On a recent episode of The View, Rosie O'Donnell discussed how she had developed depression in response to the Columbine High School shootings. "I couldn't stop crying," she said. "I stayed in my room. The lights were off. I couldn't get out of bed--and that's when I started taking medication." Somewhat to the amazement of her co-hosts, she then demonstrated how she hangs upside down from a special swing for 15-30 minutes a day in a practice called "inversion therapy". She also made the claim that inversion therapy causes the release of serotonin in the brain, easing her depression.
Does inversion therapy help depression? It simply isn't known. According to Will Meek, a writer for PsychCentral, a search of all the professional literature from 1917-2007 didn't turn up even one study about inversion therapy and depression.
In my opinion, although Rosie did a great service to her viewers by educating them about depression, she should have done her homework and not made claims about inversion therapy that aren't backed up by research. She reaches a large audience and when she discusses a serious topic like depression she owes it to them to present good quality information rather than passing off her own subjective experiences as proof.
I think that Rosie was trying to show us that there are alternative ways to helping people with depression. Not once did she say it was proof. If it’s simply not known, then who knows maybe it does work.
There is information out there for us to either take and use of our choosing, it is up to us. If it works for Rose then it works. If it doesn’t work for you then don’t do it. Thank god we can still voice our option in this country.
I don’t think you have to hang upside down to release serotonin. Running around the block and/or dancing like mad to your favorite music in your living room would probably have the same effect. But these alternatives are less likely to attract attention because they don’t require something ‘technical’ or special equipment like a special swing. And if you went swinging rightside up in a park? That might work, too.
Thank you Nancy. I agree – it is a talk show host’s moral obligation to think about what she says before she speaks – as it is for all those whose words are heard by & taken so seriously by so many. I am glad this worked for Rosie. I am pleased she talks openly about her mental health issues as this will help destigmatize mental illness. I work in the mental health field and since that show have had a number of people dealign with Depression demanding to know why I “never told them” about inversion therapy . . .
I think Rosie is bi-polar and manipulative. I didn’t watch the View before she was on it and I won’t watch it now. She needs a lot more assistance than inversion therapy. I used to like her but think that now she is just plain mean and bossy and intolerant (what she accuses everyone else of being if they don’t agree with her). Get back on the meds, Rosie!
I agree with “Peafrog” that it seems like Rosie may indeed be Bi-Polar (often on the manic side) and is not taking her meds. If inversion therapy helped HER to relieve her depression fine, but it is not responsible to even suggest it to others without some discussion. I mean I can see where some very depressed souls, with unrealistic expectations, could be devastated that yet another therapy did not work for them. Nancy, you’re right too. It’s no different than if Rosie had stated hanging upside down can increase insulin in the body for diabetics.
Hard to form an opinion about this without knowing what specifically O’Donnell said. If she did indeed make a scientific claim for which there is no scientific evidence, she’s not just expressing her opinion or describing what works for her; she’s lying, which is a poor choice (at best) in a media figure.
A little medical info. left in the hands of non-medical individuals can indeed be dangerous! I too think Rosie has other issues (co-morbid disorders? – narcissism?; may be a bit histrionic?). What I find most disturbing is her claim that more altruisitic issues drove her to breakdown/depression – this is akin to someone saying on a job interview that their weakest point is that they “care too much/work too hard” etc. – very manipuative – not sure if anyone ever believes such claims; But maybe she is victim to self-deception? The first step in recovery, the saying goes is personal insight (in this area, she truly seems to be lacking). It would probably be too painful and/or too detrimental to her career for her to openly admit that the source of her depression was rejection (by those she loved and/or worked with, former “fans”, other celebrities, etc.). It is understandable that this is very painful to face. But it does her fans a disservice to make such absurd claims – anyone with only a very rudimentary understanding of neurology, knows that serotonin doesn’t go to your head, if you turn upside down (the brain/neurological system is not a sand timer) I think her children will one day be astonished/embarassed at their own mothers’ claims on the air – but right now they probably find it all very entertaining (as a clown act at a child’s birthday party – but that is an age appropriate reaction for them as small children, not for her or for us, as logical/thinking/responsible adults). Very sad.
I applaud your article. Rosie O’Donnell abused her role as a celebrity by dispensing non-evidenced based advice for clinical depression.
She did come out of the “closet” by revealing her depression to a national television audience. Hopefully it will inspire depression sufferers to seek treatment by trained mental health professionals.
I’m just glad she didn’t hurt herself by hanging upside down on national T.V.
http://www.MyDepressionSpace.com
I am an 86yr old man who has been hypothyroid for the past 35 years. I take 100 mcgs. of Synthroid each morning about 2-to 3 AM. as somewhat of a regular habit since I try to, at least, follow the so-called theory of not eating until at leat an hour has passed, so as to be certain that my med is absorbed.Do you belief that this habit is tolerable regarding my condition. Sometimes I believe that this habit is responsible for what I call a depression. what comment(s) do you have regarding my situation?
It’s really quite amusing the way that people take “celebrities” seriously. Celebrities testify in front of Congress, travel the world as “spokesmen,” and generally expostulate against a variety of “injustices.” Ms. O’Donnell does not appear to possess any qualifications for, really, anything. Least of all to make health care pronouncements. What “moral obligation” does she have to say or not say anything? None. She has no moral obligation other than to ratings. On TV she can say whatever she wishes. The only thing that matters, no matter how stupid her utterances are, is whether people still tune in. Once they stop, she’ll go off the air. She could well say that watermelons cure acne, and it wouldn’t matter. If one is so stupid as to take advice from “Rosie” on any subject, then they deserve the consequences they achieve. So, she can hang like a bat all day long.
I agree with gggiraffe. Moderate exercise is frequently recommended as a remedy for depression, anxiety, stress, etc. If someone is seriously depressed, they might need therapy or medication or both but I’ve heard that minor lifestyle changes like exercise can also help.
There is an enormous amount of literature dealing with the specific benefits of inversion in relation to depression, neurosis and phobias. None of this research which goes back 3,000 years is in any medical or psychology journals. However if you look in Yoga Therapy books you will find very specific information. Just because doctors and psychologists live in a limited world of their own making does not mean that there is not a whole world of health wisdom that has been handed down through teaching lineages for thousands of years which is more effective and with less side effects than many treatments offered by the modern western medicine of the last 150 years. Rosie is correct in stating that inversion will cure depression. It will take longer if the patient has been using anti-depressive medication as there needs to be time to detoxify the system. The treatment ( if carried out under the supervision of a qualified yoga therapist ) will detoxify the cells and organs, balance the hormone system, slow down brain activity, increase the amounts of endorphins in the blood stream, increase blood supply to the brain and increase the amount of oxygen in the blood. The combination is enough, over time, to allow patients to let go of negative patterns and have long enough experience of feeling happy to want to chose happiness instead of the role of victim. I do not know who Rosie is but she seems to have empowered herself enough to speak her truth and not care what opinions others have about her. Sounds healthy to me. Bless you all, Paul Terrell aka Batman. If you want more info on inversion visit, http://www.inversiontherapy.net
nice
There are several interesting comments here beginning with the author Nancy Schimelpfening..so Will Meek from PsychCental reviewed ALL the literature and found no results in support or conrtary to Ms. O’Donnell’s personal claim. Okay…what database(s) did he use? What descriptors and booleans did he apply in his search? If there is a gap in the literature could Paul’s posting offer us a clue…just because something isn’t from the Western world of medicine doesn’t make it inherently incorrect.
And the biases asserted against Ms. O’Donnell’s sexuality are not shocking, but disappointing. So, in my opinion, each of you has a moral responsibilty to support your arguments as well with peer-reviewed, unbiased, authoritative work. Slinging insults is playground stuff. Please do us a favor and throw out your copy of the DSM (whatever version you are using) and try and remember the Golden Rule..Mr. Donovan you, sir, are a bit homophobic. Tell me what Ms. O’Donnell’s life as a lesbian has to do with her comments in this episode. And, Louise..since you are in the mental health field, our Code of Ethics says we have the moral obligation to stay well-researched and educated on the many new topics and approaches in our respective fields. Perhaps Ms. O’Donnell and your patients are suggesting to you that you owe it to them to find out available alternative therapies as well. And to “b” you were close in your assessment, but your words are harsh and bitter. Why? If you had suggested that we need to be better consumers of information and develop better critical thinking skills, then I applaud you. So if you remove all you babble you said the same amount of “nothing” that you purport that Rosie said. I recall her saying “Hey, it works for me”….this implies her sample size and testimony was passed on personal opinion. Do you know if she received any monetary reward for making the claim on the show? Find out and get back to me. Cast not the first stone all ye hypocrites…and as far as Ms. Nancy Schimelpfening. Thank you for such an interesting article, but you might want to do your own research and go global in your approach to understanding depression and its treatment in other countries around the world. Many of them don’t put you at risk for other health issues and, in particular, liver damage or diabetes and weight gain that several of the antidepressants do from our Westernized medicine chests. Geez, let’s look at all the alternatives to help depression become a well-treated dis-ease for the many suffers.
I bought an inversion table about three weeks ago, only wanting the relaxation/decompression, having no idea that there was even a possible link between inversion therapy and depression. About a week later, I noticed that my head felt clearer (no “brain fog”), I felt more hopeful about things, decisions felt less emotional – in short, I did not feel depressed. I did not make the connection to the inversion table until I went for a few days without using it. Having noticed the old symptoms setting back in, I asked myself, what has changed? Then it clicked, that I had stopped hanging upside down. I was so surprised at the idea, and decided to google depression/inversion therapy, and saw that others have had similar experiences. I can’t say that it increases seratonin, or that it will work for anybody. But I can say that my experience is that this has definitely improved my depressive symptoms (almost like magic).
To the poster who said that there are other ways to release endorphins or seratonin, I have never had this response to any other sort of exercise or physical activity. I do feel that there is something special about this practice and its effect on depressive symptoms.
People often criticize certain healing techniques, stating “there is no research to back this up”. However, it is very difficult to have research done on a method. First of all, you have to obtain tremendous funding to do proper research. And 99% of the time it is drug companies who fund such research – re: new drugs!!! A real conundrum – people claim a non-drug technique has helped them, but are criticized that there is only ‘anecdotal evidence’. Of course there is only non-scientific evidence!
Also, a method such as inversion therapy will not harm anyone, yet could help many people. So why shouldn’t Rosie, or anyone else for that matter, publicize a method that has helped them? Many of you claim ’she must be careful’ if there is no ‘research’ – but there CANNOT be, because she is not endorsing a drug! Until there is proper funding for research on non-drug methods, people like Rosie should be commended.