Is there a cure for depression besides taking pills all the time?

Question

I have had depression since i was 15, thats 4 and a half years. i have been taking pills ever since and i am tired of it. i havent even been taking the manymore they just sit on my counter i cant remember to take them. i was just wondering is there a cure?

Answer 1

I just need to say bellydan...has no idea what he is talking about!!!
Depression is a real illness just like diabetes or cancer. There are meds that you can take to help alleviate the symptoms. Just like diabetes, the doc needs to find the best mix of meds to treat successfully. If it seems like they are changing meds every few months it is because the depression is changing or your body is getting used to the meds. The same thing happens with diabete; you take a certain mix of meds for a while, they become ineffective so the doc switches you to a different drug. there are some things besides pills to help with depression--like exercise, therapy, eating right, and other ways. but do not stop or change meds without talking to your dr. Good luck.

Peace and hope.

Answer 2

I'm so glad you posted this darling. I've had depression since I was a child and I will be 49 next month. As of yet there is no cure. It's better you hear it from someone who suffers like you do. However there are things we can do to make the suffering less. Make sure you have a light structure to your days Monday through Friday. On the weekends have fun and do your own thing outside of the schedule. During the week wake up to stretches. If you haven't tried Yoga, I recommend it to you very much. I find people who suffer from depression to be more spirituality connected than typical people in society but most don't even know it. We need to take the time everyday to get in touch with our higherselves, our higherpower and go beyond this diagnosis. Just go inside and quiet your mind, body and soul. Ask and it shall be answered, just quiet your mind to hear God. Another good suggestion is to do any type of physical activity at least 1/2 hour 3 times per week. It's good to have some sort of job but if you don't like your job then you could make it a goal to get a new one. Try to keep things simple in your life and stay away from the people in our life who are toxic and not good for our mental health; I don't care if it's your Mama. Get back on your medication and see your psychiatrist every few months. I'm sorry I can't give you the answer that all of us with the same challenges want to hear. Just toughen up and your life can go on. God made us special and we are survivors.

Answer 3

There is an awful lot of misinformation on this website. All these people who have no training or education, who have never read or done any meaningful research are giving you advice they have no place in giving. Millions of people have been helped by medication. Obviously your anti depressants were prescribed by a doctor. If you are questioning his or her competency try to contact a different psychiatrist. Depression is a disease. Yes it is treatable.

You should also read a book by Dr. David Burns, M.D. called Feeling Fine. He writes about cognitive behavioral therapy. This has been proven scientifically to be more effective then medication for many people (see the website below or just google cognitive behaviour therapy). Depression is treatable. If your current mental health care providers are not helping you make progress resolving your problem then find new ones. But note: they can only help you; you have to do the work.

Answer 4

I am only a year older than you and have had depression for about a year now, and the pills I have been taking for about a month have given me my mental energy and abilities back, almost to the point where they were before my depression.

Antidepressants can help just about everyone if given in the right amount and if you find the one that is most compatible with your level of depression, which may take a long time, like in your case.

For some people, antidepressants don't ever work, for reasons that are of yet unknown.

You may be one of those people, so you probably will have to go to the natural way to end your depression.

That means buying herbs like Valerian root, St. John's Wort, and other natural products like Melatonin or ginseng that have been proven to treat depression successfully.

You just have to find a holistic or alternative therapist or doctor that specializes on treating mental illnesses, especially depression, or spend many days online looking up websites that offer natural help for depression.

Besides finding a natural cure for depression, the 1st answerer was completely right and if you do the few simple activities he lists I think you will start feeling better very soon.

Also, here are other people's answers to this question that may be of help to you: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmjmPRWpfZSGz4dBOoWoQrwjzKIX?qid=20060713000222AASN1d1

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Au3lw6ImEx6_OilOEBA1VRUjzKIX?qid=1006031412469

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqL5tw09zByGhM.farrqx1QjzKIX?qid=20061028020054AA8lzmP

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Av3hVOw5I63z9IiB9DZC6wkjzKIX?qid=20061110152619AAghPjY

Answer 5

My doctor put me on meds and I hated the pills so I stopped taking them. I started working out every day and eating right. The proper diet and exercise helped way more than the anti depressants. Also being out in the fresh air in nature was very refreshing and relaxing. I also started riding and training horses again, a passion I had given up on. Try new things or start something new that you really enjoy. Make time to make you happy.

Answer 6

It depends on the cause of the depression. Sometimes it is a bio-chemical disorder and you need the medications. If it is in response to something bad that happened, you might only need them for a while.
If you are having side effects that bother you from the meds - you need to talk to the doctor. There are many different medications to try.
Other things in additon to meds: EXERCISE, healthy diet, activities (job, volunteer work).
There are also other therapies: electroconvulsant treatment, vagal stimulation, light therapy
Good luck to you.

Answer 7

More often than not the pills actually CAUSE the depression. http://antipsychiatry.org
Pills CANNOT cure depression. Get them out of your life.
Don't let psychiatrists destroy your life. They destroyed mine.

Meditation is good. Getting interested in something new. I know that it's hard to do though. Just remember that you are young. Things in your life will change. Make a game out of life. Take yourself out to a restaurant. Spice things up a little bit. Set some goals. You will meet someone special... when that happens, you will forget what it was like to be depressed.

Answer 8

it is really hard to get off antidepressents. there is no "cure" for depression but there are many alternative ways to treat it. one suggestion is to go and see a homeopath, they can help you get off the pills with homeopathis remedies. much safer and better for you in the longterm. the homeoplath will explain that the remedies he/she are giving you are made from the energy of the perscription. sounds hokey i know but it really works. some other fixes for depression are
exercise. i know its hard to get motivated but you will feel so much better after
eat lots of greens and fresh fruits and veg. also salmon. the efas in the fish will help with you mind.
stay away from recreational drugs and alcohol. feels better at the time, but twice as bad the day after.
good luck to you. ive fought with depression for a long time myself and there is no easy solution.

Answer 9

Depression isn't a disease. Cancer is a disease. You can't cure cancer. Find out what makes you depressed and fix it. Old people get depressed cuz they jacked up their life and they can't fix it. That's depression. You saw a counselor when you were 15 and they were like 'hey, her mom will fork cash for these visits and pills..uh, yeah, you're depressed'. That chemical imbalance is all crap. Half those mental diseases are made up to sell you pills- I'm in marketing, I know. Is it wrong, yes. Will it continue, absolutely.

Answer 10

I don't think so but if you take them for a few months religiously, I am sure they will start to work for you and if not maybe you are not taking the proper kind. You should talk to a psychiatrist about this problem.