Music Therapy and Depression

By MedHeadlines

A recent review appearing in The Cochrane Library looked at five studies on music therapy and found that, though it shouldn’t be viewed as a stand-alone solution, music therapy may help ease depression.Three of the studies examined adults age 60 and older, one study adults between age 21 and 65, and one adolescents between 14 and 15. Four of the studies found that music therapy reduced the symptoms of depression. The fifth study found that it made no difference. However, the fifth study did not use a theory-based therapeutic technique. Lead author Anna Maratos said, “In the four studies where there was an impact, there was a very coherent theoretical framework, a very coherent explanation of what went on in the session and obvious reasons why the therapists were there. In the study that showed no effect, there didn’t seem to be any theoretical underpinning to the intervention. We have no idea why the therapist was there, really.”

“Music therapy” was defined as an intervention designed to improve health status that included musical interaction between therapist and patient within a structured theoretical framework and in which outcomes were born of music, talk inspired by music or therapeutic relationships.

Though no conclusive link was found between music therapy and an improvement in symptoms of depression, the positive correlation warrants a closer look. “It does make me wonder: What is standardized treatment [in music therapy]? There’s really a whole avenue of research that should be done,” said Shara Sand, Psy.D., clinical assistant professor of psychology at Yeshiva University.

Source: Health Behavior News Service

Surviving Grief and Loss

The winter months can be emotionally difficult for some of us. Perhaps the decrease in sun exposure plays a role. Or maybe it is the house-bound blues that contributes to feelings of sadness and grief. Feelings of grief can rise to the surface more easily during the winter months than any other time of year.

Intense feelings of grief can be overwhelming to the point of making it difficult to get through the day. It doesn't matter if you are grieving the loss of a loved one or the loss of a job, the toll of grief on the psyche can carry you down into the depths of intense pain.

Here are some guidelines to help you through the grief process:

Take your time. Everyone grieves at their own pace. Give yourself permission to go through the process at your own rate and in your own way.

Allow yourself to get back into the swing of things. Laughing or enjoying lunch with a friend is not betraying your deceased loved one. Ask yourself if your loved one would want you to be miserable, or would they want you to enjoy your life?

Talk about your loss. Talking about the good times, your feelings of sadness and your aspirations for the future is one of the fastest ways to get through the grieving process.

Get back into your hobbies. Engaging in activities that require focus and creativity can be very therapeutic.

Give yourself a specified amount of time everyday to actively grieve. Taking 15 minutes every morning to slow down and feel your deepest feelings will not only help you get through the process but once you have allowed yourself time to feel your feelings you can then dedicate the rest of your day to getting on with life.

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Britney, Mental Illness and Lay Interpretation

Britney, Britney, Britney! In the last few months I have read articles claiming that Britney Spears is suffering from everything from drug addiction to multiple personalities. If you were to believe everything you read you would conclude that she is bi-polar, ADHD, psychotic, dissociative, narcissistic, depressed, suicidal, homicidal, alcoholic and a child abuser.

One thing I am sure of is that no one other than her own trained, professional, therapist can say for sure what is going on with her. And as far as I know, she doesn't have one.

It's curious how quickly lay people ascribe professional diagnosis to others. Everyone wants to believe that they are capable of diagnosing people with mental illness. If that were true it wouldn't take at least 7 years of college education and 2 years of a full time internship before therapists were able to do so.

I had a friend who, while divorcing her husband, began to tell everyone she knew that her husband had bi-polar disorder. He didn't. In fact he had never even been to a therapist and he didn't have the symptoms necessary for diagnosis. But she was sure of it, and so the rumor was spread around her small town.

Even insurance company employees want to believe that they have the ability to correctly diagnose patients they have only met on paper. I know a woman who has suffered with bi-polar disorder and psychosis for most of her adult life. She has a strong family history of the illness and all of the troubling symptoms that keep her from functioning in life. And yet her attempts to be granted Social Security Insurance have been denied over and over again. Her neighbor is a drug addict who was approved for Social Security the first time he applied - stating that his drug addiction kept him from keeping a job.

Mental Illness is a complex and often perplexing state of mind. Sometimes Its symptoms are easily noticed, more often they are not. Britney may be suffering from some form of mental illness, but unless and until the public is made aware of a specific illness it is senseless to speculate and cruel to arbitrarily assign a diagnosis.

Shrink or be Shrunk, Your Brain on Anti-Depressants

New research just out 2 weeks ago has determined that people who suffer with depression are also likely to suffer with brain shrinkage. It appears that depression causes the hypothalamus areas of the brain to atrophy under prolonged periods of stress and depression.

They hypothalamus works in conjunction with the limbic system which is the emotion-control center for your brain. The good news is that those who have taken anti-depressants for long term treatment have little or no atrophy of the brain.

Psychologists have suggested that those suffering with anxiety and depressive symptoms could be helped greatly by a combination of anti-depressant treatment and therapy. According to this study that is exactly what needs to happen.

Too often people refuse to take anti-depressants because they believe that by doing so they might appear weak. They refuse to go to therapy for the same reason. Now there is scientific proof that taking anti-depressants and going to therapy is not only the fastest way to end your depression and anxiety, but it is necessary for the normal functioning of your brain.

Stop giving in to your pride and start taking care of your brain.

Click here for full research article

Owen Wilson, Suicide & Stopping the Pain

Owen Wilson is scheduled to give a My Space interview later today in which he is expected to finally discuss his attempted suicide last August.

In August the New York Post reported that the distraught actor was found "bloodied and dazed after overdosing on pills and slitting his wrists." The article added that "Wilson, 38, tried to take his own life after a bitter blowup with a close pal."

So how is it that even people who seem to have everything, who appear happy, stable and mentally healthy can laps into depression so deeply that they want to die? It may be difficult to understand but it is not unusual.

Depression is largely a silent killer. Because of stigma and denial the depressed person attempts to hide their symptoms from the world and even from themselves. When in public they put on a smiling mask and do their best to get through their day - until they sink so low that they can no longer function in public.

Even then the depressed person may claim illness or exhaustion to disguise their mental darkness and emotional pain. The pain becomes so intolerable that they begin to believe that the only way to stop it is to end their life. Family and friends have their own denial to defend them from having to deal with something as frightening as a loved one's depressed mental state. And so the symptoms go unnoticed until it is too late.

Dissolving the taboo surrounding the topic of depression is one way to curtail a loved one's attempt at suicide. But our culture has a long way to go before we feel secure enough with our own ability to deal with anothers dark emotions. It takes courage, self awareness and understanding.

For more information about:
Depression click here
Depression Questions Answered click here.
More Answers click here
Suicide click here
Suicide Questions & Answers click here
Despair click here
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)click here

Computer Program for Healing Depression

By guest writer Caroline Lovell

Computerized cognitive behavioral therapy can reduce physical symptoms and illnesses caused by depression by over 25%, according to new research.

Despina Learmouth at City University, London, looked at the effect of the Beating the Blues interactive therapy system on 504 service users.

“These findings are significant because besides the obvious fact that alleviating depression is important for individuals’ well being, physical illnesses and symptoms are known to be made worse by mental ill health,” said Learmouth. “Pain can become worse, immune functioning can be lowered, and stress levels can be increased – leading to further potential health risks.”

Beating the Blues was recommended for use by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence last year.

In April, the (English) government issued guidance urging primary care trusts to make the system available to people with anxiety and depression.

Click here to read more about the program

Post Traumatic Stress and the Media

Post Traumatic Stress disorder or PTSD is a very real and very curable problem. Anyone, even an infant can acquire symptoms of PTSD upon experiencing a serious trauma.

When my brother first saw the movie "Forest Gump" he nearly hit the floor during the scenes about Vietnam. Not because of the film, but because of the realistic sounds of the gunfire. It had been decades since he was in Vietnam but the piercing sound of gunfire that seemed to be coming from behind the movie viewers was enough to take him back to fright-filled days at war.

In today's world of 24/7 news coverage of terrorism, war and crime, it is even possible for someone to develop PTSD by immersing themselves in videos and newscasts about an event in which they had no actual involvement. This was made clear to clinicians after 911, and again during the Virginia Tech shootings.

After the Virginia Tech shootings however the process of developing PTSD was more widely understood, and after a few days nearly all of the footage was taken off the air. For those who had already watched hours of video, and who were already at risk for PTSD, it was too late.

Children are particularly at risk of developing intense stress reactions upon watching real or realistic events on film or television. Intense fear can cause them to regress into more childlike behaviors like wetting the bed, moodieness or having nightmares.

If you suspect that you or your child is experiencing serious effects of stress it is important that you get help immediately. Otherwise the stress can hang on for year, and can develop into phobias and other psychological problems.

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What is Cognative Behavioral Therapy?

I am a proponent of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT, and I am often asked to explain what that means. Although it is difficult to do it in four paragraphs or less let me give it a shot.

CBT is effective because it teaches the client to modify patterns of thinking which affect behavior. CBT is a straight-forward therapy which is designed to alert the client to self-defeating ways of thinking. This type of therapy focuses on the client's negative self-talk, and offers practical suggestions on how to re frame one's thinking to make it more adaptive. The CBT therapist assists the client in thinking more rationally by examining the individuals nonsensical thoughts, observing ways in which they may distort reality, and reducing the amount of assumptions or beliefs that negatively affect their ways of thinking and behaving.

Homework is an integral part of therapy, patients will be encouraged to complete exercises designed to change negative thinking. A typical assignment is to help the client to identify current troubling events, negative self-talk, and ways of rationally responding to situations sited. Then, during the week, the client journals about difficult situations, identifies self-defeating thinking and refutes the negative thought processes with more rationally adaptive way of responding to events. The journal is often reviewed in the next session.

With CBT, clients are in control of their own progress. They are aware of the process that is necessary for change, and diligently work at modifying faulty thought patterns. Therapeutic progress is easily monitored through self-inventories and patient feedback.

Individuals with anxiety, addictive patterns and depressive disorders are particularly well suited to benefiting from this from of treatment. The good news is that many behavioral health disorders can be treated successfully through cognitive-behavioral therapy. NACBT or The National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is a good resource for locating counselors who are sufficiently trained, certified, and specialize in this treatment approach.

How Can I Overcome My Anger?

Q. I have trouble controlling and expressing my anger. Are there any meditative techniques or therapies that can help me handle my aggression in a constructive fashion?


A. The solution is to become aware of the anger and its cause, and then learn ways to express your emotions calmly -- rather than lashing out at the world around you. The goal isn't to suppress your anger, but to get it out in a nonabrasive way.

We're now fairly sure that anger, either expressed violently or turned inward, impacts your health negatively. An increasing body of evidence shows that anger is a risk factor for coronary heart disease and sudden death. A six-year study at the University of North Carolina characterized the anger traits of 12,986 men and women. The results, published in the May 6, 2000 issue of "The Lancet," found that subjects with the most anger traits were two to seven times more likely to develop coronary heart disease. Some people who couldn't express their anger transformed it into physical tensions such as headaches, stomachaches, or difficulty breathing. I know one woman who would feel a painful tightness in her throat whenever she needed to express an emotion but, instead, kept it inside. Watch for these signs and try to become aware of the emotion you may be feeling.

Anger isn't always bad -- it can be useful. I've seen it mobilize healing responses, for example. One patient struggling with an autoimmune disease was able to overcome it through a complete reworking of his lifestyle and the use of various mind-body techniques. An important part of his recovery was becoming aware of -- and expressing -- his anger toward doctors and hospitals.

As you become conscious of your anger, begin to distinguish between the mildly annoying and the infuriating. With the things that anger you most, try to figure out what else you're feeling -- powerless? guilty? stupid? Once you've learned to recognize anger and identify its roots, it will be easier to express it constructively.

Psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and spiritual counseling may be useful in dealing with anger. Exercise is also an excellent way to cope with strong emotions -- both long-term and immediately. Several studies have found that physical activities such as swimming and yoga can ease anger and tension. Even one round of exercise -- say, a run around the block -- can significantly improve the way you feel.

Incorporate meditation and relaxation techniques into your daily routine. My breathing exercise will help you bring calmness throughout your body. Do it at least twice a day, and try it every time you feel anxious or upset.

Preventing Mental Illness in Your Children

This Research Study May Save Your Child's Life

According to Dr. Will Sears, a well renowned pediatrician and author of many parenting books, a remarkable study just came out this month which shows that allowing your baby to cry (instead of nurturing the child and attending to its needs), can lead to brain damage and mental illness.

The study was taken over a 40 year period with infants and toddlers. The most striking findings show beyond doubt that when children cry and work themselves up into a crying frenzy, their body goes into stress overload causing the major arteries to the brain to tighten and close down. Once this happens the babies brain cannot get enough oxygen and the brain begins to die from oxygen deprivation resulting in permanent brain damage.

Babies who's mothers nurture them and attend to their needs were more likely to understand that crying is their child's only way to communicate their fears, discomfort and needs. Dr. Sears stated that babies who are put to sleep in a room away from parents, behind bars in a crib, in the dark will feel abandoned and frightened. Whereas babies who are quickly comforted when they cry are 80% less likely to develop panic disorders, depression and stress related illness later in life. Even SIDS is reduced by over 50% when the child is not allowed to cry, but is nurtured instead (More on SIDS in a later article).

The researchers agree, it is impossible to spoil a baby with love and nurturing. That is exactly what they need to grow into healthy, confidant and secure adults. But believing that your child needs to "cry it out" or to "cry herself to sleep" may be causing permanent damage.

Stop expecting too much from your little child and start seeing the world through their little eyes. Empathizing with your child will help you keep your cool when those nighttime rituals begin to feel like a chore.