Is there alternative medicines for depression and anxiety?

Question

I have Bipolar disorder and I hate taking meds.

Answer 1

Wow...I typed out a whole answer to this question, and didn't see the Bipolar disorder bit. Are you Bipolar I or Bipolar II?

Many people who are Bipolar II aren't really Bipolar at all, they just get labeled as such by doctors because it's easy. Many people just struggle getting out of a depression and flip over into anxiety in the process. Back and forth until they get evened out, which can take years if the person is naturally emotional.

For true Bipolar disorder, you of course don't WANT to take the meds. They make you feel flatlined, like you just aren't happy. But the spike is what throws your brain chemistry off balance, sending you plummeting back into depression. And at the time, the manic state may feel normal to you, but your brain is in an altered state, so it's like there's a filter on keeping you from seeing how out of control your behavior gets.

There is a natural medicine for bipolar disorder II, which is basically a natural form of Lithium. I know one is called Serenity (info in sources).

If your doctors think that you are in no danger of harming yourself without meds, then you can try some of the suggestions in my initial answer below:
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There are, but first, it's important to find out the cause of the depression and anxiety. Then you can treat the symptoms with more success.

Depression can be caused by traumatic events in one's life, or it can be something as obscure as a food allergy. First, take inventory of what could be causing the depression emotionally over the past year (or more). Sometimes, even after those traumas are resolved, the brain perpetuates the chemical balance that has persisted for so long. It's the basic principle of homeostasis - the body tries to maintain its levels the way it is used to them.

Often, when a person is coming out of depression, anxiety starts to surface. Imagine that your neurons have been running on low voltage for months, and have atrophied to the point that they are "Wired" for less activity. When you perk up again, it's almost as if your neurons are being blasted with electrical activity. The brain dumps chemicals to try and handle the "overload" and upsets your seratonin balance. This can come in the form of social anxiety, agoraphobia (kind of wanting to stay at home or in familiar situations), or panic attacks. The overload, can often cause a person to flip back and forth between depression and anxiety simply from wearing themselves out!

Best advice I ever got for depression: allow yourself time to heal. Stay in bed, sleep at least 9 hours a night, and GO THROUGH whatever it is that you may be avoiding. This doesn't mean to wallow or indulge in it, just really observe the fact that you are hurting. Go through it until you get to a point where it's too much, and then give yourself a break. Watch a happy movie. Get out with friends (even if you don't want to). Go for a walk. Read. And when your feelings come up again, acknowledge them. Treat yourself the way you imagine the best mother in the world would treat her child. It can take 9 months or more for real chronic depression.

Next, you want your brain to regrow some neural pathways for happiness. Be happy every chance you get. Look for ways to increase your joy, even if it's just for the afternoon. You are retraining your mind to make happiness your baseline. Ignore negativity-perpetuating thoughts. "I am sad today" is OK. "I am always sad and I can't get better" is a lie. Don't believe it. Laugh it off.

Get really good at talking yourself out of anxiety. Imagine your best friend came to you and was somewhat irrationally upset over something. You would soothe them with calming thoughts, and be kind and supportive. Do this for yourself. Talk yourself out of negative thoughts. Don't focus so much on the emotions, look at the thoughts themselves as they come up. If you practice this for a few days, it becomes second nature. I never had another panic attack after I learned to stop the negative downward spiral. And I had them many times a day.

There were a few things that made me feel fantastic without fail when I had severe anxiety and depression: a good yoga class, massage therapy, and decent meditations. Anything that will put you in the Parasympathetic state, which is a state of almost perfect calm and balance. The breathing is slowed, the tension is gone, you are in a state of balance between inner and outer attention. It is the ultimate healing state for the mind and body. Breathe deeply and slowly when you feel out of sorts. Clear your mind of extraneous thoughts. It sounds too easy, but I can't tell you the importance of it.

If you have gone to the doctor, and you know your heart is Ok, and your thyroid function is good, and you don't have food allergies plauging you, and you are getting some moderate exercise, and enough sleep, and you are still depressed, try these things. Here are some supports if you find you need them along the way: for depression: St. John's Wort. Some days I take this and it's like being let out from under water. Things actually look 2 shades brighter when it kicks in. B Vitamins. If you get a good sublingual B6 B12 B2 Folic acid supplement, it will make a world of difference. I feel it within a couple of days if I have forgotten mine. Moderate amounts of caffeine. If you are consuming caffeine already, you should stop. It aggravates anxiety in a big way. But if you do not, a small amount of caffeine can give you enough boost to get moving and have good experiences for the day. I like the amount in Twig Tea or green tea. Not enough to spin me up.

For anxiety, I know it's considered risky, but I swear by Kava. It's hard to find now, but I buy it in drops and take half the recommended amount in some water. Works right away. In my worst times, I never needed it more than a couple of times a week, and that can't hurt you at all. For the knotted up muscles and pain, Valerian root is a great natural muscle relaxant. But it in a capsule - it's stinky. I tried hundreds of other remedies, and none of them worked for me.

I also highly recommend the Midwest Center's Attacking Anxiety and Depression course. It helped me more than anything else, and ultimately gave me the tools to stop 5 years of severe clinical depression and anxiety. And the next time horrible events came around, I was prepared so I didn't sink again.

Best of Luck to you ~*~
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PS: New Studies indicate that Bipolars are helped immensely by keeping VERY strict eating and sleeping schedules, and having a solid daily routine.

Answer 2

Depression is manifested both physically and emotionally. The classic physical signs of depression are headaches, fatigue, digestive problems, hyperactivity, sleeping disorders, loss of concentration, and distorted eating patterns.
Chemicals imbalances in the brain can also be either the cause or effect of depression. Dopamine is the chemical that produces anxiety, stress, nervousness, and aggression. When the level of dopamine is ELEVATED, a person may develop feelings of insecurity, paranoia, and fear. Serotonin is another important chemical in the brain that can affect a person's mental well-being.
A person with LOW serotonin levels displays mood swings, and some sort of compulsion, such as alcoholism, overeating, or being a workaholic, perfectionist, or procrastinator.

Best ways to beat depression is Diet, Exercise, Supplements or Therapy.
Its essential to get the B-complex vitamins, since they work together to balance proper brain functioning.
Fatty acids, such Omega-6, Omega-3.

Answer 3

If you educate yourself, you will be able to change how you feel with diet and exercise. For example, foods that are high in fiber can help release serotonin to the brain as well as a good brisk walk for 30 minutes. There are certain foods to avoid as well that may have a negative reaction on the hormones and endorphin levels in your body. I can't suggest you can regulate enough to be off your meds, only you and your doctor can decide that, but exercising and eating better has been helping people to feel better for generations.
For the record, I'd prefer a "witch doctor" over a pharmaceutical any day.

Answer 4

Find a doctor that will be willing to treat you with alternative, more natural products. I'm getting pretty sick and tired of doctors and psychologists not actually treating the patents who have mental disorders, but just keep them coming back quite often to "monitor" their condition or progress while they stick them on anti-depressants that sometimes have worse side effects than the actual illness. The doctors and pharmacies are making a killing off of us and I think it is disgusting.

Good luck to you. I hope you can find a doctor you can trust and that will be able to work with you on this. It wouldn't hurt to do some research on your own too. So that you will be prepared to ask the doctor about certain products you have read about.

Answer 5

Yes there are some things that can help; but I would NOT advise for you to stop taking your meds cold turkey.

Use crystal therapy such as Amethyst, Obsidian, and agate under your pillow, and put an amethyst in your water bottle.

Learn Tai Chi, or Qigong.

start an exercize regimen

Start meditating.

Learn Reiki, Pranic healing, or some other form of energy healing.

No matter which ot a combination of these; tell your doctor what you are doing, and see if one or more of these stabilize you enough to go off your meds.

Answer 6

I just did a research paper on alternative therapies for depression, and I found that practitioners of Chinese medicine, and Naturopathic Doctors (ND's) both offer alternatives to traditional antidepressants. I would not suggest trying herbal remedies on your own, but a doctor trained in alternative therapies can work with you to find something that works for you. Also, practitioners of Chinese medicine can work with your traditional Western doctor to help alleviate the side effects of prescription medications. I recommend doing some research of your own, and finding a qualified doctor near you. There are also a lot of books out there that can help you. Good luck to you, and please do not stop taking your medication until you can find a suitable alternative.

Answer 7

Exercise releases a feel good chemical in our brain called endorphins. On top of that is the conscious awareness your doing something good for yourself and keep it up where others fail and you will reap the biggest award looken good and feeling a whole lot better. The mind and body are connected, mentally and physically. So think good things plus do good things... that equals good.."No matter what you decide" We all benefit from this. Wishing you well..

Answer 8

I have read some litterature about panic attacks. But they allways seem to have a more scientific approach and that is nothing I need in my struggle to survive those horrible panic attacks. This is a "hand on" and very practical book. I felt it was written to me. I am sure that you are going to feel the same.

Joe Barry writes exactly how I think. The examples are perfectly described. And the method is genius. I recommend this book and thanks Joe Barry for writing it. It changes your life

Answer 9

Take your meds until you understand how to function normally without them. According to my health teacher, Bipolar is not pretty--it is like an emotional roller coaster due to the chemical imbalance in the brain.

Answer 10

There are 'alternative' medicines that claim to be cures for everything. Most are useless, and some are harmful. They are not regulated, and are not tested. Be very careful with them, as you never know what you are getting.

If nothing else, they can prevent you from getting real care.

Otherwise, the suggestion of a warm cup of milk sounds pretty good.

Answer 11

There may be, but I have a strict policy to avoid all "alternative" medicines. They are not regulated by the FDA. so they are not well tested, the dosages are not standardized, and without adequate testing there is no reason to suppose that any of them have any other uses than to fatten the sellers' wallets. Some are hazardous.