Earlier in the week, I published part one of this article – six medically backed treatments for depression which make absolutely zero sense. Here’s part two!
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Warmth
According to a multiple studies, people suffering from severe depression found relief when their core body temperatures were raised. We’re not talking a fluffy blanket here, either: We’re talking a hardcore warm bath in temperatures reaching 104-degrees Fahrenheit. Incidentally, the more depressed someone was, the more likely they were to find relief, which could offer some hope for people who suffer from treatment-resistant depression.
Another study found that depressed individuals who had their body temperatures raised showed less depressive symptoms than those who had their body temperatures raised, but by a much lower amount. In other words, more heat made someone feel better. And the difference, according to the report’s write-up, was “dramatic” – not a word often used when describing depression treatment!
Does this mean warming up can cure all? No. Of course not. But it does show a promising potential cure, one that needs more study to be truly evaluated. But, there are more cures which are even more effective, such as….
Getting smashed in the head with an electro-magnet (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)
Allow me to introduce you to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, one of the goofiest (and potentially more effective) treatments for depression that there is.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a type of therapy used for treatment resistant depression. What is it? Well, here:
In a nutshell, it involves being tapped in the head thousands of times (as many as forty over a ten second period) by an electromagenet. The electromagnet is supposed to wack you in the head in a region which corresponds to your brain’s center for mood control. As a result, your depression is supposed to increase.
Yes, this sounds terrible and painful, but it’s not, at all. I actually had TMS and absolutely noticed an improvement – one that decreased six months later, but is still there. Depending on a variety of factors (your own depression, insurance and availability), it’s a significant commitment. I had about 35 sessions over a seven week period. You sit down, get strapped in (again, not as bad as it sounds) and the tapping begins. The magnet hits you about 40 times over a four second period, then it rests for twelve seconds, and the cycle repeats for twenty minutes. Let me emphasize this: THIS IS NOT PAINFUL. I fell asleep repeatedly and texted my way through the other sessions. It’s kind of annoying and does take a session or two to get used to. It is also a time commitment: While you can miss a day or two, you can’t go on vacation in the middle of the session and expect it to still be effective.
Does it work? Yes. It did for me and I’m not crazy (well, I mean, I am, but that’s besides the point): Studies have found TMS having a success rate as high is 58% in terms of lessening symptoms, while other studies found that as 75% of people who had TMS reported that the benefits lasted for at least over a year.
That being said, if you’re looking for a treatment which smacks you less, allow me to direct you to our final item on this list….
Meditation
Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus on your navel. Feel better.
Really.
Meditation has gained a ton of prominence in recent years, and rightfully so: For as little as ten minutes a day, it’s been shown to reduce stress, lengthen your attention span, reduce memory loss and improve sleep, among many other positive changes.
And that works with depression too? Yep.
The most effective type of meditation for beating depression is mindfulness meditation, which is a specific type of meditation in which you sit still, calm down, and focus your mind on the present moment.
In a recent study of people with mild depression, people who underwent mindfulness meditation showed reduced rates of developing full-blown depression when compared to a control group.
Of course, that’s not all. A massive, systematic review of 18,573 citations on mindfulness meditation showed that mindfulness meditation was moderately effective in treating pain and anxiety.
How does this work? Probably more than just one way. But, according to Dr. John Denninger of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Meditation trains the brain to achieve sustained focus, and to return to that focus when negative thinking, emotions, and physical sensations intrude — which happens a lot when you feel stressed and anxious,”
I mean, when you think about this, it makes perfect sense. Meditation can help you calm down, focus your mind and avoid negative thoughts. This isn’t a matter of just sitting still and being chill. Depression changes your way of thinking. Meditation can help make it right again.
Mike Schlossberg - Author 