Natural Treatments For Depression


The issue about natural treatments for depression is that no one natural depression remedy will help heal every depression sufferer. Since the causes as I mentioned before are so diversified. In general depression can be described as a mood, a state of mind that is missing the will to do anything that living things do in their daily life. It’s about having a sense of hopelessness that masks our desire to be, to act and interact.

To find the appropriate alternative treatment for depression; one should investigate all the circumstances surrounding the individual. Since depression may be caused by nutritional deficiencies, bad childhood memories, unfulfilled expectancies, persistent negative environment, substance abuse, toxins overload, hypothyroidism, lack of physical activity or of sunlight, family or job issues, or just simply a bad diet or food allergies. Choosing the proper natural treatment of depression successfully depends on how thorough your investigation is.

I’ll give you now some of the alternative treatments for depression that have been tested:

Dr Blaylock mention in his book Health and Nutrition Secrets that moderate exercise among other things relieve depression. He also mentioned that Inositol Hexaniacinate which is a special formulation of the vitamin Niacin (B3 vitamin) that has fewer side effects is one of the natural remedies for depression that has shown beneficial effects for depression and general neurological functions.

Depression is a major problem in the elderly and DHEA may be able to help as a natural treatment for depression he ads. One recent study found that when DHEA was given to elderly patients with major depression; they all improved significantly except one woman, who after six months her depression rating improved 48-72 % and her semantic memory improved 63%. So we can conclude that DHEA is another natural treatment for depression.

Many researches have been done with individuals with major depression or by studying large populations to check if risks are decreased or increased with varying amounts of the oils in the diet. Most of these researches show a positive effect. That is supplying Essential Fatty Acids (Omega 3) either by supplementation or by diet, reduces depression and reduces the risk of developing depression. Omega 3 by the way has been shown to be effective as a natural treatment for anxiety and also a natural treatment for ADHD.

Of course there are many more natural treatments for depression, like as many causes there are. Prayer and meditation, walking and sun bathing, detox programs and juicing, and much more.

Natural Herbal Remedies for Depression


Alternative treatments for depression will vary depending on the causes and the individual physical and mental state. Natural herbal remedies for depression can be very effective in balancing the individual’s mood and spirit.

Holistic counseling may be very good natural treatments for depression. Since a good holistic counselor will consider beside the physical or mental issues a client may have; the diet, sleep pattern, job, family matters, environment and even friends. All these components could have an effect on a person’s mood and motivation. Did you know that a lack of exposure to sun light may cause anxiety or depression, and that sunlight may be a natural treatment of depression or anxiety?

But, let’s talk first about the natural herbal remedies for depression; this is why you are here on this page. There are several herbs that may be helpful in improving depression.

St. John’s Wort, or hypericum as the active ingredient, is considered by herbalist as a natural depression remedy, it has been helpful both in research study and in clinical practice. Studies have shown that it needs to be taken consistently for four or eight weeks to benefit you. However, if you are taking any prescription drugs check for herb drug interaction before using.

Valerian, it is considered as useful for general nervousness and insomnia, Valerian also is believed to relieve pain and general symptoms of stress.

Kava Kava may be used as herbal treatment for depression, its use according to herbalist Ed Smith, is as a mild tranquilizer to relax the mind and clarify the thought process, soothe the temperament, and induce a mild euphoria with feelings of peace and harmony. In Europe, Kava is an approved phytomedecine which is used to treat anxiety and despondency. Individuals should not take Kava and Alprazolam (Xanax) together or Buspirone unless supervised by a doctor.

Kola nut is considered one of the natural remedies for depression, but I don’t recommend it, because Kola nut active ingredient is caffeine, it is used because of its stimulating effect and its flavor and color in some soft drinks. Its use for depression and fatigue is purely symptomatic.

These were some of the natural herbal remedies for depression available in the market.
I should discuss in the next post other natural treatments for depression.

Natural Treatment For Depression

In standard medicine, most physicians identify depression and then write a prescription for one or more of a wide variety of drugs. But, when it comes to the natural treatments for depression way of approaching it; in a holistic approach, one should look for the reasons and causes of the issues. Find out about all the factors that contributed to the depression. Reach an understanding of the existence of these issues and then try to clear them out.

According to the World Health Organization, major depression is at present the fourth leading cause of death and impairment and is intended to become the second one by the year 2020. Statistics show that individuals born before 1945 are 100 times unlikely to get major depression than individuals born after 1945. The number of individuals suffering from depression keeps growing higher and higher, along with anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, suicides and teen violence. Most of the data trying to find why this is happening point at our diet and sedentary life style.

You may ask how someone can use a natural treatment for depression. The answer is simple. Western medicine defines depression as endogenous coming from within and exogenous coming from outside influences. So, exogenous depression comes from the environment that surround the individual, which could be family stressors like a loss of a loved one, divorce, or job issues, money issues and many more.

Many drugs can cause mild to moderate level of depression; these involve blood pressure medication, estrogens in birth control pills, steroids, and anxiety drugs like Valium, Xanax, and others. The natural depression remedy often is about getting rid of the causative element, or doing some counseling to better assimilate our life challenges.

Thus, getting rid of the things that trigger the depression mode in you is one of the natural treatments of depression.

Endogenous depression is actually a biochemical imbalance which is an imbalance of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Most of the drugs prescribed are chemicals that balance these neurotransmitters. Natural treatments for depression that use diet, herbs, vitamins and amino acids are geared toward the same goal, which is regulating the biochemical imbalance in the brain