Persons of any age can exhibit the signs and symptoms of depression. There has been recent media coverage of post partum depression and advertisements abound for antidepressant medications. An Obstetrician is perfectly able to diagnose post partum depression and a General Practitioner should be informed of your concerns for yourself or for a loved one. We need to keep in mind that it is not uncommon for an aging person to become depressed. It is best to involve a Psychologist in the treatment of depression. It is also advisable to work with a Psychologist who is able to work with a Psychiatrist if medication is needed.
A preliminary approach to depression that does not need to include these professionals is to improve one’s nutritional status. If you can work with a nutritionist as well, all the better. It is possible to be malnourished regardless of your weight in relation to your ideal weight. Weight is dependent on the balance of calories in (eaten) versus calories expended (activity). It is easy to consume enough calories to be over weight without getting proper nutrition. We all need proteins (meats, eggs, etc), carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, etc) and fats (butter, oil, etc) as well as vitamins and minerals. The more a food has been processed, the less likely it is that it will have the nutritional components it had as it was harvested.
It has been noticed that if someone is depressed, improving their nutritional status will at least diminish the intensity of depression. If you or your loved one is in a blue mood consistently, has difficulty sleeping or is sleeping excessively, crying spells, feelings of helplessness or hopelessness or changes in appetite, it would be well to relate this to your PCP. Improving your nutritional state should make it easier to treat what ever may be wrong.
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