Can Botox Help Treat Depression?
Popular self-help mantras and affirmations stem from the belief that happiness comes from within. If one is able to smile through the pain and think happy thoughts, the eventual end result will be happiness. Depression, however, throws a very large wrench in this way of thinking. People suffering with this illness believe they know that feeling better doesn’t begin with an insincere happy face.
The Journal of Psychiatric Research will soon be publishing a study that agrees with the self-help view of choosing happiness. The study suggests that Botox may actually be a viable treatment for depression, since it paralyzes important facial muscles that prevent patients from frowning.
The Research
At Georgetown Medical School, a cosmetic dermatologist and a professor of psychiatry randomly divided 74 patients with major depression into a control and experimental group. The experimental group received Botox injections in the forehead muscles to make it impossible to frown. Meanwhile, the control received a saline solution. Six weeks after the injection, it was reported that 52 percent of the experimental group experienced relief from depressive symptoms, in comparison to only 15 percent of the control group.
This study and many others suggests that an external positive expression can positively impact an individual’s state of mind. Researchers stand on the notion that the brain monitors the emotional registry of the face and responds accordingly with an appropriate emotion. These results closely resemble the Darwinist idea that emotions are the result of physical expressions, rather than the cause.
Treating Depression
Light therapy is a relatively new form of depression treatment that relies on this same idea. Light stimulates the retina to excite the optic nerve. This sends signals directly to the brain and effectively treats seasonal depression. This serves as more proof that curing depression by treating the body can directly influence the brain and mind into adopting a more positive train of thought.
Botox studies like these address a large challenge mentioned previously in treating people with depression. A commonly accepted belief is that depression is due to having little interest in friends, family or living in general. These studies are taking an alternate stance by implying that this lack of interest is not a symptom that precedes depression, but rather a result manifesting after the onset of depression. These studies suggest that the act of smiling and social interaction can lead to an increase in positive thoughts.
It is still unclear whether Botox will prove to be an effective treatment for depression or not. It will require more studies and tests, but if it is proven effective, it can be assumed that an unknown amount of patients who received purely cosmetic Botox treatments may have unknowingly treated depression symptoms.
Before deciding to undergo any procedure, schedule a consultation with Dr. Reynolds. He is a board certified plastic surgeon with many years of training and a vast knowledge base. He uses sophisticated surgical techniques and technologies to promote safety and aesthetically pleasing results. For more information about getting botox injections in Las Vegas, contact Dr. Reynolds staff at 702.410.9800.