Susan Wilson Solovic: I want to ask one more question. It goes back; you’ve mentioned good sleep hygiene. One of the things I’ve read is that you should try to go to bed at the same time every night, you don’t have the TV on, and you don’t take a bunch of files to review or something like. But when you go to bed, you’re in bed to rest and sleep. Rebecca Rengo: Correct. The bedroom should only be used for sleep and intimacy. So, there should be no computer, no crafts, no kids’ toys, no distractions. I like to spend at least ten hour before bedtime not doing anything but relaxing. Maybe take a hot bubble bath, maybe do some meditation, read something relaxing, really get in to the mood of easing in to bed and have a consistent schedule as much as possible. When you’re traveling or have business obligations you can’t get out off, and that’s okay because being gentle with yourself that you’re trying to do the best job you can is very important component. And then if you’re not able to get your sleep under control with good sleep hygiene, I would recommend talking to your doctor about sleep medications and I’m using them in conjunction with good sleep hygiene. Taking responsibility for you is a very important component and not just relying on a pill. Susan Wilson Solovic: Because at the end of the day as s business owner, you are your most important asset. Rebecca Rengo: You really are and you need to value and honor yourself throughout the day in everything you do, while you’re working in your home and personal life and at that time, I like to look back and feel thankful for the positive things that happened in that day. Many of us tend to criticize ourselves that we didn’t do this or we were worried about this problem. Let’s have it safe that everything is on track, it’ll all work out and these are the good things that happened today helps you to fall asleep without worry. Susan Wilson Solovic: That’s great. Well, thank you so much Rebecca. Some great advice and I promise I’ll try to follow all of it. Rebecca Rengo: Okay. Good luck. Susan Wilson Solovic: Thanks. And thanks to all of you for watching. Its important to realize remember that chronic pain doesn’t just affect the victim but everyone in their daily life as well. So, for more information visit Rebecca’s website at beyondchronicpain.com or you can also find great resources at the American Pain Foundation website which is painfoundation.org and remember, Rebecca’s book is Beyond Chronic Pain. So thanks for watching and you’re watching SBTV.com, where small business is our only business.

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Susan Wilson Solovic: Chronic pain zaps the life out of its victims, often leaving them depressed and desperate. But it’s not the just the patient who suffers. Family members, friends and co-workers can also suffer from the stress, whether it’s from not knowing how to help or the added work load in the office. Well, pain relief coach and expert Rebecca Rengo understands both sides of this issue. Rebecca thanks so much for being here today.

Rebecca Rengo: Thank you for having me Susan.

Susan Wilson Solovic it really can be a serious problem for the other people around you when you’re suffering from chronic pain. But, I think the interesting part is the connection between the pain, the stress and depression, big link there.

Rebecca Rengo: There’s a huge link. People who have chronic pain are three times as likely to also suffer with depression and people who have depression and people who have depression are three times as likely to have chronic pain. They are very co-related in the brain. They’re processed in the same region, the limbic region and they also rely in the same brain chemicals, neurotransmitters that are slight serotonin and epinephrine, both regulate mood and pain, so there a huge co-relation between the two that’s often missed.

Susan Wilson Solovic: I was going to say serotonin, and you know, that’s a mood lifter and if I go shoe shopping, it seems to make me feel so much better because serotonin is going right?

Rebecca Rengo: Yeah, that’s right.

Susan Wilson Solovic: But, really I think that connection between the pain and the depression, I think that’s a lot of times when people just say, “Oh, it’s just on her head.”

Rebecca Rengo: It’s so easy to say for other people that no one can judge someone else’s pain and it’s important to remember that depression is both the physical and an emotional disease. It causes actual physical symptoms as well as being very emotionally depressing with sadness and very isolating and decreasing functional ability. And then chronic pain is also a psychological and a physical respond. The pain perceptions are so varied because it’s a psychological component that goes into how we experience pain. And then we also feel the physical pain and so it is very important to realize that these two are enmeshed with each other. They can’t e separated and no one can judge them.

Susan Wilson Solovic: How do that stress and that depression of the cycle affect people in the workplace?

Rebecca Rengo: Stress aggravates those depression and chronic pain. And what happens is that a downward spiral starts where you have depression and that can trigger increased pain sensitivity. Increased pain sensitivity can cause more fatigue that can cause problem sleeping, that can increase isolation, decrease functional ability and its downward spiral just continues and less appropriate intervention and treatment is on

Susan Wilson Solovic: So it is a real cycle. One feels the other, feel the other. Yeah?

Rebecca Rengo: They absolutely do.

Susan Wilson Solovic: One of that, are there certain other than stress, are there certain condition in the workplace that can trigger the pain and the depression?

Rebecca Rengo: Yes there are. Feeling over worked and not having any control over your environment. So nurses are a good example as they’re one o f the professions that experience this co-relation at a high percentage rate because they have very demanding busy schedules, it’s very difficult for them to pace because so much of their schedule is out of their control and they have actually very little decision making in what they’re doing during the day.

Susan Wilson Solovic: Well, also what you just described with the nurses is really sort of true with small business owners. Yes we do have a little bit of control but the customers really dictate often our schedules.

Rebecca Rengo: You can feel that way and it often is that way. And what’s many small business owners get caught up in is the busyness of constantly multi-tasking. Having numerous responsibilities, doing multiple projects and they can’t afford to contract out for. And so they really do feel this work overload, a lot of stress, a feeling of little control, pushing the limits and that can cause exhaustion and fatigue and pain in anyone. When you have a chronic pain condition, that really causes the flare up and depression along with that really causes this downward spiral to go even faster.

Susan Wilson Solovic: And if you’re not recognizing it and controlling it, and you’re not feeling well, you’re not going to be as productive and then that’s going to cause more problems.

Rebecca Rengo: It really does cause more problems and it interferes with our cognitive ability. So, when we’re having these flare ups with chronic pain and stress and depression, all of them interfere with their ability to think clearly, make appropriate judgments and even make decision so you start to waffle, “Should I do this or that? I don’t know. I can’t prioritize.” You’re taking much longer to accomplish things.

Susan Wilson Solovic: There’s something that with Fibromyalgia they call the Fibro fall. Which is your brain is just foggy. There’s no other way to put it. But typically that is also associated with fatigue. And one of the things now it’s probably true for all chronic pain condition is you don’t sleep well, so you never getting the restored sleep you need. So, do you see a co-relation there and how that fits in as well?

Rebecca Rengo: It absolutely fits in. Lack of sleep actually can aggravate chronic pain. Unrelieved chronic pain has several health consequences and sleep is one of them and it also aggravates depression. So if you are suffering from both, you’re really putting yourself in a very difficult situation.

Susan Wilson Solovic: So if you are not getting that restores sleep that you need, what strategies could you employ to make sure that you’re getting a goodnight sleep?

Rebecca Rengo: I encourage people to be much disciplined about using good sleep hygiene, having the same routine, keeping your day on track as much as possible so that you eat meals about the same time; you have kind of—

Susan Wilson Solovic: So you mean, cramming down something at your desk is probably not the right answer.

Rebecca Rengo: It’s not the right answer. And actually, we get caught up in doing that and we think we’re saving time but when you look at it, taking half an hour to actually sit down in enjoy your causes you to eat less and obesity is a big problem in this country. Helps with controlling your pain, helps with pacing and in reality is it helps to keep you on track. So we think we’re shaving a few minutes here and there but what we’re doing is we’re increasing our stress level which then increases our chronic pain; which increases not being able to sleep well at night; which then makes the spiral go even faster. So taking the time to do these things in the long run helps us to be much more functional to think more clearly, make better decisions and to keep our mood up, because people with chronic pain are so at risk for depression.

Susan Wilson Solovic: And what about, I wrote a blog recently about going out to lunch by the way. I said, “This is lunch Deb, because I’m one you just don’t like to go to lunch. I want to just grab something at my desk.” Anyway, that’s enough on that. I don’t want to criticize my self anymore so do as I say; not as I do, one of those things. But if you’re working with someone and you recognize these symptoms; not enough sleep, you know I think we talked about it in earlier segment, what can you do for that individual?

Rebecca Rengo: It really is a matter of your perception is your reality. And so things can seem out of control, you can feel like you don’t have any options. But the reality is that being a small business owner gives you more control so that you can take time to practice good sleep hygiene and take responsibility for your own pain management by having healthy lifestyle practices throughout the day and pacing. You can have some light exercise because any activity increases pain also can aggravate depression. You can spend time to do some meaningful things for you and you can prioritize what you’re doing in your business so that these things fit in to your life and I’m here to say I do. I lived this way and I have for over twenty years. It can be done and it can be done successfully.

Susan Wilson Solovic: I want to ask one more question. It goes back; you’ve mentioned good sleep hygiene. One of the things I’ve read is that you should try to go to bed at the same time every night, you don’t have the TV on, and you don’t take a bunch of files to review or something like. But when you go to bed, you’re in bed to rest and sleep.

Rebecca Rengo: Correct. The bedroom should only be used for sleep and intimacy. So, there should be no computer, no crafts, no kids’ toys, no distractions. I like to spend at least ten hour before bedtime not doing anything but relaxing. Maybe take a hot bubble bath, maybe do some meditation, read something relaxing, really get in to the mood of easing in to bed and have a consistent schedule as much as possible. When you’re traveling or have business obligations you can’t get out off, and that’s okay because being gentle with yourself that you’re trying to do the best job you can is very important component. And then if you’re not able to get your sleep under control with good sleep hygiene, I would recommend talking to your doctor about sleep medications and I’m using them in conjunction with good sleep hygiene. Taking responsibility for you is a very important component and not just relying on a pill.

Susan Wilson Solovic: Because at the end of the day as s business owner, you are your most important asset.

Rebecca Rengo: You really are and you need to value and honor yourself throughout the day in everything you do, while you’re working in your home and personal life and at that time, I like to look back and feel thankful for the positive things that happened in that day. Many of us tend to criticize ourselves that we didn’t do this or we were worried about this problem. Let’s have it safe that everything is on track, it’ll all work out and these are the good things that happened today helps you to fall asleep without worry.

Susan Wilson Solovic: That’s great. Well, thank you so much Rebecca. Some great advice and I promise I’ll try to follow all of it.

Rebecca Rengo: Okay. Good luck.

Susan Wilson Solovic: Thanks. And thanks to all of you for watching. Its important to realize remember that chronic pain doesn’t just affect the victim but everyone in their daily life as well. So, for more information visit Rebecca’s website at beyondchronicpain.com or you can also find great resources at the American Pain Foundation website which is painfoundation.org and remember, Rebecca’s book is Beyond Chronic Pain. So thanks for watching and you’re watching SBTV.com, where small business is our only business.

Transcription by: Scribe4you Transcription Services