Depression is not a disease

🌿 Depression: Not Always a “Disease” That Requires Medication

Many peer‑reviewed voices today challenge the conventional medical model of depression—questioning both the assumption of a fixed “disease” and the necessity of long‑term antidepressants. This isn’t about rejecting medication outright; rather, it’s about recognizing depression as a complex, contextual, non‑somatic experience in many cases—responsive to trauma-informed, somatic, and neuro‑regulative modalities instead of default pharmacology.

🧠 Somatic & Neuro‑Regulatory Alternatives: Science Matters

Neurofeedback & Neurotechnology

Meta‑analysis evidence shows EEG‑based neurofeedback significantly improves depressive symptoms by restoring healthy brainwave patterns—especially targeting frontal alpha asymmetry (with higher right or lower left alpha activity in depression). After training, people often experience lasting symptom reduction, improved emotional regulation, and enhanced connectivity in prefrontal and limbic regions

A landmark RCT using simultaneous real‑time fMRI‑EEG neurofeedback in people with major depressive disorder found that upregulating left‑amygdala BOLD activity and frontal EEG asymmetry led to significant mood improvement, correlated with enhanced LA‑rACC connectivity. Another connectivity‑based EEG neurofeedback approach boosted coherence across emotion‑regulation networks (amygdala, insula, thalamus), producing measurable reductions in negative affect and gains in positive mood.

What happened in these studies?

Simultaneous real‑time fMRI‑EEG neurofeedback (2020) – In this randomized proof‑of‑concept trial, participants with major depressive disorder sat in an MRI scanner while wearing an EEG cap. They were asked to recall positive memories and were given real‑time feedback on two brain signals:

• Left amygdala activity (measured by fMRI) and rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) connectivity.

• Frontal alpha and high‑beta EEG asymmetry, a measure of the balance between the left and right hemispherespmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

Overall, reviews including dozens of clinical trials confirm neurofeedback as a non‑invasive, evidence‑based intervention for depression—with consistent improvements in EEG markers, mood, and brain plasticity (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

By seeing these signals, participants learned to boost left‑amygdala activity and increase the left‑right asymmetry in the desired direction. The training led to significant up‑regulation of left‑amygdala BOLD activity and EEG asymmetry, stronger connectivity between the amygdala and rACC, and self‑reported mood improvements (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).

Connectivity‑based EEG neurofeedback with simultaneous fMRI (arXiv preprint 2022, updated 2023) – This study took a different approach: rather than focusing on the activity of single electrodes, it used the coherence (synchrony) between EEG electrodes as the feedback signal. Participants again recalled positive memories while their fMRI and EEG were recorded. The researchers found that this connectivity‑based feedback strengthened BOLD signals and connectivity in key emotion‑regulation regions such as the amygdala, thalamus and insula, increased frontal EEG asymmetry, and improved coherence among EEG channels (arxiv.org). Psychometric tests showed greater positive emotions and reduced negative emotions compared with conventional single‑electrode neurofeedback (arxiv.org).

A metaphor to understand these findings

Think of your brain’s emotion‑regulation system as a large orchestra. The amygdala is like the percussion section—its rhythms alert the rest of the orchestra to emotional significance. The rACC and other frontal areas are like the conductor and section leaders, helping the orchestra keep time and express the right emotions.

When someone is depressed, the percussion section may be playing too softly or out of sync with the conductor, and different sections of the orchestra may be out of tune with each other. Traditional medications can be like turning up the volume on one section or muffling another, but they don’t necessarily help the musicians listen to one another or follow the conductor’s cues.

• In the real‑time fMRI‑EEG study, participants watched their own “orchestral score” in real time. By recalling positive experiences and adjusting their mental focus, they learned to increase the drumbeat of the left amygdala and the left‑side cues from the frontal cortex. Over time, the percussion began to play louder and more confidently, and the conductor (rACC) re‑established a strong connection with it. The orchestra’s music—your mood—improved (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).

• In the connectivity‑based neurofeedback study, instead of focusing on one instrument, the feedback system listened to how well the entire orchestra was synchronized. Participants were rewarded when different sections—strings (insula), brass (thalamus), percussion (amygdala)—played in harmony. As coherence improved across the ensemble, the overall piece sounded richer and more uplifting. The musicians learned to listen to each other and follow the conductor’s direction, leading to sustained positive emotions.

The takeaway is that neurofeedback isn’t just about boosting one brain region; it’s about teaching the “musicians” of your brain to play together again. Rather than relying on a chemical “mute” or “amplifier,” these techniques give people the tools to tune their own brain activity and restore harmony across the neural orchestra, which may explain why participants experienced lasting mood improvements.

Somatic Work, Trauma‑Informed Modalities: EMDR, Hypnotherapy, Yoga

Trauma‑informed models position depression often as an embodiment of unresolved trauma. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) works by destabilizing traumatic memory networks while the nervous system is regulated—often producing deep relief. When combined with neurofeedback or neurotechnology, clinicians report phase‑based recovery: stabilize first via nervous system training, then process trauma more safely

Hypnotherapy and advanced somatic yoga practices target the body’s stored trauma—helping release muscular tension, autonomic dysregulation, and chronic emotional compression. Though high‑quality RCTs are emerging, many trauma‑informed therapists testify to lasting improvements in mood, sleep, physiological markers, and sense of agency.

🩺 Why Medication Isn’t Necessarily the First or Best Answer

From a trauma/embodiment lens, antidepressants may suppress symptoms but leave core dysregulated neuro‑physiology intact. Over time, prolonged SSRI or SNRI use may lead to altered brainwave dynamics, EEG habituation, emotional numbing, and withdrawal syndromes—without facilitating intrinsic regulation.

While detailed peer‑review studies on long‑term EEG changes in antidepressant users remain rare, existing psychopharmacology research shows:

• SSRIs/SNRIs can reduce high‑beta or gamma power, blunting neural excitability or emotional responsiveness.

• Chronic use has been associated with diminished EEG alpha variability, disrupted sleep architecture, and a dampened capacity to self‑regulate emotional shifts.

• Over time, medication may mask but not repair maladaptive autonomic patterns—whereas neurofeedback directly retrains EEG rhythms.

⚛️ What Pharmaceuticals Do to Brainwaves Over Time

Though fewer rigorous EEG‑pharmacology studies exist today, several consistent observations emerge:

1. Alpha asymmetry shifts: some antidepressants may reduce excessive right‑hemisphere alpha—but without targeting underlying connectivity or emotional circuitry.

2. Reduced EEG variability: some users report a flattened range of neural oscillations (less gamma or high‑beta flexibility), correlated with emotional blunting.

3. Sleep architecture changes: long‑term medication can alter REM patterns, delta sleep, and thus critical EEG rhythms related to restorative deep rest.

In contrast, neurotechnology and neurofeedback intentionally re‑balance alpha‑beta asymmetries, strengthen connectivity between amygdala and prefrontal cortex, and build adaptive EEG coherence—so the brain learns lasting self‑regulation rather than reliance on external chemical modulation

🔬 References

• Simultaneous real‑time fMRI‑EEG neurofeedback in major depressive disorder – Zotev et al. (2020). Emotion self‑regulation training in major depressive disorder using simultaneous real‑time fMRI and EEG neurofeedback. NeuroImage: Clinical, 27, 102331. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7334611/ (DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102331). This study demonstrates that up‑regulating left‑amygdala activity and frontal EEG asymmetry correlates with mood improvementpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

• Connectivity‑based EEG neurofeedback with simultaneous fMRI – Dehghani, Soltanian‑Zadeh & Hossein‑Zadeh (2023). Neural modulation enhancement using connectivity‑based EEG neurofeedback with simultaneous fMRI for emotion regulation. NeuroImage, 279, 120320. The open‑access preprint is at https://arxiv.org/abs/2204.01087 (DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120320). This paper shows that training based on EEG coherence improves connectivity across emotion‑regulation networks like the amygdala, thalamus and insula, leading to measurable reductions in negative affect arxiv.org.

• Brain connectivity changes during emotion regulation with EEG neurofeedback – Dehghani, Soltanian‑Zadeh & Hossein‑Zadeh (2020). Probing fMRI brain connectivity and activity changes during emotion regulation by EEG neurofeedback. Available at https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.06829 (DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2006.06829). This study quantifies how EEG‑guided neurofeedback increases BOLD activity and functional connectivity in prefrontal, parietal, limbic and insula regions, with corresponding improvements in mood arxiv.org.

✨ Final Thoughts

Depression often has roots in trauma, life stress, and neuro‑regulatory imbalance—not just chemical deficit. Healing is about re‑connecting body and mind, regaining nervous system resilience, and re‑wiring emotional regulation—not defaulting to medication as the only route.

Imagine healing depression from the inside out using cutting‑edge neurotechnology, sensorimotor training, proven trauma therapies such as hypnotherapy, and embodied practices like yoga and Tai Chi. These science‑backed methods don’t just mask symptoms; they help you regain your wholeness.

Over the past decade, I’ve watched people break free from substance abuse, chronic sadness, imposter syndrome, phobias, stage fright—even issues like sexual dysfunction—through this integrative approach. Real solutions are available and they work. Investing in your well‑being now is far less costly than living with unresolved pain later.

Ready to learn how? Book a free discovery call and start your journey toward lasting wholeness today.

email: sashatanoushka@gmail.com