by Susan Elizabeth Wiggins

Created on: August 16, 2009

In the era of constant medical research and study it seems a new condition or syndrome is discovered daily. This is very true in the field of mental health. Back in past centuries you had two choices; crazy (forgive my bluntness) and sane. The rest of us were either, mean spirited, spineless, shy, or possessed.

The butterflies I used to get in my stomach before reciting The Gettysburg Address, in school are now classified as a panic attack. I recently learned when my grandchild began to cry as her mother left the room, that she was not a "Mommy's girl" but was having "separation anxiety."

Medicine and science have certainly made us sound like an ultra intelligent generation. The fact remains, after all the categorizing, filtering, and renaming, you still have those with and those without mental illness.

Honestly, I am very sympathetic to those who suffer from mental illness. I have two precious grandsons who have Autism and I gave five years of personal care to my mother, who recently died from complications of advanced Alzheimer's disease. So it wouldn't be a mistake to say I empathize with those who have mental illness in their family.

I'd like to note here, I am not a doctor; nor have I ever played one on TV, therefore I am speaking in the lowliest of layman's terms. I do however have first hand knowledge of what it takes to fight depression and I am willing to share that with you.

There are steps you can take to keep your mental health in prime condition. Some of these are so simple and obvious.

*Exercise. Physical exercise gets the blood flowing not only to your extremities but also to your brain. Have you ever heard the expression, "Get the cobwebs out?" More blood flow = more oxygen = fewer cobwebs = clearer thinking. Among the many advantages to the increased circulation is the ability to get the endorphins and serotonin (happy chemicals) in your brain to wake up and function more efficiently.

*Sunshine. Too much of anything isn't good for you but recent studies have shown that we need a moderate amount of sunshine to boost our health, mentally, emotionally and physically. We have all experienced the feeling of renewed hope upon seeing the sunshine after an extended rainy spell. Sunshine produces vitamin D , and can promote liver function which helps remove toxins from our bodies. Leave the sunscreen off for a few minutes to receive the benefits of a sunny day but be sure to set a timer so you remember to rub it on

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