Relax! The Secret Treatment for Anxiety + Depression
- Written by Anna Barr
Sadly the fastest growing health problem today in Australia is mental health. Despite a myriad of health and wellness services, 45% of Australians will experience a mental illness during their lifetime. Blame it on our frenetic lifestyles, the pressures of keeping up with an ever-changing world or a poor diet. According to Beyond Blue, in any one year, around 1 million Australian adults have depression, and over 2 million have anxiety. (source: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts)
So what brings on anxiety? It could be a time when you were nervous before a big presentation, or a feeling of hopelessness after a personal loss. The stresses of daily life present numerous causes to upset our wellbeing. Depression and anxiety attack our emotional state, and if these conditions are allowed to continue untreated, they usually take a harmful toll on the body.
Over time, feeling anxious or depressed will cause our muscles to carry excessive tension. Back pain, aching muscles and joints are common symptoms of depression, while for those of us who are anxious and constantly on high alert, a build-up of tension can be also be felt in the jaw, fists, neck, shoulders, or hips.
Massage therapy has been proven to be a successful tool in treating these conditions by simultaneously alleviating their physical and emotional symptoms. Studies show that regular massage not only relieves muscle and joint pain, but also raises serotonin levels and improves one’s mood through a state of deep relaxation. The health benefits of massage extend even further, increasing blood flow, relieving headaches, aiding in digestive problems and helping the body rid itself of toxins.
So, next time you feel anxiety or depression setting in, try using massage to bring your body and mind back into a relaxed, invigorated state.
Because feeling low often means we retreat into our own comfort zone, we suggest newly available on-demand apps like Soothe who deliver licensed, certified and vetted massage therapists to your door. You can download the app free of charge from iOS or Android and in as little as an hour a trusted, fully-qualified therapist will arrive with everything needed for you to experience a spa-quality massage in the comfort of your own home.
To book a Soothe massage, simply download the iOS or Android app (soothe.com/app). Services include Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports and Pre-Natal massage.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20361919
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18478478
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml
