Depression

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🩺 Daily Soft Drink Beverage Consumption And The Health Risks They Bring 🩺

The following literature indicates that when a person consumes soft drinks a couple of times a month, or on special occasions, there is less risk for that individual experiencing dire health issues.  However, when soft drink beverages are part of a person’s daily diet, those health risks increase exponentially!

When the brain is high on soft drink beverages:

The American Psychological Association (2023) defined major depressive disorder as “A mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness and other symptoms of a major depressive episode but without accompanying episodes of mania or hypomania or mixed episodes of depressive and manic or hypomanic symptoms, included in DSM-IV-TR, DSM-5, and DSM-5-TR.  Also called major depression.”

Thanarajah, Ribeiro, and Lee et al (2025) reported that when a person is diagnosed with major depressive disorder, there is a strong likelihood that the person is a heavy consumer of soft drink beverages.  There is a strong possibility that there are changes in the gut microbiome when someone overloads on soft drink beverages, resulting in this mental health disorder.

Urugo, Kidane, Firew, Hunde, Endere, Semu, Getachew and Yirga (2026) mentioned the potential for depression in women and unhealthy attitudes in the adolescent population when these groups engage in consuming an overabundance of soft drink beverages.

There is also the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease diagnoses from consuming soft drink beverages on a daily basis (Leech, 2026).  “…the higher your blood sugar, the higher your risk of dementia” (Leech, 2026).

Fitch (2023) reported that it’s important that children and adolescents reduce their consumption of these beverages since it increases their odds of experiencing weight gain and becoming obese.  The findings are based on a study that included information from 107 “countries and regions” that participated in the study.  The study included a comparison analysis of these groups who were overweight and obese and found that the groups that consumed at least one soft drink every day were the ones that experienced the most weight gain (Fitch, 2023).

“High sugar intake is associated with weight gain” (Leech, 2026).  

It really is a domino effect:  “In particular, fructose is linked to a significant increase in the dangerous fat around your belly and organs.  This is known as visceral fat or belly fat.  Excessive belly fat is tied to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease” (Leech, 2026).

As an aside, instead of these young people looking forward to having the time of their lives with everything positive waiting for them, medical appointments for diabetes and other health issues can become part of their monthly schedules.

Drinking these beverages on a routine basis can harm the body in ways we may not have thought of.

“Even just one sugary drink a day, after five to seven years, can lead to fatty liver disease, making you susceptible to heart disease and diabetes while also increasing your risk for cancer of the colon, pancreas and esophagus, to name a few” (Li, 2026).  

Li (2026) also indicated that regular soft drink consumption is as bad as consuming alcohol!  After the soft drink enters the liver, “sugar in beverages can get converted into fat that’s stored in liver cells.  Over time, that can lead to fatty liver disease, which can, if it doesn’t improve, cause severe scarring in the liver, also known as cirrhosis.  And that can be potentially life-threatening.”

Urugo, Kidane, Firew, Hunde, Endere, Semu, Getachew, and Yirga (2026) talked about other health issues that can result from daily soft drink consumption, such as “hypertension, reduced bone mineral density, and cardiovascular disease.”

Everyone by now has heard about cancer diagnoses among people under 50 years of age.  There could be a possible explanation for women being diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Women who are under 50 years of age and are diagnosed with colorectal cancer may have been enthusiastic consumers of soft drink beverages when they were between 13 and 18 years of age and continued consuming these beverages in their adulthood (Washington State University Of Medicine, 2021).  

Washington State University Of Medicine (2021) further stated that, “Compared with women who drank less than one 8-ounce serving per week of sugar-sweetened beverages, those who drank two or more servings per day had just over twice the risk of developing early-onset colorectal cancer, meaning it was diagnosed before age 50.”

Vikki

References

American Psychological Association. (2023).  APA Dictionary Of Psychology.  Major Depressive Disorder. Retrieved From  https://dictionary.apa.org/major-depressive-disorder

Fitch, J.  (2023).  (Sr. ED.)  Daily Soft Drink Consumption Associated With Obesity, Overweight Children Prevalence.  Retrieved From https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/daily-soft-drink-consumption-associated-with-obesity-overweight-children-prevalence

Leech, J., MS.  (2026).  13 Ways That Sugary Soda Is Bad For Your Health.  Retrieved From https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-ways-sugary-soda-is-bad-for-you

Li, N., MD, PhD.  (2026).  Does Soda Damage Your Liver?  Retrieved From https://health.osu.edu/wellness/prevention/your-liver-and-sugary-drinks

Thanarajah, S. E., MD (1,2,3,4), Ribeiro, A. H., PhD(5), Lee, J. (1,4), & et. al.  (2025).  Soft Drink Consumption And Depression Mediated By Gut Microbiome Alterations.  Retrieved From https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2839019

Urugo, M. M., Kidane, B., Firew, S., Hunde, W., Endere, S. D., Semu, A., Getachew, S, & Yirga, Y.  (2026).  Comprehensive Review Of Carbonated Soft Drink Consumption Rates And Their Public Health Importance.  Retrieved From https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-025-26141-2

Washington University School Of Medicine.  “Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Linked To Increased Risk Of Colorectal Cancer In Women Under 50, Study Finds.”  ScienceDaily.  Retrieved August 16, 2026 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210506183353.htm

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Mental Health Issues Involving Teenage Social Media Use

Parents need to develop strong relationships with their children before their children create social media accounts!  Helping them establish healthy self-esteem beginning at a young age, guiding them, and reinforcing a good conscience can help pave the way in their becoming positive users of social media.  When parents are communicating with them and demonstrating what positive role models are, it can help reduce potential negative experiences children would have encountered, at least in the sense of how they view themselves.   To expand further, societal mores and societal pressures are mutually exclusive.

Several articles about the experiences of young people on social media can be found at the Pew Research Center.  “Teens’ Experiences on TikTok, Instagram And Snapchat,” (Faverio, Park, & Gottfried, 2026) and “Why Many Parents And Teens Think It’s Harder Being A Teen Today” (Faverio, Gottfried, Radde, Baronavski, & Atske, 2024) are two of the items available for examination. 

The responses are from various demographics, and the conclusions are nuanced, especially between parents and teenagers.  One of the disturbing comments from teens is that they believe (falsely) that they are supposed to live up to the expectations of people they have met on social media.

Nagata, Huang, Hur, Li, Helmer, Weinstein, and Moreno (2025) discussed “Health Benefits Of Social Media Use in Adolescents And Young Adults,” which is reported from a clinical perspective.  The authors stated that while there can be negative consequences associated with social media use, there are variables that could make the experiences more enjoyable and fulfilling for young people.

Social media can be a sophisticated universe with various platforms, offering different information.  Also, young people have to understand that real life exists in the present and with people they actually know.  These are people they can call up on the phone or walk up to in person.  Social media can be a valuable communication tool, but they shouldn’t neglect their studies, extracurricular activities, and hobbies.

As an aside, positive opportunities exist if allowed to come into fruition!  Now, more than ever, parents can have a closer relationship with their children in the off chance an unpleasant situation develops from social media use.  The social media angle can be a springboard because the parent is the first line of defense when they tell their children and reiterate that they are there for them, regardless of what they’re going through.

Vikki

References

Faverio, M., Gottfried, J., Radde, K., Baronavski, C., & Atske, S.  (2024).  Why Many Parents And Teens Think It’s Harder Being A Teen Today.  Retrieved From https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/feature/why-many-parents-and-teens-think-its-harder-being-a-teen-today/

Faverio, M., Park, E., & Gottfried, J. (2026).  Teens’ Experiences on TikTok, Instagram And Snapchat.  Retrieved From https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/04/15/teens-experiences-on-tiktok-instagram-and-snapchat/

Nagata, J. M., Huang, O., Hur, J. O., Li, E. J., Helmer, C. K., Weinstein, E., & Moreno, M. A.  (2025, August).  Health Benefits Of Social Media Use In Adolescents And Young Adults.  National Library of Medicine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. 14;13(1):22

10.1007/s40124-025-00357-7. Retrieved From https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12356748/

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WARNING: Graphic Content

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) And Brain Injuries

[National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE(7233)]

INTRODUCTION

Our immediate thoughts are on the military and football players when brain injury is the topic of discussion. These injuries can become life changing for the patient, and heart wrenching for loved ones who see an unfavorable difference in personality and disposition.

Those who suffer from Intimate Partner Violence (usually women), are individuals who also deserve recognition for brain injuries because they, too, experience debilitating cognitive issues. Many from this community lack awareness that they even have brain injuries, and could have experienced several over the duration of the abusive relationship from their partner.

THE KEY ASPECT THAT PLAYED A ROLE IN IPV

Domestic violence increased tremendously because of the COVID-19 Pandemic lockdowns (Ballard, 2022) and (George, Wesley, & Geraghty, 2021).

“There are households where the pandemic has become a reason why family members finally interact with each other. In some cases, this helps to enhance the quality of relationships within a family. However, in families where there are abusive patterns, the home confinement and social isolation can be very dangerous to the victims” (George, Wesley, & Geraghty, 2021).

AN IMPORTANT FINDING

Ballard (2022) mentions a conference that was held earlier this year: Seeking Tomorrow’s Answers Together [STAT]. One of the topics was how COVID-19 affected mental health.

Lockdowns were detrimental for people in abusive relationships!

These are people who were literally held hostage by their abusers because the abusers had unlimited access to their victims.

Thus, lockdowns created a more dangerous existence for people who may have been already living with IPV.

CONCLUSION

Intimate partners, the medical community, safety forces, the various legal institutions, and society in general, all need to recognize that brain injuries due to the IPV epidemic is prevalent. Then, they can become aware of behaviors [symptomology] that are associated with those subjected to IPV (Costello & Greenwald, 2022), (Hillstrom, 2022), (Sutherland & Chakrabarti, 2022), and (Valera, 2022).

This knowledge can help remove misconceptions about these individuals, especially when they are confronted with life-and-death situations independent of their abusers.

Vikki

References

Ballard, J. (2022). From Pandemic To Endemic: Relationship Violence Due To COVID. Retrieved From https://www.du.edu/news/pandemic-endemic-relationship-violence-due-covid

Costello, K., & Greenwald, B. D. (2022). Update On Domestic Violence And Traumatic Brain Injury: A Narrative Review. Retrieved From https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35053865/

George, E. S., Wesley, M. S., & Geraghty, L. (Eds.). (2021). Cultural Studies. Marital Stress And Domestic Violence During The COVID-19 Pandemic. Retrieved From https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311983.2021.1992085

Hillstrom, C. (2022). The Hidden Epidemic Of Brain Injuries From Domestic Violence. Retrieved From https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/01/magazine/brain-trauma-domestic-violence.html

National Domestic Violence Hotline. (2022). Here For You. Retrieved From https://www.thehotline.org/

Sutherland, P., & Chakrabarti, M. (2022). An ‘Invisible Epidemic’: Survivors Of Domestic Violence On Living With Traumatic Brain Injury. Retrieved From https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2022/01/20/survivors-of-domestic-violence-on-living-with-traumatic-brain-injury

Valera, E., PhD. (2022). Women’s Health. Intimate Partner Violence And Traumatic Brain Injury: An Invisible Public Health Epidemic. Retrieved From https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intimate-partner-violence-and-traumatic-brain-injury-an-invisible-public-health-epidemic-201812132708#:~:text=Intimate%20partner%20violence%20and%20traumatic%20brain%20injury%3A%20An%20invisible%20public%20health%20epidemic,-March%2017%2C%202022&text=While%20studying%20brain%20injuries%20in,consistent%20with%20possibly%20experiencing%20concussions.

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Mental Health Difficulties, That Mind And Body Relationship

The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (2020) talks about how individuals can experience heart issues because of their mental health problems in, “Heart Disease and Mental Health Disorders | cdc.gov.”

The other complication: There is the potential that a heart issue can decrease the necessary supply of oxygen the heart is required to send to the brain.

Vikki

Reference

Centers For Disease Control And Prevention. (2020). Heart Disease And Mental Health Disorders. Retrieved From Heart Disease and Mental Health Disorders | cdc.gov

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Thyroid And Mental Health

When a therapist diagnosis a patient with depression and one of the anxiety disorders, the potential is strong that the thyroid is the origin of the difficulties.  Additional medical evaluation can prove the patient has autoimmune thyroiditis, also known as AIT.

“Depression And Anxiety More Common In Patients With Thyroid Disease” (Harding, 2018) talked about the symptoms a patient may experience with this cluster of health issues, the conversation a psychiatrist needs to have with patient when thyroid has not been evaluated and depression and anxiety are diagnosed, and the conversation a physician needs to have with patient when thyroid becomes a complication.

 

Vikki

 

Reference

 

Harding, A. (2018).  Depression And Anxiety More Common In Patients With Thyroid Disease.  Retrieved From  https://www.psychcongress.com/news/depression-and-anxiety-more-common-patients-thyroid-disease

 

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Potential Health Benefits From Regular Fish Consumption

 

 

Lane (2019) talked about the numerous health issues that can decrease with a routine menu of fish, in the article:  “When You Eat Fish Every Day, This Is What Happens To Your Body”.

 

Vikki

 

Reference

 

Lane, K. (2019).  When You Eat Fish Everyday, This Is What Happens To Your Body.  Retrieved From https://www.thelist.com/179800/when-you-eat-fish-every-day-this-is-what-happens-to-your-body/

 

 

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Stress Management Approaches

Everyone experiences stress from time to time, and will need to discover and practice effective stress management approaches for a healthy psychological condition.

As an aside, stress can lead to depression, and the longer depression lasts the better the opportunity for neurotransmitters becoming damaged, requiring an individual to obtain psychotropics from a mental health professional.

The following resources provide beneficial information in reducing/managing stress:

 

Articles

Mayo Clinic: Healthy Lifestyle – Stress Management – Stress Basics

MindTools.com: Albrecht’s Four Types of Stress – Managing Common Pressures

 

[Videos]

Stress Management Techniques

 

Relaxation Video for Stress Management

 

Vikki

 

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Internet Addiction, Psychiatric Disorders

The Journal of the European Psychiatric Association has an abstract titled, The Association Between Internet Addiction and Psychiatric Disorder: A Review of the Literature.

 

Vikki

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Delicate Subject Series – Anti-Bullying Film “Between the Cracks”

Warning: Graphic images

It’s an epidemic and becoming worse every year.  Young people being harassed, threatened, humiliated, reputations questioned, destroyed. The targets frequently take matters into their own hands through violent means, while others commit suicide.

Between the Cracks “…show the devastating factors that can exist with children who are bullied and find no help from adults” (Epp Films, 2013, Dec. 6). Parents and children are encouraged to see the film together at festivals scheduled this year.  Additional information about the film can be read here.

The following is the trailer:

 

Reference

Epp Films. (2013, December 6).  Between the Cracks Trailer Teaser. [Video file].  Retrieved from http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CqVDWquCqYw

Vikki