Can I Overcome Depression without medications?

Today I was working with a client and all of a sudden she had tears running down her cheeks and she was smiling. I asked her what was going on and she said “all of a sudden in the middle of my visualization I saw myself giving me a big hug. It felt so good to just be hugged.” Up until then it was really hard for her to love herself. She felt worthless, depressed and sad. She now tells me that she can’t even imagine how she felt only 5 days earlier. The sadness is completely gone.

It is our birthright to enjoy ourselves and find all of the pleasure in our lives. Pleasure loves company and delights in being discovered. I know I often forget about really enjoying my life. I get consumed by work and by all that I need to do, and I forget to have fun! We only have one life, and a finite amount of moments! Take the time to love yourself. Find even a few minutes each day to really take pleasure in yourself and the people around you. Pleasure can be so elusive that we often miss it. Take a moment to notice that you are surrounded by pleasure. Make a mental note of it and embrace the moment.

However, if you are a person who struggles with severe or prolonged stress (trauma), your brain will begin to view every situation as a stressful, negative experience.  The lack of flexibility in the brain/body starts a snowball effect; the more stress the brain & body accumulate, the stronger the stress reaction, and stronger stress reactions cause more stress to accumulate.  Sooner or later, this person will be “stuck” in a stress response even when there are fewer stressors in their life!

The brain and body only have a finite amount of resources.  Being stuck in a state of constantly heightened activation and vigilance is incredibly exhausting and draining.  Stress accumulation has been shown to damage the neurological, cardiovascular, metabolic, immune, reproductive, and other systems, and has been implicated in diseases ranging from lupus and joint pain to cancer!

A stuck arousal system can compromise one’s well-being and create a risk for adverse behaviors. Neurofeedback Calgary is a way to help the brain deeply relax and become “unstuck.”  Clients at Brain Awakening Calgary report that they have overcome depression without medications.