[Serpent]

I have been having excellent Results using Cold Water Therapy to alleviate Depression, Panic attacks, Nervousnes
and the like. By simply having REAL COLD SHOWERS first thing in the mornings, and two or three more at different times during the day.

If you are interested in trying (I highly Recommend it, having suffered Depression for 65 years) look in Googles search for Cold Water Therapy there are several web sites and even a forum with info. on this Ancient and almost forgotten Natural Therapy.


Give it a try, it will certainly help you to alleviate the pain and suffering from Depression.

All the best.

[Arabinator]

Highly doubt this.

[misskate1723]

Cold water showers alleviate panic attacks. That part is true. I think depression is a bit more complicated to be treated fully by cold water.

[Serpent]

Doubt without trying has no value.

[Darkfairy]

Just because something works for you, doesn't mean its going to work for everyone else. And as far as "Doubt without trying has no value" you may be right, but yet a person with depression doesn't see it that way. I am not sure that cold water therapy would work for many people suffering on this board. Sure I can see how it might help to stimulate blood flow and circulation, however usually depression and mental illness is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Depression can also be brought on by PTSD which is not going to be treated with something like cold water therapy. I am glad to hear you found something that worked for you. but please keep in mind everyone responds differently to different treatments and help.

[Julie35]

So lets get this straight. Take a cold shower first thing in the morning and at least 2 or 3 others during the day so a total of at least 3 or 4 cold showers a day.

Most ppl have to work and live and can't take 3 or 4 showers at different times through out the day.

If this is how a person has to live taking 3 or 4 cold showers a day who has time??

Although you may think posting such a thing ok, I find that the poor person who posted this as a treatment especially if its long term is so far into Depression and panic attacks that they don't see that this behavior is abnormal.

I'm not trying to insult you when a person gets so far into Depression they can do irrational things taking 3 or 4 cold showers a day is irrational and to try and suggest others do this is irrational.

Please your way into Depression and panic attactks and need to see a psychaitrist and therapist as soon as you can.

Julie35

[peachsnaps]

This appears to have sparked some emotions on both sides, I hope there are no bad feelings.

I think what Serpent is trying to say is that he/she has found a method that works well personally, and would like to share that experience because it may help others.

What the others are saying is true as well - different things help different people, and depression is often a chemical imbalance and so a shower in and of itself will most likely not be a sole solution. However, it may have its benefits - such as calming anxiety or the like. It depends on what ails the person - if it is anxiety alone, which may have depression as side effect, perhaps this solution will work. But for others who have depression or similar conditions, a cold shower may not have the same effect.

What Julie said is also true - most people do not have the opportunity to take multiple showers a day. However, there are people who work from home or maybe in a gym where there is access to a shower, and could potentially follow this plan. I say if it works for you and is feasible, why not?

Thank you, Serpent, for sharing your experience. Personally, I find it intriguing the variety of methods that work for people. I think we each need to find what works best for us, whether it is medicine, therapy, or less conventional methods, such as what you have described.

And welcome to WoM. :flowers:

[Serpent]

Has anyone here trying to force people to have cold showers? Has anyone said or suggested that cold showers should benefit everybody with deppresion? No need to panic, please, if it does not appeal to you or you do not have the time or if the simplicity of it puts you off simply just do not do it.

I apologise to all of you who felt so offended by me trying to suggest cold showers as and aid for depression I did not expect such agitated comments for something so simple.

I only thought that if you were looking for alternative treatments is because the chemical imbalance theory and all the meds.
that they prescribe to cure it were not doing what they are suppose to do.

Please, forgive me for being so crazy as to suggest such an atrocity.
What I can assure you is that I will not go to my therapist
nor will I take any meds. because I do not need them, I tried them all and they did not work for me.

My only intention was to share something to someone who may want to try and experiment, this is what this part of the forum is for, I believe.

And lastly I promise you that I will never again mention this in the forum. And again, Please forgive me.

[Solo]

Serpent, thanks for sharing your experience with us and I'm glad to hear that it's working for you.

As to some of the other comments, I'm a bit confused and disappointed that a topic like this can't be discussed without causing offence or animosity.

Cold water was long used as a treatment for mental issues in hospitals in the past in the form of ice baths and a search on the internet yields many success stories using this sort of treatment.

Does it work for everyone? .. probably not. Just as meds, therapy, herbal remedies and other forms of alternative treatment don't work for everyone.

I wouldn't expect everyone here to try it but it would be interesting to hear from someone else who has tried it, whether it works or not.

Those that know me also know that I prefer a hot bath, especially when I'm feeling stressed and I'm not likely to change that to cold water.

I agree with Peachsnaps, we all need to find what works best for us and as long as it's not self destructive it's good and it's a valid topic for discussion.

[zoogie]

If used adrenaline rushes when I reall needed myself to "wake up" from depression and get some energy. Cold water is unpleasant and everyone cant take it, but for some, like me, it can temporarily put me in a stage where I can actually do things.

Blasting some high energy music can also do it sometimes. And it's much more pleasant.

What also did it for me was accidentally almost falling down stairs and accidentally shock myself with electricity. Sometimes the rush even makes me giggle for a while.

Actually adrenaline and also some endorphine are powerful chemicals. They might not bring you up from a deep depression but they can have an impact. You can even get addicted to them. Up here, when it's dark in the winter, people get into the habit of winter bathing. OK, I wouldn't, but they swear by it (They get to go into a sauna after). If they can't have it they get all cranky. They actually get hooked on it!

Sometimes depression is too deep to be able to evoke those emergency systems.

Best adrenaline rush is to go to a music concert. But then you need the money. And the energy to get there.

[Sockmonkey]

I've always preferred to be a bit chilly rather than too warm. I wonder if that's the reason. Hmm.