Natural /Herbal remedies for depression?

Question

I’m 19 years old ( female) and I suffer from depression. For the most part I can do a self talk to keep myself from falling into that dark depressive state, but sometimes it just doesn’t work.
I’ve talked to my doctor about this but I really don’t want to take prescription drugs for this because sometimes a holistic/natural approach is better. I know a lot of info about St. John’s wort but I was wondering what other options are about there and what are the side effects. I’ve heard of other stuff like green tea chamomile tea for calming you down
( which I’ve tried but don’t work) and Ginseng. What are my options? I just want others personal opinion and experience about this. Help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Homeopathic Remedies for Anxiety / Panic Attacks / Stress / Depression(Bereavment) / Mood Swings (Totally safe, without any side effects or complications of any sort) :-

ANXIETY / PANIC ATTACKS & STRESS :-

Sudden with restlessness and fear of death, Panic Attacks, Aconite 30X or 200X,1/2 hourly (3 Doses)

Prolonged with periodic and panic attacks Arsenic Alb.200X, 4 hourly (3 Doses)

With fainting spells; profuse sweating; worse in the morning Sulphur 30X or 200X 3 hourly (3 Doses)

Makes patient walk fast; due to anticipation Argentum Nit 200X, 3 hourly (3 Doses)

Worse lying in bed and closing the eyes Carbo Veg 30X or 200X, 4 hourly (6 Doses)

Anxiety aggravated by upward or downward motion; going in an elevator; worse till 11 P.M, Borax 200X or 1M, 3 hourly (3 Doses)

Anxious about business even when seriously ill Bryonia Alba 200X 3 hourly (3 Doses)

Full of apprehensions in the evening Causticum 200X, 3 hourly (3 Doses)

Anxiety and fears in the evening with restlessness and palpitation Calcarea Carb.200X or 1M, 3 hourly (3 Doses)

Anxiety worse while lying still. Sad music ameliorates the complaints Manganum Acet 200X 3 hourly (3 Doses)

Anxiety due to fright, fear,exciting news; stage fright; worse while appearing for examination or interview etc Gelsemium 30X or 200X 3 hourly (6 Doses)

Mood Swings, Anxiety due to grief or shock in the subconscious mind Ignatia 200X or 1M, 3 hourly (3 Doses)

Anxiety; better after eating Anacardium Or 30X, 4 hourly.

DEPRESSION & GRIEF(Bereavement) :-

Severe shock due to sudden death of loved ones; restlessness, anxiety and fear Aconite 200X. 10 min (3 Doses)

Prolonged mournings; cannot overcome the loss of loved ones and/or Mood Swings. Ignatia 1M or 10M, 6 hourly (3 Doses)

When the grief is in the conscious mind; patient weeps; does not like sympathy Natrum Mur.200X or 1M, 6 hourly (3 Doses)

For chronic grief and indignation Staphysagria 200X or 1M, weekly (3 Doses)

Depression with suicidal thoughts feeling of worthlessness, Aurum Met 30X, three times a day half hour before meals.


Take the remedy which is similar to your symptoms. No side effects or complications if taken as directed, please do not exceed the given dosage and under any circumstances do not try to mix any remedies and avoid Chocolates, Mints, Coffee, Red Meat, Alcoholic and Carbonated drinks, Spicy Rich Food while taking any Homeopathic remedies, and keep the medicines away from direct sunlight, heat strong smells and perfumes and do not store them in the fridge.
Curing without any side effects or Complications Thats the Beauty of Homeopathic Medicine (Cures Par Excellence)

Take Care and God Bless you.

Answer 2

SAM-e is available in the States. Other helpful ones are St John's Wort and Skullcap and Valerian. Also boosting your Vitamin C and D can be quite helpful. Tyrosine is an amino acid, and can be taken up to six month on an empty stomach. These are best done before bedtime. Vitamin B deficiency can also cause depression and is quite common. Gotu Kola is also a good herb to try. These are better off in the morning. Please be warned that just because something is herbal or homoeopathic that it is safe to use. If you are allergic to Ragweed you also might be allergic to Chamomile, for example. Talk to your local homoeopathic expert before trying anything new. Behavioural therapies can work wonders, too, like exercise and colour therapy and aromatherapy and meditation. Try to see what works for you best. A bit of research will help. A great book to start with is "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC. If you still are struggling after a few months of exploring these, you might want to reconsider prescribed medication, though. There are some very mild alternatives out there. Best of luck to you.

Answer 3

There are actually several. There is St. John's Wort, SAMe, some B-Vitamins, GABA, Ashwagandha, and L-Theanine. Many people get a lot of benefits from any one of these, but St. John's Wort, SAMe, and L-Theanine are probably the more popular ones.

In general, supplements don't have any reactions aside from allergic reactions, but that's with anything. The major things to watch out for would be listed on the bottles. It sounds like you're not taking prescriptions (which is a very good thing), so there shouldn't be any interactions.


(edit): L-Tryptophan (and 5-HTP, which is one thing that L-Tryptophan breaks down into) is moreso for sleep and relaxation than for depression and mood.... but a few people use it for stress.

Answer 4

There are a lot of herbal and supplemental remedies for depression. Ginsing and Chamomile are more geared toward high anxiety. For their calming properties. Green tea is used as an antioxidant for mental alertness. L-Theanine is a calming supplement that is more beneficial for ADD and ADHD. You don't want to dip into herbals to much without fully knowing about them or they can have adverse reactions with other drugs or herbal supplements.

St. Johns Wort, Sam-e, 5-htp are all three Serotonin inhibitors that are the most effective for depression. They all have components that interact with the pituitary gland enabling you to produce serotonin which lifts your mood. They are all effective in there own ways yet they all have different side effects. St. John's is very effective, but you have to be very careful to avoid direct sunlight. It causes photosensativity which may be harmful to certain organs. Sam-e is an up lifter and is beneficial for the liver to promote it to detox impurities. It can be harmful in very high doses. 5-htp is probably one of the safest. It is a component of Tryptophan which is a hormone the brain produces that manufactures melatonin a sleep hormone. When taken at its regular dosage which is about 50Mg's it is very beneficial. If taken at higher dose can cause sleepiness. All three are great antidepressants. You just have to decide which is the right one for you.

In addition taking amino acids is also beneficial for healthy brain function that promotes a healthy serotonin level.

Answer 5

Green tea has caffeine in it, so if your goal is to "calm down" that is not your best bet. As for Chamomile, its an anti-spasmotic so it helps to relax the muscles. But, from what I understand about depression that is necessarily your problem. You best bet if you don't want drugs is psychotherapy. Do you have a psychologist?

Answer 6

You beat me to it, SAMe and 5-hydroxytryptophan

You might want to take 5-HTP with mucuna pruriens. It has compounds that act like carbidopa that will keep the 5-htp from turning to serotonin to early, that is, before it enters the central nervous system. Excess serotonin in your blood can cause fibrosis of the heart. Vitamin B6 is also needed for 5-HTP to turn to serotonin

At least that's how I understand it, I am not a doctor and you should research for yourself and ask a doctor who is well versed in naturopathic and wholistic medicine.

Answer 7

HI SKye

Here are some ideas to heal the issue.

A Quick Action Plan for Depression

1. Have yourself screened to rule out food and environmental allergies, hypoglycemia, and histamine and hormonal imbalances.

2. Also screen for possible viral infections of the brain. Virus implicated in many cases of mental health disorders include cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus, human herpes virus 6 (HHV6), and infectious mononucleosis.

3. Avoid psychiatric drugs due to the serious side effects they can cause, including suicide and homicidal tendencies. Instead, seek out the help of a holistic health practitioner who specializes in the treatment of mental health disorders using safe and natural methods.

4. Eliminate all commercially processed foods and foods that contain chemical additives, colorings, flavorings, pesticides, and preservatives from your diet. Also avoid alcohol and caffeine, as well as refined carbohydrates, sugar, and artificial sugar substitutes, and minimize your intake of milk and dairy products.

5. If you suffer from food allergies or sensitivities, eliminate the foods that trigger such reactions.

6. Emphasize an organic, whole foods diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, free-range meats and poultry, and wild caught fish. Also drink plenty of pure filtered water throughout the day.

7. If you suffer from hypoglycemia, eat meals that are high in quality protein foods and low in carbohydrates. Remove all refined flours and sugars from the diet. In addition to eating three meals each day, also snack on healthy foods such as nuts, seeds, and raw vegetables every 2 to 3 hours between meals in order to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. A good rule of thumb is three meals and two snacks.

8. Useful supplements include B complex vitamins, especially vitamin B1, B3 (niacin), B6 and B12, as well as vitamin C, calcium, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Omega 3 oils and other essential fatty acids are also recommended.

9. If you suffer from severe mental health disorders, seek the help of a physician trained in the field of orthomolecular medicine.

10. Consider the use of Bach flower remedies and/or magnetic therapy, both of which are excellent self-care therapies for mental and emotional health problems.

11. Useful herbs include chamomile, ginkgo biloba, milk thistle, passion flower, Siberian ginseng, St. John's wort, valerian root, and walnut tea.

12. Take steps to minimize stress and learn how to more effectively manage stress when it occurs.


Try keeping a journal, making it a habit to daily write down the issues that concern you in order to gain a better understanding of them.


Best of health to you

Answer 8

I've been taking SAMe lately and it seems to be helping me.

5-htp is another option as well but I haven't tried it.