Natural Remedies for Depression

First of all, I do want to urge you to go to counseling and if that and some natural things don't help, go ahead and try a medication. They're not for everyone, but as someone who was once truly and deeply depressed, I can tell you they can be like a curtain lifting on your life. Having said that, you should try exercise -it WILL help! If nothing else you'll get out and get your blood flowing better. Exercise releases endorphins that give you an overall sense of well-being, you sleep better, and you know that you've done something positive for yourself.

Something I swear by is fish oil. There have been studies and reports that it does help balance the seratonin in your brain, but nothing definitive has been found. However, I can tell you that I started taking it before my first pregnancy, and sometime around my first child's 6m mark, I ran out and wound up not getting any for awhile. I didn't plunge into depression or anything, but I did settle into a well-defined funk that I couldn't seem to shake. A few weeks after starting to take fish oil again, my mood lifted and I felt better. I use NatureMade fish oil capsules and take about 6 a day. They don't make you have nasty burps like some do. In addition, they're great for your heart! Take a lot of Vitamin C too. Your body will flush out what it doesn't need. Too much can give you the runs, but it has been shown to help with depression as well.

Also, if you have a lot of sugar and starch in your diet, work on eliminating a lot of it. I'm not one of those holistic, organic, we don't eat any processed or sugary foods people, BUT drastically limiting them WILL make you feel much better and lighten your mood. Think of "hidden" sugars in soft drinks, coffee additives, juices, etc. that you may be ingesting. Use brown rice and whole grains to substitute for any white breads and rices and pastas you're using. Often depression leads us into a high-sugar diet where it makes us feel better for a moment to eat cookies or candy (especially chocolate), but then we feel even worse in a little bit. Too much sugar will literally give you a "sugar hangover" the next day where you feel awful. Really cut back and I guarantee you will feel better physically and mentally.

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In my experience St. Johns wart and daily exercise have help out a lot. Also getting out of the house regularly. Talking to others on a daily basis helps too. If you only have a very mild case then these things will help you feel better. Good Luck!
J.

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I second everything Julie B said! :)

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I exercise and take 200mg of 5-HTP to combat my depression. I also take vitamin D3, DHA, Zinc and BComplex. So far, I've avoided taking prescription meds, but if it came to that, I would happily take them. But for now, the endorphins from exercise (even just 20 minutes of cardio does the trick) plus the supplements are keeping me level and content. I've also really tried to cut out refined foods and eat more fruits and veggies. Oh, and getting a good night of sleep - every night! Every once in a while, I think "oh, I'm feeling pretty good and these supplements are kinda expensive, so maybe I'll stop taking them for a while" or get into a bad habit of watching TV until late at night. Sure enough, within a few weeks or even days, I start to feel sad and detached from my life. I start taking them again and I feel better. Supplements (especially the 5HTP), exercise, nutritious food and good sleep...sounds easy, doesn't it? In today's world of go go go, it's actually not that easy, but it IS doable and it HAS eliminated my depression.

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Research has shown exercise to be as effective as drugs, but drugs will start working quicker. I have used exercise, diet, yoga, prayer/meditation, and supplements to combat my depression. Much of depression is caused my an imbalance of neurotransmitters (like seratonin and GABA). I recommend finding a natural health practitioner who can help you determine what exactly you need and find the right supplements. I also found a few books that have helped...What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Depression by Michael Schachter, the Diet Cure (and the Mood Cure) by Julia Ross, and the Feel Good Diet by Cheryle Hart. Also, here are some mood-boosting yoga postures...wholeliving.com/yogamood.

Good luck!

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I think St. John's Wart and Exercise are the way to go! Make sure it doesn't interact with anything else you are taking though (like birth control- because it does). Also, if you are on hormonal birth control, I would consider stopping them...they used to really play with my hormones and make me extremely up and down. I took St. John's Wart as a teenager for periods of being down (my mom gave it to me) and I think that it helped a lot. Good luck!

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Since March I have been taking a supplement which has greatly helped me with several chronic health issues. Two of my friends have been on it as well and have seen great results with their depression. You may want to give it a try and see if it helps you too. Let me know if you'd like more info!

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I highly recommend this book:

The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs by Stephen Ilardi, PhD.

It describes something called the therapeutic lifestyle change, which includes omega-3 supplements, engaging activity, exercise, light therapy, staying connected socially, and sleep.

Good luck!

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I started taking Rhodiola, which I bought at GNC. It works pretty well- non-prescription!

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Start with boosting your Omega 3 and 6 and some B and D vitamins. You can also use Sam E. Do the exercise as this will boost your endorphins - even if it's just walking. Counseling is always a plus. Do any thing you can and stay away from SSRI's. I was diagnosed as a severe catatonic depressive many years ago. Doctor's answer to everything was more pills.

Besides the fog I was under, I had the shakes so bad I could barely hold a cup. After being tested for everything from Parkinson's' to Wilson's disease, I realised that I had to get off all of the pills. I went cold turkey, which you're not suppose to do. I started the natural route and I was so much better off.

I am depression free, so to speak. I no longer take the SamE but I would definitely recommend it.

I cannot stress enough to go the natural route first.

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Talk to a Psychologist, it helps to talk about what you are feeling. Also, find a hobby that you like to do. Our niece suffers from depression and does photography. It makes her feel so good when she takes pictures.

Good luck to you!

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I've been taking St. John's Wort, which seems to take the edge off a little. I also journal every night - hard to make myself do it on a "hard" day, but that's when I need it the most. Helps a lot!

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If curing a serious disease like cancer worked using herbs, everyone would be doing it. Major depressive disorder is akin to cancer....herbs and exercise can only do so much to help, not cure. And major depression can be as deadly as cancer. Depression is a real disease of the brain, it needs to be treated seriously.

Speak to a LCSW and/or a licensed Psychiatrist -the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist BTW, is a psychiatrist is a full MD and has studied the physical effect of different drugs on the human body. A psychologist has studied the brain, but is not licensed to dispense medications. It makes a difference on what they'll recommend.

Talking with a LCSW and doing some cognitive behavioural therapy combined with the right meds can make a HUGE difference. HUGE. GL and speedy recovery.

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I drink a product called Le"Vive. It has Gogi, Mangosteen, Acai Berry, Cranberry and Noni all in it. I also take St. Johns Wart as well as NoCol to help with my hormones- I have really bad mmod swings during and post mentral cycle.
I also excercise, by walking , the fresh air clears my head and allows me to just "think".

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Depression is serious believe me I know. I pretty much tried everything and had to finally go back on anti depressents. Don't mess around with this if its runs in the family and it does in mine! Last summer I stayed in bed for almost 2 weeks. I didn't care about anything anymore it got that bad. If its not super bad and you are functioning then do what you feel is best for you and try these suggestions first, otherwise see a Doctor and get counseling it helps. Depression can get worse when life also throws you some bad situations. I wish you luck and hope you get better.

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Yes, exercise is excellent. I found what helped me a couple of years ago is St Johns Wart. I tried several different companies and I found only ONE which worked. Actually, I have had a pharmacist told me that it works better than meds, no side effects and you can get off of it easily. The only downside is that it takes a week or 3 before you start feeling the results.
I believe he said it is something that needs a blood level built. NOT anyone will work either. There are a lot of herbs that contain lead and a lot of unknown things. I'd be more than happy to share the brand I used.

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Hi. I've gone through a bit of everything with this...so here's my rundown of natural (I've also spent time on medication too):

-bio-identical progesterone - you need usually 20 mg per day - calculate from the tube the amount per oz and figure out what you need. It's available at Fruitful Yield or online many places (I've used Now & Emerita brands, and started with 200 mg compounded as a prescription until my insurance ran out)

-5-HTTP up to 400 mg per day is ok for someone over 150 lbs - worked ok for me

-GABA - didn't work to well for me

-Tahitian Noni Juice from www.tni.com worked good...it was the last piece in the puzzle when I was on medication and couldn't come to a balance and kept having reactions to the other meds so severely I landed in the ER repeatedly. Contact me if you want more details on amounts.

-Prayer - big one...releasing the problems to God and trying as hard as you can to let them go to him and not take them back...hard I know. ;)

-Exercise - I run 2 days a week now for 40-60 mins and it feels great! It allows me the ability to get the stress out and I feel so great every time I go faster and or farther. I would like to get more days in.

-Crying when you need to...get a sad movie if you have to.

-A S. lamp. Got that last winter and it was great. I used it while I ate my breakfast and it helped my mood. I crave the S..

I took medication while I had to since my depression was life threatening, but once I could have control and see that I could have a control over my moods more than I thought, I was able to have that lift that encouraged me. I stayed on the meds for 2 more years to guarantee I was stable and then weaned myself off. It was pregnancy that helped me find that my issue was more hormonally related to the progesterone and I started that as soon as my daughter was born...it was a literal life saver. I still have times, but they are not as bad and now I am testing to see if I can break away from the progesterone and see if my body has recovered - I stopped using plastic food containers helping to lower my estrogen which was the main culprit.

I know, probably too long of a post, but I know exactly were you are going. The side effects are scary and for one medicine that I was on for less than a month I had lingering issues for over 3 yrs after stopping, so I am avoiding going back on unless the natural does not work and it's a life and death situation again.

I wish you all the best and feel free to write me back with any questions.

H.

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Exercise definitley helps...it produces endorphins in your body, which is nature's 'feel good' drug. :) Being out in the sunshine helps too. If you don't get enough S., you can take vitamin D supplements. There are indoor lamps that you can get to help simulate the sunshine, those help keep your seratonin levels up. The less seratonin your body produces, the sadder you feel. Eating more natural foods & less processed, sugary foods helps too. Avoid caffeine & alcohol, they can worsen mood swings, anxiety & insomnia. You can take St. John's Wort. It's an herbal supplement that's been used for centuries. It may take 4-6 weeks to feel the full effect. For major depression, it's use is not recommended though. But, i feel if you start small, and make a few changes in your life, it can help. Especially the eating right & exercise part. A little positive attitude never hurt anybody! :)

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Exercise indeed. Get enough sleep. I did counseling and Moodlift Complex by Shaklee. Very helpful.

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I haven't read all the replies yet and am late in responding, but perhaps check into Sam E. It's a supplement, so not FDA regulated, but I talked to my doctor about it and felt it worked great for the time I used it. Of course, counseling and lifestyle changes - looks like that's what other suggested - are key too. Good luck!

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I don't think it's a bad idea to try going the natural route. If it were me, I'd find a good counselor, start going to yoga-yoga is amazing. One of the benefits I have found during stressful times in my life it that for the 1.5 hours that I'm in class I can't focus on anything but the class because I'm working so hard to do the poses and such. And when I leave I have a renewed calm and focus. And those were things that I could go back to during the rest of the week. I never knew those benefits when I first started taking classes but it is great.

A healthy body also makes a big difference. Eating well makes you automatically feel better than when you eat fast food or highly processed foods. If you can afford it, a meeting with a nutritionist or dietician would be a great place to start.

Exercise also makes one feel better. Being stronger and feeling fit always boosts my feelings.

But I would definitely start with the counselor and discussing it with your doctor if you want to try it without the meds. They can assess what is going on with you and in your life right now in a way that none of us can. They would be one of the best people along with your doctor to know if this is the route you should try right now. I hope that makes sense. For some people the meds make sense to take for a short period of time because it turns off or down some of the chaos and makes it where you can see more clearly and get life back on track with positive changes.

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I would not recommend St. John's Wort...not because it doesn't work but because it has many, many possible side effects and drug interactions. It works in a way similar to Prozac, but much more non-specific. I will be graduating with a doctor of pharmacy in May, and I have done a lot of research into this drug. In my opinion, you'd be better off with a prescription drug than taking St. John's Wort...it's not proven safe! SAMe seems promising and has relatively few side effects, so might be worth trying if you want to avoid a prescription. Good luck!

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Good responses on diet and exercise and speaking with a counselor. I've done a lot of therapy at times of my life and I've also taken anti-depressants and have found that some depression responds to medication and some does not. Another thing that has been useful to me has been journaling. Just writing down my thoughts and letting sadness or anger or injustice pour out of me on to the page. Sometimes it really helps to sort things out. Try to get something going in your daily routine that gives you a lift though, too, whether that's walking in the morning or watching Joel Olsteen or reading a book, something that takes you away from the sadness. My thoughts are with you.

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There are so many levels and types of depression but you received some great suggestions. it is always worth a try to see if you can't releive symptoms with out the use of medications so you don't have the other side effects, but there are times when the meds and side effects are the better alternative! Good diet, exercise, and a good daily suppliment can help you improve your outlook on each day, and on yourself. I also take a herbal mix which includes St. Johns Wort. I also changed my multivitamin at the same time, so I'm not sure which one has me up at the break of dawn ready to embrace each day. I only know my husband and 2 yr old are thankful- (altho I think the energy scares my husband at times- like Sat AM when he is trying to sleep in and I am making 'to do' lists) ;) Msg me if you want more details on exactly what I am taking

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