Open Water Swimming as a Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder
Can Cold Water Swimming Help Treat Depression?
Yes. In this case study, a 24-year-old woman with treatment-resistant depression stopped taking antidepressants after 4 months of weekly open water swimming. One year later, she remained medication-free and symptom-free.
This woman had struggled with major depression since age 17. Two different antidepressants (fluoxetine and citalopram) failed to help her symptoms. Talking therapy didn’t work either. After having her daughter, she wanted to find a drug-free way to manage her condition. She described the medication as making her feel like she was in a “chemical fog.”