After the tragic deaths of fashion designer, Kate Spade, and celebrity chef and television personality, Anthony Bourdain, who both committed suicide, the suicide rates in the United States have increased.
Whether a person is famous or if they're a regular working class American, health experts have suggested 6 steps that could help protect a person's mental health.
Six Steps To Happiness
Mental health does not encompass suicidal thoughts or depression but overall happiness and joy in a person. Experts suggest that the stress of modern society, including overworking and constantly being on the phone, adds to the alarming rise in depression and mental illness in America.
There is also a stigma that surrounds the topics of depression and anxiety that makes it difficult for people suffering from mental illness to talk about.
Experts state that building your own safety net, having real conversations, working out, being proactive, eating mood-boosting foods, and snapping back into the moment could help make a person happier.
"You'll be amazed at how that feels when you get to connect to the people in your life on that deeper level. Once we're able to do that, then when we hit a more serious time, we've created that foundation and we know who's trustworthy and can handle it," Dr. Christine Moutier, the chief medical officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention stated.
Engaging in exercise after a stressful week at work can be very beneficial and if exercising becomes a regular part of person's life, it has been medically proven to help keep a person in a better mood.
Eating certain foods or sticking to particular diets such as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, that is low in foods with saturated fat and sugar, is also beneficial as it has been proven to help reduce the risk of depression.
Alarming Suicide Rates
Following Spade and Bourdain's death, more celebrities have opened up about their struggle with their mental health and thoughts of suicide. Experts also state that with the alarming rise in suicides, the method in how there are being carried out is also troubling.
After Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams committed suicide, more people reportedly died using the same method as he did.
The media is now reorganization how the cover suicide and ways to diminish copycat killings. Experts in suicide prevention have stated that revealing certain details can be dangerous.
