Help gratefully received?

Question

I have been trying to manage depression for a while now, have been taking St Johns Wort and also Evening Primrose Oil, thought I had it nipped in the bud, but it seems to have reappeared. I have 3 kids and need to sort it, but don't really want to resort to prescribed medicine. I would love to hear if anyone has any ideas on what I can do to help manage this. Thank you in advance

Answer 1

These are the things that help me live with my depression.

1) Talk - bottling things up doesn't help. Externalise your emotions. Work through your thoughts, and try and understand why you are having them, and if they are helpful or not.

2) Keep a diary - work out what 'triggers' you have, make lists of things that make you feel good and things that make you feel bad. Look at your lists often.

3) Eat healthily - don't drink, avoid caffeine and sugar. Lots of fresh food, fruit and vegetables. Eat 3 regular meals a day.

4) Stick to a sleep pattern. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time - even if you don't sleep at all in the night. Stick to 8 hours and don't sleep in.

5) Get outside for an hour a day - walk in the fresh air and clear your head.

6) Socialise - keep in touch with friends and family. Get out and meet people.

7) Set goals. Set realistic, achievable and positive goals. This are personal - I set goals such a doing a course, joining an exercise class, sticking to my diet etc.

8) Give yourself a break - you aren't going to get better overnight, you are allowed slip ups. Remember that no one judges you as harshly as you judge yourself.

9) Talk to your doctor - ask what help is available and take it! Talking therapies help a lot of people, and CBT or counselling or something similar may help you. Medication is an option, but remember that it is your body - you can decide what goes in. You are perfectly entitled to go in and ask what help is avaialble - if you don't want to try anything thats fine, but it is worth discussing.

10) Talk to people who understand - it can be isolating feeling like you are the only person in the world with this awful illness. Talk to people who understand that some days it is too hard to get dress and who understand the reason why you stand in the supermarket crying over which tuna to buy. It is liberating to know that other people are in the same boat - share tips on how to keep positive.

Answer 2

Hi there,
I have suffered from depression..and still do to some extent. I was advised to take st.John's wart but I didn't find it helped much and my doctor was reluctant to give me anti-depressants as I was young (19..now 20). i have started to see a counsellor for my issues and this has helped greatly. I didn't think it would as i used to think, what can a stranger tell me that I don't already know...but you could be surprised.it is often daunting to consider opening up to someone else and you may feel there are no reasons for your depression, but there may have been something uncounciously affecting you and it is the counsellors job to find this out. I can only go by my personal experience. I have seen counsellors and a phychiatric nurse who did not help, infact made me feel worse...so my advice would be if you go to counseling make sure you feel comfortable with that counsellor and after 3 sessions if you don't then change. No one feels comfortanle in counselling at the begining but it's worth a shot, esp if you don't want to try medication.

Other remedies..or helpful ideas would be to do things that make you feel good, when you find yourself in a difficult state of mind. Put on your fav Cd, go out for a walk..do something for you..even just ring a friend and go shopping...find what makes you feel good and go for it.

Depression is an illness that so many people don't understand...if you feel your suffering severly, do go and see your doctor and discuss it. They can't force you to take medication but could talk to you about alternatives or perhaps just explain to you about the possible drugs, their affects and side effects, so that you have as much knowledge as possible to tackle this.

best of luck! x

Answer 3

Don't be afraid of taking prescribed drugs, modern drugs are very different to prozac & lithium - far less addictive without the side effects. I tried St Johns Wort & Evening Primrose oil without success, I am now on a low dose of two different prescribed drugs which concentrate on making me sleep better at night which boost my seratonin levels thus improving my depression.

Answer 4

Hi
I am totally against prescription drugs after a personal battle with seroxat after becoming addicted so glad you haven't tried them. Try taking milk thistle twice a day and redoxin once a day and try Floradix liquid iron 20mg a day. Milk thistle is excellent for mood swings depression etc.Since taking this combination I feel very emotionally balanced and have a lot more energy too.Good Luck.xx

Answer 5

i also suffer from it and it is horrible. I also have refused all help through medication. this is not something i am proud of but something i did for myself, dont get me wrong if its helps well done.
The way i manage is i keep a diary on my moods and what i am feeling at the time, i then re-read them a few days later and hope it helps me reflect. I also when i am down have started to tell an amazing friend i have and they are there to help me undersatnd things. i am very lucky, Maybe you should try a these. It is not the answer as i am still depressed or low but it is starting to help me understand things a wee bit more.
I also go a walk when thing get tough to escape the pressure or place its happening...this helps me lots. this may be difficult with kids but maybe if you explained to partner etc... you need space they might be able to help.

Good luck hope you feel better soon.

Answer 6

As with the other advices, I feel your situation...

Have you ever thought that this state of depression is just a state of mind? It is how the mind feels and it shifts and changes from time to time (just as the wind).

Sometimes it depends on the intensity of how 'depressed' you are. As I am not able to tell what causes you to go through this state of depression, perhaps, you have to find its source and try to give little attention to it.

Its hard to discuss this here... perhaps you may want to try other healthy alternatives like sports (boxing? Martial Arts?) or... meditation (it is very slow and long, but will help you in the long term in managing depression/stress).

My mum has me and two younger siblings... I know what stress and depression is like when you mention about them.

Good luck to you and I hope that you may continue with the herbs and goodies (the more we stress ourselves, we lose a lot of vitamins and those vitality in us, that's why they say... when we're stressed, we grow older faster).

Few things to remind yourself---
Never force --- believe in your self-potentials and you must have faith in yourself to see how you can improve your life!

Go with the flow --- live everyday as if tomorrow won't come

Let go --- of your preconcieved ideas and expectations

Watch the mind ---keep negative thoughts/emotions at bay

Answer 7

The only thing that really helps me manage my depression is Prozac. I do however, take EPO (Evening Primrose Oil) and I find that helps me too. But I think you should see your doctor and discuss this with him or her because they'll be able to give you the proper treatment. Depression isn't something you really want to mess around with. Good luck!

Answer 8

Go easy on the St Johns Wort it can have some rubbish side effects.
Make time for you, go out or just chill out even. Also have a look in your local bookshop. There's many informative books out there that'll help you on your way.

Answer 9

talk things over with your partner if you have one or a close friend who will keep your confidence you need time to yourself away from your kids and daily stress but you need to talk that is the first step in recovering from depression. medications may help but it can be a vicious circle you dont want to join Good Luck

Answer 10

Look I know that this is going to sound as if I have just fallen off the Planet Sanenot, but try spending ten minutes a day laughing.
It really doesn't matter if it is true laughter or the forced kind. It fools the brain into creating ..let's call them happy fluids! Easier than my trying to spell it as i have to sign out now.
Trust me it will make a difference. Your mind likes to help itself get better.