What is a good way to seek help for depression?

Question

I have been feeling empty for a long time. It comes from many things. It also runs in my family and I would like to explore Prozac or some medication. I would like to do this without any family. I'm not suicidal or want to hurt myself I just can't find a positive motivation to do anything. I would just like to enjoy things again. It's a very sad feeling.

Answer 1

NewsTarget.com printable article
Originally published October 3 2006
The top five foods for beating depression
by Erin Bates

Drug advertisements and conventional doctors tell the public that depression is caused by an imbalance of a neurotransmitter in the brain called serotonin. This idea makes it seem that drugs that flood the brain with serotonin are the answer to depression, but there is no scientific evidence that drug therapy really works. In studies in which scientists lowered serotonin levels to induce depression, the experiment failed. Other studies found that dramatically increasing serotonin levels in the brain failed to relieve depression. So why do doctors persist in prescribing medications with side effects ranging from mood swings to suicidal or homicidal behaviors when those drugs may not even work?
There are treatment options that can relieve depression without swallowing pills. Many of the symptoms of depression can be directly linked to vitamin and mineral deficiencies in the standard American diet, which is largely comprised of empty carbs, caffeine and sugar. Depression, mood swings and fatigue often have a common cause: poor nutrition. Avoiding depression or recovering from a depressive episode is often as easy as changing your diet and boosting your consumption of key foods that deliver brain-boosting nutrients and help regulate brain chemistry.


The five foods for beating depression
Fish oils: Contain omega-3 fatty acids. Research has shown that depressed people often lack a fatty acid known as EPA. Participants in a 2002 study featured in the Archives of General Psychiatry took just a gram of fish oil each day and noticed a 50-percent decrease in symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disorders, unexplained feelings of sadness, suicidal thoughts, and decreased sex drive. Omega-3 fatty acids can also lower cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health. Get omega-3s through walnuts, flaxseed and oily fish like salmon or tuna.
Another top food for delivering imega-3 fatty acids is chia, and we currently recommend two sources for chia seeds:

Good Cause Wellness
IntegratedHealth.com

Brown Rice: Contains vitamins B1 and B3, and folic acid. Brown rice is also a low-glycemic food, which means it releases glucose into the bloodstream gradually, preventing sugar lows and mood swings. Brown rice also provides many of the trace minerals we need to function properly, as well as being a high-fiber food that can keep the digestive system healthy and lower cholesterol. Instant varieties of rice do not offer these benefits. Any time you see "instant" on a food label, avoid it.

Brewer's Yeast: Contains vitamins B1, B2 and B3. Brewer's yeast should be avoided if you do not tolerate yeast well, but if you do, mix a thimbleful into any smoothie for your daily dose. This superfood packs a wide assortment of vitamins and minerals in a small package, including 16 amino acids and 14 minerals. Amino acids are vital for the nervous system, which makes brewer's yeast a no-brainer for treating depression.

Whole-grain oats: Contain folic acid, pantothenic acid and vitamins B6 and B1. Oats help lower cholesterol, are soothing to the digestive tract and help avoid the blood sugar crash-and-burn that can lead to crabbiness and mood swings. Other whole grains such as kamut, spelt and quinoa are also excellent choices for delivering brain-boosting nutrients and avoiding the pitfalls of refined grains such as white flour.

Cabbage: Contains vitamin C and folic acid. Cabbage protects against stress, infection and heart disease, as well as many types of cancers, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. There are numerous ways to get cabbage into your diet; toss it in a salad instead of lettuce, use cabbage in place of lettuce wraps, stir fry it in your favorite Asian dish, make some classic cabbage soup or juice it. To avoid gas after eating cabbage, add a few fennel, caraway or cumin seeds before cooking. Cabbage is also a good source of blood-sugar-stabilizing fiber, and the raw juice of cabbage is a known cure for stomach ulcers.

Also worth mentioning: Foods like raw cacao, dark molasses and brazil nuts (high in selenium) are also excellent for boosting brain function and eliminating depression. Get raw cacao and brazil nuts at Nature's First Law. Another source for cacao is Navitas Naturals.


Things to avoid
If you feel you are depressed or at risk for depression, you also need to avoid certain foods and substances. Some commonly prescribed drugs -- such as antibiotics, barbiturates, amphetamines, pain killers, ulcer drugs, anticonvulsants, beta-blockers, anti-Parkinson's drugs, birth control pills, high blood pressure drugs, heart medications and psychotropic drugs -- contribute to depression. If you are taking any of these, don't quit them without talking to your doctor; but be aware that they may be contributing to your condition by depleting your body of depression-fighting vitamins and minerals.
You should also avoid caffeine, smoking and foods high in fat and sugar. Keeping your blood sugar stable and getting B vitamins is important for stabilizing your mood. Cacao can be good for mood because it releases endorphins in the brain, but watch out for milk chocolate and candy varieties high in sugar.


Other non-food things to do
Get plenty of sunshine. Natural sunlight is a proven cure for depression.
Engage in regular exercise at least three times per week. Exercise lifts and mood and alters brain chemistry in a positive way.
Experience laughter. It's good medicine.
Take a quality superfood supplement to get even more natural medicine from the world of plants.
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Answer 2

If you think that you need help, seek out a mental health professional. You could probably look in the phone book or online for a counseling center near you. A lot of towns have government-sponsored mental health clinics that can offer help for less money than a private practice. If you're in school somewhere, you could always talk to a school counselor about what your options are.
The thing to keep in mind is that medication is not a be-all, end-all solution. It is supposed to help take the edge off of your depression while you work on it in other ways. There are other sorts of life changes that you can make to help yourself, and you should probably discuss those with a professional, as well. It shouldn't be too hard to find one. Like I said, checking your yellow pages for "Mental health" should probably do the trick.

Answer 3

A regular family doctor can prescribe anti-depressants, you would not have to go to a psychiatrist or specialist. A family doctor would probably ask you questions on a questionnaire and see if your symptoms fit the category of depression.

If the doctor does prescribe an anti-depressant, don't keep it a secret. It is nothing to be ashamed of, it is an imbalance in your body. It takes about 4-6 weeks to feel the full benefit of a prescribed anti-depressant.

If you can walk or exercise every day and stay away from junk food, it usually helps. You owe it to yourself to do what it takes to feel better. I'm saying a prayer for you right now.

Answer 4

Don't take any medicine, it may end up making you feel worse.

When I struggled with depression, I bought this book called "Feeling Good" by Dr. David Burns. It has a step by step guide on how to conquer those negative thoughts. Even if you don't have the energy to read the entire book, just reading a bit of a chapter here and there really helped me out.

Also, start keeping a journal, I found that a private online journal is best. And also try to open up to at least one friend, so that someone knows you're struggling and they can help you.

Good luck! :)

Answer 5

First of all, I would just like to say that I have definitely been in the same spot where you have been, and have came out of it. The first thing I did when I needed help -- I was lucky to have my mom with the same problem -- is took prozac. After a few weeks, I noticed a change. I wasn't all groggy and actually had motivation do to stuff. However, after a year it stopped working. Also, in the beginning I saw a therapist and talked to her about my problems. It felt great to talk to someone about my problems, but found I didn't need to see her anymore after the prozac. Anyway, after the prozac stopped working I didn't take anything for a year because I found that I didn't really need it. Then I started feeling like that again and took lexapro. That helped but it made me sweat a lot so now I am going to start "effexor" soon. (Might I mention I took zoloft with no luck.) You just have to experiment and see what works for you. I recommend seeing a psychiatrist, they're not really therapists but you can talk to them for a bit and he will prescribe you a medication that he thinks will work for you. [By the way, family doctors CAN prescribe anti-depressants but psychiatrists know muuuch more about the subject and I find them to be much more helpful!] Good luck and I hope that helped! =]

**Also, exericise and eating right can play a GREAT deal in your moods. I reccomend "8 weeks to optimum Health" by Andrew Weil.. great natural doctor and great book. Just a thought!

Answer 6

Well just go to a doctor, even a family doctor can give you anti depressives, and then see a therapist to work through your issues, and as you are working through your issues you will find that things will get worse the better, then worse again the better, in time you will have longer periods of feeling better, until that is almost all the time. Cause no one goes with out getting the blues once in a while, but you can learn to cope with that, and they will go away.

Answer 7

Go to your family doctor, your regular Dr. Explain your feelings and ask his advise, he might think you should go on meds or he might think you can kick it on your own. He will work with you and point you in the right direction. It will take a few weeks for the medication t kick in if he does put you on it, just be patient and it is the right thing to do to get help. It is nothing to be embarrassed about. I am one of the only ones in my family that admits we have chemical imbalances, it's not something we ask for it happens. Don't be embarrassed, be proud you are getting help. Waite until you feel better then be proud and tell them! Good Luck.

Answer 8

If you feel lonely then you could get a pet. A possible and preferable choice would be a dog. There's a reason they're called man's best friend. If you can't afford one then you could look up epic fail compilations from YouTube. Those always bring a smile to my face when I'm Feeling blue.

Answer 9

I used to be like that, I just went to the doctor and told them about it. and thent hey put me on some medication and Im good now. Some medication wont work and may have the opposite effect so you might have to try 2 or 3 different kinds before you find the right one. Dont worry youll get through it

Answer 10

I have found that people are the best antidote. If you don't have any friends that you can talk with openly it can make life overwhelming. Try new places to meet new faces.