Natural Treatments of Depression
Natural Treatment of Depression, By Nikki Martinez, Psy.D, LCPC
Posted by Nikki Martinez, Community Contributor
Being depressed can make you feel helpless. You're not. It is estimated that about 16 million Americans suffer with depression. Along with therapy and sometimes some useful tools, there's a lot you can do on your own to fight back. Changing your behavior -- your physical activity, lifestyle, and even your way of thinking -- are all natural depression treatments. Making simple life changes to your routine, your diet, and your sleep patterns can have powerful impacts on your level of depression. Taking on tasks at work, going to school online, or dong some volunteer work can be steps in the right direction. Small steps to get you active and back to some level of functioning within the world around you can have tremendous effects on mood.
Don't underestimate the power of setting a reasonable daily schedule, and getting yourself back into some semblance of routine. Start small, and build your way up. Also, setting small and manageable goals can put you in a positive direction. They can make things seem like they are not overwhelming, and make you feel like you are making progress, one little bit at a time. As you feel better, make your goals a little bigger and a little more varied.
As you may know, exercise naturally boosts chemicals called endorphins, and had been shown to have positive effects on depression. No one is asking you to train for a marathon, or run daily, just walk a few times a week, and you will be surprised by the results. While there is no "depression diet," there is also no denying that we feel better when we eat well. Choosing foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, lean protein, and healthy fruits and vegetable, is going to make you feel much better than carb loaded or sugary foods.
Sleep is essential to mood and overall wellness. You want to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, whether you need to be up for something or not. This helps put the body into a normal and restful routine. Your body needs to get to its deepest level of sleep to improve mood, and restore immunities. Don't drink caffeine after 2pm to prevent any effects this might have. Make sure that you remove distractions from your bedroom, this includes watching tv right before bed, using the screen on your phone to read articles or play games, or any other distractor. These things stimulate the brain and prevent sleep. The bedroom is for sleep and sex, by removing these distractions, your mind and body will start to realize this.
Therapy can help you to challenge negative thoughts, which are a classic symptom of depression. When we are depressed, we think the worst will happen. A Therapist can help you to challenge the reality of those thoughts, and can also help you replace them with more positive and realistic thoughts. When you are depressed you feel hopeless, like no one likes you, like you do not have a support system, or like what can go wrong will. A therapist can instill hope with small victories, can show you that you do have a support network that not only likes you, but has been reaching out to you, and also that many times, things do not go as you fear they will. Consistently challenging thinking, and learning to have a more accurate outlook, can have a positive impact on mood. Research actually shows that individuals with mild depression actually benefit more from talk therapy, than they do from anti-depressants. Individuals with moderate to major depression benefit most from a combination of therapy and anti-depressants.
A therapist might have you keep a mood diary to help you see patterns to your depression. You could also keep a weekly journal where you write down good things that happen to you. This is a great resource to refer back to when you are feeling like nothing goes right for you. Therapy can also help you look at how your thoughts and feelings impact your behaviors. Once you understand this process, this cycle can be broken. You can replace negative thoughts and feelings with more realistic ones, which in turn changes the way you think about yourself and react to situations. A therapist can also help connect you with support groups both online and in person. These can help people connect with individuals who uniquely understand them.
Trying something new can actually change the chemicals in the brain. New activities activate chemicals related to mood. So, there is no better time to try something that you have never done before, even if your depression is telling you not too! Depression often makes us feel that things that we once enjoyed are not fun anymore, but that is just the depression speaking. If you get out there and engage in things that you loved, you will be surprised that you might actually find yourself enjoying things part way through. Is that a smile I see? It is like teaching yourself to have fun again, but it can be taught if you put in the effort.
While there are very promising studies and research that shows that supplements can help to naturally improve depression, you should always make a point to speak with your doctor before starting them. There is a misconception that supplements are natural, and therefore cannot cause you harm, but they can interfere with current medications, and we all react differently to substances. You are also encouraged to do your own research on supplements before leaping head first into taking them. The most promising supplements are fish oil, SAMe, St. John's Wort, and Folic Acid. Research also shows that Saffron is effective for mild depression, so if you love the spice, pile it on! Another natural alternative, acupuncture! While there is not a ton of research on this, that which is out there, does show positive results.
There are some other great natural options that a person can use to help with their depression. Light therapy boxes have been shown to be effective with the increased depression most of us experience during the winter and lightless months, as they simulate natural light. Coming from Chicago, this occurrence impacts many. Light therapy boxes have not only become more accepted, the Mayo clinic writes about their effectiveness, but they have come down tremendously in price to make them attainable for the average person. You can get them through home medical companies, or even online through outlets like Amazon. Making a little light therapy part of your morning routine, can have a great impact on your day. Use it while you have your coffee, read your paper and check your e-mails!
I would like to close with three more natural options for treating depression. The first would be to join activities and groups in your local area for topics you are interested in, but may not have explores. Through websites like meetup.com, an individual can find groups meeting for topics that interest them. The beauty is that it is all individuals with a common interest, looking to meet others and connect. Research is also growing that supports meditation as an option for depression. Finding your center, your calm and the inner peace that meditation creates can be helpful. Lastly, yoga appears to have positive benefits on mood. It reduces stress, and increases feelings of calm and well-being. While not all of these may work for you, I would think they are worth the chance you might take on them.
http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/natural-treatments
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/depression-treatment.htm
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20526272_13,00.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/light-therapy/basics/definition/prc-20009617
Posted by Nikki Martinez, Community Contributor
Being depressed can make you feel helpless. You're not. It is estimated that about 16 million Americans suffer with depression. Along with therapy and sometimes some useful tools, there's a lot you can do on your own to fight back. Changing your behavior -- your physical activity, lifestyle, and even your way of thinking -- are all natural depression treatments. Making simple life changes to your routine, your diet, and your sleep patterns can have powerful impacts on your level of depression. Taking on tasks at work, going to school online, or dong some volunteer work can be steps in the right direction. Small steps to get you active and back to some level of functioning within the world around you can have tremendous effects on mood.
Don't underestimate the power of setting a reasonable daily schedule, and getting yourself back into some semblance of routine. Start small, and build your way up. Also, setting small and manageable goals can put you in a positive direction. They can make things seem like they are not overwhelming, and make you feel like you are making progress, one little bit at a time. As you feel better, make your goals a little bigger and a little more varied.
As you may know, exercise naturally boosts chemicals called endorphins, and had been shown to have positive effects on depression. No one is asking you to train for a marathon, or run daily, just walk a few times a week, and you will be surprised by the results. While there is no "depression diet," there is also no denying that we feel better when we eat well. Choosing foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, lean protein, and healthy fruits and vegetable, is going to make you feel much better than carb loaded or sugary foods.
Sleep is essential to mood and overall wellness. You want to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, whether you need to be up for something or not. This helps put the body into a normal and restful routine. Your body needs to get to its deepest level of sleep to improve mood, and restore immunities. Don't drink caffeine after 2pm to prevent any effects this might have. Make sure that you remove distractions from your bedroom, this includes watching tv right before bed, using the screen on your phone to read articles or play games, or any other distractor. These things stimulate the brain and prevent sleep. The bedroom is for sleep and sex, by removing these distractions, your mind and body will start to realize this.
Therapy can help you to challenge negative thoughts, which are a classic symptom of depression. When we are depressed, we think the worst will happen. A Therapist can help you to challenge the reality of those thoughts, and can also help you replace them with more positive and realistic thoughts. When you are depressed you feel hopeless, like no one likes you, like you do not have a support system, or like what can go wrong will. A therapist can instill hope with small victories, can show you that you do have a support network that not only likes you, but has been reaching out to you, and also that many times, things do not go as you fear they will. Consistently challenging thinking, and learning to have a more accurate outlook, can have a positive impact on mood. Research actually shows that individuals with mild depression actually benefit more from talk therapy, than they do from anti-depressants. Individuals with moderate to major depression benefit most from a combination of therapy and anti-depressants.
A therapist might have you keep a mood diary to help you see patterns to your depression. You could also keep a weekly journal where you write down good things that happen to you. This is a great resource to refer back to when you are feeling like nothing goes right for you. Therapy can also help you look at how your thoughts and feelings impact your behaviors. Once you understand this process, this cycle can be broken. You can replace negative thoughts and feelings with more realistic ones, which in turn changes the way you think about yourself and react to situations. A therapist can also help connect you with support groups both online and in person. These can help people connect with individuals who uniquely understand them.
Trying something new can actually change the chemicals in the brain. New activities activate chemicals related to mood. So, there is no better time to try something that you have never done before, even if your depression is telling you not too! Depression often makes us feel that things that we once enjoyed are not fun anymore, but that is just the depression speaking. If you get out there and engage in things that you loved, you will be surprised that you might actually find yourself enjoying things part way through. Is that a smile I see? It is like teaching yourself to have fun again, but it can be taught if you put in the effort.
While there are very promising studies and research that shows that supplements can help to naturally improve depression, you should always make a point to speak with your doctor before starting them. There is a misconception that supplements are natural, and therefore cannot cause you harm, but they can interfere with current medications, and we all react differently to substances. You are also encouraged to do your own research on supplements before leaping head first into taking them. The most promising supplements are fish oil, SAMe, St. John's Wort, and Folic Acid. Research also shows that Saffron is effective for mild depression, so if you love the spice, pile it on! Another natural alternative, acupuncture! While there is not a ton of research on this, that which is out there, does show positive results.
There are some other great natural options that a person can use to help with their depression. Light therapy boxes have been shown to be effective with the increased depression most of us experience during the winter and lightless months, as they simulate natural light. Coming from Chicago, this occurrence impacts many. Light therapy boxes have not only become more accepted, the Mayo clinic writes about their effectiveness, but they have come down tremendously in price to make them attainable for the average person. You can get them through home medical companies, or even online through outlets like Amazon. Making a little light therapy part of your morning routine, can have a great impact on your day. Use it while you have your coffee, read your paper and check your e-mails!
I would like to close with three more natural options for treating depression. The first would be to join activities and groups in your local area for topics you are interested in, but may not have explores. Through websites like meetup.com, an individual can find groups meeting for topics that interest them. The beauty is that it is all individuals with a common interest, looking to meet others and connect. Research is also growing that supports meditation as an option for depression. Finding your center, your calm and the inner peace that meditation creates can be helpful. Lastly, yoga appears to have positive benefits on mood. It reduces stress, and increases feelings of calm and well-being. While not all of these may work for you, I would think they are worth the chance you might take on them.
http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/natural-treatments
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/depression-treatment.htm
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20526272_13,00.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/light-therapy/basics/definition/prc-20009617
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