Can Drinking Water Really Help with Depression and Anxiety?

I started to drink about seven 16.9 oz bottles of spring water a day a few years ago. I remember my mood being pretty stable, my outlook on life was much better and I was not depressed at all. Within the past year or so, I stopped drinking all that water and cut it down to about three bottles of spring water a day. Since then, I've had a few bouts of depression, decreased energy and more anxiety. Could it be that drinking enough water daily can help to ward off the symptoms of depression and anxiety?

I do not drink sugary drinks nor will I drink anything with caffeine. Caffeine can increase the feelings of anxiety and make it worse. Apparently my body must be dehydrated because I am not drinking enough water like I used to. I heard that when your body is dehydrated it can bring on similar symptoms of depression and anxiety. I recently had a day when I drank about six 16.9 oz bottles of spring water throughout the day and I noticed I had increased energy and an improvement in my mood. I didn't feel as down, worn out, tired or fatigued. I wanted to do more things and felt more motivation. I actually felt good and in better spirits than usual.

Drinking water can increase your energy level and also flush the toxins out of your body. It can relieve constipation as well. Maybe it works because it flushes out the bad stuff in my body that could be contributing to my depression. Maybe it works because it increases my energy level and when your energy levels are higher, you have more motivation to do things, instead of just sit around thinking negatively.

I do feel that I can handle stress better when my body is hydrated with water. I feel more alert, more focused and more positive. I am trying now to get back into drinking those six or seven bottles of spring water a day. Sometimes it is hard, because it means more trips to the bathroom and it is more costly but I would much rather deal with that than a mind filled with anxiety and depression. I do not drink tap water, I prefer spring or purified water. I just don't feel the same benefits when I drink tap water as when I am drinking spring or purified water.

I am not saying that drinking water is a cure for depression or anxiety. Everyone's body and mind is different. What works for one person, may not work for another. I would recommend someone to give it a try though, to increase their water intake over the next few weeks and see if their mood improves, their energy levels get higher and see if they feel less nervous about things.

It is kind of interesting that drinking water helps my depression and anxiety. Other forms of water are therapeutic, like listening to the sound of the ocean or listening to the trickling sound of water in a water fountain. This can have a very calming effect on someone. Taking a warm bath can be therapeutic and so can swimming in a pool. If water can be used externally for therapeutic reasons, then maybe it is true that by taking it internally, it can help to calm down your nerves and ease the symptoms of anxiety and depression.