A Crushed Spirit

Proverbs 17 vs. 22 (NIV)
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

If you are among those, who suffer from depression than you know that your emotional health can have a significant impact on your physical health.  When you are depressed you may not eat healthfully, exercise or take your medication regularly.  Studies have shown that a person who suffers from depression, has higher levels of several inflammatory markers in their bloodstreams.

These elevated inflammatory markers are the main culprit in loss of bone density.  Inflammation has also been linked to other diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Individuals who are depressed have higher levels of a hormone known as cortisol which plays a considerable role in firing up an inflammatory response. Additionally, if you live under constant stress, and anxiety, your body will continue to release higher levels of cortisol which can negatively impact your bone health over time.

There was a study published in 2014 in the journal, Psychosomatic Medicine. Where more than a thousand women from Finland were studied over a period of 10 years, these were women of postmenopausal age. Moreover, it was documented that those who had an overall feeling of well being regarding happiness in life had a 52% higher bone density than the woman who suffered from depression.

Bone density loss is not just isolated to woman as it was found that the bone density of men who suffered from depression was lower than their counterparts that reported a more positive outlook on life. 

If you believe you suffer from depression, it may be time to talk to your Doctor about some practical tools to help manage your illness, exercise, yoga, taking up a new hobby, finding something good in your life and celebrating it, as well as medication. Whatever you and your Doctor decide, on how to manage your illness, know your emotional and physical health depends on it.