Fitness

Doctors Are Tired of Having to Bust these Medical Myths

Myth: You Need To Get Eight Hours of Sleep Every Night To Have Optimal Health Truth: Although eight hours is a goal some people strive for,… Trista - September 21, 2022

We all want to be healthy in life, but a lot of misinformation can be difficult to sort through. Telling fact from fiction isn’t always easy, but we’re here to help you sort out the differences. Some facts have been stretched to the edges of their truth, and it is to the point that they’re almost completely wrong. So here are the common myths and misunderstandings that your doctor will probably want you to avoid. Here’s the truth about health myths even you probably have fallen for.

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Myth: Cracking Joints Causes Arthritis

Truth: Some people cringe at the sound of someone cracking their joints. Whether it’s their neck or their knuckles, that “pop” can be a release to those who have tension or pain in those joints. It is an old wife’s tale that cracking your joints would make you more susceptible to arthritis, but the truth is that popping them doesn’t change anything at all. The “pop” sound does not result from the joints rubbing together. Instead, there’s a gas bubble that forms in the joint, and that “pop” is the bubble being burst.

Instead, many other factors come into play as to whether you’re more prone to arthritis or not. These include family history, age (the older you get, the more inclined you are), sex, obesity (extra pressure placed on the joints), and if there has been a previous injury to the joint.

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Myth: The Sun Is Better For Your Skin And Health Than Tanning Beds

Truth: Not at all. The sun and tanning beds both emit UV rays, which can cause skin cancer. Just because the sun also has vitamin D doesn’t mean you should go out without sunblock. Leaving yourself to the full exposure of the sun is pretty much the same as lying in a tanning bed. The UV rays emitted by both will cause premature skin aging and increase the risk of skin cancer.

It’s best to wear sunblock any time you go outside in order to protect your skin. Anything less than SPF 45 isn’t worth it because the UV rays can punch through it. Look for a sunblock that is good quality, too; any brands that are too runny are going to fall off really quickly. Moreover, you should reapply sunblock regularly because your sweat naturally removes it too.

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Myth: The Best Indicator of Intensity Level is the Heart Rate Monitor

Truth: More and more people are turning to heart rate monitors to determine if they’re hitting their goals of elevated heart rates while exercising. However, do you honestly really need it, and is it providing you with helpful information? Sure, but if you rely solely on your heart rate monitor to determine your health, you’re making a big mistake.

The finger pulse is not as accurate as an arterial pulse, so the heart rate monitor should only be used as a guide, not as 100% proof. You will get a more accurate reading if you use a heart rate monitor those straps around your chest, and those aren’t readily available to just anyone and everyone. They would also be a little clunky to carry around, especially if you’re taking them to the gym.

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Myth: The Bigger You Are, the Less Healthy You Are

Truth: Size has nothing to do with how healthy you really are. Some people look absolutely healthy, but their cholesterol is through the roof. People often connect weight with health, believing that the heavier someone is, the less healthy they are. People come in different sizes and weights, so not everyone will fit into the same mold.

It’s more important to look at genetic predisposition and healthy behaviors, such as exercising and eating right, instead of looking at numbers. There are more critical concerns than what someone looks like; it’s more important to what’s going on the inside to determine if a person is healthy or not. Weight-related stigma tends to ignore how healthy a person really is.

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Myth: You Should Drink Eight Glasses Of Water A Day For Optimal Health

Truth: It has become a standard health tip to drink at least eight glasses of water a day to be fully hydrated so your organs can function correctly. However, that isn’t the case; you do not need to drink that much water in one day. There are probably other foods that you have throughout the day that also have some water content in them that also helps you to stay hydrated. The only reason you should consider upping your water intake is if your urine is dark yellow, you don’t urinate often enough, you live in a hot climate, or you’re highly active.

In fact, there is the possibility of drinking too much water, which can be fatal. This is called water poisoning and results from the cells in your body absorbing too much water. This includes the brain’s cells, which can start to swell and cause brain damage and even death if the condition is not reversed. Too much water can also remove the necessary sodium your body needs, further compounding the problem.

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Myth: Sticking To Diet Or Exercise Plans Requires Willpower

Truth: People complain about not having enough willpower to stick with their diet or exercise routine, but willpower has nothing to do with it. If you expect willpower to help you through your struggles, then you’re only going to set yourself up for failure. Negative self-talk comes into play, and people usually give up just when they’re in the middle of making progress.

Creating a healthy habit is the real secret to sticking with your diet or exercise routine. If you focus on making it a daily practice, your body will become more used to it and start to crave it. It also means cutting out the bad habits, or else all your hard work would be for nothing.

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Myth: Exercising At Night Negatively Impacts Your Sleep

Truth: It used to be the rumor that exercising at night would raise your blood pressure too high so that you’d have trouble falling asleep. The fact of the matter is that it’s different for everyone, depending on their sleep cycle. Late-night exercise has no impact on sleep, and some people have even found that they fall asleep better after doing some exercise.

Working out at night can bring incredible benefits, such as increasing muscle strength and getting rid of any stress you may have accumulated throughout the day. Moreover, because you’re going to bed right after, you give your body the chance to rest, and you might even feel more energized in the morning. You’ll also be able to focus on your workout more because there will be fewer distractions and people around, especially if you exercise in a gym.

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Myth: Vegetable Chips Are No Different From Eating Vegetables

Truth: It would be nice if eating vegetable chips were as nutritious as eating vegetables, but that isn’t the case. Vegetables are rich in roughage, vitamins, and minerals that help keep you healthy. Vegetable chips, on the other hand, are packed with salt and saturated fat that negates all of their good nutrition. Buying ones in the store are also usually fried, which adds a lot of unnecessary calories to what should be a healthy snack.

If you want to make your own vegetable chips, you can always make your own. Slice up your vegetables and drizzle them with a bit of oil and whatever seasonings you want. Then bake them in the oven until they’re crispy, and voila! A healthy snack that isn’t too salty and is just as good as vegetables but a little more convenient to eat.

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Myth: Canned Foods Have No Nutritional Value Or Health Benefits

Truth: People believe that just because foods are packed in a can, they’re not worth buying. This isn’t actually the truth since the nutrition doesn’t just vanish because of the container they’re in. Fresh fruits and vegetables are always best, but if you can’t eat them fast enough, then getting them in cans isn’t a bad idea to minimize food waste. They’re also a little more affordable for those living on a budget.

Some fruits and vegetables in the canned variety are even healthier for you. For example, canned tomatoes have more lycopene than cooked tomatoes, and there’s more beta carotene in canned pumpkins than in raw. So, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with getting canned foods if you’re looking for a more convenient way to keep them in your home.

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Myth: You Should Avoid Eating Eggs

Truth: Another common myth is that eating eggs is bad for your heart because they’re full of cholesterol. The more important lesson is that moderation is vital. Eating one or two eggs a day isn’t going to increase your heart disease risk dramatically. In fact, egg yolks are rich in omega-3 fats, which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. The other parts of your breakfast may be exposing you to heart disease, such as those fatty pieces of bacon.

In fact, egg yolks are actually rich in HDL, which is the good cholesterol that is better for your heart. Eggs are also pretty nutrient-dense and have decent amounts of vitamin B12, B2, A, B5, calcium, iron, vitamin E, and zinc, just to name a few. Studies have also known that having eggs for breakfast can help you to lose body fat because your body feels more satiated after eating them.

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Myth: Diet Fads Are Good For Your Health

Truth: There’s always some new diet fad that promises to help you lose weight and stay healthy. Nevertheless, there’s a reason they’re called fads: they don’t last long. Anything that promises a fast and easy way to lose weight is definitely too good to be true, and it may not even be good for your health. People can become obsessed with them and develop eating disorders when used as a quick fix to lose weight.

Furthermore, if these fads were so easy, wouldn’t everyone already be at their optimal weight and health goal? Food should be used for fuel and restricting essential nutrients from your diet deprives your body of what it needs to function properly. Most important is having balance and having the right amount of everything in your diet, so you’re not leaving anything out. Keto or paleo diets leave out some crucial nutrients that the body needs in the long run.

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Myth: You Should Avoid Gluten At All Cost

Truth: Gluten is a protein found in cereal grains and is mostly responsible for the problems in those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. However, that’s all that’s bad with gluten; if you don’t have either of these conditions, there’s no reason not to enjoy it. People have been avoiding gluten, thinking it can help keep their weight down, but there are plenty of other, more effective ways of doing so. Such as exercising and eating healthy.

In fact, if you rule all gluten out of your diet, you will have serious health issues. Whole grain bread, for example, is fortified with nutrients, one of the most important ones being the vitamin B family. Gluten-free products also tend to be more expensive, so you’re essentially throwing money away on something you don’t need. Get tested for celiac disease, and if you’re fine, don’t feel guilty about eating gluten.

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Myth: Having Green Mucus Means You Have A Bacterial Infection

Truth: You’re likely to be concerned with the contents and state of your mucus when you have a cold because you’ll want to know if you have a bacterial infection or not. It has become the adage that if it turns green, you need to start a round of antibiotics to clear up the infection. When the truth is that green mucus doesn’t automatically mean that there’s an infection. The presence of green or yellow mucus is actually more common than you think.

A common cold might give you green mucus, while a sinus infection might present as clear mucus. Taking the wrong treatment, in either case, can lead to disastrous results because then there can be the creation of an antibiotic-resistant superbug. When in doubt, always seek medical attention first to get the proper treatment for whatever malady you’re diagnosed with.

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Myth: Walking 10,000 Steps Is The Key To Getting In Shape And Optimal Health

Truth: 10,000 steps sound like a manageable number to attain, but is walking that much really necessary to keeping fit? Not necessarily. Walking every single day is a good task to give yourself if you want to get some exercise in, but that doesn’t mean that that standard of exercise is suitable for everyone. After all, there’s no point in walking 10,000 steps every day if you also eat a lot of junk food and fried meals.

There are other physical activity guidelines that you can use to stay generally healthy, so don’t focus on only achieving one goal and expecting it to work for you. Everybody is different, so different exercises will work differently for each person. So, there’s no reason to have a blanket goal that everyone should aspire to and expect to work.

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Myth: The Tryptophan Found In Turkey Makes You Sleepy

Truth: It comes to Thanksgiving, and people cut back on eating so much turkey, believing it will make them too sleepy after dinner. Although turkey does have tryptophan in it, there are only trace amounts, not enough to make you feel exhausted after a meal. The bigger culprit for that post-Thanksgiving drowsiness is the other carbs you’ve ingested, namely the mashed potatoes, stuffing, and all of the pies you’ve taken a slice of.

In fact, you can find tryptophan in the same amount as turkey in cheeses, soybeans, and sunflower seeds, and you don’t hear people complaining about how drowsy those make them feel. So cut turkey some slack and focus more on cutting back on the carbs you’re having. Focus on more vegetables instead during your Thanksgiving meal, and you’re less likely to want to snooze after.

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Myth: Ingesting GMOs Can Cause Cancer

Truth: GMOs can in no way cause cancer and aren’t as scary as you think. GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are crops modified for some reason or another. Perhaps to be bigger in size or to withstand harsher temperatures, but these modifications do not make them nutritiously different from normal crops. Nothing changed within them would have any disposition to cause cancer to develop inside the body.

They make the most common modifications to make them more pest-resistant so that there’s less of a need to use pesticides and to increase crop yields so that there is increased food security in developing countries. So having GMOs can be pretty beneficial when you think about it. In fact, humans have been practicing GMO practices for centuries by crossbreeding certain plants with each other in order to improve their yield or create bigger crops.

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Myth: You Should Workout At Least An Hour A Day For Optimal Health

Truth: People believe they have to exercise for at least an hour a day to be the healthiest. It sounds like an easy goal to accomplish, but not everyone has an hour of free time in their day, so they don’t even try. The truth is that you don’t have to exercise for a full hour to be healthy. Even something as short as a 15-minute walk is better than nothing at all.

By telling yourself that your goal of exercising more is more attainable. Short walks in the morning and afternoon can do wonders to boost your metabolism. Moreover, if you feel like missing out on one day, that’s fine too. The body needs to rest occasionally, just as long as you don’t backslide into not doing daily walks anymore.

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Myth: Being Cold Increases Your Risk of Catching A Cold

Truth: This myth has been around since the time of our grandparents, and before then, it was the belief that if you’re exposed to too much cold air, you can get sick. But this myth is completely false. In fact, one study looked at healthy men who spent several hours in temperatures just above freezing and caused the opposite. There was an increase in virus-fighting activity within the immune system.

In actuality, you’re more likely to get sick staying inside during the winter because of all the germs living inside your home. Furthermore, without open windows for air to escape, you’re trapped with all those germs for an extended period. The old things you can “catch” from being in a cold area are hypothermia, weakening your immune system, and making you more susceptible to becoming sick. However, that requires prolonged exposure at very low temperatures.

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Myth: Eating Chocolate Causes Acne

Truth: For a long time, it was believed that eating chocolate would cause zits to appear on your skin. Many people think this is due to the oil content in chocolate, but the truth is even stranger. Chocolate doesn’t cause acne at all. A study looked at high school students and provided them with candy bars, some with a lot more chocolate than the normal amount and others with no chocolate. The study revealed no discernable difference between the two groups regarding the appearance of acne.

Acne depends on your skin type, how often you clean your skin, and your genetics. Females tend to have acne more than males when it comes to puberty, mostly because of the changes in hormone levels. So even women after the age of 18 will still have acne during their monthly cycle. Acne should no longer be treated as a stigma and should be accepted as a natural occurrence that everyone goes through in life.

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Myth: Doing Crunches Will Give You a Six Pack

Truth: Crunches are one of the most basic exercises that almost anyone can do. But if you think that doing these alone will give you the abs you’re looking for, then you’re sorely mistaken. Crunches work your abdominals, but they’re not going to be the sole exercise you have to do to achieve them. You have to look at building your core strength with specific ab exercises in mind.

First, if there is a layer of body fat over your abs, you have to work on getting rid of that because then you’ll never see your six-pack. Develop a routine of core strengthening exercises along with a healthy nutrition plan so that you can improve your results and have a healthier lifestyle by the time you start seeing your abs.

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Myth: Having A Six-Pack Means You Have Optimal Health

Truth: Many people strive to get that six-pack set of abs that they can show off to everyone, but that doesn’t mean you’re healthy if you attain one. Popular media has made this one of the most important goals for health, but those movies and photos depicting six-packs are actually the results of dehydration to tighten up the skin and make the abs look better.

Six-packs can also result from a too-restrictive diet, meaning that someone is starving themselves to look this way. Having a six-pack is also indicative of having a strong core. And not everyone’s body type can support a six-pack, either. Some are more genetically able to attain a six-pack than others, which can be a low blow to some people’s self-esteem. Instead, focusing on feeling healthy is more important than wanting to look healthy.

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Myth: Microwave Ovens Can Cause Cancer

Truth: Microwaves emit electromagnetic radiation that is used to excite the water molecules in your food so that it is heated up. But cancer? Not in any way. This radiation is no different from the waves that are emitted from your cellphone, and that doesn’t give you cancer, either. This is because the radiation waves aren’t strong enough to affect the structure of your cells, leaving them completely unaffected.

Safety measures minimize any damage to you or the appliances in your home. The radiation stays within the walls of the microwave itself and not out of the door of your microwave. Even the pattern on the microwave door will help keep all the radiation in. If it wasn’t there, all of the appliances in your home would turn off.

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Myth: Weight Training Makes You Bulky and Manly

Truth: This myth has caused some women to avoid going to the gym because they don’t want to become bulky and appear “less attractive.” However, the truth of the matter is that women cannot naturally produce as much testosterone as men do, so it’s more difficult for them to create the same muscle mass from lifting the same amount of weight.

When looking at images of female weightlifters, they are likely to use anabolic steroids to achieve a particular look. However, without steroids, women can achieve a firm cellulite-free appearance and not the super-muscular bulky looks you may have seen on the Internet.

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Myth: Antiperspirant Causes Breast Cancer And Other Health Issues

Truth: Recent studies have tried to demonstrate that deodorants and antiperspirants can cause breast cancer when used daily, but that isn’t the case. Just because the skin in your armpit absorbs it doesn’t mean that it will affect breast tissue. However, even the National Cancer Institute has stated that there is no evidence linking the use of antiperspirants to breast cancer rates. Sweat glands are in no way connected to the lymph nodes in your armpits, so there’s no reason for the two systems to interact.

Since there is no conclusive evidence, other steps can be taken to minimize your risk of breast cancer. These include quitting smoking, practicing healthy habits, being more active throughout your day, and having a nutritious diet. Of course, if you have a family history of breast cancer, it’s essential to schedule an annual mammogram so that suspicious findings can be caught early and treated.

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Myth: You Only Need Sunblock When The Sun’s Out

Truth: You don’t usually put on sunblock in the middle of winter or on a rainy day because there’s no sun out to burn your skin. But that could be your biggest mistake. Just because there are clouds in the sky doesn’t mean that the sun’s powerful rays can’t reach your skin. It also doesn’t mean you can’t get sunburned just because the temperature is cold; the sun is still bright and will burn you.

That’s why it’s important to wear sunblock whenever you go outside during the day to help protect your skin. A broad-spectrum sunblock works best, and it should be applied to all exposed areas of your skin. If you’re going to be out for long periods of time, it should be reapplied every two hours to reduce your chances of getting sunburned.

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Myth: Addiction Affects Everyone in the Same Way

Truth: Whether it’s television shows or movies, addiction is pretty much depicted the same way. That’s why there are so many people who are addicts, but not even their close friends or family members know because they don’t look like the “typical” addicts they’re used to seeing on TV. There’s also the fact that people react to addictions differently, and some people are more predisposed to addiction than others. Some people will not even become addicted to substances and can quit cold turkey afterward.

That’s why not everyone should be treated the same when it comes out that they have an addiction. Using the same rubric to treat people with addictions can lead to backsliding and even giving up because they feel like it’s not working. Finding out the root cause of addiction and treating those roots produce better results than just trying to get someone off of addictive substances alone.

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Myth: Having More Saturated Fats In Your Diet Will Cause Heart Disease

Truth: There is more to consider than just how much-saturated fat you have in your diet. It shouldn’t be the only factor you think, despite all medical literature saying to stay away from it. A study in 2017 actually proved that it wasn’t saturated fats that caused clogged arteries but the amount of bad cholesterol (LDL) present in one’s diet.

This isn’t to say that you can eat all the saturated fat you want; it should still be limited in your diet, but you don’t need to avoid it altogether. Practicing healthier eating habits and exercising regularly should be added to your daily routine to help counteract any saturated fats you may have on a given day.

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Myth: You Should Apply Deodorant in the Morning

Truth: It makes a lot of sense that you should put on deodorant when you get out of bed and are ready to tackle the day. Especially if you shower in the morning, you want to be able to smell clean and fresh throughout the rest of your workday. Nevertheless, dermatologists have stated that it would be better if you started putting on deodorant the night before you go to sleep. Why? Because it gives your skin more time to absorb so that it can work longer.

Moreover, if you miss that clean, fresh smell, you can constantly reapply a little in the morning when you get out of bed. It’s not necessary, of course, but more for your own comfort level than anything else. It even says right on the label that it’s a good idea to apply before going to bed, but it doesn’t seem like everyone knows about that handy little tip.

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Myth: Sugar Makes Children Hyperactive

Truth: Too much sugar generally isn’t good for you, but it was the belief that children having too much sugar would end up being hyperactive, do worse in school, or be unable to focus on tasks they were given. However, this isn’t actually true. Too much sugar will make you drowsy after a while because of digestion. Those children who acted out were already primed to be like that.

When you ingest too much sugar, the brain releases a feel-good chemical called dopamine. You’ll also get a quick burst of energy because your blood sugar levels go up fast. However, then you get a sudden drop or “sugar crash” afterward. The pancreas also pumps out more insulin to help digest this sugar. Suppose you overeat sugar for a long period of time. In that case, your pancreas will no longer respond to create insulin. Your blood sugar levels will remain elevated, leading to type 2 diabetes.

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Myth: Bottled Water is Better for You Than Tap

Truth: Bottled water is depicted as the best choice out there because it is taken from all-natural spring reservoirs rich with natural minerals that our bodies need. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but those are just selling points to make you buy the product so that you can believe you’re healthier. The truth is that tap water is just fine if you live somewhere that has safe municipal water practices.

The presence of fluoride in water is just fine and actually isn’t toxic; it’s only poisonous at high levels, which is difficult to attain in just tap water. In fact, bottled water is much less healthy, especially when it comes to the planet. It creates a ton of plastic waste that often isn’t recycled by enough people, resulting in landfills and the ocean, creating a dangerous environment for aquatic life.

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Myth: Drinking Juice Cleanses Will Make You Have Optimal Health

Truth: People would like to think that having a juice cleanse is a great way to get all the impurities and toxins out of your system, but that’s not the case. That function is already completed by the liver and kidneys and excreted your waste. Having cleanses does not provide anything else to help your liver and kidneys. In fact, they can actually do a lot of harm.

A juice cleanse forces your body to purge (also known as diarrhea), which essentially sweeps all the essential nutrients out of your body. The process can also leave you feeling dehydrated, and that’s not a good state to be in. If you want to keep your body as “clean” as possible, exercise regularly, drink enough water, and minimize how much processed foods you eat. Your body will thank you for it.

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Myth: Addiction is a Choice

Truth: Popular media has depicted addiction as something people choose to do “when things get tough,” but that could not be farther from the truth. Addiction is a highly complex thing with no concrete explanation, and there are several complicated reasons why people turn to certain substances. What’s worse is that these media stories depict people overcoming their addictions through the sheer power of will and determination.

These stories tend to simplify the overall process, which ends up setting unrealistic expectations for real people in the world with addictions, that they can just overcome if they just try hard. Without the right support system in place, addiction fundamentally changes a person’s brain chemistry to the point that it sometimes becomes the only choice people have left in the world.

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Myth: Energy Drinks Contain Special Alertness-Boosting Ingredients

Truth: Many people turn to energy drinks instead of coffee to help them get through their days. They need that extra boost of energy, either because they didn’t sleep well or didn’t get enough. Either way, they believe that there are some healthy choices of energy drinks out there, especially the ones that have tons of vitamins and minerals in them. The truth, however, is that caffeine is the main ingredient to help boost energy, the same amount found in coffee.

All those vitamins and minerals can be found by eating a healthy diet, anyway, so don’t think you’re supplementing your diet with energy drinks. A real addiction can form to the point that without a drink, you can experience headaches and twitching. You would be better off having a balanced diet and a cup of coffee than relying on energy drinks daily.

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Myth: Eating Before Bed Makes You Overweight

Truth: It is the belief that because you’re eating right before bed, your stomach isn’t going to have time to digest it all and will choose to store it instead, leading to weight gain at an accelerated rate. However, that is not the case. There is no magical time you stop eating before bed; the real problem is what you eat before bed and how much. People tend to eat more junk food in the evenings instead of snacking on something healthy.

It doesn’t help to starve yourself before bed if you’re hungry. You may find falling asleep a little harder if you go to bed hungry. Just look at eating small healthy snacks, such as a protein bar or protein shake, to help boost your metabolism but still keep your calorie intake moderate before bed. You’ll have better results than eating a whole bag of potato chips before bed.

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Myth: Touching Toilet Seats Can Make You Sick

Truth: Of course, in any public restroom, the last thing you want to touch is the toilet because of the… functions that take place on them. But to say they’re the dirtiest part of the bathroom is entirely wrong. You’re less likely to get sick from the toilet than if you were to touch the bathroom doors or stall handles in a public restroom, and that’s because those bathroom areas are touched by hands that haven’t been washed yet.

And hands tend to be part of the body covered with the most bacteria when they’re not washed regularly. It’s best to use a paper towel to open doors and stalls before and after using the bathroom. Then, apply some hand sanitizer, just to be sure. Sure, toilets might look and smell gross, but they’re not the dirtiest part of any public bathroom.

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Myth: You Should Remove Sugar Entirely From Your Diet For Optimal Health

Truth: Sugar is touted as a big bad villain that you should completely eliminate from your diet. People believe that it is terrible for them in every way and avoid sugar altogether. However, there are different types of sugar, some of which are actually good for you. The fruits you find in vegetables, fruits, and dairy are good for your health and, combined with the other vitamins and minerals, make the sugar worth it.

The problem is that people focus on refined sugar as being bad and apply that to all kinds of sugar. They also indulge in too much-refined sugar, which is mostly responsible for the bad habits associated with sugar. If moderation is exercised and sugar intake is reduced to a healthy amount, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with having some sugar in your diet.

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Myth: If You Stop Weight Training, Muscles Turn to Fat

Truth: Wouldn’t it be nice if fat turned into muscles? Of course, if you believed that, you’d probably believe that muscle can turn back fat if you stop working out. But fat and muscle are two different kinds of tissue that don’t really interact with each other. So, what’s really going on when you stop working out? Why do you look softer and less defined?

You’re losing muscle mass due to a lack of activity, and it’s not actually turning back into fat. If you stop working out and start delving into bad eating habits, then fat accumulates around the muscle, depending on the area of the body. So, if you care about your muscle definition, maintain your exercise routine when possible.

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Myth: You Should Have More Organic Foods In Your Diet

Truth: There’s no objective evidence to show that organic foods are inherently better for you than other foods. You can grow them with no synthetic pesticides or other non-organic means. However, that doesn’t mean that they’re more nutritious in any way. You’ll not get more vitamin C from an organic orange than an orange grown with conventional farming practices.

It’s not even evident if lowering pesticide residue on foods has any impact on human health whatsoever. Of course, that can be difficult to measure, but there have been no serious health impacts from eating foods raised using pesticides, as long as they’re washed first. So if you feel like you need to save money by not going organic, then don’t feel guilty about it.

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Myth: Carrots Give You Night Vision

Truth: It was often told to everyone as children that they should eat more carrots, as it would improve their night vision. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Carrots are pretty good for your eyesight, but they’re not that good. Vitamin A, which the body creates after eating carrots, helps the eye to convert light into a signal that can be sent to the brain.

The downside to this is that vitamin A is fat-soluble, which means that it’s stored in fat and isn’t easy for the body to get rid of, so if you continue to eat too many carrots, you’ll end up with an overdose. This appears as a yellowish coloration to the skin and changes in your bowel movements. It’s better to have a varied diet instead of bingeing on a lot of carrots just to improve your eyesight. They work well, but they’re not a miracle cure.

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Myth: Starve a Fever, Feed a Cold

Truth: Even though you may not have heard this adage, it couldn’t be more wrong. There’s no reason to starve yourself when you’re sick or trying to lose weight because your body is working overtime to fight infection. That means it doesn’t hurt to provide a little more fuel to help it during this challenging time by eating as much of a regular diet as possible.

This is especially important even if you don’t feel hungry at all. Of course, if you’re constantly feeling nauseous, it’s best to avoid solid foods and focus on warm liquids such as soups and tea, so they’re easy to digest and easier on your stomach. Calorie-dense foods are also a good idea to help replenish your electrolytes and keep your energy levels up as much as possible.

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Myth: Our Fingernails Keep Growing After We Die

Truth: When you die, all of the body’s processes stop. That means that your hair and your fingernails don’t continue to grow after you die. What’s really responsible for their “longer” appearance is the dehydration of the skin, causing it to shrink and pull back around the fingernails and on the scalp so that they look longer.

A chemical called biotin is responsible for hair and nail growth, which is part of the B complex vitamins. It helps the body convert food into energy to metabolize fats and proteins and promote healthy hair and nail growth. Without biotin, you can have brittle nails and thinning hair. So if you’ve passed away, there is no new introduction of biotin into the body, so your hair and nails cannot keep growing.

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Myth: You Need To Take A Multivitamin Every Day For Optimal Health

Truth: Multivitamins have become synonymous with good health, but that’s not necessarily the case. Multivitamins are proposed as “that little extra” that you need when you’re not taking specific nutrients in your diet. But if you’re eating a pretty well-balanced diet, you don’t need multivitamins. The only time you should be taking them is if your doctor recommends them to you. For example, if you’re a pregnant woman, you’ll need some extra vitamins to ensure the health of your fetus as it grows.

Otherwise, you can save money and just invest in a healthier diet with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy oils. It can take a lot of willpower to make the change, but it will be worth it if you don’t have to pay for a bottle of multivitamins every three months.

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Myth: The Flu Shot Gives You the Flu

Truth: It can feel like you’ve gotten the flu after getting your flu shot, but these are expected side effects. The most common ones are redness and swelling at the injection site, overall soreness, low fever, and some muscle aches, all symptoms that are similar to the flu. However, unlike the flu, these side effects will pass quickly instead of lingering around for a week or more.

And yet, the myth persists, leading people to believe that the shots don’t work. They think the government created shots that make you feel sick instead of preventing the flu. However, most flu shots use an inactive virus or no virus at all, so there is no way for you to actually get the flu from getting your flu shots every year. Don’t avoid it; you can cut down on the spread of the flu by getting vaccinated every year and slowing down its mutation so that more people are protected next year.

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Myth: Natural Sugars Are Better Than Refined Sugar

Truth: Many believe that the refinement process of creating white sugar makes it less healthy for you. They think that coconut sugar, agave sugar, and raw brown sugar are healthier options. However, to be quite honest, they’re still all sugar and should be treated the same way. You should consume them in moderation. They’re all simple sugars processed the same way, so even molasses and honey are still a little unhealthy for you.

The best choice for a source of sugar is fruit. You are also getting a ton of other vitamins, minerals, and fiber along with the sugar. It makes them more nutritious. So, if you ever feel a sugar craving, reach for something sweet plucked from a vine or tree. Skip the sugary snacks that come in a wrapper.

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Myth: Chocolate is an Aphrodisiac

Truth: Although chocolates make a great gift for Valentine’s Day, don’t think they’ll get you some luck before the night is out. It has been a common misconception that chocolate is an aphrodisiac, meaning it can make you ready for sexy time after eating a few pieces. However, this isn’t the case at all. Studies have shown that chocolate has had no effect on the sexual response in men, and there is only preliminary evidence as to improved libido in women. However, there’s not enough information to go on.

Chocolate, in and of itself and in small moderation, can actually be pretty good for your health. Dark chocolate, in particular, has been known to lower blood pressure, increase blood circulation, and reduce the risk of clotting. So a little bit every day can work wonders for your health. Just as long as you’re not indulging in too much every day, because there is a lot of sugar and calories in chocolate, so you can make all the beneficial properties not worth it.

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Myth: Eating Breakfast Helps You To Lose Weight

Truth: Having breakfast in the morning is a great way to jumpstart your metabolism so that it’s ready for the day but having breakfast doesn’t guarantee losing weight. It’s really dependent on the kind of breakfast that you have and what your metabolism is really like. Having breakfast can also help you to minimize your snacking throughout the day, but it’s not a guarantee that you’ll lose weight.

In fact, some studies have shown that some people who don’t eat breakfast tend not to overeat at lunch and dinner and actually ingest fewer calories during the day than those who eat breakfast. So it’s a personal choice to see what works for you when it comes to losing weight because not every plan will work for everyone.

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Myth: “Starving Yourself” Can Be Effective for Weight Loss

Truth: After all, if you’re not taking in calories, you’re not gaining weight, right? It should be the easiest solution for hitting your target goal weight. Unfortunately, starving yourself can have the opposite effect of what you’re looking for. As the body starts to get hungry, it starts to hold on to the calories and fat you do have left. The body uses it for fuel to maintain the body’s other functions. That means that it’s going to hold on to a certain weight for a longer time.

That means when you’ve hit your goal and start eating again, the body will hold on to all that nutrition even harder. Your body doesn’t want to endure another moment of starvation again, hence it holding onto nutrients. That’s why starvation or low-calorie diets don’t work at all. It’s much better to focus on eating a healthy diet with moderate exercise to help keep the weight off.

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Myth: Drinking Coffee Can Stunt Your Growth

Truth: Coffee does not contain chemicals that will diminish your height as you grow older. Your genetics entirely determines your height, and coffee is not strong enough to change your genes. It’s unclear where this old myth came from, but people probably used it as a scare tactic to stop children from trying to drink coffee.

Otherwise, no scientific evidence shows that coffee will stunt your growth. The only medical condition coffee relates to is a slight increase in blood pressure. However, coffee addiction becomes a real thing if drunk in high quantities. In addition, you can have high blood pressure, dizziness, headaches, and an abnormal heartbeat, just to name a few of the symptoms. Limiting your coffee intake to no more than six cups a day is best.

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Myth: You Need To Get Eight Hours of Sleep Every Night To Have Optimal Health

Truth: Although eight hours is a goal some people strive for, not everyone is the same. Some people feel well-rested after getting less sleep or require a lot more. It really depends on people’s personal metabolisms and the quality of sleep that they have. For example, if someone’s day has a lot of heavy work that makes them extremely tired, they might require a lot more sleep every night to feel energized the next day.

Everyone has a different circadian rhythm that determines optimal sleep time. It could be anywhere from six to nine hours, so always aiming for eight might not work for some people. Sleep should be treated like exercise and hydration: get enough so that you feel your best and don’t give yourself some unattainable goal that doesn’t make you feel healthy.

Health

The Most Depressed Countries In The World

Depression is a mental disease that is slowly taking over the world by storm. There are always stories of people succumbing to depression due to events… Trista - September 15, 2022

Depression is a mental disease that is slowly taking over the world by storm. There are always stories of people succumbing to depression due to events happening in their lives. Studies show that major depression is twice as common in women as it is in men, though those studies haven’t been able to explain why. In fact, depression is so serious that it is the second leading cause of death, after heart disease.If you’ve ever wondered where depression is most prevalent, then wonder no more. Here are the top 50 of the most depressed countries in the world.

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The United States

According to the World Health Organization, the United States is one of the most depressed countries in the world. The population of the United States is one of the countries most affected by anxiety, schizophrenia, and manic-depressive disorder. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has stated that at least one in five adults has experienced some form of mental illness each year; the downside is that only 41% of those adults received mental health care that year. There is something of a stigma surrounding mental illness and that is part of the reason why most people don’t seek help.

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China

Depression and anxiety are on the rise in China, most likely due to the rapid social changes that are taking place in the country. In fact, studies have shown that mental disorders have become more common across China in the past thirty years. Of course, China also has strong stigmas against mental health, with plenty of barriers that prevent people from getting the help or support they need. Per 100,000 people, there are only 1.7 psychiatrists to help all of them. Not many are going into the mental health field to provide the help that is needed, either. In comparison with other countries, however, the percentage of the Chinese population who will suffer from some kind of mental illness is much lower.

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Ukraine

Even before the hostilities began this year, a 2017 study showed that 74% of the Ukrainians who suffered from mental health disorders did not receive the care that they required, sometimes because they didn’t know how to access that care. Mental disorders are considered the country’s second leading cause of disability, which is believed to affect about 30% of the country’s population. What’s sad is that the most traumatized group is children, who are now living in a war zone and aren’t sure how to deal with this new situation they find themselves in.

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Australia

In terms of general statistics, one in seven Australians will experience depression in their lifetime, and one in sixteen Australians are currently experiencing depression. The great news is that the number of those people who are seeking help has been growing at a rapid rate, with about 50% of those people with a mental health conditions seeking treatment. Over 80% of those who deal with depression have attributed their condition to a number of causes. They range from regular day-to-day problems, a recent traumatic event, childhood problems, the death of a close friend or relative, or a chemical imbalance in the brain.

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Estonia

A somewhat recent study conducted in Estonia provided evidence on the source of depression in those aged 15-79. Out of the respondents, about 11% of them admitted that they had depressive symptoms. The rates were higher amongst women, older age groups, those who were not married, and in lower economic groups. They seemed to have pessimistic opinions about their futures, and their self-rated health seemed much lower than others. Socioeconomic issues seem to be the main source of depression in Estonia. Because there was a low level of perceived control over people’s lives, especially regarding their economic conditions, they were more likely to develop depression.

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Brazil

Although Brazil is known for having such a rich diversity of people, over half of the population is between 15 and 64, which is the target age range for anxiety disorders and depression. The downside is that most Brazilians are taboo about mental health, choosing to ignore their mental health problems instead of seeking help. These are further exacerbated by the traditional work culture, which borders on workaholism. People prefer to take long shifts despite the damage it does to their mental health because they want to be able to have a place in society. This can increase stress, which is particularly debilitating for those who are already aging out of the workforce age group. There is also limited access to education regarding mental health, so many people aren’t aware that they even have a problem, much less seek out help for their conditions.

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Portugal

In 2019, Portugal was regarded as having one of the highest rates of depression among the EU countries. Chronic depression was reported to be as high as 16.4% in women alone. However, this isn’t exactly new. Portugal has a culture of general melancholy and moodiness. So much so that Portugal’s citizens have their own word for this emotion that can’t be easily translated. It’s a longing sense of absence and a constant desire for something else other than the present. In fact, some people welcome this sadness, considering it a beautiful emotion that shouldn’t be shunned or avoided. But there comes a point where this sadness can become too much. Some people don’t know how to get away from it, leading to chronic depression.

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India

According to the World Health Organization, India is considered to be the most depressed country in the world, followed by China and then the United States. At least 6.5% of the Indian population suffers from some kind of serious mental disorder. What’s surprising is that there doesn’t seem to be a difference between the rural and urban areas. One of the biggest problems in dealing with mental health in India is that there is a shortage of psychologists and psychiatrists in the country. As of 2014, there was an estimate of one per 100,000 people. And of those 100,000 people, there is an average suicide rate of about 11.

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Greece

The financial crisis took a big toll on Greece, leaving about 27% of the population unemployed. The loss of wages and benefits increased the rate of depression and suicide. In fact, over 50% of the people holding a stigma about mental health. However, since 2014, the mentality has changed, and the stigma against mental health dropped to about 36%. Organizations began to develop to provide the help that people needed when it came to their mental health. Even the government got involved with creating campaigns that increased awareness of mental health. They encouraged people to seek help.

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Belarus

Belarus is ranked number 10 in the world regarding total suicide per 100,000 people. Starting in the late 90s, the numbers have started to go down, but in recent years, they have started going back up again. What seems to be one of the leading causes is alcohol consumption and abuse. The majority of those who committed suicide had been abusing alcohol for at least a year. It doesn’t help that alcohol is cheap and very easy to obtain, which further exacerbates the problem. To make matters worse, many Belarusians don’t seek the help that they need because they’re afraid of going on record as receiving psychiatric help. As a result, very few people who have committed suicide have sought out any kind of psychiatric support beforehand.

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Finland

Finland is usually ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world. But that doesn’t mean that every single person who lives there has positive mental health. Despite their low unemployment rates and good healthcare, some still struggle with mental health. In fact, many experts believe that this “happy” attitude glosses over any real problems that they may exist. Some believe that when it comes to the younger demographic, they wouldn’t know how to recognize depression. Perhaps, they cannot acknowledge that they’re having depressive symptoms. They may not know how or when to seek treatment. A 2017 report by the Nordic Centre for Welfare and Social Issues shows a link between mental health and substance abuse. Recently, the Finnish have an increase in alcohol use and abuse, as well as drug use.

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Lithuania

Historically, Lithuania has had high suicide rates over the decades, especially when it comes to the male population. The rates went down in the 1990s, but they are still higher than in their neighboring countries. A number of factors have been linked to depression and suicide, such as wages, education levels, alcohol consumption, and marital status, just to name a few. Another factor was the societal role of traditional masculine norms influencing the need to ask for help. In turn, it creates a stigma against mental health. However, these issues are now out in the open so that people can talk about them, especially with the development of hotlines and reforms in hospitals so that mental health is also a focus of a person’s well-being.

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Russia

According to a study conducted in 2017 by WHO, 5.5% of Russians have been diagnosed with depression. This study took into account several age groups as well as other factors that played a role in determining the development of depression. One such factor was the number of daily communication people had with others; as often as three times a day seemed to decrease the chances of developing depression.

In older individuals, their overall well-being played a role. That includes activity within the community, communication outside of the family, and the social environment within the family. Another factor was exercise. Those who exercise regularly throughout the week are 3.5 times less likely to have depression. Of course, this becomes a problem in the colder seasons in Russia when there is lower overall physical activity.

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Cuba

Although 68% of Cuban residents are satisfied with the health care system of their country, a decent percentage of the population is diagnosed with depression. According to a study from in 2013, suicide was the leading cause of death in the country. Almost 25% of the patients who went to health care facilities received diagnoses of depression. However, integrating both physical and mental health care into society has helped curtail these numbers. The big problem is that medical doctors and psychologists receive a lot less than, say, those who work in the tourism industry. As a result, it leads to a two-tier economic system with flaws.

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New Zealand

Mental health problems are quite prevalent among the citizens of New Zealand. Almost 50% of the population will meet the criteria for some mental illness diagnosis at some point in their lives. A study conducted in 2015 revealed that only 25% of the population reported having a high level of mental well-being. Unfortunately, their mental health services are becoming overwhelmed to the point that they’re focusing on crisis care instead of general treatment. The number of mental distress in children and young adults is increasing, as well as the rates of self-harm. These numbers are a result of the country focusing on the services that help the most serious needs, resulting in an incomplete system where some problems fall through the cracks.

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Moldova

A study conducted in 2017 revealed that in Moldova, three out of four people who suffered from major depression did not receive the right amount of treatment. Moldova recognized this and realized that increasing treatment wouldn’t fix the problem. Instead, they knew they needed to remove the stigma associated with mental health so that people were more willing to come forward about their problems. Prejudice and discrimination are big factors as to why people don’t come forward or delay treatment for as long as possible. The low spending by the government for treatment hasn’t helped either, resulting in huge gaps that take place between diagnosis and treatment.

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Barbados

Barbados is a small island in the Caribbean, though it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. It is considered a high-income country, but that doesn’t mean that all is well. Suicide is one of the biggest causes of death for the citizens of Barbados, with plenty of factors that influence these rates. Some of the most common ones are unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, which has led to a high percentage of teenage boys and girls being overweight or obese.

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Spain

In Spain, it’s somewhat challenging to navigate services related to mental health. In people over the age of 15, one in 10 people will be diagnosed with a mental health problem, and the earlier it’s taken care of, the better. But with the hurdles in the way, many people don’t receive the care that they need. Although healthcare in Spain is free, there are regional differences in the kind of care that’s accepted, leaving some people not getting the same quality care as others.

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Bulgaria

Bulgaria is known for having the second lowest rate of chronic depression in the European Union. Although that’s something that could be boasted about, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people with depression who still need help. Only 3.2% of the population reported having depression, with that 3.2% being split between 2.1% of men and 4.2% of women dealing with depression. This isn’t surprising, of course; women are more prone to depression than men.

There is something of a stigma around mental health. Those who deal with depression often take sick leave. Employers do not like this, and it leads to employees keeping the problem to themselves. This country has a healthcare system that lacks organization, which makes mental health issues worse.

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Germany

Germany is well above other European countries, establishing ways to determine and treat mental illness, and they’ve been doing this since the 1990s. However, they still have similar rates of mental illness to other developed countries. What sets them apart from the rest is that they’re determined to find, diagnose, and treat those with poor mental health, providing a vast support system to help anyone in need. Someone with a mental illness is provided with extensive healthcare services and financial support to help them through these troubling times. There are also programs set aside to give these people with jobs. And the German government goes out of its way to remove any stigma surrounding mental illness so that people don’t feel judged when they seek help.

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Bahamas

Two of the biggest factors that play a part in depression in the Bahamas are poverty and public opinion. A lack of resources can make it difficult for anyone to get the help that they need. Discrimination against depression leads people not to want to seek help either because they’re afraid of public opinion of them. The combination of these factors creates a complicated problem that no one knows how to get away from. Once someone seeks out mental health, the public deems them “crazy” and labels them as violent people who pose a risk to the community. With the way the trends are going, it’s expected that more than 50% of the Caribbean population will have a mental disorder at some point in their lives.

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Paraguay

Paraguay’s mental health services only receive about 1.84% of the overall healthcare budget, which isn’t a lot to work with. For this reason, much of the population has to go without any kind of treatment for mental health disorders. Outside of general hospitals, only two hospitals are dedicated to mental healthcare, with only 5.11 beds for every 100,000 people. Of course, it was only in 1990 that there was a shift in the country’s idea of mental health. Instead of institutionalism, they switched to community care and provided treatment instead of locking people up. There are still steps that have to be taken in Paraguay, such as creating a Mental Health Act, having a suicide policy in place, and providing rehabilitation for those who use psychoactive drugs.

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Trinidad & Tobago

The problem with determining depression in Trinidad and Tobago is that research is limited. A study looked at 14-18 year-olds in 2003 which showed that the last 10% of the population was depressed. By 2013, the government determined that over 50,000 of the population were living with depression. But are there steps in place to handle it? There is still a stigma around mental health, with a lot of traditional beliefs centered around depression. Many people don’t even believe that depression is a real thing, while others are convinced it is called “obeah” or witchcraft. Getting rid of this stigma and educating people on the realness of depression can open the eyes of not only those who are diagnosed but also their family members.

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Poland

A poll from 2020 shows the population of young people in Poland have a higher rate of depression now than the past 20 years. This is contrary to previous years; younger Poles expressed feeling more depressed, helpless, or fatigued than the older section of the population. Of course, this study was during the pandemic, when there were greater isolation and distance learning instances for those in school.

The stigma against mental illness isn’t helping either. Those who receive a diagnosis have a lot of things going against them. Potential employers are less likely to look at their resumes. They can’t get married without a court order. Plus, going to the hospital gives them the ‘crazy’ label. Life is made very difficult for them in response, so it’s difficult for them to become a functioning member of society again.

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Slovakia

Unfortunately, there is no accurate data on depression rates in Slovakia. The main reason is that they only track the incident of someone having depression when they go to a doctor or psychologist. Of course, not many people are actually doing that. In 2003, the World Health Organization discovered about 18% had depression for more than six months. Although most people believe that they lead pretty good lives. Why? Because they have children and families and having good paying jobs. However, that doesn’t mean that they don’t experience depression. Besides, not admitting that people can have depression is the main problem. What also doesn’t help is that pharmaceutical companies started prescribing drugs as treatment first before making an appropriate diagnoses.

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Slovenia

Although the suicide rate in Slovenia dropped between 2002 and 2006, it slowly started to rise again around 2008. That’s mainly because the number of visits to a physician is low compared to other European countries, especially regarding mental health. A study shows the prominence of mental health disorders before an individual’s suicide. They discovered that only 1.8% of first-time visits were for a mental health disorder. It doesn’t help that there are generally about 85.6 physicians per 100,000 people; in Slovenia, that number is 49.6 per 100,000. They take steps to improve this figure by educating family physicians about the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. As a result, the number of suicide have decreased over the years.

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Austria

Since 2019, depression in Austria has nearly doubled. Of course, this can be attributed to the pandemic lockdown, but work still needs to be done to decrease these numbers. With extreme isolation and citizens losing their family members and friends to COVID, it was a given that depression would be on the rise. However, previous studies have shown that only 50% of the population with mental disorders are likely to seek professional help. This is due to the stigma that still surrounds mental health. Patients have a hard time confiding in a doctor, and there is a general lack of understanding regarding how mental health problems should be cared for.

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Croatia

Croatia has not yet adopted a national strategy for preventing suicide, despite how high the country’s suicide rate is. In fact, it’s higher than the European and global average, signifying a real problem. In 2020 alone, 566 people died by suicide. The government examined what was happening in the countries around them and has taken steps to implement the same strategies to help curtail those numbers.

One of the biggest things they focus on is timely interventions to prevent depression from sliding into suicidal tendencies. They have put in place stringent controls over the sale of certain types of medications and even installed safety nets on roofs and bridges. However, the government has still done very little to promote mental health, so a majority of the population isn’t even aware of the help they can get and where they can go.

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Italy

Italy has a big problem talking about depression. In a survey conducted with 1001 participants, 75% believed that people with depression should avoid talking about their issues. A large number of those participants also thought that depression is a condition that they can manage alone. That is, without external help from professionals. Plus, they consider it a “socially dangerous” illness. To make things even worse, they also believe that going to a primary care physician for depression is embarrassing. They think that physicians have better things to do than treat patients with depression.

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UAE

Only last year, the United Arab Emirates passed a mental health care draft that would provide people living with mental health issues and depression with fair treatment. Under this law, patients should receive the best standards of care. They should receive privacy and have rights as well as the promotion of integration of psychiatric patients into the community. The fact it takes the UAE this long to create such a law signifies that there has been a long-standing stigma against mental illnesses and depression. The law goes a little further into protecting these patients. Anyone who violates any part of this law will be subject to fines or imprisonment. But this is after years of the World Health Organization reporting that the UAE had one of the highest rates of depression in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. At least the government is finally taking steps to rectify this.

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Denmark

Denmark definitely has a different approach to treating depression. Instead of forcing medications on those living with depression, they require them to participate in cultural activities. They also replace clinical staff with trained lay people. It reduces the need for the medical staff to be present to help other people with medical problems. These lay people can help those with depression to gather in small groups. Then, they partake in activities that can reduce stress and anxiety. In turn, it helps relieve depression. It also places people with depression together so that people with similar experiences can talk with each other and provide aid where they can. This has been considered a more cost-effective way of helping people with depression, especially when re-integrating them into society because they have a larger support network than what they started with.

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Chile

Chile conducted a study that examined the differences in mental health outcomes between the general population of Chile and international migrants. Although the government has taken steps to improve mental healthcare, there is still a general lack of funding and low prioritization, leaving plenty of people vulnerable to depression and other mental health disorders. Although Chile is a high-income country, the healthcare system is off.

There is both a public health insurance system and a private health insurance system. The rest of the population receives the Armed Forces and Police insurance. It can be challenging to figure out where immigrants fit into any of these systems; in addition, more people turn to private care because of the lack of funding in the public healthcare system. The results demonstrated that the higher up the economic ladder a person was, the more likely they were to ask for sick leave regarding their mental health.

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Kuwait

It isn’t typical for medical students in Kuwait to consider psychology. People consider it a stigma profession and a waste of time. As a result, it creates a very large gap in diagnosing and treating people’s mental health. The stigma is so strong that employers refuse to hire those with mental illnesses. Plus, landlords have rejected them as tenants. This leaves many people with nowhere to go and no one to turn to for help. Sometimes, families take them, hide them from the rest of society, and receive “exorcisms.” Why? Because they believe that the source of depression or mental illness is a result of a lack of faith in God or some kind of possession. Minor changes are being made in impactful ways to combat these stereotypes and stigmas, though the difference is a bit slow.

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Saint Lucia

St. Lucia is a high-middle-income country. However, there are still pockets of poverty throughout the country, making it difficult for some people to seek the medical attention they need. This leaves many people with depression with no recourse, further exacerbating their conditions. They have increased their mental health services over the years. However, there remains a shortage of community-based services to reach areas that aren’t immediately near their facilities. The national health industry receives about 8% of funding, while only 4% really goes to mental healthcare. Anything community-based is completely funded from hospital funds, reducing how strong these care services can be for patients. In addition, out of the 34 health centers on the island, only 9 of them offer any kind of mental health services.

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Iran

Mental heal issues are quite prevalent in Iran. About 20% of the population have depression, a mental illness, or a substance disorder. About 60% of those people never receive treatment for their conditions, and only 15-20% receive proper treatment. There seems to be no difference between rural and urban areas when it comes to rates of depression either, signifying that there’s a bigger problem in play. And the problem is that only 3% of healthcare funding goes to mental health. Many underlying causes of depression in Iran include unemployment, poverty, and the increased mental decline rate as citizens age. In response, Iran has started increasing their spending for mental health, though it is unclear how much this has improved the rates of depression.

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Albania

Albania has a real shortage of people they need to treat depression. Of the entire population, there are only 25 psychiatrists to help all of them. In fact, Albania ranks last in all of Europe for the number of doctors who specialize in psychiatry. This is not great because, according to an INSTAT survey, 60-70% of Albanian adults suffered from depression at some point. The number of people living with depression has increased over the years, but it isn’t clear whether this is an actual increase in cases or if more people are just coming forward about their mental health. Albania has increased its importation of specific medication to help treat depression.

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France

A report from the World Health Organization back in 2011 stated that the population of France was the most likely to suffer a major depressive episode within their lifetime. This information doesn’t seem to be anything new since France consumes more antidepressants than any other country in the world. Of course, many French people had a problem with the study, stating that the consumption of antidepressants wasn’t an indication of depression but the willingness of a doctor to prescribe them in the first place. There are still a few stigmas surrounding mental health, but the government is taking steps to identify biomarkers that make it possible to make faster diagnoses.

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Ireland

Ireland has had a good track record of decreasing suicide rates yearly since 2011. But that doesn’t mean that they’ve thrown in the towel. They continue to take the appropriate steps to keep these numbers down by examining and understanding the first signs of depression, the underlying causes, and which treatments work best for different people. These include therapy, antidepressant medication, and electroconvulsive therapy conducted under anesthesia. However, even with these programs in place, Ireland’s rate of depression and other mental disorders is still 18.5%. This figure is higher than the European average in 2018.

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Suriname

Suriname has had a mental health policy around since 2007. However, the approach itself has been problematic. There is no strategy involved, and it’s not easy to understand. It doesn’t help that the downsizing of the mental health hospital that came up with this policy has reduced the monitoring system as well as the protection of human rights. Any mental health services are connected to only one national psychiatric hospital, which is a one-day treatment facility. In addition, there are only five outpatient facilities headed by psychiatrists, making it difficult for anyone needing help to get sufficient treatment. The maximum stay is 99 days, and there has been no increase in mental health beds in the mental hospital, despite the increasing numbers of those with mental disorders.

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Netherlands

One would think that a place like the Netherlands wouldn’t have a high rate of depression, but they do. In fact, they have one of the higher rates of depression in Europe. Nearly 16% of the population suffers from depression, but some Dutch psychiatrists have stated that these numbers should not be interpreted as the Dutch needing more help than other countries. Many point to the Dutch being naturally gloomy, but they still have access to the help they need whenever they need it. The Netherlands boasts about having 139 psychiatric beds for every 100,000 people, which is well above the average. And they’re aiming to cut this number by a third in order to focus on more community-based programs and approaches so that there is less pressure on the health system.

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Argentina

Argentina passed the National Mental Health Law in 2010, which focused on providing alternative treatments to help those living with depression. There are currently 162 mental hospitals taking in roughly 12,000 people every year, which puts a definite strain on resources. To make the problem more complicated, there is still insufficient visibility regarding mental health issues, and education on these issues also doesn’t seem to be a priority. Due to these factors, mental health disorders and depression are on the rise, and there is little to no recourse. Funding is low, and with depression being considered an “invisible” disease, people don’t know where to go or whom to turn to when they start experiencing symptoms.

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Canada

Regarding mental health, Canada has a full parity system for mental health services, unlike the patchwork of private insurers that the United States has. Studies revealed that Canadians were more likely to seek mental health treatment from their family doctor than Americans; in addition, Canadians were more likely to see a psychiatrist or psychologist after visiting their family doctor. Many believe this is mostly due to the available access; Canada has little to no barriers to accessing the health care system, so patients can seek out treatment whenever they feel it is necessary. There also seems to be less stigma involved regarding mental health so that there is no embarrassment attached to mental health treatment.

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Grenada

In Grenada, people don’t openly discuss depression. People will actually go out of their way to avoid talking about it. They might just say they don’t feel well. They don’t know how to put what they’re experiencing into words. That can leave people feeling very alone with their emotions. And because of that, people turn to other “healing methods.” One of those methods in Grenada tends to be substance abuse. More people use alcohol or drugs as Band-Aids for their mental problems, making depression more prevalent. We aren’t sure what they are doing to decrease the depression. However, bringing the issue to light is definitely one of the first steps to starting this critical conversation.

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Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, depression contributes to about 6.5% of burdensome diseases. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of information to determine exactly the percentage of Ethiopia’s population who live with depression. Two surveys estimate that it was somewhere between 5% and 9%. When they did a further study, some factors regarding who was most at risk for depression came into play. At the top of the list were pregnant women and college students. They took other factors into account to determine other at-risk groups. These include those living in rural areas, older individuals, and those who abused substances. Ethnicity and religion did not play a role since the prevalence of depression were the same across these groups.

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Israel

The pandemic definitely took a toll on those living in Israel, with many people finding themselves unable to bounce back into what was once their normal lives. As many as one in five young adults reported having high levels of depression. The country’s biggest concern was that depression rates would continue increasing even after the lockdowns ended. And for that, effective steps have to be taken. But first, the country needs to get past its stigma toward mental health. Without that barrier, it becomes nigh impossible for depressed individuals to get the attention and professional help they need. The problem is even more difficult to deal with for those who come from a lower socioeconomic status.

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South Africa

South Africa is considered a country that is always in a state of transition. There has been rapid industrialization and urbanization. So much to the point that people find it difficult to keep up with all the changes taking place. This has led to deeply-rooted inequalities, especially in terms of race and economic status. The prevalence of other infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, has also made it difficult for people to find regular and happy lives. That is why depression is so prevalent there. New cases of depression are popping up all the time in different areas of South Africa, and there is little recourse as to how these numbers can be combatted. As a result, people aren’t getting the help they need or don’t even know where to start looking.

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Costa Rica

Costa Rica has been facing a slow-growing crisis in which many of its citizens don’t know what to do. The country isn’t keeping up with the overall global scheme when it comes to treating mental health. They are essentially left behind compared to most other countries in the world. Many people in Costa Rica don’t know how to recognize their symptoms as depression. Instead, they push it aside as “just feeling tired” or blaming their feelings on something else. The lack of security in all aspects of life in Costa Rica makes it relatively easy for anyone to fall into a depressive episode; the problem lies with how to get themselves back out of it. The resources are a little lacking, there are very few mental health professionals, and inpatient treatment requires travel of long distances just to get help.

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Colombia

Colombia is mostly known to the rest of the world as having high rates of assaults, assassinations, and homicides. Acts of violence leave little room for hope regarding a person’s future, which can quickly slide into depression. Mental health rates are higher in rural areas with more trauma and substance abuse. So what are they doing to address the issue, exactly? There has been the development of many mental health institutes to combat these numbers. One of the biggest ones is The Children of the Andes Foundation, which focuses on the protection of the rights of Colombian children who deal with violence. They create positive environments to minimize the risk of depression in the future.

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Peru

In Peru, those with mental health issues are deemed “the other,” meaning they are treated with less dignity and respect. The citizen of Peru would prefer to exclude and discriminate against these people than to expend any effort trying to help them through their problems. Even the psychiatrists in Peru have had a traditional approach to mental health, deeming mental illness a significant obstacle to the country’s development. However, it is due to the intervention of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) that these ideologies have begun to change. They needed to integrate mental and physical health services into the country and create an information system. Plus, they should promote mental health to remove the stigma.

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Sweden

Despite Sweden being listed as one of the happiest countries in the world, that doesn’t mean that they don’t have citizens who don’t experience depression. In fact, all of these so-called “happy” countries may not be as full of joy as they purport themselves to be. According to a study conducted by Eurofound, 41% of Sweden’s young population were at risk of depression. This is a 60% increase in children who needed emergency accommodations between 2011 and 2017. The problem lies in providing young people with access to the social facilities they need before their mental health declines. The younger generation is quickly becoming a dwindling group, so people pay very little attention to their concerns and problems.

 

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