Depression is one of the significant health issues faced by individuals all across the world. It can lead to higher risks of cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure. Moreover, it also affects people’s daily lives by making them socially isolated and affecting their cognitive function. The outbreak of the pandemic all across the world has resulted in severe mental depression. It is the primary reason for the increase in mental illness cases associated with self-quarantine and social isolation.
Recent studies reveal that people who experience symptoms of depression also undergo episodic memory loss. There are various ways of treating depression, encompassing psychotherapy, and antidepressants. These are the standard treatment options for treating stress and depression.
Marc Mitchell Ravenscroft on the ways the brain reacts:
- Anxiety and stress are significant triggers of depression. Medication may alter the reaction of the brain to these feelings. It is a way of training the mind to achieve sustainable focus, stay away from negative thinking, and intrude on physical sensations.
- Meditation changes certain regions of the brain, which get linked to depression. Studies reveal that the medical prefrontal cortex becomes hyperactive in the case of depressed individuals. It is also known by the name “fear center” as it is the region where an individual processes information about themselves in case of tension and stress, the medial prefrontal cortex goes into overdrive.
- Amygdala or fear center is another region of the brain associated with stress and depression. It is the part of the brain which is responsible for flight or fight response. It triggers the adrenal gland to release stress hormone in response to perceived danger and fear. The fear center response increases cortisol level, whereas the person starts reacting to anxiety and stress. Studies reveal that meditation assists in breaking the connection between these two regions of the brain. When a person meditates, they start ignoring the negative sensation of anxiety and stress, resulting in lower stress levels.
- There are various tutorials available for individuals to learn basic meditation. They may help you to gain valuable insight as well as instruction regarding top meditation tricks. In addition to this, various yoga studios also offer intermediate and beginners level meditation classes. Meditation has a profound impact on both the physical and mental aspects of an individual. As a result, they play an integral role in the overall wellbeing of an individual.
- According to Marc Ravenscroft, meditation helps the brain by protecting the hippocampus or the brain area involved in memory. Surveys reveal that people who meditate for half an hour daily for eight weeks increased their brains’ grey matter.
The goal of meditation is to identify the negative thoughts and feelings and make the person realize that you do not require them to act during stress. It also helps to prepare the brain for dealing with stressful conditions. It helps to shift the body and mind out of the stress response and provide the individual with relative calmness. Also, it is worth noting that meditation is not a recent phenomenon. It is an age-old practice that has positively affected individuals since time immemorial.