What other options are available for treating depression other than drugs?

Answer 1

be with people that make you happy, see a councillor(make sure you tell hm/ her you dont want meds),talk to people about your problems(family, friends)... just keep busy and keep your find off the things that make you depressed.

Answer 2

Glad you asked. Depression can be treated effectively without using any psychiatric drugs at all!

The first thing I recommend you do is to make an appointment with a good medical doctor (but not a psychiatrist) to do a complete medical workup on you and a full panel of blood tests. The tests may reveal a root cause of your depression -- perhaps you have a vitamin deficiency, hormonal imbalance, lack of certain amino acids or a low-functioning thyroid. All of these things can be tested for and treated. Perhaps, once you have all of that corrected you won't need to take anything for your depression because the underlying cause will be corrected. Safe Harbor runs a website with a directory of holistic medical practitioners who will help you find the root cause of your depression: http://www.alternativementalhealth.com

If you do that, and your doctor finds all of your tests came back normal or if you start taking some supplements prescribed by your doctor but still don't feel markedly better then you may want to consider talking to your doctor about taking some herbs. Here are some herbs that you may find helpful:

Kava (Piper methysticum) is a member of the pepper family that has been cultivated by Pacific Islanders for over 3000 years for use as a social and ceremonial drink. The first description of kava came to the west with Captain James Cook, who traveled through the South Seas in a number of celebrated voyages. To this day, when village elders or others in the Pacific Islands come together for a significant meeting, they begin with an elaborate kava ceremony. Currently, kava is used in Europe and increasingly in the United States to treat stress, anxiety, and insomnia.

Valerian: Nature's valium. Another favorite for the treatment of anxiety is valerian. Derived from the dried rhizomes and roots of this tall plant, which grows in wet soil in many countries, valerian has been used for thousands of years as a folk remedy. As a natural relaxant, it is useful for several disorders including restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, menstural problems, and "nervous" stomach. Valerian acts on the brain's GABA receptors to produce a tranquilizing action that is similar to Valium-type drugs, but without the same side effects.

St. John's Wort: Wonder Weed. Imagine an antidepressant that is as effective as prescription drugs but has mild side effects, if any, and even boosts libido. Sound like a fantasy? It's not. You've just met St. John's Wort, an herb taken by many thousands of people every day. In fact, in Europe, Hypericum perforatum is prescribed by doctors five times as often as Prozac.

You can take herbs on your own without discussing it with your doctor or an herbalist (they're available even at the corner drug store as well as on the internet and in health food store) But I recommend taking herbs under the supervision of a doctor or herbalist to make sure that you're taking the herbs and dosages that are right for you. I'll give you the website for the American Herbalists Guild: http://www.americanherbalistsguild.com Or if you really would like to see a psychiatrist, there aren't a lot of good ones but one who's awesome is located in Pacific Palisades California and I believe you can get medical advice from her by email (for a fee) Dr. Cass's website is listed below. Dr. Cass, unlike most psychiatrists, is an orthomolecular psychiatrist who has extensive knowledge of herbal remedies and tries to avoid psychiatric labelling of people.

And if you're interested in reading about traditional psychiatry and why the drugs it prescribes are dangerous check out the Citizens Commission on Human Rights website. They're the foremost human rights organization documenting psychiatric abuse and advocating for psychiatric reform.

Answer 3

JUST YOU, if you know you are depressed and know what the definition is you can change the negative into a positive,depression is not having confidence in your self,and you don't think you are capable of any success,change those 2 things and you will be on your way to recovery

Answer 4

Exercise defintely helps. Also, look on websites for herbal remedies for depression.. Natural herbs can work wonders and they are not toxic like prescription drugs.

Answer 5

Go to therapy and work through the reason you get depressed. That's what I'm doing now.

Answer 6

May want to get your thought processes under control. The imagination fills in where the thought process leaves off.Those negative thoughts will eventually create physical problems.

Answer 7

www.hufa.org has some tips on how to self test to determine if your depression may be the result of low blood sugar. If it is, then eating right (to lower blood sugar - I know it sounds funny, but that I how it works) will help keep your blood sugar level.

Answer 8

Exercise, keeping supportive friends around and getting out and doing things.

Answer 9

Intensive therapy. That call will be up to the doc, ultimately.

Answer 10

eat right and exercise it works