I found an interesting (to me) writeup about one possible cause and "solution" for depression in a bimonthly email I got touting a "tape" product. I've removed references to the specific (tape) product for our discussion purposes. I suspect that what they are "accomplishing" with their tape, others could do with other SR techniques.
My apologies if what I'm sharing here is OLD news, like the relationships between brain waves and healing, which I ran into a while back and I brought up here, but which I found out was 40 year old news, yet not in common knowledge.
So after you read this, anyone here noticed these effects as a result of SR?
Or perhaps does this simply suggest that we take supplemental DHEA?
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Depression is one of a number of coping mechanisms we use
when pushed past our personal threshold for what we can handle coming at us from our environment (some others are anger, substance abuse, anxiety, and fear; there are many others)....
Some coping mechanisms, such as anger, are an attempt to blow off the added input they cannot handle, while others, such as depression, are attempts to shut down in an effort to prevent more input from pushing against the threshold. A third category contains behaviors used to distract one from the feelings involved. Most people use one "favorite" coping
mechanism, with second used as a backup if pushed even further by events. For instance, many people react first with anger, then if pushed further become depressed. Others may become depressed, then become angry if pushed further by events.
Unlike approaches that medicate us, or that just treat the symptoms of depression, we have found using (tape) actually raises the threshold at which one feels stressed or overwhelmed.
After a certain amount of time in the program, this new and higher threshold not only becomes equal to that of the "healthy" person who did not suffered the same trauma growing up, it actually exceeds it. People who were
initially over-sensitive become calm, centered, and unflappable, and are actually able to handle stressful situations better than "healthy" people!
Recent research reveals one biochemical reason why (and how) (tape) raises this threshold for stress, causing coping responses such as depression, anger, anxiety, and so on, to be more difficult to trigger. In the summer of 1998, Dr. Vincent Giampapa, M.D., head of Longevity Institute International and President of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, conducted a study involving 19 users of (tape)(soon to be published in the Journal of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine).
Dr. Giampapa did a "before and after" test of several
important bio-markers related to stress. Two of these hormones specifically relate to depression: DHEA and cortisol. Dr. Giampapa wanted to see if listening to
(tape) changed the levels of these important hormones that have so much to do with your overall level of well-being and the quality of your life.
Here is a brief summary of what these important hormones do, why they're important, and how they relate to depression.
Cortisol is a hormone naturally produced by your adrenal glands. According to Dr. Giampapa, cortisol is the major
stress-inducing hormone within the brain. It also interferes with learning and memory and is, in general, bad news for your health and your well-being. If you have high levels of cortisol, you will feel stressed. If depression is your major way of dealing with stress, high cortisol levels can trigger a depressive episode.
The second hormone, DHEA, is also produced by your adrenal glands. It is a precursor, or source ingredient, to virtually every hormone your body needs. DHEA levels are a key determinant of physiological age and resistance to stress and disease. When DHEA levels are low, you're more
susceptible to stress, aging and disease; when they're
high, the body is at its peak -- vibrant, healthy, and able to combat stress and disease effectively.
DHEA acts as a buffer against stress-related hormones
(such as cortisol), which is why as you get older and make less DHEA you are more susceptible to stress and disease, and even depression. If you make enough DHEA, it can buffer the effects of cortisol and therefore reduce your stress -- and your depression.
So, here's what Dr. Giampapa found when he did the
before and after study:
* In just three days, the average increase in DHEA
levels was 43.77%! Several people had increases of 50, 60, even 90%!
* Cortisol was down an average of 46.47%, with several people having decreases of 70 or 80%!
These results show that (tape) creates significant
positive changes in the biochemical causes of stress. This is why if depression is your predominant response to stress, listening to (tape) will make a big difference in your life.
When I began using (tape) to meditate, back in 1985, my
favorite coping mechanism was anger, closely followed by
depression. As I write this, I can truthfully say depression is no longer part of my life. I certainly am capable of feeling down -- temporarily -- but it is moderate, and there are things I can do to easily get out of it. My threshold for what I can handle is so high that very little bothers me
anymore, and the coping mechanisms I learned growing up have fallen away through disuse.
After unsuccessfully trying so many other approaches, this
change absolutely amazed me, but as you can imagine it was very, very welcome. My life now is totally different.
I have heard the same story from many, many (tape) participants over the years, and if depression is a problem for you, the (tape) program will help. It is not a 30-day
miracle, but even after a few short months in the program you will notice that many things that bothered you previously do not affect you in the same way.
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Follow Ups:
Re: Possible relation between Stress and Depression? (SUPER)
Posted by Walt Stoll on February 03, 1999 at 09:21:56:
In Reply to: Possible relation between Stress and Depression? posted by RocketHealer Jim++ on February 02, 1999 at 07:33:43:
Thanks, RocketHealer Jim.
For taking the time to type in all this great information. Of course, Hans Selye, MD confirmed all this with his research 50 years ago. It has just taken us all this time to catch up with him. DHEA, etc, was not known then but it is obvious, now, where it fits with his research.
Chronic anger eventually becomes apathy (or depression, if you will) inevitably. Because of the bell curve in the population, it is just that some people take a lot longer to become endocrinologically exhausted than others.
Namaste` Walt
Follow Ups:
Re: Possible relation between Stress and Depression? (SUPER)
Posted by Bob C. on February 03, 1999 at 22:24:17:
In Reply to: Re: Possible relation between Stress and Depression? (SUPER) posted by Walt Stoll on February 03, 1999 at 09:21:56:
RocketHealer Jim,
Thanks for the great post. Could you provide info on how to get these tapes?
Thanks'
Bob C.
Re: Possible relation between Stress and Depression?
Posted by vickir on February 08, 1999 at 15:12:19:
In Reply to: Possible relation between Stress and Depression? posted by RocketHealer Jim++ on February 02, 1999 at 07:33:43:
RHJ,
I have a friend who is interested in learning more about the tape you described. Can you give me more information, like how she might purchase one or from where? If you think it's not appropriate to post on the BB, perhaps you could e-mail the info directly to me at vritschard@usa.net
Thanks.
Vicki