How to fight depression without taking pills?

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   Lets Learnposted 13 years ago

   How are people coping with depression without taking any pills? Pills for depression is not a great idea as they invariably come with side effects.

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      IntuitiveMindposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Unless you’ve seen a doctor and there is something biologically or chemically off balance in your brain/body causing your depression, then I would strongly veer away from pharmaceutical medications.  Here are some steps to fight depression:
      a.    Exercise for a half hour – minimum everyday.  Exercise helps depression by creating endorphins in the brain and you will feel so much better after you do it. Whether it’s running, walking, biking – doesn’t matter.  Just get out and do some kind of exercise.
      b.    Eat foods that are healthy, stay away from sugar and caffeine, if possible, (this alters the brain) and take vitamins/supplements if needed. Do some research on what vitamins and supplements are good for your body, because everyone is different. Perhaps you are not getting enough Vitamin D or potassium? Do some research what your body needs to feel better.  You have one body – nurture it.
      c.    Complete or start a project. Write poetry. Listen to music. Read. Play sports. Do something YOU want to do. Go to a spa. Do whatever it is that makes you feel like “you”.
      d.    Inner work:  The inner work is the most important.  It’s very important to educate yourself about depression, its causes, symptoms, treatments, etc.  Remember that there are many people going through the same thing. Then, see if you can to get in touch with those feelings and issues that are causing your depression.  Try to look objectively at yourself and your life, then address the issues that are causing you pain.  Put those feelings and issues where they belong in your mind. Talk to yourself! It sounds crazy, but you can keep yourself in check. Journal, write, express.
      e.    Read the news, look out into the world, beyond your own problems, and see if there is something you can do to help others.
      
      Fighting depression is a combination of all of these things. It’s so hard, and we feel like we just want a to take a pill to make these feelings go away. But it’s important that we arm ourselves with the proper ammunition to fight this disease. It’s not easy – but once you have incorporated these activities into your daily life, you will begin to feel a whole lot better. Look at this as part of your personal growth.  Depression could also simply be a signal to you that something in your life is off balance – and you have the power to change in your hands. We are all strong, loving individuals…and you must learn to love yourself if you’re going to battle this and get better!

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         m_14posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Watch the old Frank Capra movie It's a Wonderful Life.  Everytime I'm depressed I watch the movie, I feel great afterwards.

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      Obscure_Treasuresposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It very simple....You just need to divert your mind and try to be happy.

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         healinghands1668posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         It is rarely as simple as that.

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         Glen619posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I agree with you

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      dredcuanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Just make yourself busy.  Have a good diet then go to the gym so you'll have a healthy lifestyle.  You may also go out or visit family and friends more often.  You need someone who can help you or any activities who can occupy most of your time.

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      noenhulkposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Shout out loud as loud as you can. If you think you want to cry then cry out loud too, it will get some relief somehow. @dredcuan is right too, get busy and help yourself to be occupied most of the time. You will soon find out you are too busy for your depression.

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         earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         If only it were that easy. There is a HUGE difference between feeling depressed and being clinically depressed.
         If your brain can't access dopiminergics and uptake serotonin you can't simply talk your way out of it and become well. It is a disease that requires treatment, and it devastates lives.

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      sanatharaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      The best way to fight depression is by doing yoga with breathing exercise and simple aasanas.Do it regularly for 3-4 months and I assure you you will be free from all depressive thoughts and feel fresh..Don't take any tablets.There are many side effects of that and it greatly affects on immunity and nervous system.So, I strongly recommend yoga.It will work like a miracle......

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      Charlene Marianoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Playing with a child is the best anti-depression technique. It is simple and comes with no price. I tried it many times and has done wonders to my life.

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      psycheskinnerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Every person should use a holistic strategy in consultation with a mental health professional and their GP.
      
      But it is worth emphasizing that the side effects of most drugs that help with depression are often considerably less than the deleterious effects of depression itself. In the case of many of these medications the side effects (while the still always exist) are not perceptible to the user at all.
      
      So when drugs need to be used , either temporarily while implementing lifestyle and counseling changes or permanently in cases where the cause of the depression organic and not curable by other means, people should use them.

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   Home Girlposted 13 years ago

   You have to understand that it is a disease and can be treated.First of all you have to "forbid" your disease to control you. If you are sitting in a corner, not eating, not sleeping, not doing anything, just feeling miserable, it won't do. You have to realise that and fight it. Medication is the last and temporary resort.You have to learn how to fight it without that crutch. First of all you have to find ways to distract yourself from it, to separate your feelings and not to yeld to bad emotions that overwhelm you. You can control that. You have to have certain things in your life that you "must" do, like your work, children, etc. You bring in some things in your life what you like, incorporate them into your everyday life, something that brings you joy if a small one. Go to your favourite place, eat your favourite food, talk to somebody  you like, every day; if nothing works, you may drop everything, go to a different place to live, start all over, become vegatarian, go to Mexico or Alaska to live, change your environment, your lifestyle, sometimes just ordinary, lame everyday routine can get you into depression and any other disease. They say that people can get blind if life they have is too unbearable to be seen! Keep yourself busy, eat right, one day you might wake up feeling, what  a wonderful world, how happy I am to be part of it!

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      BakerRamblesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I get around the e ery one in a while bout of depression by drinking chamomile tea mixed with lemongrass extract and ginseng...it really helps the body feel better try it sometime.

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   Emile Rposted 13 years ago

   Over the years I've been able to accept the fact that it's a chemical imbalance. That was the hurdle for me. Knowing that the sadness is only in my head has gone a long way in coping with it, and rising above it.
   
   I do not, and would not ever, take medication for depression. I saw the effect of years of medication on my mother. I'm sure it is right for others but it has never been completely debilitating so I choose to sigh heavily and ride it out when it happens.

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   Sherlock221bposted 13 years ago

   I take antidepressants for insomnia, rather than for depression.  I have taken them for years, and although I would love to be able to stop, I simply cannot sleep without them.  I will literally go three or four days without any sleep, and then on the night I do sleep, I will only have a couple of hours.  So, I cannot function with such little sleep, so have no choice but to continue taking the tablets.

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   Home Girlposted 13 years ago

   A human body is a walking chemical laboratory and all of us are habit forming freaks! But to take antidepressants for insomnia???? Never heard that one! Please, Sherlock, get rid of it. Drink a glass of warm milk before bed and read some boring magazine article, you might be surprised... or try some valerianum drops in camomille tea, at least it is a natural product. When it is +30C outside I cannot sleep either, I just suffer next day, I do not want to take anything.

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      Sherlock221bposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Apparently a lot of doctors now prescribe antidepressants for insomnia.  It is because chronic insomnia is caused by low levels of serotonin in the brain.  Antidepressants raise the levels of serotonin, and therefore helps with sleep.  I have tried everything else, hot milk, meditation, yoga, camomile tea, even sleeping tablets, nothing has worked.  Only antidepressants work.  For years, I got by on no more than 20 minutes sleep a night.  I don't know how I kept on working.

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         Lets Learnposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Have you tried strenuous physical activity 1 an hour a day?

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            Sherlock221bposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, I walk five miles every day, which takes an hour.  I walk very quickly, so my heart is pumping fast.

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               Aficionadaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               
               Sherlock221b, I want to stand up and support you here.  Good for you, for finding the solution that you need for your insomnia!  Stick with it - for as long as you and your doctor see it as the right solution!
               
               While I do find it commendable that people here want to find ways to be healthy and to fight illnesses of various kinds without medication, there really are times when medication is the best and the right solution.  And I believe it is short-sighted at best for people to say that medication should not be used in circumstances they don't know enough about.
               
               Definitely listen to a good doctor rather than to the well-intentioned laymen who post what they believe to be good advice (including me ).

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            earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I believe this can be useful.

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   knolyourselfposted 13 years ago

   Might help to be in love with life, love what you do and do what you love.

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   Mikeydoesposted 13 years ago

   Pills are the easy way out and many times the wrong way. Telling yourself you are depressed and then living it out on a daily basis only makes it easier to be depressed.I see it just like getting addicted to alcohol or video games. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. Always conquer your problems by yourself, unless you absolutely can not. Many doctors have little to no idea what they are doing and will prescribe you whatever the internet tells them to.
   
   The best way to get sleep:
   
   Eat healthy, burn those calories, and get on a schedule where you usually sleep at the same time. Once again the more you tell yourself and others you have problems sleeping, the easier it is to continue to have that problem.

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   Bernard15posted 13 years ago

   Nice sharing.
   I think you don't use any pills for depression because it has some alcohol and it has many side effects. You only take rest and fresh your mind then you will not be use any pill for depression.

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   FrequencyAppsposted 13 years ago

   First of all, I agree with the post that said prescription drugs should be the last resort..
   
   There is an all natural, no side effects, herbal based remedy called mood mender... I take them when I feel an oncoming swing in my moods.. They work great.. just google mood mender.
   
   But, What you really need to do is discover the root cause of your depression and deal with whatever that is...
   
   Have you every heard of or tried "tapping"?

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    cathylynn99posted 13 years ago

    there is a specific type of talk therapy known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which challenges cognitive distortions and has been shown to help depression.

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    Princessaposted 13 years ago

    Being surrounded by positive people, having a healthy diet and practicing outdoor activities like walking, cycling and gardening can help a lot.
    
    Positive people have a contagious positive attitude to life so it is worth being surrounded by them.  A healthy diet will help you feel better from the inside (better sleep, less tired, better skin, etc) and the ourdoor activities will waken up your body and you benefit from the sun's effect in your brain activity.
    
    I agree with previous comments that prescription drugs should be the last resort.

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    earnestshubposted 13 years ago

    Psychotherapy can be helpful for some. Exercise causes the uptake of serotonin to a small degree apparently.
    
    A dose of ecstasy removes depression altogether and replaces it with great happiness, understanding and empathy for a few hours, usually followed by a deeper delve in to depression again. (The 48 hour comedown)
    
    GHB, commonly known as GBH (Great Bodily Harm) can be a wonderful anti depressant and needs much more investigation. It clashes violently with alcohol, so it has been banned to the max degree.
    
    There are more lies around about E and GHB than there is decent research, and Alexander Shulgin's great inventions have been for the most part discarded.
    Blame the American war on drugs for the lack of research.

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    andromidaposted 13 years ago

    Take a project and drive your all attention to it.There are thousands of better things to do in life than being depressed.

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    Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

    This thread is so full of responses by people who have very little understanding of depression, and who seem to believe that depression comes from someone's having nothing to do or think about.  I decided to write a Hub rather than reply here, because - really - my post was going to turn into a "rant".   

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       earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Good thinking, it needs a hub.

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          Lisa HWposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          It's too bad I just slapped up the one I did.  Maybe another time I'll really address the issue in a way that isn't a rant..      For now, the Hub just felt like kind of an emergency. 

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             earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             I do the same thing if I feel the info is needed now such as in the case of illness, especially one as dangerous as depression.
             
             It will be easy enough to add to it when you have time.
             Have you published it yet?

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                earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                You sure are fast! I have read your hub and left a comment. Well done!

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    TLMinutposted 13 years ago

    I've been checking if marijuana helps depression but no clear answer. Apparently it's more of a mood enhancer so that if you're already depressed, it might just make it worse. I was considering moving to CA or NJ (if it passes there) to get some for a family member but now it seems it won't be worth it.
    
    No way I can put someone on antidepressants after reading the side effects. "Has been shown to cause suicidal thoughts and behavior"! Are you kidding me? How is that an antidepressant?

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       mega1posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       For teens it is really important to try your very best to avoid medication including marijuana, which is psychotropic and really can mess with developing minds.  I suggest vitamin therapy which is mega doses of vitamins - the b complex A and D especially but also the minerals.  If you can get your teen to eat lots and lots of green leafy veggies and other vegetables and involve them in creating their own healthy life (that's a big IF, but I've seen it work with some) and also take spirulina (algae which is very high in minerals and b vitamins that especially help our emotional balance) 
       
       Also, with my kids I found that lots of good exercise like swimming and running and bicycling were more help than anything else.  I could see a huge difference between times they didn't get enough exercise and times when they got plenty every day.  These are the same things I try to use for my own emotional health - and the best thing is that none of it can really hurt you!

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    andur92posted 13 years ago

    I have been through various phases of depression which were girlfriend related, academics related, family related which were due to my father getting a stroke attack and my grandmother's death etc. Since I was 15, I have been through a horrible phase which lasted till when I was almost 19. I am 19 now going to be 20 next year. I keep myself so busy that I don't get time to stay depressed. I know this sounds stupid. It can be really tough and unmotivating to go out and keeping yourself busy but once you start going out, everything is behind you.
    
    I keep myself super busy. This helps a lot and doesn't leave much room for brain to think about unimportant stuff and get into depression.

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    sinbad27posted 13 years ago

    Mindfulness cognitive therapy seems to be very effective in some cases of depression. You can learn the basic techniques in a weekend. I did the basic course and the mindfulness exercises are very helpful. The only difficulty is that it only starts working when you do all of them every day.

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    jennysbusposted 13 years ago

    Yeh, I think it hits like a tonne of bricks too especially after a bad break up or tragedy as I found out myself. I think keeping your mind busy and having something to look forward to is the key to helping with depression.

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    Logan Mollarposted 8 years ago

    Hi ,
    Just as no two people are affected the exact same way by depression, there is no “one size fits all” treatment that cures depression. What works for one person might not work for another. The best way to treat depression is to become as informed as possible about the treatment options to meet your needs. Lifestyle changes are simple but powerful tools in treating depression. Sometimes they might be all you need. Even if you need other treatment, lifestyle changes go a long way towards helping lift depression. And they can help keep depression at bay once you are feeling better.
    You can also try some natural therapy  for depression such as  set your routine, Exercise,  Set goals , Eat healthy , Get enough sleep .

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