Natural Anti-Depressants?

Question

I've tried St.Johns Wart, Same-E, and DL-Phenylalanine. Nothing has worked. =( Im trying to stay away from having to see a doctor about it. ( I have no health insurance Im 19)

But what do ya'll recommend? And preff something that I could buy at CVS or a Herbal Pill Store?

Answer 1

How about going to the library and seeing if they have a copy of the Tony Robins tapes.

On on these tapes Tony Robins discusses how we need to "work at" being depressed, in fact we need to use every muscle in our body to maintain a depressed state.

So you see this isn't without your approval because you are allowing yourself to fall right into depression.

One of the lessons Tony Robins speaks of is....

Sit up straight looking ahead........raise your eyes to the ceiling, tilting your head slightly upward. Put a smile on your face and just sit there. (It is impossible to feel depressed in this position)

Another lesson.........Think of what you would feel like if you were just told you won 5 million dollars. What would you feel, how would you look when you walk? Now get up and walk as if you had just won this money............notice what are the differences in the way you are walking now compared to how you walk when you are depressed.

Another lesson.....There is a knock at your door, you know that it is your friend who is feeling very depressed....what is it you expect to see when you open the door......explain how your friend will look, the posture

Now, don't allow yourself to use this type of posture, always consciously think about your posture and the look on your face.

SMILE, the world does smile back at you.

And Just think, your smile might just make someones day so much brighter that they are lifted out of a state of depression........how would THAT FEEL.

Answer 2

St. Johns Wart has been proven to have NO antidepressant effects. Pheylanlanine is an essential amino acid, not an antidepressant. It can increase dopamine production, and that can help depression; but that is only one neurotransmitter involved with depression. If you need a real antidepressant then I would get one prescribed from a doctor.

In the meantime use the following:
- Laughter, it really is the best medicine and it will lift your mood.
- Distraction; if you are involved in something you enjoy then you will be absorbed by that and not so depressed.
- Family and Friends; it is hard to be sad when you are around people having fun.
- A good diet; feeling better and eating better makes you less depressed.
- Enough sleep, depression is a symptom of chronic sleep problems or a lack of sleep.
- Confession is really good for the soul, sometimes just venting can help you feel better; find someone you can trust.
- Exercise, including sex produces feel good endorphins which will help elevate your mood.
- Avoid a lot of sugar and caffeine because the crash when they wear off feels worse.
- Helping others, charity makes you feel good and volunteering can take your mind off of your problems.

In my own experience drugs don't do a lot. For example if you are broke and worried about the bills a bottle of pills isn't going to change that. The situation can be more important than medication. Look at the cause of the depression and treat that first. Only in a few cases is the cause clinical, often it is the situation, and if you do something to correct the situation then you make concrete advances to relieve your depression. Help doesn't always come in a pill.

Herbal pills aren't regulated by the FDA so they can make any claim they want and often have no real effective value. Those that do are in unregulated doses mixed with who knows what. A doctor prescribed pill is safer, better, and more effective. If you can find it over the counter then the chances are high it can't do that much; otherwise it would be regulated.

Answer 3

Hi Nicolle! Beware of some of the herbal stuff! I tried St. Johns and it deepened my depression for 6 months. I am currently getting my advanced degree in mental health counseling. One thing you might want to try if you're not ready for a prescription is changing your mindset. I know, it seems weird, but it totally works! Whenever you start having negative feelings or thoughts, stop them. You might even have to tell yourself outloud, "stop!" Then, change your thought pattern to something positive. I understand how hard this can be, especially if your depressed, but it's so important! One suggestion of positive thoughts: your health. I assume you have both legs? Be grateful for the small things that everyday people take for granted. Be grateful you can eat everyday. Look into yourself and see who it is you want to be, and start making a gameplan as to how you're going to become that person. Nothing lasts forever, even sad moods. Try to keep your head high and think of the next bout of happiness! Good luck, sweetie!

Answer 4

Cold showers - honestly, they're amazing. They're torture at first, but if you stick with it, you'll get used to it. Foods - oily fish contain omega 3 which helps the brain, it really does work. Have mackerel, salmon or sardines every single day. Egg yolks are another brain food, preferably raw, but cook if you must. I find eating whole raw eggs, helps me, I add them to smoothies. Other good fatty foods (the brain is mostly fat and needs fat to function) are nuts, avocados, coconuts and extra virgin olive oil. Eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables would certainly help. They contain antioxidants which are good for the brain. Berries in particular are brainfood especially blueberries. Bananas are a happy food, they make you produce more seratonin. Dark leafy greens are particularly good too. Try blending raw greens with banana and water or fruit juice. The cells are all broken down this way so you absorb more, and the drink is really powerful. Cured my insomnia after 20 years! Chocolate icecream and alcohol may make you feel better in the short term but they actually make depression worse. Alchol is a depressant - alcoholics all end up seriously depressed and suicidal and many end up clincially insane. Chocolate icecream contains refined sugar which gives a temporary high followed by a big low. Preferably cut out all refined sugar and processed food, and switch to a wholefood diet - only foods you can find in nature. Wholegrains instead of refined white rice/pasta, fruit, veg, meat, fish, eggs, nuts, coconuts, olive oil, honey, steamed whole potatoes instead of fries. No junk food, no food thats been processed - except by you. You can make healthy wholefood alternatives to all your favourite foods. Try making your own icecream using honey as a sweetener. Or peel and chop some bananas, freeze them for a few days, take them out, put them in the food processor and whizz until creamy. Makes a delicious dessert, it doesnt taste like bananas. I like to add frozen redcurrants to flavour it, but its nice plain.

Answer 5

Exercise, it releases those feel good endorphins and stops you from thinking for a while. Works for me!
Oily fish such as mackeral and tuna (fresh not canned) is supposed to be excellent for good mental health.
Make plans. Have something to look forward to so you are always thinking ahead rather than dwelling on stuff that is bringing you down. Sorry if i'm being patronising, all the best!

Answer 6

Have you ever thought maybe it is the things around you that depress you ?

Of course thinking like that won't suit the doctor or the drug company and it might require social change which would not suit the eilites or the governments -

So I guess it is all about you and somthing being wrong with

you


So take this drug or that natural remedy

Answer 7

You can go to free clinics and get prescriptions for nothing. you probably have wasted more money on natural remedies than you would have on a prescription. there are lots of health programs that if you look for them you will be better off. I know as I was stupid and tried St Johns Wort, which works on very minor cases of depression. i finaly got help from a doctor who made arrangements with drug companies to give me free meds.

Answer 8

I have heard that St Johns does work but......most people should turn to high-quality St. John's Wort extract as their first choice for a natural anti-depressant, starting with a dose of 600-900mg daily and increasing to 900-1800mg per day if necessary. According to the research, only St. John's Wort extracts that are standardized to contain 3-5% hyperforin effectively relieve depression, so don’t settle for products that aren’t standardized for hyperforin or standardize only for another, less important compound called hypericin. Also, keep in mind that St. John's Wort usually requires at least three weeks to begin working, and may not produce its full effects for a month or two.

Here is a link to St Johns wort that is standardized to meet the above recommendations:

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=4561&at=1

Also the following may be a good product too......

http://www.amoryn.com/help_success.html

Answer 9

get up by 8 am everyday, get focused on a routine, like work, school, hobbies and exercise to fill the week. eat no breads, sugars and more lean white meats like turkey, chicken or salmon & other fish. supplement every meal with two healthy vegetables per meal. use extra virgin olive oil instead of butter.

no breads, cookies, pizzas, ie no flour. these will make you more sleepy during the day.

stay focused, and sharp. donate time to people who are less fortunate, and get out of the house everyday. try yoga to relax and always think positively.

good luck.

Answer 10

go to the doctor. i think you should definitly go to the doctor. get it under control with perscription medication, and if you want to try to go off of it and use the herbal remedies you can do that. depression is not something to mess around with. the doctor can help you get it under control. celexa is only 5 dollars for a months worth of pills from sams club. imiprimine is also 5 dollars.

Answer 11

Kava can work good for it, and maybe GABA.

Also one thing to do is look at the tension, stress, and suppressed anger you maybe holding on to, as these can make someone depressed.

Depression can also be caused or increased by the presence of heavy metal toxicity. See link below, and I hope you feel better!

http://www.noamalgam.com/