Natural Remedies for Depression

Tips to Help Clinically Depressed People Improve Mood and Stability

Jun 25, 2009

If someone is battling depression and can't or doesn't want to take prescription medication, there are other alternative remedies that may help his condition.

Depression is a serious illness, and should be treated as such. Unfortunately, there are a lot of medical professionals who simply want to give people with depression prescription medication and send them on their way. This works for some people, but for others it causes too many side effects, and ultimately, the medication doesn't get to the root of their problems.

There are also people who simply don't believe in taking prescription medications like these, or who can't afford to do so. What can these people do?

There are several options-including therapy and natural or herbal remedies, which work better for some people than for others. However, they are generally thought to be worth a try for people suffering from depression and most of them are considered to be safe for the majority of people.

Symptoms of Depression

Depression is very unfortunate and it can be difficult to work through, but it's not the end of the world. There are new and better treatments being examined and tested all of the time.

One of the most popular treatments is therapy, where depressed people talk with a therapist, psychiatrist, or psychologist-or sometimes a social worker or spiritual adviser about their feelings.

Therapy for Depression

When a person comes to any kind of a therapist to get treatment for depression, that person might not feel as though he has any real chance of getting better. It's a common feeling when a person's depressed, but with time and effort it will begin to abate. Therapy is often used in conjunction with medication, but for people who aren't interested in taking prescription pills for their depression, therapy can be very effective when used alone.

The main kind of therapy used for depression is cognitive therapy. Some also call it cognitive-behavioral therapy. It works by exploring the reasons that the person feels depressed and teaches that person how he can look at the world and his circumstances in a different way. When enough coping skills are learned, the person is better able to manage his depression.

That doesn't mean that the person will never have "the blues" or "down" days, but when that occurs he will be better prepared to handle those feelings. That stops them from becoming so overwhelming and allows the person to keep functioning, often at a relatively high level.

Herbal Remedies for Depression

Another common treatment option for depression is to try herbal remedies. St. John's Wort is one of the most common, and SAM-e is also popular. Some people take specific vitamins, minerals, and supplements, such as B-12, Omega-3 fatty acids, and tryptophan, among others. There are many different options, depending on who a person consults.

The safety of taking large doses of many of these remedies has been disputed in the past, and whether they work or only provide relief via the "placebo effect" has also been disputed. Doing research into these kinds of remedies is important before one decides to take them, especially for people who have underlying health problems of any kind.

It is generally not widely believed that there are natural or herbal "cures" for depression, and remedies making these kinds of claims should be carefully investigated. What a person expects from any kind of remedy or treatment will also often affect how beneficial the treatment is found to be. Realistic expectations and patience are important, especially when dealing with remedies for often poorly-understood conditions like depression and anxiety.

Other Natural Remedies for Depression

Some people are almost as concerned about taking natural supplements as they are about taking prescription medications, especially if they have any anxiety related to their health. For these people, natural remedies to help alleviate the symptoms of depression can include exercise, meditation, yoga, light therapy, and acupuncture.

Many people also explore other types of alternative healing such as is found through Shamanism, Reiki, energy healing, and some Eastern traditions. These can be used in place of or as a complement to Western medicine, as some of these kinds of treatments will work much better for some people than for others.

No matter what a person chooses as his treatment option for depression, the key is to get the help that is needed. Some trial and error is to be expected, but not giving up can bring great results and help a person with depression move past it and get back to living again.

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