Poopnuggetshnitzel

Not a mental health professional, just a fellow mental unwell-ian. Something I used to do was try to wait until a certain point in my depressive cycle where I felt "ready" to break the cycle, but the problem is waiting to feel ready means I'm always waiting cause I'll never feel ready enough to do something as scary as changing. So don't wait. It's a cycle so pick -anywhere- and start breaking it, just by doing the first different thing. Then the second different thing. And so on, every day, as much as you can, and you'll get better at it. In the meantime, find people in real life that you can talk to, it doesn't have to be deep connections or anything, just people you find some kind of connection with. And lastly, this is the cheesiest most cliche thing ever, but you need to believe in yourself. At least never stop trying. Giving yourself permission to try will inspire the people around you who also may be struggling to try too.

What are the effects, if any, of listening to the same songs over and over again versus listening to new music for somebody with depression (or anyone, really)? Perhaps this is too specific a question, but one of the ways I manage my depressive symptoms is by engaging myself in music that I have never heard before as a way to help my brain not get so entrenched in its own patterns. When I hear a song I've been listening to for years, it does not have the same effect as the first time I've listened to it, even if I still enjoy the song. I've recently been exploring genres that I used to have no interest in as a way to teach myself to be open to new ideas, new patterns, new melodies, and thus helps open myself up to new experiences in general which is something difficult to accomplish with depression.

So to rephrase my question: Can listening to new, unfamiliar music have a significant effect on our cognition?

Dude what the fuck? It's not a dig at the Japanese. Her captors happened to be Japanese. Where is she digging at the Japanese?

Maybe it will be a field of interest someday. I appreciate your response!

I haven't spent much time exploring jazz, but my SO loves it because of this very reason. Any recommendations?