Many people wonder if medication is the only way to solve the problem of depression. With all the commercials we have on television these days singing the praise of the latest antidepressant it is no wonder that people get confused by this issue. It seems like the depressed can only find comfort int he arms of Prozac or Zoloft. This, however, is simply not the case.

But in order to understand which types of depression respond best to alternative forms of medicine you have to understand something about depression. There are two main types: reactive depression and endogenous depression. Reactive depression generally manifests itself in response to a traumatic life event. The person reacts to a loss of a love one, a surprise job loss, losing all their money in the stock market, or a bad breakup with a significant other. This depression is considered by many to be a natural reaction to life's events. It also responds well to non-pharmaceutical treatments.

However, in cases where a traumatic loss has sent the person into a real deep bout of depression medication can still be helpful for a short period of time to help mitigate feelings of despair. But treating the depression without medication is probably the best long term solution since there are lots of different side effects with powerful depression mediation. Besides, a little sadness in response to a traumatic loss is healthy and necessary if people are to live well adjusted lives in the future.

Endogenous depression is a little different beast. This is the type of depression the appears to spring up out of nowhere and is the result of an internal chemical imbalance inside of a person. Their life may look perfectly fine on the outside, but inside their brain there is something going on that even scientists don't yet fully understand.

While endogenous depression is different than reactive depression, it still can respond positively to treatment without any medication. Medication is still recommended for some individuals, but it certainly won't hurt any to try out some of the non-drug treatments listed below.

Scientist have show that if a person can regularly release endorphins into their body there is a significant reduction in the onset of depression. An endorphin is a body chemical that gets released when one has been exercising for about 25 minutes. Endorphins are responsible for the well know runners high and are considered to be the source of good overall feelings. So imagine for a second how these endorphins might impact the body of one suffering from depression - they feel bad and then get a kick of the bodies natural happy maker. Grey skies can be turned blue.

That is why many doctors recommend that people suffering from all types of depression engage in some physical activity every day. But there is a problem with this, depression significantly reduces a persons desire to get up and exercise. This is where having a good support structure is so important. Have a friend or spouse be your workout buddy so that you can be sure to workout even when you don't feel like it. That is the only way that this depression treatment without medicine is going to work.

Diet is also another easily administered drugless treatment for depression. If you eat wholesome foods with the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats you are going to have a feeling of wellness that is going to help you fight against your feelings of depression. Also, many internal chemical imbalances can be attributed to poor diet. If we want to nip the problem in the bud we need to get our act together and begin eating right. We need to get our daily intake of vitamins and minerals from our food, and if we can't get it from our food we need to supplement our diet with at good diet supplement.

Make sure that your supplement is easy to digest and that is gives you the appropriate amount of nutrients that you are going to need.

If you are looking for a good herbal remedy for depression you might want to consider taking a look at St. Johns Wart taken in tincture form. Simply take it 3 times a day for 3-4 months to see results. This is a long time and might not be effective but it seems like a reasonable way to treat depression without drugs. Just remember that herbal supplements are not regulated by the FDA so you will want to make sure that you are buying quality St. Johns Wart or you could always grow your own. If you dont know what you are doing and want to make sure that you aren't throwing your money away contact a herb specialist for assistance.

Homeopathic and holistic approaches to depression treatment are incredibly important for those suffering from depression and those treating depression sufferers to remember. You don't have to use expensive and dangerous medications to see relief from the sadness that depression brings. It is true, depression can be treated without medication!