The Upward Spiral talks about how our brain regulates all our mental health activities. The author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn explains what causes depression, anxiety and nervousness. He also explains the physical factors that contribute to it. The book also covers reasons that can help prevent these chronic mental health diseases. These are some of the reasons that make it one of the best books to improve mental health.
When a person is diagnosed with clinical depression, it becomes obvious that it is here to stay and will degrade a person’s mental health further. But it does not mean that people suffering from depression must sit and watch it getting worse. There are so many ways suggested in The Upward Spiral that can actually prevent it from getting worse and can help to improve it with time.
You can check out the The Upward Spiral book if you want to learn in detail about depression, its causes and cures. You can very easily find the book and its summaries on various book summary apps.
Listed below are certain methods that can assist in building an upward spiral and reducing depression:
You must have noticed when a person is sad or is diagnosed with clinical depression, they tend to easily get affected by negative comments. One positive comment doesn’t not boost their mood but one negative comment is enough to ruin their mood and day. The author gives an example to clarify this point. He says, A person suffering from obesity tends to eat more food because he/ she finds solace in eating food. Food distracts them from feeling bad and thus they feel happy from a brief moment.
Similarly, people addicted to drugs, gambling, and eating junk food increase their consumption when they feel stressed or sad. It is because these addictions produce a hormone called dopamine inside our brain. Increased secretion of dopamine makes us happy thus reducing stress, nervousness, anxiety or depression.
The author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn mentions in the Upward Spiral book that exercise is the best cure of depression. Since the introductory school we are continuously taught the importance of exercise. We are made to indulge in physical activities, games, and exercise in school itself. And there is this strong emphasis on exercise not because it tones our body or for good waitlines. But it is also beneficial for mental wellbeing. Yes, you read it right! Right and good amount of exercise cures three types of depression. They are physical, mental and social. An exercise as simple as walking can even become a mood enhancer and will lead the way out of downward spiral.
Conscious decision-making and setting goals mean that you are taking charge of your life. And when a person exercises control over his/her life it means that they are trying to eliminate stress and anxiety from their life. And less anxiety and stress are just like bidding goodbye to depression.
First, let’s understand the science behind lack of sleep. It leads to high blood pressure, loss of memory and learning capacity, mood swings, etc. While a good night’s sleep makes you stronger and enhances your mood. A seven- to- eight-hour sleep even boosts your concentration and your decision-making abilities. It eliminates tiredness thus making a person feel happy and rejuvenated the other morning.
Begin by jotting down just three things every day that you are grateful about and then move on to making it a habit by maintaining a gratitude journal. Additionally, you can indulge in conversations with like-minded people. Genuine conversations with your favorite people release a hormone called oxytocin which increases confidence and decreases anxiety.
If you want to learn more about regulating your brain to prevent various mental health disorders, then you can read The Upward Spiral summary by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The summary is very easily available on various book summaries websites.
The most important way to cure depression stated by the author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in The Upward Spiral summary is to see a psychiatrist. He wants society to end the stigma attached to mental health and consider it as a normal illness. When there is any kind of physical illness, people unhesitantly visit a specialist of that particular disease. Then why do people stigmatize mental health? The author puts a lot of emphasis on normalising visiting a mental health specialist(psychiatrist)
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