I need natural remedies for depression. ( my update )

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I have suffered from depression for a looooong time and I am now tired of it. It has beaten me down and I have found RX pills to not have the 'oomph' I need.
I have read about and tried a few natural remedies but I am not sure I am trying the right ones.
I have bought and used all the popular ones.. Kava Kava, St Johns , Chamomile.. etc.
I have heard about Sepia? I am actually going to give it a try here pretty soon. My best friend is having some shipped to me hopefully in the next week or so. ( Crossing fingers!! )
St Johns made me cry.. all the time.. If I wanted to cry I wouldnt take anything. Laughing

Chamomile was more for sleep and relaxation and wasnt quite what I needed. Kava Kava.. well. that was just too wierd.
I have heard of other herbs that would help. Finding them is a diffrent story.
What about vitamins? Are there any vitamins that are good for depression/low energy and things like that?
Or any herbs that may not be mainstream that are effective?

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This is going to sound simplistic, shewolfnm, but the most natural way to defeat depression is to run away. If your knees can stand it, start running today. You need to run at a pace that you can talk out loud (meaning it would be great if you had someone to run with, but that's not essential.) and run (or walk really fast) until you break into a sweat. A sweaty, sweat sweat, the kind that drenchs through your tee-shirt and makes you really cold if you stop.

Okay.

Best of luck.

Joe

Oh yeah, find a really good hatha yoga teacher. Do about an hour of running and/or yoga every day. The combined results will lift you, will cut away that plastic-like bag that is trying to suffocate you.

Full disclosure: (Hey, the rest of you look away, this is private) I have fought, wrestled with, knocked down, been knocked down, rolled over, been rolled over by, and defeated depression for the past thirty years.
Tomorrow, I will do it again.

Please let me know how you are doing.

Joe ( ) Nation

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I second Joe.

Do something physical, run, or join the gym and exercise regularly. I'm not sure if it's technically been proven, but I've heard a lot of times it helps with depression.

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Re: I need natural remedies for depression.

shewolfnm wrote:

I have suffered from depression for a looooong time and I am now tired of it. It has beaten me down and I have found RX pills to not have the 'oomph' I need.
I have read about and tried a few natural remedies but I am not sure I am trying the right ones.
I have bought and used all the popular ones.. Kava Kava, St Johns , Chamomile.. etc.
I have heard about Sepia? I am actually going to give it a try here pretty soon. My best friend is having some shipped to me hopefully in the next week or so. ( Crossing fingers!! )
St Johns made me cry.. all the time.. If I wanted to cry I wouldnt take anything.
Chamomile was more for sleep and relaxation and wasnt quite what I needed. Kava Kava.. well. that was just too wierd.
I have heard of other herbs that would help. Finding them is a diffrent story.
What about vitamins? Are there any vitamins that are good for depression/low energy and things like that?
Or any herbs that may not be mainstream that are effective?

Oh honey, my heart goes out to you. I'm not an expert know all when it comes to depression, but it is one of the many symptoms of my own condition, so I am VERY familiar with it. First off, you mentioned that you tried many different Rx medications but they didn't seem to have enough oomph to control all of the depression. What is it you have tried, what dosages and for how long did you try each of them? Doctors historically prescribe the lowest dosage of meds to begin with and sometimes it is not enough! And sometimes they prescribe a med that really doesn't get to the core of the problem and that needs to be addressed as well.

I had thought of going the way of holistic, natural, herbals, but in my case, I ended up really, really physically ill. And the fact that herbals are not controlled by any governing body, there is very little info out there regarding their interactions with any other herbals or Rx meds that you may be taking and some side effects can literally be deadly. Sad

If you don't mind sharing what you have already tried Rx wise, I can relay to you all of the info I know about them and how they have or have not worked for me. I've tried nearly all of them! Then, I can give you some tips on herbals to see what you think...is that cool with you?

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Ok, I will also give much support to what Joe and Slappy say about exercise as well. I think it is very vital to stay active, but in some cases, with some people, exercise alone is not enough. Maybe all of us together can find you a wonderful solution! Smile

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The problems with 'natural' remedies lies in their unpredictablity as regards strengths and dosages. You need professional help in establishing what is the best 'therapeutic' dosage for you as an individual.

Different brands of varying strength with varying active constituents (depending on the variety of plants and when picked and how extracted) is too risky if you are suffering from a serious depressive condition or suicidal. They have done wonderful work with the SSRIs and can now be very specific in the parts of the brain that are 'relieved'.

I'm also not sure about the 'oomph' part. They aren't there to provide an instant lift in mood. The focus is always on overcoming the 'grumbles' (as my therapist puts it) and letting you engage with the issues that are really troubling you and keeping you 'in the box'.

Like Joe, I have had a thirty year long battle with depression. And in no way should advice (no matter how useful) be considered to be a substitute for professional help.

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Quote:

Like Joe, I have had a thirty year long battle with depression. And in no way should advice (no matter how useful) be considered to be a substitute for professional help.

Abso-F*cking-lutly right.

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Don't be fooled by herbal therapy. There's plenty of good alternative medicine out there, but the vast majority of homeopathy is just crap.

"Natural" is actually less safe than tested drugs, because they are unregulated. They can hurt you in any way short of killing you and probably still be on the market.

So, unless you see a real, double-blind medical study (preferably two) linking whatever herb you are taking to medical health, you are being swindled.

As for lifestyle remedies,

- get three hours of exercise a week, preferably aerobic
- get 7-8 hours of sleep a night
- take time to rest, relax, and play
- take time to be social, or, develop a social life. You can do this by joining a club, or just making more time to spend with friends.

(btw, deciding to go medical is also a difficult route, because little is known about how depression medications work in the brain. Effexor worked very well for my boyfriend for three years, then stopped.)

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Thank you for the kind words. :-) Those are always good for a quick boost.
And dont worry Joe.. your secret is safe with me ;-)

When it comes to RX's I have been on Prozac, Zoloft and Wellbutrin. Obviously none have been effective enough . I have started on the minimum of all and toped out at 100mg q-d . ( oops.. that means 1 - 100 milligram pill once a day ) That was coupled with 25 mgs of Wellbutrin 2x day. I was sooo out of control it wasnt even worth the laugh to tease me. In that instance I was truly over medicated.
Excersise.. I have heard that too. I have heard that MORE then I have heard the benefits of medicine.
I do get out. Doesnt mean I am excersizing... Embarrassed

everyday. Sometimes I do take my daughter in her stroller and walk around the neighborhood. I have never worked up a sweat..?? Good grief.. that does seem truly simple. but yet makes SO much sence.
Little amounts of excersize help to keep you on an even keel.. Large amounts tend to bring you above the managable plain and keep you there.

Tomorrow I am going to start my day with an uphill walk. The stroller I have for my daughter is anything but accomidating for jogging. ( peg-perego bassinett walker .. you know.. the big goofy kind Laughing

) So I will resort to walking. I can walk pretty hard and since I live in a hilly area , getting a good walk in just might do the trick.
I have had to quit working due to a high risk pregnancy and other medical problems since she was born,,, a stroke being one of them, so I have no insurance . to see a doctor right now is sort of out of the question unless I want to take about 200+ dollars out of a savings account to talk to him and another 200 to pay for the medicine. >sigh< Unfortunatly that just isnt going to work. That is why I have been hunting down natural remedies.
I think walking is in my budget... Laughing

Oh.. yeah.. joe.. what is hatha yoga?

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shewolfnm wrote:

I have had to quit working due to a high risk pregnancy and other medical problems since she was born,,, a stroke being one of them, so I have no insurance . to see a doctor right now is sort of out of the question unless I want to take about 200+ dollars out of a savings account to talk to him and another 200 to pay for the medicine. >sigh< Unfortunatly that just isnt going to work. That is why I have been hunting down natural remedies.
I think walking is in my budget...

Oh.. yeah.. joe.. what is hatha yoga?

Sounds like your depression could be largely situational: Not working, childcare and financial burden, medical problems and a kid to worry about. This isn't about the medicine, it's about your life.

If you can do anything to make it better, do it. If you can get government assistance, free clinics, whatever, you should do it. Find out ways to exercise (The Y?) that won't harm you.

If you're at high risk for a stroke maybe you shouldn't do aerobics.

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Yep, exercise, even a brisk walk, can really help. I suffer from depression as well. I would suggest Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (worked wonders for me).

The main thing is to get off the meds, period. Lots of walking, and if you can afford a good massage, even just once a month, it all helps. Make some "you" time.

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I got a clean bill of health after my stroke.
Turns out my stroke was caused by a problem during my C-section.. long story.. but I was bleeding at the site and the clot broke up. So it isnt my health that caused the stroke ( thank goodness) And the Doc confirmed that. My cholesterol was perfect, my liver enzymes perfect, red/white blood cell count .. right where it should be.. .. . you get the point. :-) ALL information I was sooo happy to hear. I have not even hit 35 a stroke was a shock.
I do belive that alot of the depression i am experiencing IS situational. About 60%. I have been diagnosed with depression many times in my life. The first time I was 11. So it is an on going problem . It has just peaked out here and is getting in the way more then usual. I worry that my depression will effect my ability to be a mother and that is unacceptable to me. So I need to start things now so that I am not stuck in that big black void saying.. " oh there is nothing wrong. I just need a nap"

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shewolf, regarding meds, I thought you might be interested in this article: http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=39710&highlight=

The important thing really is to be doing something, anything. Keep busy, keep strong, and of course, keep us informed.

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shewolfnm wrote:

I got a clean bill of health after my stroke.
Turns out my stroke was caused by a problem during my C-section.. long story.. but I was bleeding at the site and the clot broke up. So it isnt my health that caused the stroke ( thank goodness) And the Doc confirmed that. My cholesterol was perfect, my liver enzymes perfect, red/white blood cell count .. right where it should be.. .. . you get the point. :-) ALL information I was sooo happy to hear. I have not even hit 35 a stroke was a shock.
I do belive that alot of the depression i am experiencing IS situational. About 60%. I have been diagnosed with depression many times in my life. The first time I was 11. So it is an on going problem . It has just peaked out here and is getting in the way more then usual. I worry that my depression will effect my ability to be a mother and that is unacceptable to me. So I need to start things now so that I am not stuck in that big black void saying.. " oh there is nothing wrong. I just need a nap"

That's good. I suggest taking an exercise class, because it forces you to make time for yourself, to get up and go. Step aerobics, rock climbing, aqua fitness, etc. Anything that gets your heart pumping. Yoga is good but the problem with it is that it isn't aerobic - it's more of a stretching class. Better than nothing, but I'd start with something that gets your heart and lungs pumping.

Beware of sleeping too much and not getting things accomplished. Don't sleep more than 9 hours every day.

As for your financial situation, if you can by all means get a job or a part time job. I understand how difficult this is with a kid, but it sounds like you need a job. Even a part time job can help - I think being a substitute school teacher is especially good for mothers - your hours match your kids hours.

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wow. that was a great article cav.What is sad, is that in nursing school, there were no referrances to the side effects of those popular meds. Nothing. I am a geriatric nurse and the age group I work with is probally the dominate group of patients who receive arthritis meds, anti depressants and the like. Never was there anything about abdominal pains and problems, suicidal tendancies.. NOTHING. When it came to RX drugs , what I was taught was how to watch for its effectiveness and what to do about it. Wich ment.. if it doesnt work , call the Doc ask for more.
Sad. Very sad.

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Well I'm just seconding advice here but exercise yes definitely and stuck at home with a baby (no matter how wonderful) yes definitely contributes to depression. I had to fight my way out of that, took a lot of volunteering, I was on like 6 committees or something.

My three depression-busters are exercise, socializing, and having specific, measurable accomplishments. Child-rearing is a huge accomplishment, but it's not very specific or measurable, it's little bits and pieces and the balance during the early years is much more towards giving than getting. If I met a deadline; got a grant I applied for; solved a personality clash between two committee members... that kind of specific accomplishment was what gave me a boost.

Socializing is hard when you have a baby, too, but that was part of volunteering and I also I made sure to get out of the house at LEAST once a month, if not more often, for gals night out sorts of things. Hugely restorative.

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shewolf, if you found the article enlightening, you should look for John Abramson's book "Overdosed America." It's on Amazon. A good read can also help with depression, as it's something else to fill the time.

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Being a semi new resident in austin, unfortunatly I dont have a social life yet. I am positive that plays into the depression as well. Volunteering is a great idea . That will give me some responsibility ( outside the child rearing Laughing

) that I have just for me. I never thought of that.. Just down the block is a goodwill. I may go see them this evening. ;-)
is there a website or a company I can contact that will give me alist of places to ask about volunteering in my city??
I did a google search.. the only thing I found is places like goodwill, salvation army etc.. but nothing on how to or where to go??

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I will do just that. With the holiday, i should be able to recieve the book by christmas.. hopefully . hehe.
Is the book all about medications? Or does it go into how to combat depression also?

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shewolfnm, this looks like a good resource for finding volunteering opportunities:

http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Good luck!

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I need natural remedies for depression. ( my update )

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