Has anyone overcome depression without meds?

BeautyFromPain

okay so i'm sorry if this triggers or offends anyone.. i just want advice... has anyone overcome depression without meds? i am just so fed up with it.. i hate this feeling, i hate just flat out wanting to die every second of the day, i'm just sick of feeling like this, i don't know what to do! is there any natural remedies?

sixtyinchesoffury

exercise! it's one thing my doc recommends...but i take meds too. also i'm sure you know food, but there's also massage, acupucture, counseling. i hope you don't ignore it just because you don't want to take something. there are a wide variety of options out there. good luck!

Aesop101

As I understand it Depression is a chemical disorder. Everything else is situational.

caramkoala

I had depression for 6 years.I overcame it with meds. The meds kept me sane. My amazing Dr's "Fantastic 5" is what cured me.

1. Sleep (8 hours uninterrupted, every night)
2. Meditation (10 mins undisturbed, use music if you want, as needed)
3. Exercise (apparently burns excess adrenaline that causes downward spirals)
4. Sex
5. Chocolate (in small doses, when the other 4 are out of the question)

hugs :flowerforyou:

30yearssincebikini

Why don't you want to take meds? I took them after my daughter was born 22 years ago. And I think they saved my life. I had post partam depression and took meds for six months. They really helped me. I don't know of any natural remedies though. Although I think exercise - hard core exercise that brings your heart rate up- triggers the happy endorphins in your brain!

BeautyFromPain

I'm sorry guys, I forgot to add.
The meds I was on made me horribly suicidal and I tried OD'ing on them so then my GP did not want that to happen again so won't give me anymore.

TexasRaised89

I came from an abusive household to say the least. My entire family was diagnosed with depression, as myself was. When I was a teenager, although my mother was on meds, they never took me to be on meds. So I used to take my mothers Xanax which would help me. BUT I only took them when I felt I was literally going off edge. I refused later in life to be on meds, I was scared that I would become addicted or something and they would be hard to get off, as when I was a teenager I got addicted to Xanax for the wrong reasons. A couple years went by where I was fine in life, wasn't as depressed. It slowly started to come back, but I still refused medicine, it wasn't as severe for meds. Then I had my child in Dec. 2010 and depression hit me times 1000!!!! and I struggled with it for months and months and it kept getting worse. I decided for once in my life to go to the doctor, I was prescribed anti depressants. I took them for a couple of days and it made me feel like I was dying, so I stopped taking them immediately and never went back for anything else. I have been good lately and a part of that is I've been exercising trememdously, that is my main focus every day. I try to go out to the park quite often to jog, walk or run and it gives me a sense of freedom, I can turn on my headphones loud and think for as long as I want to. That helps me as well. I try to find SOMETHING just something out there that is going to make me happy and I go do it. I don't think theres a natural cure for it all, but there are little things that will help. Exercise, you would be very surprised if you do it on a daily basis. Stress Therapy baths, getting outside, doing something social even though I understand at times you don't want to. I believe some people can do it without medicine, but some people really can't. You'll have to figure out if that's you or not.

trainlikekatniss

No. I took meds for 1 or 2 years when I was 14/15 years old (now I'm 18) and I think it has helped me a lot. I also had therapists and doctors take care of me, I think that's the most important part when taking meds against depression.
Now I'm quite over it, but when I start to feel down I exercise. Makes me feel better immediately

ladykat2330

Exercise and having a general routine help alot. (even if its just something simple like every wednesday I clean the kitchen).
Also some research has shown that people with depression are sometimes missing essential fatty acids so are recommended to take omega 3 and 6 suppliments. The best and long term way that worked for me was doing the above and having counciling. I know lots of people don't like the idea of it and there are very long waiting lists/ its expensive but it was the only thing that really worked. I've been depression free now for 7 years. (after struggling throughout my teens and early 20's). I wish you the best of luck in beating yours and I know right now it may feel that it will never get better but it can and you will get there. I am living proof it can be done so don't give up.

Di3012

okay so i'm sorry if this triggers or offends anyone.. i just want advice... has anyone overcome depression without meds? i am just so fed up with it.. i hate this feeling, i hate just flat out wanting to die every second of the day, i'm just sick of feeling like this, i don't know what to do! is there any natural remedies?

Ensure you exercise, although I know you will not feel like doing so many times, but the exercise will get your endorphins going and make you feel better.

Try to cut out sweets and cakes, this is not for dieting purposes, but because the sugar in the sweets and cakes does nothing for depression. Try to eat more fruit, veg and protein, at least if your body is strong and healthy it is one less thing to worry about and you can then concentrate on your state of mind.

Make sure you get enough light, do you know if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)? Some people will brush it away as just all in one's mind, but it is a very real disorder. If you do suffer from SAD, there are special lights that you can buy that can assist you.

I sincerely hope you pick up, if you find it is going on too long, please visit the doctor, because acute depression can turn into chronic depression if left and you really don't want that xxx

Di3012

Exercise and having a general routine help alot. (even if its just something simple like every wednesday I clean the kitchen).
Also some research has shown that people with depression are sometimes missing essential fatty acids so are recommended to take omega 3 and 6 suppliments. The best and long term way that worked for me was doing the above and having counciling. I know lots of people don't like the idea of it and there are very long waiting lists/ its expensive but it was the only thing that really worked. I've been depression free now for 7 years. (after struggling throughout my teens and early 20's). I wish you the best of luck in beating yours and I know right now it may feel that it will never get better but it can and you will get there. I am living proof it can be done so don't give up.

and THIS ^ is a brilliant reply! :flowerforyou:

MadeToCraveHIM

I've struggled with depression for at least 10 years now and probably longer. You may definitely need to be on meds for a short while until you can climb your way out of the valley. It's okay! I never wanted to go on any meds either, but honestly I felt so much better taking them that I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I've also taken St. John's Wart supplements in the past as well as Flax Seed Oil and for some reason these along with a multi vitamin made me feel so much better. Exercise has also helped me tremendously too. You may try these first before heading to the doc for meds too. Good luck to you dear and try not to beat yourself up about it. There are lots of people out there with depression who struggle daily, so just keep reaching out for help until you feel better.

KLWELL400

Talk to your doctor again, depression is not something that one can handle alone. I was diagnosed years ago and put on meds, after the feeling of wanting to kill myself and others got to me I threw the medication away and forced myself to look at things from a positive side. This will not work for everyone but I did not have a choice I was a single young mother at the time and I put my daughters happiness first and by doing that I became happier. But please talk to your doctor again apparently the medication is ineffective. Get up, Get Out and enjoy life. Find some up beat music to listen to in your house and dance or walk the depression away. Blessings and remember we are all here for you. You can add me as a friend if you wish.

melissa_may07

I think you need to speak with a doctor. They will be able to help you form a treatment plan that best fits your situation.

poedunk65

I deal with it most everyday with working out or building things with my hands. Winter is the worst time. have to constantly think about where you are ion life and what you have accomplished. think positive.

Molly182

I'll take some advice in this area, too. I'm getting a little better, but it's definitely off and on

gnrshelton

In my opinion you need to try a new doctor. There are many drugs. I think your doctor didn't work hard enough for you. My mother had issues for years until she found the right doctor. It made all the difference. Good Luck

Mcctin65

A lot of great advice from everyone. I struggle with it also.
I might add one thing that helps me .. avoid alcohol! It's a serious depressant.
I've come to find my biggest struggle is if I think too much. I tend to head towards the negative and if I don't stay busy when I am feeling that way I drag myself down so far i can't get back up.
Think POSITIVE about yourself. It's not easy. Write down some positive words of advice. if you can't think of any look them up on the internet or ask someone. Practice saying them over and over and SMILE! Sounds cheesy, I know, but it works for me.

formersec

I did Prozac after my father passed, but I think it was counseling that helped me get my head straight again. Prozac seemed to help a little initially, but it started to make me tired all the time. Not something I needed on top of depression. Eventually, I felt well enough to discontinue counseling too. What I really needed was to grieve for Dad, and once I did so, the dark cloud lifted.

Mcctin65

A lot of great advice from everyone. I struggle with it also.
I might add one thing that helps me .. avoid alcohol! It's a serious depressant.
I've come to find my biggest struggle is if I think too much. I tend to head towards the negative and if I don't stay busy when I am feeling that way I drag myself down so far i can't get back up.
Think POSITIVE about yourself. It's not easy. Write down some positive words of advice. if you can't think of any look them up on the internet or ask someone. Practice saying them over and over and SMILE! Sounds cheesy, I know, but it works for me.

Definitely talk to your doctor!

ikkle_hellie

Try councilling / therapy. Are you working or at college? Most large organisations have a completley confidential and outsouced Employee Care facility which will fund upto 5 sessions + a diagnostic, as will most colleges / Universities.
5 sessions is not enough, however it can help you start to try to work a way through your feelings.

Exercise is another great one too. If you've not really done any before, try a few things till you find something you enjoy... You'll be surprised how quick it works!

MaximalLife

When it comes to clinical depression, you are playing with fire.
Seek professional help! OK, got that out of the way....
So, to answer your question, yes, I was medicated after an accident. I got off the med's and took control of my life.
This is how I stay on track; maybe it will help you.
One word: GOALS!

And I address these areas:

Family and Home
Financial and Career
Spiritual and Ethical
Physical and Health
Social and Cultural
Mental and Educational

I write out what I want out of life in each of these areas. And what action can I take to get there.
When we write down a goal we are more likely to achieve it. Written goals can be reviewed regularly, hence they have more long-range power. Like a contract with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also, by writing goals in the following fashion, you can stimulate your subconscious to be continuously alert to situations that will further those goals.

There are tons of websites and info available free of charge just like MFP.
It's work just like MFP.
The ball is in your court.

Good Luck.

Helloitsdan

*wave*

katermoody

Well yes and no...I have suffered from depression off and on for 20+ years. With me it seems that outside events trigger it. When things are going smoothly I don't even notice it but when the world around me starts crashing down (loss of family member, loss of job, etc...) I cannot cope and go back to meds. This time (6 months ago) the same meds I have always taken suddenly seemed to start having an adverse effect, I was losing hours each day to complete blackouts. I got to the point that I couldn't take it and knew I had to make a decision and only I could do something about it. Some friends had started a diet challenge and were doing great, so I did a battle in my head to join in, set a start date, and 13 days later I am feeling great. I think the thing that helps me most is that my days are now very regimented and I am spending so much time logging things, getting on motivational calls, utilizing MFP, that I don't have time to remember that I am depressed. Not to mention the fact that I quit smoking 71 days ago, and have given up the alcohol that I was totally depending on to try to make myself numb...Now I am filling my body with good stuff and it really seems to be doing the trick. My husband, children and the rest of my family cannot believe the transformation. This is what seems to be working for me...Good luck to you and hang in there it's a rough road but I truly believe it can be beaten. Feel free to friend me, I am a good listener...

kirbykez

Why don't you want to take meds? I took them after my daughter was born 22 years ago. And I think they saved my life. I had post partam depression and took meds for six months. They really helped me. I don't know of any natural remedies though. Although I think exercise - hard core exercise that brings your heart rate up- triggers the happy endorphins in your brain!

:noway: There is NO WAY you had a daughter 22 years ago!!
By that I mean u look to young lol

RhonndaJ

I don't blame your GP for refusing to give you different meds given your first reaction. However, what your GP should do is get you to a psychiatrist ASAP.

A GP simply doesn't have the experience or specific training needed to figure out what meds might work better. Mind you, even with a psych it's still a trial and error type thing.

Now, I'm not saying that meds are necessary, but they can be, and they can also be helpful in getting you to a place where you can handle your depression without them.

I've lived my entire life (49 years) with depression, anxiety, and for me it's definitely a chemical imbalance and not situational. I need my meds, and thankfully have finally found a combination that works 85 percent of the time.

As for coping without meds...

Exercise helps a lot of people, but not everyone. It drove me crazy for a long while when people, including my doc, told me exercise would help. It didn't help me. But movement, dancing, just getting out in the air, does.

Eight hours of sleep. Just don't oversleep which is so easy when you're depressed.

Plenty of sunshine.

Watch your diet. Some foods may trigger you.

Music. Not necessarily upbeat, just the stuff you love that makes you feel good.

For me, reading helped, because it got me out of my own life for a while and that made things easier to bear at times.

Some people have good experiences taking herbals like Valerian and St. John's Wort. Be careful with these because some people get some spectacularly violent dreams from taking them.

Depending on the cause of your depression, counseling or cognitive behaviour therapy, may work.

Pollyfleming

23 years ago I had a serious clinical depression that lasted two years. About a month into it, I went to my Dr. and asked for a referral to counseling and meds. My doctor told me that depression had nothing to do with biology-that depression was a character flaw and that I was weak and lazy to want meds. He gave me the number of a counselor. I tried cognitive therapy. To be honest I learned some really great strategies in cognitive therapy. However, I suffered with my depression for 2 years. What finally got me out of my funk? Meds.
People think that if you're on anti-depressants you don't feel sad. That's not true. It's just that once I was on anti-depressants, I had appropriate emotions. Being depressed I felt empty- like a big ball of nothing. Once on meds, I started to feel like me. I only took the meds 3 months and I haven't taken them since. But now I am filled with joy and happiness and gratitude and sadness and loneliness and everything that it reasonable for a person with my life to feel--but not depression.
I don't know why you are reluctant to take meds. Is it money, the stigma, your family, your religion? Please reconsider. Also, realize that there are so many meds, it might take a few tries to find the right one.
Whether or not you do the meds, I would reccommend that you also look at cognitive therapy. It's really valuable. Best of luck to you!

paladeac

1. Find a good therapist. Talk to your doctor and friends for a referral. Check out their web sites to get a feel for how they work.
2.Studies have shown that exercise is as effective as meds in dealing with depression.
3. I highly recommend two books: Feeling Good Handbook (He helps a lot with the negative talk that can feed into depression) and The Depression Cure (He did survey of research to put together a list of non-medicinal interventions that are as effective as meds, if not more so.)


Depression can be like the waning light on a car dashboard, letting you know something needs to be addressed - either something in your life now that needs changing (like a toxic relationship or not taking care of yourself) or an old hurt that needs to be healed.

Our lifestyle affects our brian chemistry.

loosinglaura

Depression is a chemical disorder. There are a lot of things that can mess up the delicate chemical balance in our brain and some of us are simply more genetically prone to an imbalance. Depending on the severity of your depression you may need meds to overcome it. But, they are not always necessary. I have personally battled depression since the birth of my second child. I did take an SSRI for a few years, while I can now manage it without the meds. Most anti-depresents at SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor), they essentially raise the level of serotonin in your brain and help to keep it at a good level. Here are some natural ways to increase serotonin levels:
- Exercise (get your heart pumping and your brain gets a workout too)
- Getting 8 hours of sleep (there is a cycle here since a lack of sleep worsens depression while depression can make it difficult to sleep - it's okay to take a non-narcotic sleep aid - Tylenol PM, Benadryl, etc.)
- Talking - healthy, comfortable, pleasant conversation. Or talk therapy if your depression was triggered by a specific event or trauma.
- Sex
- Chocolate (dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa)
- Laughing (rent a good comedy now and then)
- Coffee helps for some people.
- Sun!! Not sure if you have sun right now where you live, but if you do get out in it!!!

The key for me is to have a regular exercise routine and stick to it. I also need to spend time with my husband where we are not busy with other things or the kids and periodically get a break from my kids. I get out in the sun when I can and honestly, if I am having a bad day a couple of squares of Lindt 70% cocoa chocolate does help. I do this and I don't need Prozac, I stop and I'll either be miserable, or back on the meds.

chachita7

I refused to even see a doctor, though I was completely aware of the fact I was depressed - and my sister didn't waste any time to point it out every chance she got. I hated it all and was giving up - I used to cry with no real reason. Push everyone away as well...

How I have gotten passed it:

(1) I had to look at myself very closely and realize nothing was depressing me except "me"
(2) I had to adopt the attitude and thought that there is noone nor nothing that can make me happy except "ME"
(3) I have come to the understanding that my mental, emotional, and physical health depends solely on "ME"
(4) I also have come to the realization that I am a complete person cuz God doesn't make halves
(5) Most importantly I learned that I need to love myself above it all and I am in complete control of who I share my love with.

The following is probably one of the most impacting things I have ever read -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMipyQ5cgyg

The following is probably the most impacting quote I have ever read -- “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”- Charles R. Swindoll

I feed my brain with as much positive as I possibly can, I do my best to laugh as often as I possibly can - music is my release.

Working out is my biggest medicine - when I am at the gym I think about nothing else but myself (selfish maybe but effective) - this is for ME.

It doesn't work the same for everyone - but this is what has worked for me...

jillyt85

I have struggled with clinical depression since I was 12 years old. It's something that runs in my family. I was put on meds immediately for it and was off and on them until about 2 years ago. I have also been overweight my entire life and didn't really start trying to get healthy until last year. My sister in law is a doctor and told me about all of these vitamins and supplements to take and told me to start exercising. It has helped SO much! I still have days that are very hard to get through, but I also have a very supportive husband and family. I do believe there are some people out there, however, that need the medication...at least for a while. I've also read that the adrenal gland (don't quote me here though) can have an impact on your physical and mental health. You could always get tested to see if yours is working properly, but I think the best thing for that really is proper diet and exercise. Like I said before, I still have hard days, but I don't want to kill myself anymore and I feel a million times better than I ever did while I was on medication. It's amazing what truly transforming your physical health can do for your mental health.