I’ve been depressed over that last week or so. According to the criteria listed below, I didn’t have a full blown depressive episode, but I was feeling depressed. There was no way someone or some list was going to tell me I wasn’t!  When you are feeling depressed, it is difficult to gain any perspective.

Depression is so prevalent in our society that 20-25% of women and 10-17% of men suffer from depression. According to the DSM, you are depressed if you experience 5 or more the following symptoms nearly every day over the same 2 week period:

1. depressed mood most of the day
2. diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day
3. significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain or decrease or increase in appetite.
4. insomnia or hypersomnia
5. restlessness or being slowed down
6. fatigue or loss of energy
7. feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt
8. diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness
9. recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying)
10. recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan
11. suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide

After feeling really depressed on a particular night this week, I spent the day at the beach with friends. Needless to say, I didn’t feel depressed anymore. I wondered whether going to the beach helped because it was pleasurable, or because it was a distraction, or both. I realized it didn’t really matter as long as I was feeling better.

Research studies have shown that increasing pleasure, either through brain stimulation or through increasing pleasurable activities, changes depressive states in research participants. One study noted that the more a person engaged in pleasurable activities, the better their mood. The other study determined that stimulation of pleasure points in the brain helped combat depression. The reality is that engaging in pleasure, just like my day at the beach, helps reduce depressive moods.

In the end, it doesn’t matter who says pleasure works or not, because you have to try it out for yourself. Next time you are feeling down, try doing something pleasurable to see what happens. Or better yet, in order to keep depression away, make sure you are engaging in pleasure regularly!

References

Bewernick, B. et al. (2009). Nucleus Accumbens Deep Brain Stimulation Decreases Ratings of Depression and Anxiety in Treatment-Resistant Depression. Biol Psychiatry.Jan 15;67(2):110-6.

Lewinsohn, P. & Graf, M. (1973). Pleasant Activities and Depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 41, 2, 261-268.