Natural Remedies for Depression

[shinyhappypeople]

I have chronic mild to moderate depression.  There's no denying that it has crept back.  I'm tired all the time, getting anything done feels like walking through mud, and I feel emotionally bankrupt.  It's not the first time I've felt this way, and it won't be the last.  This round, though, I want to be more proactive in managing it.  In the past I've just waited it out.  Yuck. :(

 

Anti-depressant medication is NOT an option.  I have no insurance, and can't afford the multiple doctor appointments -- 'cause trust me, they won't just hand me a rx without lots of extra tests to "rule out" other conditions... which is annoying because I've been dealing with this off and on for my ENTIRE LIFE.  I know what it is.  It will GO and surely as it has COME.  I'd just like its temporary stay with me to be a bit less suckish, kwim?

 

Anyway, I need some ideas for natural remedies to try.  Exercise, maybe?  (How often, how intense?)  Diet supplements?  Herbs?   Come on, mommas, I know you can give me some ideas....

 

Oh, and in writing this I realized what the trigger was this time: Robin William's suicide.  Seriously.  Last spring a good friend killed himself and I managed to push through that and truck along okay.. and then Robin Williams killed himself and every time I see his picture or hear his name I feel so profoundly sad for him, for his loved ones - and ultimately for myself because of what happened to my friend.

[PrincessMommy]

Have you read the book "The Mood Cure"?  That might be a good place to start.

[Joanne]

The challenge with non-Pharm approaches is that the symptoms of depression often prevent the sufferers from accessing the more holistic helps. It is difficult to sustain the lifestyle changes that impact brain healing - often meds "level the playing field" and allow people to sustain organic changes.

 

So, here is my list, and please, please, please know I understand you are held hostage by the lack of insurance.

 

1. Exercise
2. St. John's Wort
3. "Gratitude" work (journal, other work - I'd be happy to offer suggestions)
4. Meditation
5. Affirmations
6. Mindfulness
7. Sunlight
8. Quality food - or lack of fast/junk food
9. Adequate sleep, but not too much
10. Helping others
11. Laughter, even if it is forced to start

 

Please don't discount these as "psychobabble" or minimize their impact. Research supports the brain changing activity associated with them.

 

[Twigs]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[wapiti]

.

[Slartibartfast]

Exercise, vitamins, good food, sunshine

[Slartibartfast]

You might check for low cost options for people without insurance in your area.

[Miss Peregrine]

I would start with a high quality fish oil. Carlson brand. Actually for winter you will want Cod Liver Oil. I take double the dosage in the back.

 

Cutting out sugar completely or at least drastically reduce it.

 

Get out in the sunshine for at least 15 min a day. More is better. I split mine up so I don't burn.

 

I drink Natural Calm every day. It is a magnesium supplement.

 

These things help me tremendously.

[Kim in Appalachia]

The challenge with non-Pharm approaches is that the symptoms of depression often prevent the sufferers from accessing the more holistic helps. It is difficult to sustain the lifestyle changes that impact brain healing - often meds "level the playing field" and allow people to sustain organic changes.

 

So, here is my list, and please, please, please know I understand you are held hostage by the lack of insurance.

 

1. Exercise
2. St. John's Wort
3. "Gratitude" work (journal, other work - I'd be happy to offer suggestions)
4. Meditation
5. Affirmations
6. Mindfulness
7. Sunlight
8. Quality food - or lack of fast/junk food
9. Adequate sleep, but not too much
10. Helping others
11. Laughter, even if it is forced to start

 

Please don't discount these as "psychobabble" or minimize their impact. Research supports the brain changing activity associated with them.

 

 

This is a great list.  For exercise, start with walking (and get outside. Even a walk in the rain is good)The , then if you can, try running.  The endorphins are nice. :)  If you don't like running, any intense exercise can give you an endorphin rush.

 

Meditation is good.  There are lots of free resources online to help you with that.  It's not complicated, just sit and count your breath.

 

The only other thing I want to mention is that you need to get out of your head.  I don't know how to better explain that except that with depression, the worst part for me is that everything just swirls inside my head.  You need to find someone, IRL to talk to, even if it's just once a week.  You need to get the thoughts outside of you.  If you can, find someone you can tell stuff to.  Ask them to just listen and afirm. That person does not have to offer any suggestions, or fix anything, or try to talk you out of anything.  That person just needs to listen.  

 

:grouphug: 

[UmMusa]

I'm sorry you're struggling.

I find that 5 HTP does help me at 50mg doses.  I just recently tried it at night because it was recommended here, and I did find it gave me a better sleep.  Taken in the morning, it takes the edge off the sadness and bad mood: I feel normal.

 

Talking with friends helped me out of a sadness last week that had me lying down out of my sadness. 

[hornblower]

Exercise. 
I find hwvr it works only if it really gets a sweat on. So it's better to have a shorter really hard workout than for ex. a long walk. Really getting the cardio up until you're sweating & wheezing is the key.

I'd say 3x/week, 20-30 min of intense exercise to start.

Alternate days, something like yoga or swimming or going for a 1 hour walk.

I see 5 HTP and St Johns Wart have already been mentioned. Valerian is another option - it's more an anti anxiety but also very calming if you're in a loop of negative self talk.

Also, have you seen www.happify.com
There is a basic account you can use for free & it can challenge a bit of negative thinking that sometimes pushes us into a spiral of bleh.

[sunflowerlady]

I have been helped by St. John's Wort, GABA, and 5htp. When I follow low carb eating, that also helps. For exercise, I had to break down and join a gym. If I tried to exercise at home, I would be distracted thinking of other things I should be doing instead. I joined Planet Fitness a couple of months ago. It has definitely helped.

[Lara in Colo]

Vitamin D3 (sunlight vitamin) and HTP5  seem to do the trick for me and my husband

 

I take about 5 thousand MG a day of the D3 and 50mg of the HTP5

[sbbulliv]

Supplements to try: Vit D, Vit B complex, magnesium at night.

 

Julia Ross recommends 5htp and tryptophan. 5htp can give you a little cortisol boost which can be good or bad depending. Some people like SAMe

 

Take it easy. Maybe add one new thing a week. YMWV. Try and see a practitioner if at all possible. Best Wishes!

[happi duck]

The challenge with non-Pharm approaches is that the symptoms of depression often prevent the sufferers from accessing the more holistic helps. It is difficult to sustain the lifestyle changes that impact brain healing - often meds "level the playing field" and allow people to sustain organic changes.

 

So, here is my list, and please, please, please know I understand you are held hostage by the lack of insurance.

 

• Exercise
• St. John's Wort
• "Gratitude" work (journal, other work - I'd be happy to offer suggestions)
• Meditation
• Affirmations
• Mindfulness
• Sunlight
• Quality food - or lack of fast/junk food
• Adequate sleep, but not too much
• Helping others
• Laughter, even if it is forced to start

Please don't discount these as "psychobabble" or minimize their impact. Research supports the brain changing activity associated with them.

Thank you for posting this list in such an approachable way. I'm not the op but I am watching this thread for myself as I deal with anxiety with depression. Except for st john's wort I look at this list and realize "oh yeah, that did help didn't it". I guess the trick is sticking with it. This list helps it feel possible.

[Reefgazer]

Natural sunlight.

[Callie]

Strict low carb eating w/ no sugar

 

Natural Calm

 

Exercise - I strength train w/ a combo of free weights & machines 3 days per week

 

I force myself to just get up and go outside & walk in the sunshine & normally feel better immediately

[Rosie_0801]

Look up serotonin deficiency. When I was having trouble, switching from grains for breakfast to beans worked for me. It took several months, but I've not had a problem since and that was four or five years ago.

[SeaConquest]

I would echo a lot of what has been said here, but would add SAM-e 400 mg. to the list of natural supplements.

[Laurie4b]

Exercise: the tricky part is getting yourself to do it, so if you have a friend to do it with, it can help.

Any exercise above what you're getting is a step forward. If it seems like a big mountain, break it down into smaller steps. So 10 min walk, 3x day or moving 5 min every hour will be more helpful than doing nothing. Generally, studies that have compared exercise to antidepressants have used the standard 30 min/day for 5 days/week to compare. Once you get started, you can up the ante and see if that helps more. For instance, trying high intensity interval workouts where after you warm up, you walk a minute, then run a minute, then walk, etc. You can experiment and see what helps you get your buzz on. Choose something you like (think back to childhood if you need to to remember what you liked doing with your body) and if you can do it outside, so much the better.

Distracting yourself from intrusive thoughts can also be helpful in addition to what others have shared. So if there is a whirlpool of thoughts that spin around and around, interrupt them somehow. Perhaps it's reading a page-turner kind of book, playing music, or something else that engages your mind so that the space for the whirlpool thoughts is not available can be helpful.

[minuway]

Seconding St. John's Wort & Passionflower in combination if you have anxiety issues, as passionflower is excellent for anxiety-  and also that Gaia is an excellent brand - their liquid phyto capsules are very potent and are a good way to get the tincture quality of the herb without having to deal with a liquid (the dried powder herbs aren't as potent). Since herbs aren't regulated, you have to be careful with brands. You can get both on amazon, though Whole Foods also carries them (for more of course). 

 

St. Johns Wort Phyto Caps at Amazon

Passion Flower at Amazon

 

[gardenmom5]

do you have a genetic predisposition for depression?  I do.  I have a mthfr mutation.  (granted, I haven't been tested - but of my three kids who have been, two are heterozygous, and one is homozygous - so, I'm definitely *at least* heterozygous for the mutation.  besides, I'm symptomatic for how that particular heterozygous mutation manifests in my family.)

 

are you under a lot of stress?  stress affects the brain the same way as depression.  and it is cumulative.

 

here's what I do:

1. yoga.  at least 3 1/2 hours a week. (my standard goal is approx. 6 hours per week.  most practi are less than an hour, but six days a week.) I started it as a supplement to improve my flexibility. now-  it's about all I do. and yes, I can work up a dripping good sweat and pounding heartbeat depending upon the practice.
2. emerald labs b-healthy.  (quality b complex makes a difference.  I took a double dose of an average quality Costco b brand for many years. I could tell when I wasn't taking it, and it did help. kinda sorta.  then I switched to this one.  within a week it felt like someone had flipped a switch into the "on" position.  this is the difference between a bioavailable vitamin, and one with cheaper ingredients your body must convert before it can use.)
3. d3 - I take 4,000 IU's a day. 2dd (future pharmacist) said they industry is looking at reclassifying it as a hormone because of how many body systems it is required to function, and how it is made in the body.  most people are deficient.- for a variety of reasons.  my daughter has to use the drops at mega doses because she doesn't absorb it - and it has made an enormous difference for her to not be "catastrophically" deficient.  her dr's words.)
4. 5-htp - a neurotransmitter.  going by the dose on the bottle, it didn't do much.  My dr told me just how much I could increase the doseage, and just doubling it from what was on the bottle was huge.  (I could go up more, but don't feel I need to.)  I take it at night.

 

many forms of exercise will help, some more than others.  the most important thing is to do something that you like and makes you feel good. 

 

If I'm feeling particularly anxious, I might grab some gaba or l-theanine that my anxiety ridden aspie takes. (recommended by his Naturopath)  both neurotransmitters.

 

[gardenmom5]

one more thing -

cut down on sugar, even the sugar substitutes.  there are studies linking sugar to "the blues".

[Ewe Mama]

I found reading the book "Potatoes not Prozac" helpful.

[shinyhappypeople]

The challenge with non-Pharm approaches is that the symptoms of depression often prevent the sufferers from accessing the more holistic helps. It is difficult to sustain the lifestyle changes that impact brain healing - often meds "level the playing field" and allow people to sustain organic changes.

 

So, here is my list, and please, please, please know I understand you are held hostage by the lack of insurance.

 

1. Exercise
2. St. John's Wort
3. "Gratitude" work (journal, other work - I'd be happy to offer suggestions)
4. Meditation
5. Affirmations
6. Mindfulness
7. Sunlight
8. Quality food - or lack of fast/junk food
9. Adequate sleep, but not too much
10. Helping others
11. Laughter, even if it is forced to start

 

Please don't discount these as "psychobabble" or minimize their impact. Research supports the brain changing activity associated with them.

 

Bumping this thread up, because I would love suggestions for #2.  #9 is on my wish list. Last night I prayed that I would get the flu so my world could just STOP for a few days while I catch my breath and get my feet under me again.

 

I've been taking tyrosine (per Mood Cure - great book) which - when I remember to take it - is positively magical for removing that "I feel like I'm walking through mud" feeling.  Very, very helpful stuff.   But, the sadness still floats in an out of my day, and it stinks.  I live with the emotional version of Cousin Eddie showing up in his RV (Christmas Vacation version).  Things are going fine and then... surprise!

[Elisabet1]

I started this vitamin called Deplin a month ago and it has really helped. You have to get it prescribed. Google it..it is a foliate to something.

[fairfarmhand]

Here's what I did. Your depression sounds quite similar to my own.

 

1. 20 minutes of sunshine every day.

 

2. 20 minutes of exercise every day.  (a slow walk counts. Gardening counts. Anything that gets you off the couch counts! Bonus points if its outdoors)

 

3. 20 minutes reading the Psalms each day,. (If you are a Christian)

 

I try to avoid sugary/starchy crap food when I feel myself drooping since it makes me more sluggish.

[clemota]

Following along as I'm dealing with the same issues and am looking for some new suggestions.  I'm off to request the Mood Cure from the library.

[shukriyya]

Lots of great info and advice on this thread. To that i would add Pacific Biologic Limbic Balance morning and evening formulas. They're meant to be taken together.

[LarlaB]

I realize this is an older thread, but wanted to add what has worked for me, I have struggled with depression since my teenage years and it is like an old, unwanted friend.  The hardest part is implementing all of this when you're already in a cycle...my mantra is "just two weeks".  No its not perfect after 2 weeks, but I've found if I some things faithfully for 2 weeks, I usually have a few teensy sparks of positive thought & feeling, which is easier to build on- instead of the hopeless and 

 

1.  Regular Exercise.  Tell yourself you'll try for 2 weeks and stick to it- daily exercise...  walking, weight training, Pilates- something!

2.  5-htp:  I take 50 or 100mg at  night....St Johns Wort, while commonly used in Europe and has lots of studies to back up efficacy, does nothing for me....My depression has an anxiety component to it (swirling, ruminating thoughts) and 5htp helps so much.  I've taken it faithfully for 10+ years (occasionally skipping a few months)

3.  Sunshine 

4.  Find someone to talk to.  Huge!  It doesn't have to be about "THE BIG THINGS" just don't allow yourself to be constantly alone or with kids- yes, the effort feels enormous but this is an extraordinarily important.  We are not meant to exist on our own. 

5.  Watch your diet, carefully.  Again, I've been there so I know how hard this is, but don't eat junk (especially sugar)

6.  Check out other supplements:  B12 complex, FIsh Oil, Vitamin D- all great mood support 

7.  Do something for someone else. Big or small

8.  Make yourself do these things. :) 

[Liz CA]

Just this morning, this came into my inbox:

 

http://search.ovitaminpro.com/search?vwcatalog=yhst-77612563675568&query=Depression&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

 

Hope you find something that helps!