Depression is a mental disorder that affects millions of people. People with depression experience many symptoms, from being sad and withdrawn to obsessive and compulsive actions like over-eating, over-drinking. They may just feel irritable and restless most of the time. Many more people are now seeking advice for treating depression naturally and wondering if it can be cured at home.
Are you depressed, or just a bit down?
It’s not unusual to have days when it seems like the world is against you and you feel a bit down. This can be down to major events in your life or continual stress. This is not however the same as clinical depression.
If you think you have severe depression you should seek medical advice. Your doctor will want to assess your condition to make sure that it is not something that will interfere with your quality of life or cause permanent damage. He or she will ask you some questions about your life. They will determine whether you are depressed because of an understandable major life change. Losing a job or partner can trigger depression. Stress you have been experiencing for some time can also be a factor.
It is important to rule out medical problems that can affect mood so you will need a full health screen and assessment. Medical conditions like thyroid problems can affect mood directly. Also receiving diagnoses like cancer or Parkinson’s can cause depression. There may be a medical problem that is easily sorted, so that should be excluded first.
Treating Depression
In the past a common treatment for depression was antidepressant medications. These medications work by affecting the chemicals in your brain that affect your mood.
Other types of medication for depression are mood stabilizers. Mood stabilizers calm your mood and prevent your symptoms from returning.
Most of these antidepressant medications are taken in the form of pills.
Many of the antidepressants can cause you to become addicted to them. For that reason they should be used as a last resort. It is always better to see if you can remove your depression through talking therapies and addressing any life issues that can be changed.
Are there natural treatments for depression?
There are things you can do to help fight depression. In combination these involve treating the whole you.
If you are depressed it is easy to get in to a rut and just let life happen to you. Instead you need to take control of your life.
Implement healthy routines in to your day. This is especially important if you are depressed because you have lost your job and are unemployed. Get up at the same time each day, get washed and dressed.
Stay active and take exercise. Provided you don’t have a medical condition that is preventing you from exercising then you should build exercise in to your life. Find an activity that you enjoy. Try dancing to your favourite upbeat music. Exercise will give you an endorphin release which will lift your mood.
Get out of the house. Staying cooped up indoors will do you no good. You need to get out in the fresh air. This may go well with your exercise choice. Jogging, walking, cycling, take your pick.
Get enough sleep. If you are depressed it can make it harder to sleep at night. This is a problem because you need sufficient sleep or you will feel even worse. Try to keep regular bed times, get up when the alarm sounds and don’t nap during the day. Try using herbal sleep aids.
Eat a healthy diet. This includes not binge eating on comfort food. Omega 3 foods help healthy brain function. You can find these in fish like salmon, trout and tuna or flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts if you are vegetarian. There has been some studies in to the use of probiotics and prebiotics in treating depression.
Herbs and essential oils
Yiang yiang can lift your mood and has a mild sedative effect.
Bergamot oil has an uplifting effect on mood and can treat anxiety
Lavender not only helps with sleep but also lifts the mood.
St. John’s Wort contains hypericum and a tincture can be taken as an antidepressant.
There are many natural treatments in The Lost Book Of Herbal Remedies. It’s definitely worth checking out if you prefer natural remedies to prescription medicines.
Seeking professional advice for treating depression
It has been said that 1 in 4 of the population will suffer from some form of depression in their lifetime. There is no shame in admitting that you have a problem. If the above lifestyle changes to cure depression naturally don’t work then you should seek medical help.
If your symptoms are not due to a major change in your life or a health condition, your doctor may refer you to a counsellor. This counselling session will help you explore your feelings, problems and also bring up what has caused your depression.
A counsellor will be a trained individual or psychologist. They will look at your moods and behavior and think about what is causing them. They will then try to help you find ways to cope with your depression.
In order to figure out the cause of your depression, you will be asked questions about your personal and social life. They will also ask you about the things that make you happy if there are any. Sometimes depression can result from events that happened years prior so you will be encouraged to examine your past, right back to childhood.
If your depression is caused by a serious health problem such as a cancer diagnosis, then you will be asked about your medical history to determine if you have any other conditions that might be associated with your depression. It is necessary to rule out other medical problems that could be causing your depression.
If you have a serious case of depression and the initial counselling sessions are not helping you may need to be referred to a psychiatrist for a psychological examination and diagnosis.
Whether you decide to treat your depression naturally or decide you need professional help, it is important to remember that there is no shame in admitting you need help. 1 in 4 people will suffer depression at some point in their life. You should find a way that works for you so that you can get back to enjoying life.
