Most drugs used to ‘treat depression’ do nothing of the sort. They give a false sense of normalcy as they seek to imitate the real ‘feel good’ hormones in the brain. And because the drugs act like the good hormones, eventually the body stops producing its own, thus a dependency is introduced. This is why anti-depressants become so addictive. The body stops making its own good chemicals because all it needs are being supplied externally; there is diminishing hope of the body recovering that function. Therefore, to not be depressed, external chemicals in the form of pharmaceutical drugs are constantly and persistently needed. It becomes a life-long crutch and addiction.
For those with mild to moderate depression, and not having any other psychotic issues, non-drug ways are available to alleviate or even eliminate depression. Increasing researching into depression shows the following ways are the most effective natural cures.
- Exercise
- Sun Exposure
- Acupuncture
- Fish Oils
- Eliminate carbohydrates
Exercise, or any type of strenuous physical activity, releases endorphins and other feel good chemicals in the body, thereby boosting mood.
Significant recent research has demonstrated the critical need for getting enough sun. Adequate sun exposure is critical to stimulate and fire off many bodily processes, notably through the production of Vitamin-D. Lack of sun is thought to cause Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD), obesity, insomnia, and numerous other conditions. For those in northern latitudes less able to get sun during the winter, consider a Vit-D supplement or buying the goLITE by Philips
Acupuncture is a wholly effective way to rebalance the body on many levels, including adrenals, ‘feel good’ hormones, and thyroid to cure depression. Clinical trials have shown acupuncture to be useful at alleviating postpartum depression, and countless case studies in both China and the US prove acupuncture’s effectiveness at improving mood and fighting depression.
Omega-3 fish oils are not only good for the cardiovascular system, they’re good for the brain as well. Recent clinical trials prove combining fish oils with other depression treatments significantly increases success relative to stand-alone depression treatments. Increasing research also shows the omega-3s in fish oils can act alone to improve mood and brain function.
Contrary to the Ayurveda perspective on treating depression with sweet flavors, many people find eliminating carbohydrates helps to stabilize and improve mood. By curbing blood sugar spikes and subsequent crashes, balanced energy is achieved leading to more confidence and improved outlook, thus reducing depression. Eliminating carbohydrate addiction also serves to balance hormone, thyroid, and adrenal function, thereby restoring proper secretion of feel good chemicals in the brain.
While curing depression is complex and often benefits from Talk Therapy, from a bio-chemical perspective, in the long-run pharmaceutical drugs are unlikely to be the best choice. Consider a more natural holistic approach. Any and all of the above can be combined for best results; seek the advice of a mental healthcare professional for further treatment.
When you talk about the non-pharma ways to beat depression, be careful! Depression is considered to be the most treatable disease out there. The medications are targeted to restore neurotransmitter balance. The treatment is a long process, the drugs take about three weeks to raise neurotransmitter levels (serotonin, norepinephrine, etc), and it can take about 6 months before a patient gets back to a baseline mood. Complicate that with the fact that a different class of antidepressant or dose may be needed to get optimal effects, and it can really be a long time before that patient feels adequately treated (it doesn’t help their viewpoint might not be exactly optimistic since they are depressed). Once a patient has symptom relief, then it’s standard for the medication to be tapered down and for them to weaned off. What also contributes to the long term nature of treatment is that depression is characteristically episodic. Medication is used to relieve an episode, but once a person has improved and is off the meds, that doesn’t mean they won’t have another episode in the future. It sounds like you will be taking a cognitive-behavioral approach to help people with depression. You’ll be working with them to change their thought processes and actions into more positive ones and essentially taking an outside-in approach to remodeling brain chemistry and organization. Also! With your yoga program, you will be helping them to increase their metabolism and recruit their bodies to increase strength and decrease pain response– all things that need to be reversed in depression. That’s great! For clients with mild symptoms, you will probably be all they need! But if you have someone who is on medication, please don’t advise them to stop it or take themselves off any or all of their meds. While your program is a perfect adjunct, the last thing you want is for someone to attempt suicide because they stopped their meds prematurely. Also, there are so many different types of depression. You could have a client who is being treated for psychotic depression, and say she is feeling better not just from working with you but also because her medication is helping… psychotic breaks aren’t pretty. Also, if you end up working with and getting clients from clinicians, rolling with their patient treatment strategies will keep you in business!
Thanks for the well-articulated input and cautions. All are well-noted.
I think the target of my post was more for someone suffering mild to moderate depression, which I should have stated up front. In more severe cases, these 5 tips could be used in conjunction with medication.
I guess my fear is that we live in a society of over medicated zombies, who want to take a pill for everything. And due the false presence (caused my drugs) of the ‘happy hormones’ the body frequently stops producing enough of its own, thus creating a dependence. In some cases, people find it very hard to get off anti-depressants. So in almost all mild to moderate cases, I think it is better to search out alternatives including the 5 listed, plus talk therapy before agreeing to take meds.