Human emotions include joy, elation, happiness, pleasure, sadness, disappointment, fear, anxiety, and anger. An excess of negative emotions such as sadness and anxiety can easily lead to a state of depression. Conversely, moderately releasing these negative emotions can help maintain a better state of well-being. One experiment revealed the importance of exercise. Patients with depression were divided into two groups: one receiving medication and the other receiving exercise. The experiment lasted four months. Patients with depression have reduced levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. The medication group was given antidepressants to compensate for these levels. The results showed that both groups experienced similar levels of well-being. Furthermore, as time progressed, the superiority of exercise became apparent. After six months, 38% of the antidepressant group had relapsed into a depressive state. The exercise group, however, had a relapse rate of only 9% after six months.
Many seniors living alone are becoming frail. Frailty refers to a weakened state between “health” and “requiring care,” characterized by a decline in physical, mental, and social functions due to aging. Local governments are developing measures to prevent the increase of frail seniors and to improve the health of those who are already frail. In these efforts, it has been reported that people with less physical contact (those with fewer social interactions) have lower levels of oxytocin (the “happiness hormone”). Incidentally, other “happiness hormones” include serotonin and dopamine. Oxytocin brings happiness through human connection and affection, serotonin creates a foundation for mental stability and health, and dopamine enhances the joy and motivation of achieving goals. If a lifestyle pattern that allows for sufficient secretion of these hormones is established, both seniors and young people can enjoy good health.
From neuroscience findings, it is believed that some people with depression have increased activity in the precuneus. When the difficult situation of depression arises, people who can help resolve it appear. Some researchers are working to apply psilocybin to the treatment of depression. Psilocybin is a drug that is banned both domestically and internationally because it causes hallucinations. They found that administering psilocybin to mice that had been induced to have depression improved the symptoms. Psilocybin, a component found in a type of mushroom, suppresses the activity of the precuneus. When the activity of this area is suppressed, worry and anxiety decrease. If psilocybin can be applied deep within the brain, there is a possibility of treating depression without causing hallucinations. If anxiety and worry can be suppressed with a non-addictive drug, it may open the door to happiness.
