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By Andrea Nagel
To many,
happiness is a state of
being—you either are, or you are
not. However, on the spectrum of
happiness and discontent, there are
varying degrees, and many factors
that play into an individual’s overall
joy. While genetics can certainly
play a part in an individual’s
tendency to be happy, DNA is
actually only one of many forces
that shape your mood and outlook.
M O R E C O M M O N
T H A N Y O U M A Y T H I N K
According to recent reports from
the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, approximately
25 percent of all U.S. adults
have a mental illness, and nearly
50 percent will develop at least one
mental illness during their lifetime.
With such high prevalence,
mental health specialists
nationwide are tracking trends
and taking note of what affects us
most. Some of the most common
illnesses are attention-deficit/
hyperactivity disorder, anxiety,
depression and addiction.
“What we’re finding is that the
influence of severe trauma on an in-
dividual early in life can have more
influence on their future happiness
than what they’re born with,” said
Eric Heidenreich, M.D., Medical
Director of Kootenai’s Behavioral
Health Services. “Individuals that
experience trauma such as abuse,
neglect or domestic violence,
may experience a change in brain
structure that impairs their ability
to experience happiness later.”
In addition to such hardship
and genetic predispositions, many
individuals simply cite a lack of
work-life balance as the cause of
lower levels of happiness. Neuro-
imaging studies from institutions
The
Science
Behind
Being
Happy
A S I T T U R N S
O U T , W E M AY
H AV E M O R E
C O N T R O L T H A N
W E T H I N K
such as MIT and Stanford Uni-
versity show that feelings of
inferiority to friends, family and
those they follow on social media
are common.
B R I N G B A C K T H E H A P P Y
When meeting with patients who
have mental illness, substance ad-
diction or severe life trauma,
Dr. Heidenreich and his team bring
a holistic approach to their treat-
ment. In addition to therapy and
treatments, he encourages patients
to try other approaches to aid in
reducing stress and increasing their
overall happiness.
“There are a whole lot of things
you can do to help with happi-
ness,” he said. “When we talk to
people here, we help them to rec-
ognize the problem and then look
at what we can do about it. There
are a lot of things you can do to
protect your brain and nourish it.”
Z E N O U T
Yoga and meditation help to relax
the nervous system and promote
healing. “Studies show that mind-
fulness and meditation can actually
help regrow gray matter, and more
gray matter is a good thing for hap-
piness,” Dr. Heidenreich said.
W O R K O U T
According to Dr. Heidenreich,
regular physical exercise does as
much for treating depression as
most of the medications on the
market today.
“It’s not to say that one is better
than the other,” he explained.
“But many studies show that
exercise alone, or in conjunction
with medical treatment, can have
great effects on your emotional
well-being.”
Eric Heidenreich, M.D.
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