Meditation and Depression

Depression is a debilitating burden for over 350 million people around the world. In fact, it is now believed that approximately 1 in 5 people will experience depression at some stage during their lives. 

Depression does not discriminate between rich and poor, young or old. In fact, the outer conditions of one’s life may have nothing to do with the onset of depression. A person with depression could even be someone who seems to have everything they could want...money, security, friends, love...and yet they are burdened by heaviness, a deep inner despair that won’t leave them. 

Meditation and Depression - How Can Meditation Help?

Meditation is one of the most powerful natural remedies for depression, and it is effective on a number of levels:

1. First of all, it will help you to calm down and find some inner peace. At the very least, it gives your body and mind some much needed time to rest and rejuvenate on a deep level. A build up of stress is one of the most common factors involved in the onset of depression, and so anything you can do to reduce or eliminate stress in your life will be of tremendous benefit. Taking time out to meditate or to listen to a guided meditation will be time very well spent.


2. Meditation causes your body to release endorphins and neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is a chemical that helps maintain a "happy feeling," and seems to help keep our moods under control by helping with sleep, calming anxiety, and relieving depression.


3. Meditation helps to purge the body and the nervous system of toxins and stresses that build up as a result of depressed, negative thinking. If you’ve ever suffered from clinical depression, then you’ll know that it can affect your whole body, leaving you feeling lethargic, unmotivated and physically exhausted. If you are experiencing any of these physical symptoms of depression, then you may find that you become physically inactive and prone to stewing on negative thoughts. It’s a vicious cycle - depression leads to inactivity and low energy levels, which then lead to more time spent chewing on negative thoughts, which then leads to deeper depression and even lower energy levels.

For this reason, I HIGHLY recommend physical exercise if you are feeling depressed. I know that it can be hard to motivate yourself to be physically active if you are feeling down, but exercise is one of the most powerful natural remedies for depression. Gentle forms of exercise such as walking will be of tremendous benefit (and will get you outside for some fresh air – another simple, often undervalued way of treating depression naturally).

More strenuous forms of exercise such as running or lifting weights may be even more effective than walking, as your body will naturally produce more endorphins (those natural “feel good” chemicals) in response to vigorous exercise.

If you can bring yourself to become physically active an also to put some time aside to meditate, you will be engaging in two of the most potent weapons against depression.

In my view, meditation and physical exercise are the two most powerful ways of treating depression naturally. When combined together, you will be giving your body and mind the very best chance of coming back into a natural, positive balance.

4. Guided Meditations add a whole new dimension of effectiveness to the healing power of your meditation. A well-crafted guided meditation for healing depression will not only lead you into a state of deep relaxation, it will also contain many positive affirmations and healing statements that are designed to improve the quality of your thinking and improve your outlook.

A guided meditation will create a foundation of positive thought patterns at the subconscious level of your mind. Because your subconscious is the underlying source of your beliefs and attitude, a change at this level of the mind can lead to revolutionary changes in your outlook on life. 

5. Meditation is a powerful natural treatment for depression, and research has shown that people who practise meditation are much less likely to relapse into depression throughout their lives. Whether your depression has been brought on by a troubling situation in your life, or whether the cause of your depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain, if you are trying to figure out how to deal with depression, then meditation may be the answer.

If you are struggling with depression right now, then I highly recommend that you download this free guided meditation.

Meditation and Depression - The Benefits of Guided Meditation

Guided Meditations are an uplifting way to build up your inner resources and improve your outlook. If you are showing the early signs, symptoms of depression, or are just feeling a little blue, then now is the time to start actively changing your thought patterns for the better.

For many people, feeling depressed makes them feel “safe”. Their depression acts as a buffer against further hurts or disappointments in life. This is quite common, and while it may seem strange, many people often feel more comfortable when they are depressed...they seek solace in depression. If this sounds like you, then you’ll know what I am talking about. The danger in this approach is that once you allow depression to creep in to your awareness, it can quickly expand and overwhelm you.

Recognize this behaviour and make the decision to combat it as soon as possible. Don’t wait until depression becomes a serious problem. Start the process of re-directing your mind in positive ways as soon as possible. Listening to a guided meditation that focuses on positivity and inner harmony is one of the best ways to do this. 

Meditation and Depression - Severe Clinical Depression

If depression is a serious problem for you, then you should seek help from a variety of sources, rather from just meditation or any other form of natural therapy for that matter. You deserve to be happy and healthy, so if you need the support of a therapist then don’t feel ashamed to talk to a professional.

Meditation is an excellent adjunct to professional support, but if you are experiencing symptoms of severe depression then you should seek help. The signs of clinical depression may include:

• Becoming emotional or upset for no particular reason
• Shortness of temper, or irritability
• Poor concentration
• Inability to experience pleasure
• Anxious worrying and intrusive upsetting thoughts
• Sleep disturbance or inability to fall back to sleep
• Feeling fatigued after 12 hours of sleep
• Decrease in appetite or food loses its taste
• Feelings of guilt, helplessness and/or hopelessness
• Thoughts of suicide
• Increased isolation
• Missing deadlines or a drop in personal standards
• Change in personality
• Increased alcohol/drug use

Help is available, but you must make the decision to reach out for it. Make the decision to heal. It IS possible to eliminate depression and you ARE worthy of living a happy healthy life! 

Meditation and Depression - A Word on Depression Drugs

There are plenty of drugs for depression, but aim to heal your depression naturally whenever possible. Many of the drugs used to control depression have negative side effects, and resorting to drugs may mean that you never actually deal with the underlying causes of your depression.

True lasting change on a psychological level can be achieved without resorting to drugs, which tend to simply dull the symptoms of severe depression. That is why I am such an avid supporter of meditation, and the powerful positive effects of guided meditations.

However, there is a time and a place for drugs for depression. Should your doctor feel that drugs are essential for your wellbeing, then do not hesitate to take his or her advice. All forms of healing have their role to play, and each of us is different.

Even if you are taking drugs for depression, you may still enjoy even deeper healing by practicing meditation as well. In time, meditation may help you reach a point where you no longer need the support of any drugs. 

Meditation and Depression - The Role of Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements are often recommended in relation to depression. There are all sorts of herbs for anxiety and depression, fish oil and depression are often discussed, and tyrosine for depression is sometimes suggested by nutritionists. Like all dietary aids, these supplements will only be of assistance is your dietary intake is inadequate.

By all means, try these supplements if you think they might help, but I recommend that you do not rely on them as your only means to deal with depression. You are likely to have much more success by practicing meditation.

 

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Article by Christopher Lloyd Clarke from www.The-Guided-Meditation-Site.com.

Real people tell their stories of how meditation benefited their lives