Cold Showers As A Shock Therapy for Depression

[rocknroll714]

I stumbled on a really interesting paper recently which described the potential utility of cold showers as a treatment for depression. It can be found here:

• Adapted Cold Shower as a Potential Treatment for Depression (2007).pdf

And here is some media coverage on the paper:

• Got the Blues? Try a Cold Shower
• A Cold Shower May Be the Best Way to Beat Your Blues

Essentially the idea is that there are cold receptors in our skin which transmit signals to the brain. These cold receptors are some 3- to 10-fold more sensitive than our hot receptors. When they're activated to a very strong degree -- such as with a very cold shower or a swim in the ocean -- the brain gets hit by a large amount of information from these receptors and a sort of shock is produced, which, according to the author of the journal, may produce a benefit in a similar manner to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) but without all the nasty side effects. From the article cold shock response on Wikipedia:

Exposure to cold is known to activate the sympathetic nervous system and increase the blood level of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline and to increase synaptic release of noradrenaline in the brain as well. Additionally, due to the high density of cold receptors in the skin, a cold shower is expected to send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from the peripheral nervous system (PNS) to the brain, which could result in an antidepressant effect.

The author himself has taken cold showers for 20 years and has noticed significant enhancement of his mood from doing so. There are various anecdotal reports of it working as well. He even remarked taking two cold showers daily for an extended period of time can induce hypomania, and suggests that if this occurs the user restrict their use (though I wouldn't personally!!).

I decided to try this out myself and have been taking cold showers for 3-4 days now. My mood has improved substantially and I'm certain it's not a placebo effect. I've tried various forms of therapy for depression including supplements, exercise, and even dietary restriction, and none of it ever really seems to work, save drugs. This time things are different. Immediately after taking a freezing cold shower my mood is boosted, my tiredness is shed and I feel more aware, the quality of music is improved, and my overall negative affect is substantially reduced. The 'high' seems to peak within 30-60 minutes after the shower and slowly trails off over 3-6 hours. However, even after the so-called 'high' is gone I notice long-lasting benefits and my baseline mood is improved more and more upon each subsequent cold shower I take.

So to all of you I highly suggest you check out the article and try this out for yourselves!

[HardRock]

Honestly, I've tried cold showers, but they don't seem to uplift my mood. maybe i'm doing it wrong

[rocknroll714]

They have to be really really cold. For me I turn it as cold as it can possibly go. You need to literally be gasping for breath -- an indication of a physiological response -- to know that it's actually working.

[mind_games]

I swear one time a cold shower got me out of a depressive mood that had lasted for weeks or even months maybe. It was like a ****ing epiphany, like a switch going off the moment that water hit my head. No on really believes me though. Not that it matters. It hasn't worked since. However I haven't attempted a regular program of cold showers.

[rocknroll714]

Originally Posted by mind_games

I swear one time a cold shower got me out of a depressive mood that had lasted for weeks or even months maybe. It was like a ****ing epiphany, like a switch going off the moment that water hit my head. No on really believes me though. Not that it matters. It hasn't worked since. However I haven't attempted a regular program of cold showers.

I believe you :-)

It's like a veil has been lifted off my head.

[Sunshine009]

First a hot shower or very warm one. The hot/cold shower thing is done where hot shower is like a few minutes, then the cold shower is like 30 seconds, and back to the hot shower, alternate three times. That is what I've heard before. This site says 5 minutes hot, 2 cold. It pumps the circulation.

http://healingtools.tripod.com/thn9.html

[rocknroll714]

I don't recommend taking a hot shower after as it could reverse the effects of the cold shower. Here's my technique.. I start off with warm/hot water for a few minutes then I suddenly turn it as cold as it can go. I get a massive shock from this, gasp for breath, mild muscle tremors, etc. I make sure I stay in it for at least 2-3 minutes so I get maximal benefits. Then I hop on out.

[LaRibbon]

I'll try it.

[Sunshine009]

^Yes, even the naturopathic circulation therapy always ends with cold water, only they do it repeatedly over and over at first. I had no idea it affected the brain like that.

[Sunshine009]

About the site I posted: it is a naturopathic one. It was one of the first ones that came up. I don't neccessarily agree with his health claims but the technique is used with natural therapies. It is true that stimulating the blood flow in that way makes you feel great emotionally

[Keith]

Thats really cool or cold i should say never would've guessed cold showers could have that much effect!Next time I'm feeling depressed I might give it a go.

[fredericmoreau]

This is a very interesting concept. It reminds me of the antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation, totally random and counter-intuitive but very real nonetheless.

I wasn't able to open the scientific paper, but I'm guessing the positive mood effects are due to a nociceptive response, maybe endorphins released by vanilloid receptors following the noxious stimulus of very cold water? Probably a catecholamine rush as well, I know I feel a surge of adrenaline when I jump in a cold pool. I really hate cold showers, but I might just use this technique in a pinch.

[Neptunus]

No thanks. I don't need another thing increasing my risk of a heart attack. Interesting, though.

[UltraShy]

I don't think I care to try that.

[carambola]

I might be able to force myself into the cold water briefly, but I don't think there's any way I could stand to stay in there for two minutes. And the more depressed I am, the less willing I am to try anything difficult.

[millenniumman75]

I stick with hot water to relax.

[rocknroll714]

Originally Posted by fredericmoreau

This is a very interesting concept. It reminds me of the antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation, totally random and counter-intuitive but very real nonetheless.

I wasn't able to open the scientific paper, but I'm guessing the positive mood effects are due to a nociceptive response, maybe endorphins released by vanilloid receptors following the noxious stimulus of very cold water? Probably a catecholamine rush as well, I know I feel a surge of adrenaline when I jump in a cold pool. I really hate cold showers, but I might just use this technique in a pinch.

Yes spot on. See here:

Kobie: it seems to work via a two-pronged mechanism
Kobie: 1) endorphin release
Kobie: you know how pain triggers the release of endorphin?
Kobie: like cutting and **** like that
Kobie: well while cold showers aren't 'painful', they're definitely uncomfortable
Kobie: so it could have the same effect
Kobie: indeed cold exposure has been shown to increase beta-endorphin levels
Kobie: 2) norepinephrine release
Kobie: cold increases heart rate and presumably causes vasoconstriction
Kobie: essentially i think the idea is that by releasing norepinephrine
Kobie: the body enhances blood flow attempting to heat itself back up
Kobie: it also modulates norepinephrine activity in the locus coeruleus in the brain which is probably related to both the stimulant and antidepressant effects

Also here's another link to the paper which should work this time:

• http://ideabombs.com/users/kobie/Ada...n%20(2007).pdf

And here's part of a conversation between me and Guide 4 Dummies:

Mark: you are absolutely right on cold showers
Kobie: lol sweet
Kobie: what happened?
Mark: this was one hell of an experience man
Mark: man let's just say I wanted to stay there forever
Mark: the overwhelming feeling of the cold water hitting my face was very pleasurable
Mark: I notice a great deal of clarity and my mood is definitely better
Mark: hot showers are history
Kobie: awesome dude

To all you pessimists in this thread I highly suggest you reconsider your stance :P

[Sunshine009]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locus_coeruleus

Very good for the body and the brain I see.

[No Surprises]

I read this thread last night and decided to do the cold shower thing this morning. Actually, I'd forgotten for the first couple of minutes and had began to take my usual hot shower when I remembered this thread and immediately reached for the water knobs.

Sweet Jesus, was it ever nice, especially for the first hour or so following the shower. I was booming with positive energy. I can't be entirely certain so far whether it has carried over into my baseline mood throughout the day, but this is definitely a practice I'll be continuing from here on out.

[Cerz]

How cold.
Like freezing cold or just warmish cold (does that even make sense lol?)