Depression is often treated using a combination of different therapies. Your doctor may recommend pharmaceutical options like antidepressant medications, a cranial therapy such as Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) or Transcranial Magnetic Therapy (TMS), or talk therapy such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. However, there is a simple (and often overlooked) addition to your prescribed treatment regimen which may prove surprisingly powerful – practicing gratitude.
The benefits of gratitude have long been acknowledged by the world’s religions. Giving thanks is a key part of Christian sacraments and prayers, and Buddhists practice gratitude to appreciate the interconnected nature of life. But for people combatting depression, it may seem improbable at first – and probably not very scientific – to think of thankfulness as a form of treatment. But gratitude involves more than a half-hearted “thank you.” Positive psychologists, who study how people can achieve happiness and fulfillment, define gratitude as “a deeper appreciation for someone (or something) which produces longer lasting positivity.”
A growing body of research contends that gratitude can have pronounced physical and psychological effects –from improving sleep to bettering relationships to reducing anxiety and depression. A study conducted at the University of California at Davis asked participants to keep one of three types of weekly journals: a journal of things they were grateful for, a journal of annoying events that happened during the week, or simply a journal of things that happened throughout the week, whether positive or negative.
After ten weeks, the researchers found that the participants who journaled about gratitude were 25{2997f8544d703ffd995cbf0748d9148f9150b33c2eb54c93a5197645ffc3f066} happier than the group that journaled about their annoyances. They were also healthier overall, reporting fewer aches and pains, and they had chosen to exercise more over the course of the study. Further research by the same team found that when people recorded their gratitude every day instead of just once a week, they noticed even more positive changes in their feelings and behaviors.
A 2012 Chinese study further examined the relationship between gratitude and depression, as well as the relationship between anxiety and sleep. The study found that people who demonstrate more gratitude tend to have lower levels of depression. It also revealed that more gratitude leads to better quality of sleep, which decreases anxiety.
While it seems straightforward that acknowledging gratitude for the positive things in life can help mitigate depression and improve overall health, the precise effects of gratitude on the brain are a bit more complex. It has been found to increase the brain’s dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin levels – feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters which help regulate mood. And while researchers are still learning about where in the brain gratitude’s influence can be found, the latest research suggests that its impact is widespread. A study backed by the NIH charted the brains of people experiencing gratitude and found increased activity in the hypothalamus – the region of the brain which controls your metabolism and sleep habits. This helps explain why practicing gratitude has a surprising impact on physical health.
Another study, conducted by the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, showed participants video footage of Holocaust survivors receiving aid before measuring gratitude in the subjects’ brains. The researchers found increased activity in both the anterior cingulate cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex regions, which are associated with emotional processing, bonding, and empathy. Both regions have also been found to function abnormally in people with depression.
Incorporating gratitude in your own life is simple and prescription-free – it’s just a matter of making thankfulness a daily habit. You may want to try keeping a journal of five things you are thankful for each morning when you wake up or each night before you go to sleep. Or you may create a new family tradition of describing something you are thankful for at dinner. It could even be as simple as regularly thanking one person in your life for something you appreciate. You can even try a gratitude app for your phone. However, you choose to practice gratitude, science suggests this simple act of giving thanks can work with your current treatment to help you overcome depression.
If you are seeking drug-free treatment for depression, then TMS Neuro Institute may be able to help. TMS Neuro Institute is one of the earliest adopters in using transcranial magnetic stimulation to treat depression in Los Angeles. To schedule a consultation, call 888.823.4867 or book an appointment online here.