Depression: Alternative Treatments

Originally posted by NuclearPaul

Originally posted by LAinhabitant
If you are currently on medications, please DO NOT stop taking your medicines abruptly or without your doctor’s knowledge.

Good advice.

They are specifically designed to make you lose it if you do.

Then they say "he stopped taking his medication". Which is actually true.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Although I understand that pharmaceuticals are not for everyone I don't think companies intentionally make medicines for people to lose it when they stop taking them.

Originally posted by loner007
reply to post by LAinhabitant

 

abchomeopathy.com...

there you go

I'm not so sure on the info in this article. At one point they state There's an increase in neurotransmitters and this is bad, then later on they state their product increases those neurotransmitters.

It seems to me man was designed to reproduce so limiting sex to twice a week seems a bit odd to me. I would believe this more if they said numerous times a day or something.

Having said all that men can give it a try and see if it helps their depression.

Great thread. Lots of good, sound advice. I like that the fact that some are keen to point out that while these suggestions may work for a mild depression (situational), those with cilincal depression (chemical imbalance) may need medication to balance things out for awhile.

I would also like to add the commonly over-looked wonder vitamin D. Here in the pacific NW we have a high rate of depression and suicide. Science is slowly proving what has always been a no-brainer, but we just didn't know why. We have always said it's because of all the rain, the grayness. the cold wet days. This is true...but not because of the grey, but the lack of sun hence lack of vitamin D.

Ever since I was a child, I would say when I was sick that I just needed to sit out in the sun for awhile, that is makes me feel better. I had no idea that this just wasn't psychological, but a real physical manifestation. Vitamin D, in addtion to many other things, is an immune booster. We need it to metabolise many key things.

I believe it also plays a huge role in mood, or depression. The nice thing is that is almost impossible to overdose on it. Your body flushes out what it doesn't need.

reply to post by mutantgenius

In clinical trials, placebos are just as effective as many anti-depressents.

Whoa. It depends on what type depression you are addressing. There are many different kinds of depression. Most simple/situational depressions self-resolve within six months. Your above statement might apply to this population.

But as others have pointed out, clinical depressions, and those with an organic base, do NOT self-resolve,
and the placebos have only a very temporary, if any effect on this group.

reply to post by ladyinwaiting


Behavior changes are important and I thank you for your suggestions. I always found the hardest part was tring to gather the energy and motivation to do whatever it is especially if I have been expending that all at work. I have found that a walk, a bike ride or a short hike in nature does help in the long run.

reply to post by marg6043


If the cause of your depression is a medication than hopefully your doctor can switch you to something else.

This is an important point, thank-you for bringing it up.

Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions!

Here's a link to an article on Vit D and depress
ion.

www.womentowomen.com...

reply to post by LAinhabitant


Yes, I happen to experience first hand the side effects of drug induce depression, I never before in my life knew or understood what depression was all about, as I am a natural happy easy going person with surges of what is call natural endorphins that makes me feel euphoric in one day on beta blockers I started to experience adrenaline surges and the most incredible fear of death and that I was going to die, even driving around will bring the most incredible feeling of about to die, I got off that junk before it killed me, as my doctor didn't believe that the drug was the cause of my emotional problem and sugested I start to take prestiq, thats when I lost trust on my doctor and any other pill pusher out there, I got myself off that pill and within one week I was back to be myself and now I am about to get myself off of any pharmaceutical drugs that are nothing but dangerous.

In the US about 600 thousand people die of side of effects from pharma drugs a year, and that is not even considered a pandemic because those drugs are approved by the FDA and the words side effect can be manipulated to be blame on the condition been treated

another thing for depression is that if you sleep with your lights on that can also cause and or exasperate depression

www.telegraph.co.uk...

For a quick fix: a 3 or 4 minute cold shower. Focus the falling water on one section of the body at a time.

The surprising effects of a cold shower seem to last for about two or two and a half hours.


If you think your at risk of a heart-attack set the water temperature to semi-cold levels rather than the shockingly cold water that I've experienced. This method may possibly still work with less cold water hitting the flesh.

Originally posted by loner007
Just to add depression in men can be caused by two things which are linked. The first one is excessive masterbating. If you masterbate more than 2 times per week you are seriously running your body to the ground and can lead to depression.

Masturbation surely is a form of exercise (only exercise some people get) and as exercise and ejaculation lead to a heightened sense of euphoria those that find masturbation leads to depression are obviously doing it wrong or to somebody else!

Originally posted by Mez353

Originally posted by loner007
Just to add depression in men can be caused by two things which are linked. The first one is excessive masterbating. If you masterbate more than 2 times per week you are seriously running your body to the ground and can lead to depression.

Masturbation surely is a form of exercise (only exercise some people get) and as exercise and ejaculation lead to a heightened sense of euphoria those that find masturbation leads to depression are obviously doing it wrong or to somebody else!

I have been unable to find any studies that validate masterbating more than twice a week causes depression. I did find this website

www.spermbankcalifornia.com...

which lists 10 Benefits of male Masterbation

It fights depression. Masturbation releases the mood –enhancing substances seratonin and dopamine. No more need for Prozac! (F.C. Denison, V.E. Grant, A.A. Calder, and R. W. Kelly Seminal plasma components stimulate interleukin-8 and interleukin-10 release. Mol Hum. Reprod., March 1, 1999; 5(3): 220-226)

Recognizing cognitive distortions can help decrease depression.

Cognitive distortions are false things that our mind tells us. They help to reinforce negative thoughts.

Some examples are: I failed this test, so you tell yourself "I am never going to be good at anything."

At dinner your date is quiet for a little bit when first arriving at a restaurant and you start thinking that they think you are a boring or ugly when all they were really thinking about was work that day or what they are going to order.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Which came first, the depression or the pessimistic thoughts? I can't answer the first question, but the answer to the latter may surprise you.

In many cases, depression actually is the result of habitual negative thoughts. When bad things happen, we begin chastising ourselves with thoughts such as: I'm no good, I'm a total failure or Nothing ever goes my way. Our feelings follow what we are thinking, and negative thoughts like these can send us spiraling down into depression.

depression.about.com...

When we recognize we are twisting things in our minds we can work on recognizing these distortions and correct them.

reply to post by LAinhabitant



Usually with threads like this I start to moan about sources and how the OP is putting others health at risk and a whole bunch of other complaints. First of all I have to congratulate you for approaching it with such a sensitive and mature manner.

with this thread I really can’t fault it there are a few sources that I would probably want to double check the information to look at the evidence behind it. But that’s really for my own sound mind you have done a really good job. I know that there are quite a few people with depression on ATS and other mental illnesses so although I don’t think this thread really belongs on ATS I think it is important that it stays on.

I do not have depression myself (the thing about masturbation must be wrong lol) but I have worked with people with severe mental illnesses in the past including depression and I can understand that for some people the drugs can be a real turn off so some of the alternatives you have talked about hear could be really useful.

Originally posted by loner007
another thing for depression is that if you sleep with your lights on that can also cause and or exasperate depression

www.telegraph.co.uk...

Thanks for this link! It is very interesting that they are saying even the light from a nightlight can affect a person. I
That's not much light.

Originally posted by DevolutionEvolvd
4) Get adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids (from fish or supplements).

With all due respect, you should be careful with your recommendations. People with depression need extreme high amounts of DHA and EPA, it is impossible to obtain that much from merely eating fish, but more importantly, the amount of heavy metals you would ingest is very damaging to the nerve system.

You should get a very good, highly concentrated, quality fish oil. There are very few. In fact, I only found two. Some producers call their product ''pharmaceutical grade'', but that's a marketing slogan based on thin air. If you want to know the two brands I've found to be very good, send me an u2u.

reply to post by LAinhabitant


Real meditation. Sit there for hours and think about nothing. While thinking about nothing, just begin imaginning and raise your conciousness.

Does anyone know how to rush energy throughout the body? I can, do it, you begin vibrating, but I believe, the point is to break something when rushing this energy.

There is one amazing way to clear depression temporarily. Think about all the negative thoughts, get angry, keep getting angrier, and just yell as loud as you can, for like a minute or two.

Once you come out of it, you feel like you are invincible...

Move somewhere with alot of nature.

You know, developing courage and acceptance will remove depression permanently.