It’s normal to feel down, or experience depression, once in a while. Typically, I feel down when it rains multiple days in a row or when I’m exhausted, or something bad happens to my loved ones.
If you feel sad frequently, for two weeks or longer, you may be experiencing a type of clinical depression, of which there are 12 types, the most commonly known and experienced is major depressive disorder.
Hormones and Depression
For many sufferers of clinical depression, antidepressant medications combat the effects of their diagnosis. Some people experience adverse side effects of these pharmaceuticals or don’t want to take pills to counteract their body chemistry.
According to Harvard University, each person’s chemistry is unique. Here are a couple of the hormones affected by depression:
- Serotonin. Research suggests that some depressed people have reduced serotonin levels.
- Dopamine. Suppressed dopamine levels distort thinking and are thought to play a role in substance abuse.
Massage and Hormones
Luckily, massage has been scientifically proven to improve the lives of those who experience depression. Here are hormones positively impacted by massage:
- Increases serotonin which suppresses irritability and cravings. Folks with low serotonin levels have difficulty sleeping and often exhibit obsessive-compulsive behaviors;
- Increases dopamine which affects intuition, inspiration, joy, and enthusiasm; Lack of dopamine results in clumsiness, poor focus, and easy distraction;
- Increases endorphins which suppresses pain and elevates feel-good feelings;
- Increases in oxytocin support feelings of attachment;
- Increases growth hormones which regenerates tissues and promotes healing;
- Reduces adrenaline which results in feelings of relaxation and allows for deep sleep; and
- Decreases cortisol which diminishes
Interestingly, adding hemp-based CBD oil to your massage further enhances the positive hormonal impacts of a massage, especially by increases serotonin and dopamine even more. Usage of CBD oil is legal in all fifty states and is growing in popularity because of its numerous health benefits, without the side effect of getting high.
Schedule your massage today and get to feeling groovy!