Please recommend some natural remedies for anxiety/depression

[Amber in AUS]

My DH is on antidepressant/antianxiety medication that he would like to come off soon. He has been on it almost 12 months now and really doing well. It is a mild dose. He would like to look at some natural solutions to his problem so he can wean off the anti-ds and use a more natural alternative. So can you please give me some recommendations. So far i have been told Vitamin B and Omega 3, what else?

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

I recommend learning some kind of deep breathing/relaxation technique, also appropriate positive phrases or anupbeat song to play in his head to counteract times when thoughts are in a negative loop.

 

Giving my worries to God in prayer also helped me. I really think that some kind of ritual that clears our minds of things we can not control is a big key. Even if it is something like writing a list and burning it.

 

These are all things I did after I got off meds. It took a couple of weeks for the medicine to clear my system. When it did, it was as if I began feeling again after being numbed. I had to rely heavily on the above practices for a while.

[Peela]

The classic herbal remedy for anxiety/depression is St John's Wort and its success is on a par with anti depressants. However, you are not supposed to take it at the same time as anti depressants. If you find an open minded doctor, they may be able to take him through a transition, as St John's Wort is quite well documented and popular in Europe and here in Australia. Many members of my family take it regularly and swear by it.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John%27s_wort

 

http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/StJohnswort.pdf

[babs]

however, he would need to have his D tested - his level should be 50 or higher. And he needs to find a supplement with D3 - not the D they add to milk or OJ. Sunshine is the best source of D - 20 minutes out in the sun without sunscreen (midday) can do the trick - and don't shower off. I have heard you need 48 hours of the sunshine on your skin for it to really make a difference. I found a great D supplement through http://www.mercola.com. It is a misting spray. THere are also articles on that website about the testing - you need to make sure you get the right D test - it is complicated but SOOO worth it. It can help a whole host of problems.

 

ALSO, exercise has played a key role in a dear friend's battle with depression. She does great with no meds when she is exercising 4+ times a week. Perhaps you could offer to run with him?

 

HTH,

[Laurie4b]

My DH is on antidepressant/antianxiety medication that he would like to come off soon. He has been on it almost 12 months now and really doing well. It is a mild dose. He would like to look at some natural solutions to his problem so he can wean off the anti-ds and use a more natural alternative. So can you please give me some recommendations. So far i have been told Vitamin B and Omega 3, what else?

 

Exercise. You can research study after study that shows that exercise is as good as medication for anxiety and depression. It should be the *first* thing anyone tries because it's effective and has only positive side effects. Go with dh if he needs the motivation and support.

 

Sleep hygiene. Google it on the web. Getting a good night's sleep is very important when dealing with mood issues.

 

Do the DASH diet. It's for high blood pressure, but is really good for whatever ails you. Supplement with fish oil and a multi and you should be good from a dietary standpoint.

[Orthodox6]

St. John's Wort is effective ONLY for mild-to-moderate depression. (Thus, it could be a good choice for your dh.) If one has major depression, it will not help. It can be a nuisance to take this drug, too, because one has to stay out of the sun.

 

SAM-e, according to Italian medical studies, is as effective as the older tricyclics. This is NOT a drug to be taken by oneself, without monitoring by a doctor. (Yes, it is a drug. ALL "natural" medications are drugs -- simply are over-the-counter drugs.) There can be dangerous side effects. Even though I was taking SAM-e under supervision of an M.D. psychiatrist, I still landed in the hospital.

 

The same suggestions posted already are exercise, Omega-3 fish oil, and B-complex vitamins.

 

5-HTP can help with mild depression, too. Read about it first, however, before starting.

 

In general, information from websites which sell products gives me pause. (I don't trust their motives.) (although the products may or may not be useful) There are a number of good websites regarding alternative medicines which are not run by self-servers.

 

Examples include:

 

http://www.webmd.com/

 

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/

 

http://nccam.nih.gov/

 

Hope you find something effective for him !

 

P.S. Don't mix substances. For example, don't take 5-HTP if one is taking St. John's Wort.

[Heather in the Kootenays]

Exercise. You can research study after study that shows that exercise is as good as medication for anxiety and depression. It should be the *first* thing anyone tries because it's effective and has only positive side effects. Go with dh if he needs the motivation and support.

 

 

 

I don't think this can be said often enough - exercise is what keeps me going too.

[OH_Homeschooler]

Exercise. You can research study after study that shows that exercise is as good as medication for anxiety and depression.

 

I was going to say this too, with the qualification that it's best for mild depression...perhaps not AS effective as medication for moderate or severe depression.

[5Youngs]

If you want information on natural substances, I wouldn't recommend getting it from websites that are run by the AMA. That would be like asking Monsanto if you should start using heirloom seeds for your crops~ :confused: :D

[Orthodox6]

I do understand your position. You make a good point. So I am not quarreling with you. At the same time, I can't place any credence in people whom I consider money-hungry charlatans. (I won't cite any examples, because some people swear by them, and the thread could degenerate into ugly exchanges.)

 

There is no substitute for reading widely, from multiple sources. That has been my successful approach with "alternative medicines" and therapies.

 

If you want information on natural substances, I wouldn't recommend getting it from websites that are run by the AMA. That would be like asking Monsanto if you should start using heirloom seeds for your crops~ :confused: :D

Edited July 21, 2009 by Orthodox6

[mamamace]

neurorelief.com is a website that offers great info about neurological imbalances. You can actually have your neurotransmitter levels tested to give you a baseline, which I think is wonderful. They use Targeted Amino Acid Therapy to correct imbalances as a whole instead of focusing on only one neurotransmitter. You can do a search on the physician finder to find a local person who can help you.

[MamaSheep]

Depression is something that's cropped up for me periodically through my whole life too. It's rarely related to anything situational and the general medical consensus has always been that it's a chemical imbalance issue. I've had wretched reactions to several medications and now try to avoid them whenever possible. What works best for me are exercise, sunlight, and cleaning something. ( I have no idea why on that last one, but it almost always gives me a boost. ) Often I find that the less I feel like it, the worse I need it and the more it helps. I find myself sometimes falling into the trap of "I'll do something when I feel better," and need to consciously remind myself that the way it really works is "I'll feel better when I do something". There were a couple of books someone loaned me awhile back too, that helped a good bit. I think one was called Feeling Good, and the other was Undoing Depression. I don't recally the authors. They partly dealt with cognitive therapy, and I have found that useful in defusing the "spiral" before I hit bottom.

 

And good for you husband for seeking help, btw. Too many people just sit and rot in it.

[6packofun]

I just found Neurolift from Vitacost and am hoping for good things. The crucial ingredients being D3, B-vitamins, St. John's Wort and 5-htp! It seems like an excellent combination to me. http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Neurolift-trade-Basic-Multi-Vitamin

Edited July 21, 2009 by 6packofun
..

[sheryl]

Google "chemicals in the brain" for information.

 

EARLY morning sun is good

B6, B complex (vitamin) excellent

St John's Wort, I think....go to a health food store

Exercise

Prayer

Writing in a journal

 

 

My DH is on antidepressant/antianxiety medication that he would like to come off soon. He has been on it almost 12 months now and really doing well. It is a mild dose. He would like to look at some natural solutions to his problem so he can wean off the anti-ds and use a more natural alternative. So can you please give me some recommendations. So far i have been told Vitamin B and Omega 3, what else?

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

From the research I did, I would consider the following:

1. Vitamin D3 at leat 2000 units/daily. Better yet have a blood level drawn, since there is high dose therapy. I take up to 10,000 units/daily- discuss with your M.D.

 

2. High dose fish oil from Sam's Club- not cod liver oil though I take up to 12 capsules a day but again discuss with your doctor.

 

3. Excercise

 

4. daily sunshine

 

4. meditation/pray/relaxation techniques

 

 

I am not convinced anymore about St. John's Wort or SAM-e. I do a lot of research on WebMD, Drweil.com, and zonediet.com by Barry Sears. I am RN and I know that the zone diet is respected by dieticians and think that some of his advice regarding fish oil makes a lot of sense. However, always check with your doctor for at least the safety of doing the above since different health conditions may make some of the above bad advice:)

[TravelingChris]

I get mild depression and so does my youngest. We get that with winter and St. John's Wort is completely effective for mild depression or at least as good as normal medications which also work on about 2/3. I am one of the 2/3 as is my dd. We are both already on Vit D sp that isn't anything we need to do. The only drawback to St Johns wort is you take a number of big capsules during the day (dose is like 6 big horse capsules per day).

[Lovedtodeath]

 

My DH is on antidepressant/antianxiety medication that he would like to come off soon. He has been on it almost 12 months now and really doing well. It is a mild dose.

I would recommend staying on it. I am on Fish Oil and raw cacao for anxiety/depression/mood. Vitamin D and Fish Oil have helped DH. I tried Gaba and it ended up making me worse instead of helping after a while. I tried Amino Acids and they gave me headaches. In many cases, herbs are just as bad as an Rx as far as safety and side effects are concerned. But really, if an anti-depressant works, please don't mess around.... keep it!

[Cindy in the NH Woods]

I would recommend staying on it.

 

These are my thoughts as well. Unless your husband was on the meds to help after an unusual event such as the death of someone close to him, etc., I would not alter what he is doing either. It is not unusual to want to get off the meds when they are actually working well~ because we feel good!

 

Blessings,

Cindy

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

Check out Potatoes not Prozac. This may or may not be your dh's problem but it might help. My dh is trying to follow the diet outlined in this book and it has made a big difference. He has never been bad enough to take meds though.

 

Edited to add: This book is about sugar sensitivity and a diet you can follow to help. It can help with depression, tiredness, and other problems.

 

DH has also noticed a huge improvement when he works out regularly.

Edited July 21, 2009 by Lisa in the UP of MI

[cillakat]

My DH is on antidepressant/antianxiety medication that he would like to come off soon. He has been on it almost 12 months now and really doing well. It is a mild dose. He would like to look at some natural solutions to his problem so he can wean off the anti-ds and use a more natural alternative. So can you please give me some recommendations. So far i have been told Vitamin B and Omega 3, what else?

 

The book _Depression Free Naturally_ is amazing. I love it. Changed my life. Also have your dh get his 25(OH)D levels checked as low D levels are linked to depression. Even though you're in Australia, it's easy tohave low D levels if you work indoors and/or wear *any* sunscreen or sun protective clothing.

 

:)

K

[cillakat]

neurorelief.com is a website that offers great info about neurological imbalances. You can actually have your neurotransmitter levels tested to give you a baseline, which I think is wonderful. They use Targeted Amino Acid Therapy to correct imbalances as a whole instead of focusing on only one neurotransmitter. You can do a search on the physician finder to find a local person who can help you.

 

It's also fairly easy to figure it out based on symptoms if one can't get a doc that is helpful (ie insurance/access barriers etc).

 

I used targreted amino acid therapy along with other helps (sufficient calcium, optimal amounts of magnesium, optimal amounts of d, specific forms of b6 and folic acid, more zinc than is typical)......orthomolecular medicine saved my life.

 

:)

k

[Karen sn]

Agree - unless the person is bi-polar.

[cillakat]

Agree - unless the person is bi-polar.

 

 

Agree with what unless bipolar? Orthomolecular treatment, incl fish oil is highly effective with bipolar disorder. In Stoll's fish oil study, they quit the study to give all participants the 'treatment' (fish oil) b/c it was so effective that withholding it from those on placebo became unethical.

 

Tiny doses of lithium orotate can be added in cases that aren't responding to specific amino acids, vites, minerals, efa's etc.

 

:)

K

[Lovedtodeath]

She was referring to St. Jon's Wort I believe.

[cillakat]

She was referring to St. Jon's Wort I believe.

 

ahh, yeah. i'd rather take rx meds than SJW. powerful stuff. looooooots of drug interactions. it's a PITA once you know enough about it.

 

it's definitely a drug herb. not a food herb.

 

:)

K

[TeacherZee]

I was recommended magnesium and calcium by my therapist. This was for problems sleeping but my sleeping problems were directly linked to my depression so the two should help.

[nlmullen]

Hi,

 

I suffered from anxiety and panic attacks and was helped immensely by a holistic therapist (who was a bit of a nut, but she knew her natural remedies). I take 1 tablespoon of Inositol powder and 5HTP at night. I found that only the brand, Designs for Health, was effective for me. It is quite expensive but worth it, because there are no side effects and it nearly cures all of my anxiety. I think it is still important to work on our thinking while taking supplements, as that is the root cause (I believe). I wish you all the best and please know that I truly feel your pain.

 

Leisa

[hswarden]

Exercise that you enjoy.

[Amber in AUS]

Thanks for all the recommendations. We will look into them all. He mostly wants to come off the meds because his Dr said this was not a med he should be on long term, his family also have kidney and liver issues so long term the processing of the drug could cause worse problems than the relief it is providing right now. I guess we will weigh up all the pros and cons before doing anything and try to make sure when/if he comes off it is a stable point in our lives.

[Lovedtodeath]

 

He mostly wants to come off the meds because his Dr said this was not a med he should be on long term, his family also have kidney and liver issues so long term the processing of the drug could cause worse problems than the relief it is providing right now.

Good reasons!

[KidsHappen]

Thanks for all the recommendations. We will look into them all. He mostly wants to come off the meds because his Dr said this was not a med he should be on long term, his family also have kidney and liver issues so long term the processing of the drug could cause worse problems than the relief it is providing right now. I guess we will weigh up all the pros and cons before doing anything and try to make sure when/if he comes off it is a stable point in our lives.

 

 

If he has liver and kidney issues then I would not suggest any natural herb or supplement either, including vitamins or fish oil. My hubby has kidney and liver issues and taking fish oil caused his liver count to skyrocket. My dr. has him on flax seed oil instead.

[Lovedtodeath]

In that case, it would be a good idea to see a holistic practitioner. Electrodermal testing has proven to be very accurate and then he will have something customized for him.

[cillakat]

Thanks for all the recommendations. We will look into them all.

 

 

Fwiw, _Depression Free Naturally_ (Joan Matthews-Larson) covers everything that's been discussed, amino acids, inositol, choline, various b vites, the role of magnesium, diet etc. It has extensive questionaires to pinpoint what exactly is going on biochemically as there are multiple types of anxiety, depression, irritability etc.

 

Unfortunately, it's an older book, so it's missing some new data, specifically that about vitamin D. Of course, the book recommends ordering supplements from Joan's treatment center. I just order everything from iherb.com

 

Her website now has fairly extensive data on it as well.

 

:)

K

[cillakat]

If he has liver and kidney issues then I would not suggest any natural herb or supplement either, including vitamins or fish oil. My hubby has kidney and liver issues and taking fish oil caused his liver count to skyrocket. My dr. has him on flax seed oil instead.

 

Not giving medical advice to you, your dh etc just tossing out info for others reading.....silymarin (milk thistle) is an evidence based liver support option that will, in the absence of serious liver disease, optimize liver function in short order.

 

There currently no evidence available suggesting that fish oil does anything besides *reduce* problematic liver related lab values. It's possible that in the case of the above poster, the fish oil was the 'red herring', not the true cause....a number of things are possible.

 

While flax has benefits of it's own, and flax *oil* has benefits of it's own (some different from whole flax). However, they are not interchangeable with fish oil. Flax oil offers a subset of benefits attributed to fish oil, but far from the whole array of fish oil benefits.

 

While care should be taken and benefits and risks be weighed with any treatment, the statement 'would not suggest any herb or supplement' is not generally going to be helpful as there is significant number of both herbs and supplements that are not hepatotoxic and some may actually be beneficial to the liver.

 

Ideally, we'd all be getting what we need from out diets....but that it virtually impossible in our modern world.

 

If fish oil isn't an option for someone, then the obvious alternative is eating wild fatty fish frequently - ideally every day.

 

Some may have concerns then about mercury.....The evidence from the Seychelles Child Development study is very clear that the benefits of the LCPUFAs dramatically outweighs the risk of ingesting mercury from the fish *as long as it's a high selenium content fish* like tuna. I can talk more about this is someone has questions, but yes, it looks like everyone, incl toddlers and pregnant women will benefit from eating fish.

 

Just to clarify, I'm not suggesting that the above poster go against medical advice - I'm just tossing out further information so that other posters reading and making dietary and nutrtional decisions have a little more information.

 

:)

k

[KidsHappen]

Not giving medical advice to you, your dh etc just tossing out info for others reading.....silymarin (milk thistle) is an evidence based liver support option that will, in the absence of serious liver disease, optimize liver function in short order.

 

There currently no evidence available suggesting that fish oil does anything besides *reduce* problematic liver related lab values. It's possible that in the case of the above poster, the fish oil was the 'red herring', not the true cause....a number of things are possible.

 

While flax has benefits of it's own, and flax *oil* has benefits of it's own (some different from whole flax). However, they are not interchangeable with fish oil. Flax oil offers a subset of benefits attributed to fish oil, but far from the whole array of fish oil benefits.

 

While care should be taken and benefits and risks be weighed with any treatment, the statement 'would not suggest any herb or supplement' is not generally going to be helpful as there is significant number of both herbs and supplements that are not hepatotoxic and some may actually be beneficial to the liver.

 

Ideally, we'd all be getting what we need from out diets....but that it virtually impossible in our modern world.

 

If fish oil isn't an option for someone, then the obvious alternative is eating wild fatty fish frequently - ideally every day.

 

Some may have concerns then about mercury.....The evidence from the Seychelles Child Development study is very clear that the benefits of the LCPUFAs dramatically outweighs the risk of ingesting mercury from the fish *as long as it's a high selenium content fish* like tuna. I can talk more about this is someone has questions, but yes, it looks like everyone, incl toddlers and pregnant women will benefit from eating fish.

 

Just to clarify, I'm not suggesting that the above poster go against medical advice - I'm just tossing out further information so that other posters reading and making dietary and nutrtional decisions have a little more information.

 

:)

k

 

Well, they tried fish oil a few different times and everytime the liver count went up. My dr. said that he had seen this before. In his experience it was not terribly uncommon. My dr. is a D.O. and is very pro integrated medicine. In any case, he changed him to the flax seed oil and did put him on Milk Thistle for awhile. Both of those helped. He did point out that flax was not as good as fish oil but was the best choice for someone with liver issues specifically. My mother had severe liver problems and her dr also used Milk Thistle so yes it is generally a good supplement for liver support. I guess I should have said that if you have kidney or liver issues you should not try any herb or supplement without consulting your dr. as it could have possible detrimental effects. :001_smile:

[Lovedtodeath]

And please consider a Natural Doctor! Usually Medical Doctors are just shooting in the dark. They don't have tests for everything.

[KellyJ]

Ever thought of using essential oils? Try any or a combination of any of the following blends ~ Hope, M-Grain, Awaken, Believe, Egyptian Gold, Envision, Harmony.

[Lovedtodeath]

 

Ever thought of using essential oils? Try any or a combination of any of the following blends ~ Hope, M-Grain, Awaken, Believe, Egyptian Gold, Envision, Harmony.

Are you a vendor? Tell me more! I need focus and energy and I suffer from Migraines from just about every natural remedy I try.

[Amber in AUS]

Thanks again. We have considered consulting a Naturopath but they seem VERY expensive! We will be sure to look into all the possible side effects etc before going onto anything. He doesn't currently have any kidney or liver issues but owing to his family history we would be silly not to consider the potential for problems in that area. Milk thistle sounds like it might be a good support for him anyway.

 

Thankyou for the suggestion of essential oils. I had actually been thinking about that too, because i know burning something in the house might help lift everyones spirits, or keep us calm, whatever the need of the moment. Kelly J the ones you mention sound like commercial blends, what goes into them? I mean as i am not in the US i would have to get my own oils and mix IYKWIM.

[Rosie_0801]

Your local health food shop will have suitable blends, or you can blend your own.

 

What does he eat for breakfast? It could just be because I'm a foodie, but it really does matter to me what I eat for breakfast. Starting the day with cornflakes would give me depression...

 

Rosie- glad not to be gestational diabetic any more, coz that gave me depression.

[Melissa in Australia]

for mild anxiety/ depression I highly recommend lots of chocolate.

[Lovedtodeath]

for mild anxiety/ depression I highly recommend lots of chocolate.

LOL! But then you end up addicted and fat, which causes more depression. The fact is that chocolate does contain important nutrients for mental health, but these are much more readily absorbed from raw cacao (not fermented or roasted) and raw cacao acts as a drug, you can take a specified amount. I am on 1 T. a day.:) I think I may have hot flashes as a side effect, but they are not bad... and I was also able to stop taking my thyroid medication for hypothyroidism... which causes "cold flashes" so it may just be my own problem adjusting to being normal.

 

Eat cacao beans

As well as antioxidants the beans are rich in feel good factor chemicals dopamine and tryptophan.

[KellyJ]

Are you a vendor? Tell me more! I need focus and energy and I suffer from Migraines from just about every natural remedy I try.

I'm not a vendor ~ just a believer!

You'll find a combination of cedarwood, lavendar and frankincense to be wonderful for focusing. Energy can be greatly enhanced by using a mixture of peppermint, rosemary and basil. Finally, for migranes, try Roman chamomile, peppermint, lavendar and neroli.

You can use them in a diffuser, massage them onto the soles of your feet, your temples or wrists, or you can put a few drops on a cotton ball and set it next to you while your reading, cooking, on the computer, etc.

The most important thing to remember when using essential oils is to be certain to use a therapeutic grade oil (I like Young Living).

[Lovedtodeath]

I'm not a vendor ~ just a believer!

You'll find a combination of cedarwood, lavendar and frankincense to be wonderful for focusing. Energy can be greatly enhanced by using a mixture of peppermint, rosemary and basil. Finally, for migranes, try Roman chamomile, peppermint, lavendar and neroli.

You can use them in a diffuser, massage them onto the soles of your feet, your temples or wrists, or you can put a few drops on a cotton ball and set it next to you while your reading, cooking, on the computer, etc.

The most important thing to remember when using essential oils is to be certain to use a therapeutic grade oil (I like Young Living).

Thanks Kelly... I just found out that I am having problems with my overall health due to a precancerous condition in my colon and liver. :( The good news is that treating that will most likely improve my focus and migraines!

http://www.healthy.net/scr/Article.asp?Id=1085&xcntr=5

information on electrodermal screenings.

Edited August 3, 2009 by Lovedtodeath