Depression comes in many forms and impacts millions of people. It is a very serious condition that can drastically affect your mood and quality of life. Depression can be debilitating and simple tasks can seem impossible. Seeking treatment can be life-changing, but knowing where to start and what method is right for you is not always easy. HBOT or Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a depression treatment that has shown significant results.

Learn more about HBOT and find out how it can eliminate depression, the accompanying symptoms and give you your life back.

Grappling with Depression

Dealing with depression is a struggle. Symptoms may include feeling sad or listless, lack of interest and energy, trouble waking up and concentrating, weight gain, and feeling hopeless. Depression can complicate all aspects of your life but also the lives of your loved ones. It is a very serious illness that can and should be addressed.

Types of Depression

Depression can include clinical depression, persistent depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, seasonal depression, and more. These types of depression can have different causes and symptoms, and individuals may respond differently to treatment options.

Seasonal depression, clinically known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), impacts about 10 million Americans each year. As the days get shorter and the temperatures turn chilly, many people sink into a depression. Most people experience seasonal depression during the fall and winter, although it can happen during the spring and summer. People who experience SAD find their symptoms come and go with the change of seasons. However, with proper diagnosis and treatment, it is unnecessary to experience the symptoms of seasonal depression.

What is HBOT?

HBOT or Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a treatment that involves breathing pure oxygen while in a pressurized environment. Treatments can last 60 to 90 minutes and may be effective in treating depression as well as treating a variety of ailments and illnesses. Patients lay down in a pressurized tube and breathe normally. The entire experience can be very relaxing.

HBOT works by increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood. Oxygen is necessary for life, and the air we breathe contains about 21 percent oxygen. This is enough to support life, but regular air does not provide the full benefits of pure oxygen.

Oxygen-rich blood and plasma can reduce inflammation and tissue damage. This increased oxygen concentration increases the number of white blood cells in your body, protecting against infection and strengthening the immune system. HBOT also supports the creation of new blood vessels, which leads to the formation of new skin cells and connective tissue, or collagen.

Using HBOT as Depression Treatment

HBOT provides various health benefits, including mental acuity, reduced swelling or inflammation, athletic treatments, anti-aging, and more. People report feeling clear-headed and experiencing a mental sharpness after HBOT. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is thought to be such an effective form of depression treatment because increased oxygen levels improve neuronal functioning, which impacts stem cells and neurotransmitters. This ultimately helps balance brainwave activity, which evens out the chemicals produced in the brain.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not habit-forming, and the effects do not appear to diminish with time, as can happen with other forms of treatment. HBOT is showing very promising results when used in tandem with psychotherapy. Everyone responds differently to various treatment methods, and Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has proven to be an effective depression treatment for many people.

It’s Time to Feel Better

If you find yourself dealing with the winter blues, it may be seasonal depression. Dealing with depression can be frightening, but you are not alone, and you have treatment options. HBOT may be the right choice for you, and it could help you clear your head and get back to enjoying life. Consult our team of trained professionals to learn more and find out if Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the right depression treatment for you.