Find out how to defeat the vicious cycle by resetting the biological clock with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia and how to short-circuit stress and inflammation with biofeedback, hypnosis and talk therapy. Continue reading
Insomnia, depression and anxiety share common causes and often occur together. All 3 feed a vicious cycle worsening each condition. Stress is the common thread tying insomnia, circadian disruption, anxiety and depression together. Stress ignites a firestorm of inflammation suppressing levels of the sleep-hormone melatonin and elevating the stress-hormone cortisol.
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The value of reducing stress is widely embraced. An analytic review of 39 studies including 1,140 people with conditions including generalized anxiety disorder and depression found that mindfulness-based therapy, a widely-used stress-busting technique, was associated with significant improvement in anxiety disorders and depression. Continue reading
A 2021 study comparing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to hypnotherapy showed hypnotherapy is at least as effective as gold-standard CBT for reducing symptoms of mild to moderate depression.
A 2019 analysis of 15 studies found “the average participant receiving hypnosis reduced anxiety more than about 79% of control participants.” Continue reading
Biofeedback technology helps people shift out of the physiology of stress and anxiety into a calm state. It helps people slow speedy hearts, quiet anxious breathing and relax tense muscles. These new skills build a sense of empowerment and safety. It can avert anxiety before it can gain a foothold. Continue reading
The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for depression is nearly identical to that of pharmaceutical drugs. But when CBT and drugs are discontinued, the chances of depression returning are more than three times greater for people on drugs. For antidepressants, there’s a 54% chance of relapse. It’s 17% for CBT. Continue reading
Chronic stress causes Inflammation and can be very damaging to mental and physical health. Stress does damage through repeated activation of the fight-or-flight mechanisms of the body. This causes a cascade of biochemical events leading to hyperactivation of inflammatory proteins linked to depression, anxiety and a host of other conditions. Continue reading
Depressed patients starting psychotherapy with higher levels of inflammation are less likely to be helped by it, a 2020 study showed. And for those who had somatic symptoms of depression—like appetite changes, fatigue, aches and pains and sleep disturbances—the worse the symptoms, the higher the levels of inflammation. Continue reading
In contrast to pharmaceutical insomnia medications, “plant extracts are generally safe and well tolerated,” researchers concluded in a 2020 peer-reviewed, systematic review of oral plant extracts for sleep disorders. But there are exceptions to that rule. The conclusion of this article contains links to articles on popular supplements for insomnia. Continue reading
Just like drugs, some supplements can be beneficial and carry very little risk. Others may not carry much risk, but may not be that beneficial. And then there’s everything in between. The conclusion of this article contains links to articles on popular supplements for anxiety and depression. Continue reading
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