Suffering from depression and anxiety would like to go an alternative route?

Question

I suffer from severe anxiety and depression. I have gone to the doctors and been put on every medicine known to man and nothing helps. One made me high as a kite which I did like but I couldn't feel (like laughing, crying at appropiate times) another made me think of every way of killing myself. I would like to do an alternative route. I'm done trying drugs-I'm never been one to be a pill popper and go to my doc's all the time. I feel as if I see my doctor more than my family-he's always switching my meds b/c I get negative side effects and then told me well maybe you are the type that won't benefit from meds? Then what do I do-he couldn't answer. I have found out my source of stress and I realize I need something! Anyone out there know of a herbal route I can take?

For people asking about my diet. I have rarely drink pop (once every few weeks) and eat mostly veggies, fish and some poultry. I eat pretty healty for my age and I do yoga, pilates, and cardio.

Answer 1

You are wiser than most. You have seen for yourself that your condition is not caused by a drug deficiency. There are many known causes of depression and/or anxiety. The best therapeutic approach is to find and fix your personal underlying causes. The medical literature is exploding with research that connects one or more of the following underlying problems with depression and other affective disorders:

1) Vitamin and mineral deficiencies (common on modern diets - even good ones like yours)
2) Heavy metal toxicities (lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, etc.)
3) Gastrointestinal disorders (often present even without specific signs or symptoms in the gut) such as Intestinal Dysbiosis (an imbalance in the types and amounts of micro-organisms living in the gut - often a result of the use of drugs such as antibiotics and acid-inhibitors), Intestinal Hyperpermeability (leaky gut syndrome - again, resulting from drugs such as NSAIDs and antibiotics), and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (again a product of drugs, especially acid-inhibitors like Nexium).
4) Food allergies/intolerances.
5) Mold allergies and other environmental/chemical allergies.

These are common disorders that are rarely tested for within the medical/psychiatric community.

I would like to suggest a powerful book to guide you in your quest for better health. It is written by Sherry Rogers, M.D. She is a leading clinician, researcher, and professional educator in the areas of functional medicine, nutritional biochemistry and environmental medicine. The book is called: "Depression Cured At Last". It is packed with over 700 scientific references to support her recommendations. You can order the book at Amazon.com or from the publisher at 1-800-846-6687. I highly recommend this book. (Get two copies and give one to your doctor!)

Best wishes and good luck.

Answer 2

They do have natural and herbal tablets for stress, that are made from 100% herbal remedies that has been proven to work and are effective, such as "Kalms" these tablets are said to be very effective and can be brought over the counter at the pharmacy, but another thing that many people over look is exercise, did you know that it helps lift the mood. I think doctor's are way too quick to palm you off with medication that sometimes makes stress and depression worse, or leave you feeling high as a kite, or like a zombie, i hope this has been of some help good luck.

Answer 3

There are different kinds of depression. One may have bipolar disorder, which is depression with episodes of feeling "up". If that's the case, depression medication makes things worse. I highly recommed seeing a different doctor. Nothing is as effective as being on the correct medication. Nothing.

There is an element of trial and error until the correct medicine is found for you, but it sounds like you need a new doctor who's going to narrow things down to fewer meds before finding the right one.
I wish you luck in finding the right doctor and the correct match with the SSRI that will balance out your chemicals.

Answer 4

A friend of mine experienced same effects as yours. He got off his meds like what you would call cold turkey and started on this natural liquid supplement full of minerals and vitamins, 1 oz daily, sometimes 2 and he tells me it's helping him more than his meds did. You would have to try same to be a better judge for yourself. Good luck.

Answer 5

Stop eating sugar. ALL sugar and high carb foods
Get your hormones checked with blood tests
Exercise, yoga, meditation
Try natural herbs
Read the book "Potatoes not Prozac" (The same brain chemicals that are altered by antidepressant drugs are also affected by the foods we eat.)

Answer 6

Hi, Check out my question, and all the answers that I received::

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070131185802AAH3lZB

Hope it helps. :)