A year ago, a 24-year-old woman with depression was given an unusual prescription by her doctor: a weekly swim in cold water. The patient was filmed as part of the documentary series. The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs, presented by a doctor and researcher at University College London. “It was a series that looked at our most prescribed drugs, particularly where there are weaknesses in the evidence for their effectiveness,” said the researcher.
She had been on treatment for major depressive disorder and anxiety since she was 17, but her symptoms were resistant to first-line treatment and the drugs made her feel as if she was in a “chemical fog”. After she gave birth to her daughter, she wanted to be medication- and symptom-free. Under doctors supervision, she gradually reduced her doses of medication and began a programme of weekly swimming in open water with a temperature of 15 degrees C.…
