I need natural remedies for depression. ( my update )

Well put soz. I've been taking zoloft for many years but I still have trouble with c. I started swimming laps and got up to half a mile every other night. That was the best feeling I've ever had. But I still have trouble with setting up measurable accomplishments...I tend to aim too low.

No shame in admitting. As long as you can move forward, I guess there isn't a need to look back.

It depends on what you're looking for.

btw alamo drafthouse has locations all over town and you can see where and what's on via their website: www.alamodrafthouse.com

What kind of food do you like?
Musachino's has the best sushi in town, it's on anderson lane (you can look up restaurants on www.austin360.com and www.austinchronicle.com )
Korea house has great cheap lunch specials, everything there is good.
Madam Mam's on the drag has great pad Thai (The drag is guadelupe near the UT campus)
Dirty's burgers are (suprisingly) great, greasy, and cheap.
Athena (sp?) grill on 8th and colorado has good greek food.
Magnolia's is a favorite for all around american/Tex mex pleaser, as is Trudy's which has drinks as well.

Dale rice gives good food reviews, and he's on the websites.

Bitter end on Tuesday nights is my favorite place for beers - good, home brewed beers for cheap, and the best Calamari in town.

What kind of music do you like?
Austin is known for its music scene. I personally stay away from it b/c I both know too many people in bands and think most of them are ovverated. But if you like live shows, there's always somebody playing some kind of music somewhere.

Are you looking for nature stuff?
(Pedernales Falls, Hamilton Pool, - in bee caves) (Town Lake = south and you can jog there - during the day.) (The green belt is also nice - during the day, near barton springs which is a huge natural pool - also down south - it's next to zilker park.)

Dates?
There are a lot of little dating groups - salsa dancing, religious clubs, elderly clubs, etc.

Any particular age group you prefer to stay with?

I can tell you that Austin is famous for its open-24-hour restaurants: Katz's, Magnolia, and Kerby Lane (But don't go to the Kerby Lane on the drag!) You aren't an austinite until you go to Magnolia a couple hundred times.

Also, how south are we talkin? Got a major intersection?

I just found a really good website ranking natural supplements and the validity of their claims.

http://www.consumerlab.com/

I also hear that Dr. Andrew Weil is pretty trustworthy.

wow!
thanks for the info portal!
that covers alot of the things i am interested in. I showed my husband and ( he has lived here all his life) he was shocked at all the things that are here.
I have been to magnolia cafe. LOVED it.

I live closest to william cannon and 290?
Or ,, in case those are not correct,,
Manchaca and slaughter.

Oh, okay. I usually don't go that far south.

What's up with austin naming the same road five different names, and then splitting them up into pieces?

Oh, I forgot to mention - first thursdays (the first thursday of every month) on South Congress are really fun. Just south of the bridge, all the funky shops and galleries stay open, and there are fair-type booths and people serving beer. It's very fun.

The problem with people born in Austin is that they take everything for granted! I moved here four years ago, so I'm still very excited about it. I'm sure it's nice having a hubby who knows the town.

Wow...I've noticed that so many peeps here have completely downplayed the benefits of medical Rx's in favor of exercise, a good social life and getting some time to ones own. While those practices alone may have helped some of you, major depressive disorder is not always "cured" by lifestyle changes. When a chemical imbalance in the brain does occur, sometimes medical supplementation is very necessary.

The main thing to remember about medical Rx's, is that is NOT supposed to make you feel euphoric or numb, or not yourself. The right medicine in the right dosage makes you feel like "you " again. A normal, rational human being being in control of their lives and not being drug down by depression.

And I have to disagree with whoever posted that scientists and doctors don't know what chemical imbalances and thus how medications work on achieving balances actually do in the brain. But not every medication or dose is going to work for every individual. I went through 6 different Rx's to find the one that works best for me now and it works great, as long as I remember to take it. I have a good social life, many outside interests and exercise on a daily basis, but in MY situation, that was not enough. I also suffered the trauma of childhood molestation and currently have fibromyalgia.

I was able to work through the childhood traumas with an incredible therapist who also works as my chronic pain and sleep deprivation therapist with my fibromyalgia.

As with any medical Rx treatment for depression, results may not even be seen for 4 to 8 weeks after treatment begins. Some people give up during this period as they think the meds are not working. Usually at around the 6 week mark is when most meds finally do begin to show significant improvement of depression, but it is vital to continue the meds once you start to feel better as relapses of depression are very likely to occur. In fact, if a person has suffered from depressive episodes in there life as few as three times, the likelihood of a reoccurrence of depression is 90 percent.

Now, I am not a doctor (nor do I play one on tv. ) but I have had fibromyalgia and its ensuing depression since the age of about 3 as near as the experts can guess. Even though I was only diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 3 years ago (finally!), the depression issue has been a trademark of my life.

Definitely follow the advice of those before who have said that exercise and a good social life and keeping busy are important. They ARE! But if you are suffering from a depression that will not or cannot go away with these activities alone, please do not discount the benefits of medical intervention!

I don't know if you are married or not, but if so, does your husband have a medical plan he can add you on to? Keep fighting until you find something that works for you. It took me a long time as I am sure it did many others. If you want to PM me, please do. I'm just looking at this from a different angle than most I guess....

I did, and they don't. It's a crapshoot, ask your doctor or psycologist, or just look it up. They have a very general idea, but it is difficult to study specific chemical processes in the brain. Neuroscience is is blossoming field, but a slow field.

I'm glad to hear that you have found ways to deal with fibromyalgia and childhood molestation, that's about as rough as it gets. Kudos.

LadyJ, I'm not sure if people were downplaying so much as responding to what shewolfnm was saying herself about the possibility of it being situational. Moving to a new place can cause depression. Having a new baby can cause depression. Both together can REALLY cause depression.

So, if there is a chance it is situational, it's worth a try to do these lifestyle kinds of changes and see what happens.

My parents both struggle with clinical depression and have made great strides with therapy and drugs. That's worked for them, and I don't knock it as a concept. Glad it's worked for you, too.

Ok.. so here it is a few weeks later.

I have started walking. Not every day because lately we have had a few days were it is just too cold for me to justify taking my little girl outside . But that has only been a handful of days..
I have also looked into my DIET.. oh wow. I never knew how bad certain foods were for you. I have cut out all sugar. I already feel better. I realized that alot of my depression was acute. And.. with in about 2 hrs of eating something I shouldnt... heavy breads, cookies, sweet teas .. etc. Now that I have been paying attention to my sugar intake I can tell a big diffrence.

I am also more verbal. I was noticing that when I got depressed I would be quiet and shrink off.
Well.. common sence, if something is bothering you and you dont correct it then it will keep bothering you. People around you dont know to change what they are doing/saying if you dont speak up. >sigh< simplicity is wonderful. THAT has made a good diffrence too.
Yoga classes are next on the to do list. So is counciling.

Do I feel better? Hmm.. not completely.. But it is tolerable and I can now pin point WHY I feel bad instead of generalizing. I feel alot less ' tied down' by my depression as I have seen simple actions make a HUGE diffrence and that takes away the power depression has had over me.

we will see again in another week.
:-)

shewolf,

i'm glad you mentioned diet. sugar, starch etc.

here are some things that have dramatically helped me stay off anti-depressants. first, eating regularly.

the quality of my life has improved because i gave up on the false notion that you should eat three meals a day, nstead of when you are hungry.

ok-- i keep nuts at my desk at work, and plenty of other kinds of healthy snacks. toss out the notion they make you fat. what matters for people who suffer depresson is to not let your blood sugar get too low.

and i love chocolate, but that does make you fat, but i've solved that by puttng a few heaping teapoons of unsweetened cocao in decaf coffee in the morning. it completely solves the chocolate craving with all the sorts of pleasant chemical/biological responses you get from eating chocolate. this may not be for you, i like the bitterness...

also, i finally noticed that salmon and other fish with high omega-3 fatty acids help me function better as well. i often eat it for breakfast and i've noticed my abilty to function well is increased.

one more thing-- caffeine is a mood enhancer, but i can't handle coffee so i swiitched to green tea, it's not too strong but it helps.

and yoga will definitely help-- it reduces the free floating anxiety that has much to do with depression. it also improves your abilty to sleep and regulates the appetite.

I go through a holiday aand seasonal depression and I up my exercise by doing steep hill walking or walking in deep tangly woods where you have to lift your feet high to keep from tripping. I also wear heavy shoes and go running in the fields .
I had some professional help for whole bunches of things and I soon discovered that all the therapists are there to facilitate your own healing. Thhe eexercise thing I discovered by watching a movie about the life of John Dean.

ooo.. I never thought of that farmer.
i have ankle weights.... putting them on before I walk will increase the muscle resistance in my legs.

yet another good tip. ;-)
thanks!!!

( im considering wearing them all day now..)
I have a 2 story home and I stay home during the day with my 10mo old little girl. All of her essentials are upstairs.. changing table, diapers , clothes etc. I make several trips up and down all day. With the ankle weights.. hmm.. more of an at home work out too.
good idea!

Here's another tip, shewolf.

Quit saying that you are the resident witch. I am the resident witch.

Seriously, honey. Depression is a sometime thing for all of us. No natural remedies to offer, I'm afraid.

With love from Letty.

No matter what, I amnot sharing my broomstick!


I know it happens to everyone. And tolerable depression is a fact of life.. unfortunatly.. a big fact in my life is that I have MADE it intolerable with out even realizing it.. ug.. so now, time for change. ;-)

Have you ever had a witch bloom like a highway
on your mouth? and turn your breathing to her
fancy? like a little car with blue headlights
passing forever in a dream?

Hi there,

I started walking when my children were small to give me some time to myself. I would get up early while everyone was still asleep and go for my walk. I'd leave the house around 6:00, walk for an hour or so and then come back and get everyone else up to start their day. Your daughter is still a bit young to have a set wakeup time but maybe once she settles into a regular schedule you could slip out by yourself for some early morning peace and quite.

I wasn't concerned about leaving the house because my husband was asleep at home too and could cover an emergency or an earlier than expected wakeup from my daughters. I came to think of my walk as "my" time and was actually a little resentful about joining up with my neighbors as they decided it was a good idea and wanted to join me.

I'm glad to hear things are a bit better. I hope you continue to see improvement.