By Mark G. Agresti, MD

As a psychiatrist practicing at Mark G Agresti MD LLC, located in the beautiful Palm Beach Towers on the Intercoastal Waterway, I spend my days helping people find their way back to the light. From my office overlooking the Breakers golf course and the shimmering water, I often see the contrast between the vibrant life outside and the internal darkness my patients feel.

Over years of clinical practice, I have noticed that while depression is a complex medical condition, certain lifestyle choices act like gasoline on a fire. If you actually wanted to stay depressed, there is a perfect recipe for it. By identifying these 10 toxic behaviors, we can learn exactly what to avoid to start the healing process.

1. Avoid Sunlight at All Costs

If you want to disrupt your brain’s natural rhythm, stay inside. Sunlight is the primary regulator of serotonin and your circadian rhythm. By avoiding the sun, you ensure your brain never gets the “wake up and feel good” signal it desperately needs.

2. Eat High Quantities of Sugar

Sugar is not a treat; it is a depressant in disguise. Consuming high amounts of sugar causes a rapid spike in blood glucose followed by a severe crash. This crash mimics the symptoms of depression—fatigue, irritability, and brain fog. Furthermore, sugar promotes systemic inflammation, which recent research from major data banks links directly to depressive symptoms.

3. Isolate Yourself Completely

Humans are social creatures. When you isolate, your brain’s stress response kicks into high gear. Solitude breeds rumination—the repetitive, negative thinking that fuels despair. Avoiding friends and family confirms the false belief that you are alone and unlovable.

4. Stay in the Dark

Living in a dark room increases the production of melatonin during the day, making you groggy and lethargic. It tells your brain it is time to sleep, even when it is noon, effectively killing your motivation to accomplish anything.

5. Live a Sedentary Life (No Exercise)

Your body was designed to move. When you stay on the couch, you deny your brain endorphins and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a protein that repairs brain cells and improves mood. Inactivity leads to stagnation, both physically and mentally.

6. Doomscroll on Social Media

Spend hours watching the “highlight reels” of other people’s lives on Instagram or TikTok. This guarantees you will feel inadequate by comparison. Social media is designed to hijack your dopamine system, giving you short bursts of stimulation that leave you feeling emptier than before.

7. Drink sugary Colas instead of Water

Dehydration causes fatigue and cognitive dysfunction. Replacing water with cola doubles the damage: you get the dehydration plus a massive dose of sugar and caffeine that disrupts your sleep and anxiety levels.

8. Consume Alcohol

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. While it may offer 20 minutes of relief, the rebound effect increases anxiety and depression for days afterward. It destroys your sleep architecture, preventing you from getting the restorative REM sleep you need to heal.

9. Eat Ultra-Processed Foods

Diets high in processed ingredients (preservatives, dyes, and non-food fillers) disrupt the gut-brain axis. Your gut produces 90% of your serotonin. If you feed your gut “trash,” your brain will struggle to produce the chemicals that keep you happy.

10. Binge on Fast Food and Pizza

The trans fats and heavy carbohydrates in fast food cause lethargy and “food comas.” They lack the essential nutrients (like Omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins) that your brain requires to regulate mood.

Case Vignette: The Downward Spiral of Jason

Jason, a 24-year-old graphic designer, came to see me at Mark G Agresti MD LLC feeling “stuck.” He spent his days in a studio apartment with the blackout curtains drawn (Point 1 & 4). Because he felt low energy, he ordered pizza or fast food for every meal (Point 10) and washed it down with liters of Cola (Point 7). He stopped going to the gym (Point 5) and ignored texts from his friends (Point 3).

Instead of sleeping at night, he lay in bed scrolling through social media until 3 AM (Point 6), comparing his life to influencers who seemed happier than him. He would drink a few beers to fall asleep (Point 8), which only made him wake up groggy and anxious the next day. Jason wasn’t just depressed; he was actively fueling his depression with every choice he made. By reversing just three of these behaviors—opening the curtains, drinking water, and walking for 20 minutes—Jason began to see the fog lift.

A Lesson from Bella

I often think we could learn a lot about mental health from my dog, Bella. She’s a little brown Boykin Spaniel who loves to play on the beach here in Palm Beach. She gets plenty of sunlight, she eats the same healthy food every day, she’s always running around, and she never drinks alcohol. Most importantly, she doesn’t have a Facebook account to compare herself to other dogs. She just enjoys the view of the ocean, much like we do here at the practice.

If you are stuck in this cycle, you don’t have to do it alone. We can help you break these habits and balance your brain chemistry.

For more information or to schedule a consultation, visit Drmarkagresti.com.

Mark G Agresti MD LLC

Palm Beach Towers, Palm Beach, FL

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